Пригоди Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Speckled Band
"Icannotimagine."
"Iseemanyobjectionstoanysuchtheory."
"AndsodoI.ItispreciselyforthatreasonthatwearegoingtoStokeMoranthisday. Iwanttoseewhethertheobjectionsarefatal,oriftheymaybeexplainedaway. Butwhatinthenameofthedevil!"
Theejaculationhadbeendrawnfrommycompanionbythefactthatourdoorhadbeensuddenlydashedopen,andthatahugemanhadframedhimselfintheaperture. Hiscostumewasapeculiarmixtureoftheprofessionalandoftheagricultural,havingablacktop-hat,alongfrock-coat,andapairofhighgaiters,withahunting-cropswinginginhishand. Sotallwashethathishatactuallybrushedthecrossbarofthe-doorway,andhisbreadthseemedtospanitacrossfromsidetoside. Alargeface,searedwithathousandwrinkles,burnedyellowwiththesun,andmarkedwitheveryevilpassion,wasturnedfromonetotheotherofus,whilehisdeep-set,bile-shoteyes,andhishigh,thin,fleshlessnose,gavehimsomewhattheresemblancetoafierceoldbirdofprey.
"WhichofyouisHolmes?"askedthisapparition.
"Myname,sir;butyouhavetheadvantageofme,"saidmycompanionquietly.
"IamDr.GrimesbyRoylott,ofStokeMoran."
"Indeed,Doctor,"saidHolmesblandly."Praytakeaseat."
"Iwilldonothingofthekind. Mystepdaughterhasbeenhere. Ihavetracedher. Whathasshebeensayingtoyou?"