Повернення Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Dancing Men
“Youremember,InspectorMartin,whentheservantssaidthatonleavingtheirroomtheywereatonceconsciousofasmellofpowder,Iremarkedthatthepointwasanextremelyimportantone?”
“Yes,sir;butIconfessIdidnotquitefollowyou.”
“Itsuggestedthatatthetimeofthefiring,thewindowaswellasthedooroftheroomhadbeenopen.Otherwisethefumesofpowdercouldnothavebeenblownsorapidlythroughthehouse.Adraughtintheroomwasnecessaryforthat.Bothdoorandwindowwereonlyopenforaveryshorttime,however.”
“Howdoyouprovethat?”
“Becausethecandlewasnotguttered.”
“Capital!”criedtheinspector.“Capital!
“Feelingsurethatthewindowhadbeenopenatthetimeofthetragedy,Iconceivedthattheremighthavebeenathirdpersonintheaffair,whostoodoutsidethisopeningandfiredthroughit.Anyshotdirectedatthispersonmighthitthesash.Ilooked,andthere,sureenough,wasthebulletmark!”
“Buthowcamethewindowtobeshutandfastened?”
“Thewoman’sfirstinstinctwouldbetoshutandfastenthewindow.But,halloa!Whatisthis?”
Itwasalady’shand-bagwhichstooduponthestudytable—atrimlittlehandbagofcrocodile-skinandsilver.Holmesopeneditandturnedthecontentsout.Thereweretwentyfifty-poundnotesoftheBankofEngland,heldtogetherbyanindia-rubberband—nothingelse.
“Thismustbepreserved,foritwillfigureinthetrial,”saidHolmes,ashehandedthebagwithitscontentstotheinspector.
