Тридцять дев’ять ступенів

           Helaughedatthingslikedyedhairandfalsebeardsandsuchchildishfollies.TheonlythingthatmatteredwaswhatPetercalled“atmosphere”.

           Ifamancouldgetintoperfectlydifferentsurroundingsfromthoseinwhichhehadbeenfirstobserved,and—thisistheimportantpart—reallyplayuptothesesurroundingsandbehaveasifhehadneverbeenoutofthem,hewouldpuzzlethecleverestdetectivesonearth.Andheusedtotellastoryofhowheonceborrowedablackcoatandwenttochurchandsharedthesamehymn-bookwiththemanthatwaslookingforhim.Ifthatmanhadseenhimindecentcompanybeforehewouldhaverecognizedhim;buthehadonlyseenhimsnuffingthelightsinapublic-housewitharevolver.

           TherecollectionofPeter’stalkgavemethefirstrealcomfortthatIhadhadthatday.Peterhadbeenawiseoldbird,andthesefellowsIwasafterwereaboutthepickoftheaviary.WhatiftheywereplayingPeter’sgame?Afooltriestolookdifferent:aclevermanlooksthesameandisdifferent.

           Again,therewasthatothermaximofPeter’swhichhadhelpedmewhenIhadbeenaroadman.“Ifyouareplayingapart,youwillneverkeepitupunlessyouconvinceyourselfthatyouareit.”Thatwouldexplainthegameoftennis.Thosechapsdidn’tneedtoact,theyjustturnedahandleandpassedintoanotherlife,whichcameasnaturallytothemasthefirst.Itsoundsaplatitude,butPeterusedtosaythatitwasthebigsecretofallthefamouscriminals.