Пригоди Шерлока Холмса
The Five Orange Pips
"FromEastLondon.Whatdoyoudeducefromthat?"
"Theyareallseaports.Thatthewriterwasonboardofaship."
"Excellent.Wehavealreadyaclue. Therecanbenodoubtthattheprobability—thestrongprobability—isthatthewriterwasonboardofaship. Andnowletusconsideranotherpoint. InthecaseofPondicherry,sevenweekselapsedbetweenthethreatanditsfulfillment,inDundeeitwasonlysomethreeorfourdays. Doesthatsuggestanything?"
"Agreaterdistancetotravel."
"Buttheletterhadalsoagreaterdistancetocome."
"ThenIdonotseethepoint."
"Thereisatleastapresumptionthatthevesselinwhichthemanormenareisasailing-ship. Itlooksasiftheyalwayssendtheirsingularwarningortokenbeforethemwhenstartingupontheirmission. YouseehowquicklythedeedfollowedthesignwhenitcamefromDundee. IftheyhadcomefromPondicherryinasteamertheywouldhavearrivedalmostassoonastheirletter. But,asamatteroffact,sevenweekselapsed. Ithinkthatthosesevenweeksrepresentedthedifferencebetweenthemailboatwhichbroughttheletterandthesailingvesselwhichbroughtthewriter."
"Itispossible."
"Morethanthat. Itisprobable. Andnowyouseethedeadlyurgencyofthisnewcase,andwhyIurgedyoungOpenshawtocaution. Theblowhasalwaysfallenattheendofthetimewhichitwouldtakethesenderstotravelthedistance. ButthisonecomesfromLondon,andthereforewecannotcountupondelay."
