Пригоди Шерлока Холмса
The Man with the Twisted Lip
"Ofcourseyouare. You’llknowallaboutitpresently. Jumpuphere. Allright,John;weshallnotneedyou. Here’shalfacrown. Lookoutformeto-morrow,abouteleven. Giveherherhead. Solong,then!"
Heflickedthehorsewithhiswhip,andwedashedawaythroughtheendlesssuccessionofsombreanddesertedstreets,whichwidenedgradually,untilwewereflyingacrossabroadbalustradedbridge,withthemurkyriverflowingsluggishlybeneathus. Beyondlayanotherdullwildernessofbricksandmortar,itssilencebrokenonlybytheheavy,regularfootfallofthepoliceman,orthesongsandshoutsofsomebelatedpartyofrevellers. Adullwrackwasdriftingslowlyacrossthesky,andastarortwotwinkleddimlyhereandtherethroughtheriftsoftheclouds. Holmesdroveinsilence,withhisheadsunkuponhisbreast,andtheairofamanwhoislostinthought,whileIsatbesidehim,curioustolearnwhatthisnewquestmightbewhichseemedtotaxhispowerssosorely,andyetafraidtobreakinuponthecurrentofhisthoughts. Wehaddrivenseveralmiles,andwerebeginningtogettothefringeofthebeltofsuburbanvillas,whenheshookhimself,shruggedhisshoulders,andlituphispipewiththeairofamanwhohassatisfiedhimselfthatheisactingforthebest.
"Youhaveagrandgiftofsilence,Watson,"saidhe. "Itmakesyouquiteinvaluableasacompanion. ’Ponmyword,itisagreatthingformetohavesomeonetotalkto,formyownthoughtsarenotover-pleasant. IwaswonderingwhatIshouldsaytothisdearlittlewomanto-nightwhenshemeetsmeatthedoor."
"YouforgetthatIknownothingaboutit."
"IshalljusthavetimetotellyouthefactsofthecasebeforewegettoLee. Itseemsabsurdlysimple,andyet,somehowIcangetnothingtogoupon.
