Собака Баскервіллів
Mr. Sherlock Holmes
"Ithinkalsothattheprobabilityisinfavourofhisbeingacountrypractitionerwhodoesagreatdealofhisvisitingonfoot."
"Whyso?"
"Becausethisstick,thoughoriginallyaveryhandsomeonehasbeensoknockedaboutthatIcanhardlyimagineatownpractitionercarryingit. Thethick-ironferruleisworndown,soitisevidentthathehasdoneagreatamountofwalkingwithit."
"Perfectlysound!"saidHolmes.
"Andthenagain,thereisthe‘friendsoftheC.C.H.’IshouldguessthattobetheSomethingHunt,thelocalhunt towhosemembershehaspossiblygivensomesurgicalassistance,andwhichhasmadehimasmallpresentationinreturn."
"Really,Watson,youexcelyourself,"saidHolmes,pushingbackhischairandlightingacigarette. "Iamboundtosaythatinalltheaccountswhichyouhavebeensogoodastogiveofmyownsmallachievementsyouhavehabituallyunderratedyourownabilities. Itmaybethatyouarenotyourselfluminous,butyouareaconductoroflight. Somepeoplewithoutpossessinggeniushavearemarkablepowerofstimulatingit. Iconfess,mydearfellow,thatIamverymuchinyourdebt."
Hehadneversaidasmuchbefore,andImustadmitthathiswordsgavemekeenpleasure, forIhadoftenbeenpiquedbyhisindifferencetomyadmirationandtotheattemptswhichIhadmadetogivepublicitytohismethods. Iwasproud,too,tothinkthatIhadsofarmasteredhissystemastoapplyitinawaywhichearnedhisapproval.
