Спогади Шерлока Холмса
The Reigate Puzzle
Butifitwasnothe,itmusthavebeenAlecCunninghamhimself,forbythetimethattheoldmanhaddescendedseveralservantswereuponthescene.Thepointisasimpleone,buttheinspectorhadoverlookeditbecausehehadstartedwiththesuppositionthatthesecountymagnateshadhadnothingtodowiththematter.Now,Imakeapointofneverhavinganyprejudices,andoffollowingdocilelywhereverfactmayleadme,andso,intheveryfirststageoftheinvestigation,IfoundmyselflookingalittleaskanceatthepartwhichhadbeenplayedbyMr.AlecCunningham.
"AndnowImadeaverycarefulexaminationofthecornerofpaperwhichtheinspectorhadsubmittedtous.Itwasatoncecleartomethatitformedpartofaveryremarkabledocument.Hereitis.Doyounotnowobservesomethingverysuggestiveaboutit?"
"Ithasaveryirregularlook,"saidthecolonel.
"Mydearsir,"criedHolmes,"therecannotbetheleastdoubtintheworldthatithasbeenwrittenbytwopersonsdoingalternatewords.WhenIdrawyourattentiontothestrongt’sof‘at"and‘to,"andaskyoutocomparethemwiththeweakonesof‘quarter"and‘twelve,"youwillinstantlyrecognizethefact.Averybriefanalysisofthesefourwordswouldenableyoutosaywiththeutmostconfidencethatthe‘learn"andthe‘maybe"arewritteninthestrongerhand,andthe‘what"intheweaker."
"ByJove,it’sasclearasday!"criedthecolonel.
