Adventure IV. THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY (4)

"I see," said I as I glanced down the column, "that the coroner in his concluding remarks was rather severe upon young McCarthy. He calls attention, and with reason, to the discrepancy about his father having signalled to him before seeing him also to his refusal to give details of his conversation with his father, and his singular account of his father's dying words. They are all, as he remarks, very much against the son."

Holmes laughed softly to himself and stretched himself out upon the cushioned seat. "Both you and the coroner have been at some pains," said he, "to single out the very strongest points in the young man's favor. Don't you see that you alternately give him credit for having too much imagination and too little? Too little, if he could not invent a cause of quarrel which would give him the sympathy of the jury; too much, if he evolved from his own inner consciousness anything so outre as a dying reference to a rat, and the incident of the vanishing cloth. No, sir, I shall approach this case from the point of view that what this young man says is true, and we shall see whither that hypothesis will lead us. And now here is my pocket Petrarch, and not another word shall I say of this case until we are on the scene of action. We lunch at Swindon, and I see that we shall be there in twenty minutes."

It was nearly four o'clock when we at last, after passing through the beautiful Stroud Valley, and over the broad gleaming Severn, found ourselves at the pretty little country-town of Ross. A lean, ferret-like man, furtive and sly-looking, was waiting for us upon the platform. In spite of the light brown dustcoat and leather-leggings which he wore in deference to his rustic surroundings, I had no difficulty in recognizing Lestrade, of Scotland Yard. With him we drove to the Hereford Arms where a room had already been engaged for us.

"I have ordered a carriage," said Lestrade as we sat over a cup of tea. "I knew your energetic nature, and that you would not be happy until you had been on the scene of the crime."

"It was very nice and complimentary of you," Holmes answered. "It is entirely a question of barometric pressure."

Lestrade looked startled. "I do not quite follow," he said.

"How is the glass? Twenty-nine, I see. No wind, and not a cloud in the sky. I have a caseful of cigarettes here which need smoking, and the sofa is very much superior to the usual country hotel abomination. I do not think that it is probable that I shall use the carriage to-night."

Lestrade laughed indulgently. "You have, no doubt, already formed your conclusions from the newspapers," he said. "The case is as plain as a pikestaff, and the more one goes into it the plainer it becomes. Still, of course, one can't refuse a lady, and such a very positive one, too. She has heard of you, and would have your opinion, though I repeatedly told her that there was nothing which you could do which I had not already done. Why, bless my soul! here is her carriage at the door."

He had hardly spoken before there rushed into the room one of the most lovely young women that I have ever seen in my life. Her violet eyes shining, her lips parted, a pink flush upon her cheeks, all thought of her natural reserve lost in her overpowering excitement and concern.

"Oh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!" she cried, glancing from one to the other of us, and finally, with a woman's quick intuition, fastening upon my companion, "I am so glad that you have come. I have driven down to tell you so. I know that James didn't do it. I know it, and I want you to start upon your work knowing it, too. Never let yourself doubt upon that point. We have known each other since we were little children, and I know his faults as no one else does; but he is too tenderhearted to hurt a fly. Such a charge is absurd to anyone who really knows him."

"I hope we may clear him, Miss Turner," said Sherlock Holmes. "You may rely upon my doing all that I can."

"But you have read the evidence. You have formed some conclusion? Do you not see some loophole, some flaw? Do you not yourself think that he is innocent?"

"I think that it is very probable."

"There, now!" she cried, throwing back her head and looking defiantly at Lestrade. "You hear! He gives me hopes."

Lestrade shrugged his shoulders. "I am afraid that my colleague has been a little quick in forming his conclusions," he said.

"But he is right. Oh! I know that he is right. James never did it. And about his quarrel with his father, I am sure that the reason why he would not speak about it to the coroner was because I was concerned in it."

"In what way?" asked Holmes.

"It is no time for me to hide anything. James and his father had many disagreements about me. Mr. McCarthy was very anxious that there should be a marriage between us. James and I have always loved each other as brother and sister; but of course he is young and has seen very little of life yet, and--and--well, he naturally did not wish to do anything like that yet. So there were quarrels, and this, I am sure, was one of them."

"And your father?" asked Holmes. "Was he in favor of such a union?"

"No, he was averse to it also. No one but Mr. McCarthy was in favor of it." A quick blush passed over her fresh young face as Holmes shot one of his keen, questioning glances at her.

"Thank you for this information," said he. "May I see your father if I call to-morrow?"

"I am afraid the doctor won't allow it."

"The doctor?"

"Yes, have you not heard? Poor father has never been strong for years back, but this has broken him down completely. He has taken to his bed, and Dr. Willows says that he is a wreck and that his nervous system is shattered. Mr. McCarthy was the only man alive who had known dad in the old days in Victoria."

"Ha! In Victoria! That is important."

"Yes, at the mines."

"Quite so; at the gold-mines, where, as I understand, Mr. Turner made his money."

"Yes, certainly."

"Thank you, Miss Turner. You have been of material assistance to me."

"You will tell me if you have any news to-morrow. No doubt you will go to the prison to see James. Oh, if you do, Mr. Holmes, do tell him that I know him to be innocent."

"I will, Miss Turner."

"I must go home now, for dad is very ill, and he misses me so if I leave him. Good-bye, and God help you in your undertaking." She hurried from the room as impulsively as she had entered, and we heard the wheels of her carriage rattle off down the street.

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Adventure IV. The Boscombe Valley Mystery (4) (с подсказками)

"I see," said I as I glanced [glRnst] (просмотрел) down the column ['kPlqm] (статья), "that the coroner ['kPrqnq] (следователь) in his concluding remarks [rI'mQ:ks] (замечания) was rather severe upon young McCarthy. He calls attention, and with reason, to the discrepancy [dIs'krepqnsI] (несоответствие) about his father having signalled ['sIgnqld] (позвал) to him before seeing him also to his refusal [rI'fju:zql] (отказ) to give details of his conversation with his father, and his singular ['sINgjulq] (странный) account of his father's dying words. They are all, as he remarks [rI'mQ:ks] (заметил), very much against the son."

Holmes laughed softly ['sPftli] (мягко) to himself and stretched [streCt] (вытянулся) himself out upon the cushioned ['kuS(q)nd] (с диванными подушками) seat. "Both you and the coroner ['kPrqnq] (следователь) have been at some pains," said he, "to single out (выделить) the very strongest points in the young man's [mxnz] (человека) favor ['feIvq] (расположение). Don't you see that you alternately [Ll'tE:nItli] (попеременно) give him credit for having too much imagination [I'mxdZIneISn] (воображение) and too little? Too little, if he could not invent [In'vent] (придумать) a cause of quarrel ['kwPrql] (ссора) which would give him the sympathy ['sImpqTI] (сочувствие) of the jury ['GuqrI] (присяжные); too much, if he evolved [i'vPlvd] (развил) from his own inner ['Inq] (внутренний) consciousness ['kPnSqsnIs] (сознание) anything so outre ['u:treI] (эксцентричный) as a dying reference to a rat [rxt] (крыса), and the incident of the vanishing ['vxnISIN] (исчезновение) cloth [klPT] (одежда). No, sir, I shall approach this case from the point of view that what this young man says is true, and we shall see whither ['wIDq] (к чему) that hypothesis [haI'pPTIsIs] (гипотеза) will lead us. And now here is my pocket Petrarch, and not another word shall I say of this case until we are on the scene of action. We lunch at Swindon, and I see that we shall be there in twenty ['twentI] (двадцать) minutes."

It was nearly four o'clock [q'kPk] (часов) when we at last, after passing through the beautiful Stroud Valley ['vxlI] (долина), and over the broad gleaming ['glJmIN] (сверкающий) Severn ['sevqn] (р. Северн), found ourselves at the pretty little country-town of Ross. A lean (худой), ferret-like ['ferIt-laIk] (похожий на хорька) man, furtive ['fE:tIv] (хитрый) and sly-looking ['slaI-'lukIN] (пронырливый), was waiting for us upon the platform ['plxtfLm]. In spite [spaIt] (не смотря) of the light brown [braun] (коричневый) dustcoat ['dAstkqut] (пыльник) and leather-leggings ['leDq-'legINz] (сапоги) which he wore in deference ['def(q)rqns] (уважение) to his rustic ['rAstIk] (сельская) surroundings [sq'raundINz] (местность), I had no difficulty in recognizing Lestrade, of Scotland Yard. With him we drove to the Herefordљ ['herIfqd] Arms where a room had already been engaged [In'geIGd] (были оставлены) for us.

"I have ordered a carriage ['kxrIG] (экипаж)," said Lestrade as we sat over a cup of tea. "I knew your energetic ["enq'GetIk] (энергичный) nature, and that you would not be happy until you had been on the scene of the crime."

"It was very nice and complimentary ["kPmplI'ment(q)ri] (похвально) of you," Holmes answered. "It is entirely a question of barometric ["bxrq'metrIk] (барометрический) pressure."

Lestrade looked startled ['stRtld] (пораженный). "I do not quite follow," he said.

"How is the glass (каковы показания барометра)? Twenty ['twentI] (двадцать)-nine, I see. No wind, and not a cloud [klaud] (облако) in the sky. I have a caseful ['keIsfql] (пачка) of cigarettes ["sIgq'rets] (сигареты) here which need smoking ['smqukIN] (курить), and the sofa ['squfq] (диван) is very much superior [sH'pI(q)rIq] (лучше) to the usual country hotel abomination [q"bPmI'neISqn] (мерзость). I do not think that it is probable ['prPbqbl] (вероятный) that I shall use the carriage ['kxrIG] (экипаж) to-night [tq'naIt] (сегодня вечером)."

Lestrade laughed indulgently [In'dAlGqntli] (снисходительно). "You have, no doubt, already formed your conclusions from the newspapers," he said. "The case is as plain [pleIn]љ as a pikestaff ['paIkstRf] (ясно как день, очевидно), and the more one goes into it the plainer ['pleInq] (яснее) it becomes. Still, of course, one can't refuse a lady, and such a very positive one, too. She has heard of you, and would have your opinion, though I repeatedly [rI'pi:tIdlI] (неоднократно) told her that there was nothing which you could do which I had not already done. Why, bless [bles] (благословлять) my soul [squl] (душа)! here is her carriage ['kxrIG] (экипаж) at the door."

He had hardly spoken before there rushed [rASt] (вбежала) into the room one of the most lovely young women that I have ever seen in my life. Her violet ['vaIqlIt] (голубые) eyes shining ['SaININ] (сияющие), her lips parted ['pRtId] (приоткрыты), a pink [pINk] (розовый) flush [flAS] (румянец) upon her cheeks [CJks] (щеки), all thought of her natural reserve [rI'zE:v] (сдержанность) lost in her overpowering ["quvq'pauqrIN] excitement [Ik'saItmqnt] (непреодолимое возбуждение, волнение) and concern.

"Oh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!" she cried, glancing ['glRnsIN] (переводя взгляд) from one to the other of us, and finally, with a woman's ['wumqnz] (женская) quick intuition ["Intju:'ISqn] (интуиция), fastening [fRsnIN] (останавливаясь) upon my companion [kqm'pxnjqn] (друг), "I am so glad [glxd] (рада) that you have come. I have driven down to tell you so. I know that James didn't do it. I know it, and I want you to start upon your work knowing it, too. Never let yourself doubt upon that point. We have known each other since we were little children, and I know his faults [fLlts] (недостатки) as no one else does; but he is too tenderhearted ["tqndq'hRtId] (мягкосердечный) to hurt a fly. Such a charge is absurd [qb'sE:d] (нелепый) to anyone who really knows him."

"I hope we may clear him, Miss Turner," said Sherlock Holmes. "You may rely upon my doing all that I can."

"But you have read the evidence. You have formed some conclusion? Do you not see some loophole ['lHphqul] (лазейка), some flaw [flL] (слабое место)? Do you not yourself think that he is innocent ['Inqsqnt] (невиновный)?"

"I think that it is very probable ['prPbqbl] (возможно)."

"There, now!" she cried, throwing back her head and looking defiantly [dI'faIqntli] (вызывающе) at Lestrade. "You hear! He gives me hopes."

Lestrade shrugged [SrAgd] (пожал) his shoulders. "I am afraid that my colleague has been a little quick in forming his conclusions," he said.

"But he is right. Oh! I know that he is right. James never did it. And about his quarrel ['kwPrql] (ссора) with his father, I am sure that the reason why he would not speak about it to the coroner ['kPrqnq] (следователь) was because I was concerned in it."

"In what way?" asked Holmes.

"It is no time for me to hide anything. James and his father had many disagreements ["dIsq'grJmqnts] (разногласия) about me. Mr. McCarthy was very anxious ['xN(k)Sqs] (беспокоился) that there should be a marriage between us. James and I have always loved each other as brother and sister; but of course he is young and has seen very little of life yet, and--and--well, he naturally ['nxtSr(q)lI] (естественно) did not wish to do anything like that yet. So there were quarrels ['kwPrqlz] (ссоры), and this, I am sure, was one of them."

"And your father?" asked Holmes. "Was he in favor ['feIvq] (за) of such a union?"

"No, he was averse [q'vE:s] (против) to it also. No one but Mr. McCarthy was in favor ['feIvq] (за) of it." A quick blush [blAS] (румянец) passed over her fresh young face as Holmes shot one of his keen [ki:n] (острый), questioning glances ['glRnsIz] (взгляд) at her.

"Thank you for this information," said he. "May I see your father if I call to-morrow [tq'mPrqu] (завтра)?"

"I am afraid the doctor won't allow it."

"The doctor?"

"Yes, have you not heard? Poor father has never been strong for years back, but this has broken ['brquk(q)n] (сломило : break- (с)ломать) him down completely. He has taken to his bed, and Dr ['dPktq] Willows ['wIlquz] (Уиллоуз) says that he is a wreck [rek] (развалина) and that his nervous ['nE:vqs] (нервная) system is shattered ['Sxtqd] (расшатана). Mr. McCarthy was the only man alive [q'laIv] (живой) who had known dad [dxd] (отец) in the old days in Victoria."

"Ha [hR] (Хм)! In Victoria! That is important."

"Yes, at the mines."

"Quite so; at the gold-mines [gquld-maInz] (золотые прииски), where, as I understand, Mr. Turner made his money."

"Yes, certainly."

"Thank you, Miss Turner. You have been of material assistance [q'sIstqns] (помощь) to me."

"You will tell me if you have any news to-morrow [tq'mPrqu] (завтра). No doubt you will go to the prison to see James. Oh, if you do, Mr. Holmes, do tell him that I know him to be innocent ['Inqsqnt] (невиновность)."

"I will, Miss Turner."

"I must go home now, for dad [dxd] (отец) is very ill [Il] (больной), and he misses me so if I leave him. Good-bye, and God help you in your undertaking (дело)." She hurried ['hArid] (поспешила) from the room as impulsively [Im'pAlsIvli] (импульсивно) as she had entered, and we heard the wheels [wJlz] (колеса) of her carriage ['kxrIG] (экипаж) rattle ['rxtl] off (стучали) down the street.

To be continued...

Обработка Светланы <azaballa at rambler dot ru> при технической поддержке Алексея Винидиктова

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