Спогади Шерлока Холмса
The Musgrave Ritual
Youcanimaginemyexultation,Watson,whenwithintwoinchesofmypegIsawaconicaldepressionintheground.IknewthatitwasthemarkmadebyBruntoninhismeasurements,andthatIwasstilluponhistrail.
"Fromthisstarting-pointIproceededtostep,havingfirsttakenthecardinalpointsbymypocket-compass.Tenstepswitheachfoottookmealongparallelwiththewallofthehouse,andagainImarkedmyspotwithapeg.ThenIcarefullypacedofffivetotheeastandtwotothesouth.Itbroughtmetotheverythresholdoftheolddoor.TwostepstothewestmeantnowthatIwastogotwopacesdownthestone-flaggedpassage,andthiswastheplaceindicatedbytheRitual.
"NeverhaveIfeltsuchacoldchillofdisappointment,Watson.Foramomentitseemedtomethattheremustbesomeradicalmistakeinmycalculations.Thesettingsunshonefulluponthepassagefloor,andIcouldseethattheold,foot-worngraystoneswithwhichitwaspavedwerefirmlycementedtogether,andhadcertainlynotbeenmovedformanyalongyear.Bruntonhadnotbeenatworkhere.Itappeduponthefloor,butitsoundedthesameallover,andtherewasnosignofanycrackorcrevice.But,fortunately,Musgrave,whohadbeguntoappreciatethemeaningofmyproceedings,andwhowasnowasexcitedasmyself,tookouthismanuscripttocheckmycalculations.
"‘Andunder,"hecried.‘Youhaveomittedthe"andunder.
