Повернення Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Empty House
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“Itissurelyratherfanciful.”
“Well,Idon’tinsistuponit.Whateverthecause,ColonelMoranbegantogowrong.Withoutanyopenscandal,hestillmadeIndiatoohottoholdhim.Heretired,cametoLondon,andagainacquiredanevilname.ItwasatthistimethathewassoughtoutbyProfessorMoriarty,towhomforatimehewaschiefofthestaff.Moriartysuppliedhimliberallywithmoney,andusedhimonlyinoneortwoveryhigh-classjobs,whichnoordinarycriminalcouldhaveundertaken.YoumayhavesomerecollectionofthedeathofMrs.Stewart,ofLauder,in1887.Not?Well,IamsureMoranwasatthebottomofit,butnothingcouldbeproved.Socleverlywasthecolonelconcealedthat,evenwhentheMoriartygangwasbrokenup,wecouldnotincriminatehim.Yourememberatthatdate,whenIcalleduponyouinyourrooms,howIputuptheshuttersforfearofair-guns?Nodoubtyouthoughtmefanciful.IknewexactlywhatIwasdoing,forIknewoftheexistenceofthisremarkablegun,andIknewalsothatoneofthebestshotsintheworldwouldbebehindit.WhenwewereinSwitzerlandhefolloweduswithMoriarty,anditwasundoubtedlyhewhogavemethatevilfiveminutesontheReichenbachledge.
“YoumaythinkthatIreadthepaperswithsomeattentionduringmysojourninFrance,onthelook-outforanychanceoflayinghimbytheheels.SolongashewasfreeinLondon,mylifewouldreallynothavebeenworthliving.Nightanddaytheshadowwouldhavebeenoverme,andsoonerorlaterhischancemusthavecome.
