Пригоди Шерлока Холмса
A Scandal in Bohemia
"Why,indeed?"murmuredHolmes. "YourMajestyhadnotspokenbeforeIwasawarethatIwasaddressingWilhelmGottsreichSigismondvonOrmstein,GrandDukeofCassel-Felstein,andhereditaryKingofBohemia."
"Butyoucanunderstand,"saidourstrangevisitor,sittingdownoncemoreandpassinghishandoverhishighwhiteforehead,"youcanunderstandthatIamnotaccustomedtodoingsuchbusinessinmyownperson. YetthematterwassodelicatethatIcouldnotconfideittoanagentwithoutputtingmyselfinhispower. IhavecomeincognitofromPragueforthepurposeofconsultingyou."
"Then,prayconsult,"saidHolmes,shuttinghiseyesoncemore.
"Thefactsarebrieflythese: Somefiveyearsago,duringalengthyvisittoWarsaw,Imadetheacquaintanceofthewell-knownadventuress,IreneAdler. Thenameisnodoubtfamiliartoyou."
"Kindlylookherupinmyindex,Doctor,"murmuredHolmeswithoutopeninghiseyes. Formanyyearshehadadoptedasystemofdocketingallparagraphsconcerningmenandthings,sothatitwasdifficulttonameasubjectorapersononwhichhecouldnotatoncefurnishinformation. InthiscaseIfoundherbiographysandwichedinbetweenthatofaHebrewrabbiandthatofastaff-commanderwhohadwrittenamonographuponthedeep-seafishes.
"Letmesee!"saidHolmes. "Hum!BorninNewJerseyintheyear1858. Contralto—hum!LaScala,hum! PrimadonnaImperialOperaofWarsaw—yes! Retiredfromoperaticstage—ha! LivinginLondon—quiteso!
