Пригоди Шерлока Холмса
The Man with the Twisted Lip
Mrs.St.Clairhadherlunch,startedfortheCity,didsomeshopping,proceededtothecompany’soffice,gotherpacket,andfoundherselfatexactly4:35walkingthroughSwandamLaneonherwaybacktothestation. Haveyoufollowedmesofar?"
"Itisveryclear."
"Ifyouremember,Mondaywasanexceedinglyhotday,andMrs.St.Clairwalkedslowly,glancingaboutinthehopeofseeingacab,asshedidnotliketheneighbourhoodinwhichshefoundherself. WhileshewaswalkinginthiswaydownSwandamLane,shesuddenlyheardanejaculationorcry,andwasstruckcoldtoseeherhusbandlookingdownatherand,asitseemedtoher,beckoningtoherfromasecond-floorwindow. Thewindowwasopen,andshedistinctlysawhisface,whichshedescribesasbeingterriblyagitated. Hewavedhishandsfranticallytoher,andthenvanishedfromthewindowsosuddenlythatitseemedtoherthathehadbeenpluckedbackbysomeirresistibleforcefrombehind. Onesingularpointwhichstruckherquickfeminineeyewasthatalthoughheworesomedarkcoat,suchashehadstartedtotownin,hehadonneithercollarnornecktie.
"Convincedthatsomethingwasamisswithhim,sherusheddownthesteps—forthehousewasnoneotherthantheopiumdeninwhichyoufoundmeto-night—andrunningthroughthefrontroomsheattemptedtoascendthestairswhichledtothefirstfloor. Atthefootofthestairs,however,shemetthislascarscoundrelofwhomIhavespoken,whothrustherbackand,aidedbyaDane,whoactsasassistantthere,pushedheroutintothestreet. Filledwiththemostmaddeningdoubtsandfears,sherusheddownthelaneand,byraregood-fortune,metinFresnoStreetanumberofconstableswithaninspector,allontheirwaytotheirbeat.
