Знак чотирьох
I. The Science of Deduction
Theearthisofthispeculiarreddishtintwhichisfound,asfarasIknow,nowhereelseintheneighbourhood.Somuchisobservation.Therestisdeduction.”
“How,then,didyoudeducethetelegram?”
“Why,ofcourseIknewthatyouhadnotwrittenaletter,sinceIsatoppositetoyouallmorning.Iseealsoinyouropendesktherethatyouhaveasheetofstampsandathickbundleofpost-cards.Whatcouldyougointothepost-officefor,then,buttosendawire?Eliminateallotherfactors,andtheonewhichremainsmustbethetruth.”
“Inthiscaseitcertainlyisso,”Ireplied,afteralittlethought.“Thething,however,is,asyousay,ofthesimplest.WouldyouthinkmeimpertinentifIweretoputyourtheoriestoamoreseveretest?”
“Onthecontrary,”heanswered,“itwouldpreventmefromtakingaseconddoseofcocaine.Ishouldbedelightedtolookintoanyproblemwhichyoumightsubmittome.”
“Ihaveheardyousaythatitisdifficultforamantohaveanyobjectindailyusewithoutleavingtheimpressofhisindividualityuponitinsuchawaythatatrainedobservermightreadit.Now,Ihavehereawatchwhichhasrecentlycomeintomypossession.Wouldyouhavethekindnesstoletmehaveanopinionuponthecharacterorhabitsofthelateowner?”
Ihandedhimoverthewatchwithsomeslightfeelingofamusementinmyheart,forthetestwas,asIthought,animpossibleone,andIintendeditasalessonagainstthesomewhatdogmatictonewhichheoccasionallyassumed.
