Знак чотирьох
IX. A Break in the Chain
Itstruckmeasratheringenious,becauseitmightbereadbythefugitiveswithouttheirseeinginitmorethanthenaturalanxietyofawifeforhermissinghusband.
Itwasalongday.Everytimethataknockcametothedoor,orasharpsteppassedinthestreet,IimaginedthatitwaseitherHolmesreturningorananswertohisadvertisement.Itriedtoread,butmythoughtswouldwanderofftoourstrangequestandtotheill-assortedandvillainouspairwhomwewerepursuing.Couldtherebe,Iwondered,someradicalflawinmycompanion’sreasoning.Mighthebesufferingfromsomehugeself-deception?Wasitnotpossiblethathisnimbleandspeculativemindhadbuiltupthiswildtheoryuponfaultypremises?Ihadneverknownhimtobewrong;andyetthekeenestreasonermayoccasionallybedeceived.Hewaslikely,Ithought,tofallintoerrorthroughtheover-refinementofhislogic,—hispreferenceforasubtleandbizarreexplanationwhenaplainerandmorecommonplaceonelayreadytohishand.Yet,ontheotherhand,Ihadmyselfseentheevidence,andIhadheardthereasonsforhisdeductions.WhenIlookedbackonthelongchainofcuriouscircumstances,manyofthemtrivialinthemselves,butalltendinginthesamedirection,IcouldnotdisguisefrommyselfthatevenifHolmes’sexplanationwereincorrectthetruetheorymustbeequallyoutréandstartling.
Atthreeo’clockintheafternoontherewasaloudpealatthebell,anauthoritativevoiceinthehall,and,tomysurprise,nolessapersonthanMr.AthelneyJoneswasshownuptome.
