Повернення Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Six Napoleons
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InrapidsuccessionwepassedthroughthefringeoffashionableLondon,hotelLondon,theatricalLondon,literaryLondon,commercialLondon,and,finally,maritimeLondon,tillwecametoariversidecityofahundredthousandsouls,wherethetenementhousesswelterandreekwiththeoutcastsofEurope.Here,inabroadthoroughfare,oncetheabodeofwealthyCitymerchants,wefoundthesculptureworksforwhichwesearched.Outsidewasaconsiderableyardfullofmonumentalmasonry.Insidewasalargeroominwhichfiftyworkerswerecarvingormoulding.Themanager,abigblondGerman,receiveduscivillyandgaveaclearanswertoallHolmes’squestions.AreferencetohisbooksshowedthathundredsofcastshadbeentakenfromamarblecopyofDevine’sheadofNapoleon,butthatthethreewhichhadbeensenttoMorseHudsonayearorsobeforehadbeenhalfofabatchofsix,theotherthreebeingsenttoHardingBrothers,ofKensington.Therewasnoreasonwhythosesixshouldbedifferentfromanyoftheothercasts.Hecouldsuggestnopossiblecausewhyanyoneshouldwishtodestroythem—infact,helaughedattheidea.Theirwholesalepricewassixshillings,buttheretailerwouldgettwelveormore.Thecastwastakenintwomouldsfromeachsideoftheface,andthenthesetwoprofilesofplasterofPariswerejoinedtogethertomakethecompletebust.TheworkwasusuallydonebyItalians,intheroomwewerein.Whenfinished,thebustswereputonatableinthepassagetodry,andafterwardsstored.Thatwasallhecouldtellus.
