Пригоди Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb
"Iglancedatthebooksuponthetable,andinspiteofmyignoranceofGermanIcouldseethattwoofthemweretreatisesonscience,theothersbeingvolumesofpoetry. ThenIwalkedacrosstothewindow,hopingthatImightcatchsomeglimpseofthecountry-side,butanoakshutter,heavilybarred,wasfoldedacrossit. Itwasawonderfullysilenthouse. Therewasanoldclocktickingloudlysomewhereinthepassage,butotherwiseeverythingwasdeadlystill. Avaguefeelingofuneasinessbegantostealoverme. WhoweretheseGermanpeople,andwhatweretheydoinglivinginthisstrange,out-of-the-wayplace? Andwherewastheplace? IwastenmilesorsofromEyford,thatwasallIknew,butwhethernorth,south,east,orwestIhadnoidea. Forthatmatter,Reading,andpossiblyotherlargetowns,werewithinthatradius,sotheplacemightnotbesosecluded,afterall. Yetitwasquitecertain,fromtheabsolutestillness,thatwewereinthecountry. Ipacedupanddowntheroom,hummingatuneundermybreathtokeepupmyspiritsandfeelingthatIwasthoroughlyearningmyfifty-guineafee.
"Suddenly,withoutanypreliminarysoundinthemidstoftheutterstillness,thedoorofmyroomswungslowlyopen. Thewomanwasstandingintheaperture,thedarknessofthehallbehindher,theyellowlightfrommylampbeatinguponhereagerandbeautifulface. Icouldseeataglancethatshewassickwithfear,andthesightsentachilltomyownheart. Shehelduponeshakingfingertowarnmetobesilent,andsheshotafewwhisperedwordsofbrokenEnglishatme,hereyesglancingback,likethoseofafrightenedhorse,intothegloombehindher.
"‘Iwouldgo,’saidshe,tryinghard,asitseemedtome,tospeakcalmly; ‘Iwouldgo. Ishouldnotstayhere. Thereisnogoodforyoutodo.’
"‘But,madam,’saidI,‘IhavenotyetdonewhatIcamefor. IcannotpossiblyleaveuntilIhaveseenthemachine.’
