Повернення Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Empty House
AndIevenattempted,morethanonce,formyownprivatesatisfaction,toemployhismethodsintheirsolution,thoughwithindifferentsuccess.Therewasnone,however,whichappealedtomelikethistragedyofRonaldAdair.AsIreadtheevidenceattheinquest,whichleduptoaverdictofwillfulmurderagainstsomepersonorpersonsunknown,IrealizedmoreclearlythanIhadeverdonethelosswhichthecommunityhadsustainedbythedeathofSherlockHolmes.Therewerepointsaboutthisstrangebusinesswhichwould,Iwassure,havespeciallyappealedtohim,andtheeffortsofthepolicewouldhavebeensupplemented,ormoreprobablyanticipated,bythetrainedobservationandthealertmindofthefirstcriminalagentinEurope.Allday,asIdroveuponmyround,Iturnedoverthecaseinmymindandfoundnoexplanationwhichappearedtometobeadequate.Attheriskoftellingatwice-toldtale,Iwillrecapitulatethefactsastheywereknowntothepublicattheconclusionoftheinquest.
TheHonourableRonaldAdairwasthesecondsonoftheEarlofMaynooth,atthattimegovernorofoneoftheAustraliancolonies.Adair’smotherhadreturnedfromAustraliatoundergotheoperationforcataract,andshe,hersonRonald,andherdaughterHildawerelivingtogetherat427,ParkLane.Theyouthmovedinthebestsociety—had,sofaraswasknown,noenemiesandnoparticularvices.HehadbeenengagedtoMissEdithWoodley,ofCarstairs,buttheengagementhadbeenbrokenoffbymutualconsentsomemonthsbefore,andtherewasnosignthatithadleftanyveryprofoundfeelingbehindit.
