Спогади Шерлока Холмса
The Musgrave Ritual
Atonesideofthiswasasquat,brass-boundwoodenbox,thelidofwhichwashingedupward,withthiscuriousold-fashionedkeyprojectingfromthelock.Itwasfurredoutsidebyathicklayerofdust,anddampandwormshadeatenthroughthewood,sothatacropoflividfungiwasgrowingontheinsideofit.Severaldiscsofmetal,oldcoinsapparently,suchasIholdhere,werescatteredoverthebottomofthebox,butitcontainednothingelse.
"Atthemoment,however,wehadnothoughtfortheoldchest,foroureyeswereriveteduponthatwhichcrouchedbesideit.Itwasthefigureofaman,cladinasuitofblack,whosquatteddownuponhishamswithhisforeheadsunkupontheedgeoftheboxandhistwoarmsthrownoutoneachsideofit.Theattitudehaddrawnallthestagnantbloodtotheface,andnomancouldhaverecognizedthatdistortedliver-colouredcountenance;buthisheight,hisdress,andhishairwereallsufficienttoshowmyclient,whenwehaddrawnthebodyup,thatitwasindeedhismissingbutler.Hehadbeendeadsomedays,buttherewasnowoundorbruiseuponhispersontoshowhowhehadmethisdreadfulend.Whenhisbodyhadbeencarriedfromthecellarwefoundourselvesstillconfrontedwithaproblemwhichwasalmostasformidableasthatwithwhichwehadstarted.
"Iconfessthatsofar,Watson,Ihadbeendisappointedinmyinvestigation.
