Повернення Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Six Napoleons
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“Iwasverymuchsurprisedatyourletter,forIcouldnotimaginehowyouknewthatIownedsuchathing.”
“Ofcourseyoumusthavebeensurprised,buttheexplanationisverysimple.Mr.Harding,ofHardingBrothers,saidthattheyhadsoldyoutheirlastcopy,andhegavemeyouraddress.”
“Oh,thatwasit,wasit?DidhetellyouwhatIpaidforit?”
“No,hedidnot.”
“Well,Iamanhonestman,thoughnotaveryrichone.Ionlygavefifteenshillingsforthebust,andIthinkyououghttoknowthatbeforeItaketenpoundsfromyou.
“Iamsurethescrupledoesyouhonour,Mr.Sandeford.ButIhavenamedthatprice,soIintendtosticktoit.”
“Well,itisveryhandsomeofyou,Mr.Holmes.Ibroughtthebustupwithme,asyouaskedmetodo.Hereitis!”Heopenedhisbag,andatlastwesawplaceduponourtableacompletespecimenofthatbustwhichwehadalreadyseenmorethanonceinfragments.
Holmestookapaperfromhispocketandlaidaten-poundnoteuponthetable.
“Youwillkindlysignthatpaper,Mr.Sandeford,inthepresenceofthesewitnesses.Itissimplytosaythatyoutransfereverypossiblerightthatyoueverhadinthebusttome.Iamamethodicalman,yousee,andyouneverknowwhatturneventsmighttakeafterwards.Thankyou,Mr.Sandeford;hereisyourmoney,andIwishyouaverygoodevening.”
Whenourvisitorhaddisappeared,SherlockHolmes’smovementsweresuchastorivetourattention.Hebeganbytakingacleanwhiteclothfromadrawerandlayingitoverthetable.Thenheplacedhisnewlyacquiredbustinthecentreofthecloth.
