Пригоди Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
"Forheaven’ssake,tellme,then,whatisthisextraordinarymystery!"
"Iwilldoso,andIwillshowyouthestepsbywhichIreachedit. Andletmesaytoyou,first,thatwhichitishardestformetosayandforyoutohear:therehasbeenanunderstandingbetweenSirGeorgeBurnwellandyournieceMary. Theyhavenowfledtogether."
"MyMary?Impossible!"
"Itisunfortunatelymorethanpossible;itiscertain. Neitheryounoryoursonknewthetruecharacterofthismanwhenyouadmittedhimintoyourfamilycircle. HeisoneofthemostdangerousmeninEngland—aruinedgambler,anabsolutelydesperatevillain,amanwithoutheartorconscience. Yournieceknewnothingofsuchmen. Whenhebreathedhisvowstoher,ashehaddonetoahundredbeforeher,sheflatteredherselfthatshealonehadtouchedhisheart. Thedevilknowsbestwhathesaid,butatleastshebecamehistoolandwasinthehabitofseeinghimnearlyeveryevening."
"Icannot,andIwillnot,believeit!"criedthebankerwithanashenface.
"Iwilltellyou,then,whatoccurredinyourhouselastnight. Yourniece,whenyouhad,asshethought,gonetoyourroom,slippeddownandtalkedtoherloverthroughthewindowwhichleadsintothestablelane. Hisfootmarkshadpressedrightthroughthesnow,solonghadhestoodthere.Shetoldhimofthecoronet. Hiswickedlustforgoldkindledatthenews,andhebenthertohiswill. Ihavenodoubtthatshelovedyou,buttherearewomeninwhomtheloveofaloverextinguishesallotherloves,andIthinkthatshemusthavebeenone.
