Повернення Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter
Iatoncerodepastthecarriage,and,keepingtothemainroad,Iwentonforafewmiles,andthenhaltedinaconvenientplacetoseeifthecarriagepassed.Therewasnosignofit,however,andsoitbecameevidentthatithadturneddownoneofseveralsideroadswhichIhadobserved.Irodeback,butagainsawnothingofthecarriage,andnow,asyouperceive,ithasreturnedafterme.Ofcourse,IhadattheoutsetnoparticularreasontoconnectthesejourneyswiththedisappearanceofGodfreyStaunton,andwasonlyinclinedtoinvestigatethemonthegeneralgroundsthateverythingwhichconcernsDr.Armstrongisatpresentofinteresttous,but,nowthatIfindhekeepssokeenalook-outuponanyonewhomayfollowhimontheseexcursions,theaffairappearsmoreimportant,andIshallnotbesatisfieduntilIhavemadethematterclear.”
“Wecanfollowhimto-morrow.”
“Canwe?Itisnotsoeasyasyouseemtothink.YouarenotfamiliarwithCambridgeshirescenery,areyou?Itdoesnotlenditselftoconcealment.AllthiscountrythatIpassedoverto-nightisasflatandcleanasthepalmofyourhand,andthemanwearefollowingisnofool,asheveryclearlyshowedto-night.IhavewiredtoOvertontoletusknowanyfreshLondondevelopmentsatthisaddress,andinthemeantimewecanonlyconcentrateourattentionuponDr.Armstrong,whosenametheobligingyoungladyattheofficeallowedmetoreaduponthecounterfoilofStaunton’surgentmessage.Heknowswheretheyoungmanis—tothatI’llswear,andifheknows,thenitmustbeourownfaultifwecannotmanagetoknowalso.
