Adventure IV. THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY (5)

"I am ashamed of you, Holmes," said Lestrade with dignity after a few minutes' silence. "Why should you raise up hopes which you are bound to disappoint? I am not over-tender of heart, but I call it cruel."

"I think that I see my way to clearing James McCarthy," said Holmes. "Have you an order to see him in prison?"

"Yes, but only for you and me."

"Then I shall reconsider my resolution about going out. We have still time to take a train to Hereford and see him to-night?"

"Ample."

"Then let us do so. Watson, I fear that you will find it very slow, but I shall only be away a couple of hours."

I walked down to the station with them, and then wandered through the streets of the little town, finally returning to the hotel, where I lay upon the sofa and tried to interest myself in a yellow-backed novel. The puny plot of the story was so thin, however, when compared to the deep mystery through which we were groping, and I found my attention wander so continually from the action to the fact, that I at last flung it across the room and gave myself up entirely to a consideration of the events of the day. Supposing that this unhappy young man's story were absolutely true, then what hellish thing, what absolutely unforeseen and extraordinary calamity could have occurred between the time when he parted from his father, and the moment when drawn back by his screams, he rushed into the glade? It was something terrible and deadly. What could it be? Might not the nature of the injuries reveal something to my medical instincts? I rang the bell and called for the weekly county paper, which contained a verbatim account of the inquest. In the surgeon's deposition it was stated that the posterior third of the left parietal bone and the left half of the occipital bone hail been shattered by a heavy blow from a blunt weapon. I marked the spot upon my own head. Clearly such a blow must have been struck from behind. That was to some extent in favor of the accused, as when seen quarrelling he was face to face with his father. Still, it did not go for very much, for the older man might have turned his back before the blow fell. Still, it might be worth while to call Holmes's attention to it. Then there was the peculiar dying reference to a rat. What could that mean? It could not be delirium. A man dying from a sudden blow does not commonly become delirious. No, it was more likely to be an attempt to explain how he met his fate. But what could it indicate? I cudgelled my brains to find some possible explanation. And then the incident of the gray cloth seen by young McCarthy. If that were true the murderer must have dropped some part of his dress, presumably his overcoat, in his flight, and must have had the hardihood to return and to carry it away at the instant when the son was kneeling with his back turned not a dozen paces off. What a tissue of mysteries and improbabilities the whole thing was! I did not wonder at Lestrade's opinion, and yet I had so much faith in Sherlock Holmes's insight that I could not lose hope as long as every fresh fact seemed to strengthen his conviction of young McCarthy's innocence.

It was late before Sherlock Holmes returned. He came back alone, for Lestrade was staying in lodgings in the town.

"The glass still keeps very high," he remarked as he sat down. "It is of importance that it should not rain before we are able to go over the ground. On the other hand, a man should be at his very best and keenest for such nice work as that, and I did not wish to do it when fagged by a long journey. I have seen young McCarthy."

"And what did you learn from him?"

"Nothing."

"Could he throw no light?"

"None at all. I was inclined to think at one time that he knew who had done it and was screening him or her, but I am convinced now that he is as puzzled as everyone else. He is not a very quick-witted youth, though comely to look at and, I should think, sound at heart."

"I cannot admire his taste," I remarked, "if it is indeed a fact that he was averse to a marriage with so charming a young lady as this Miss Turner."

"Ah, thereby hangs a rather painful tale. This fellow is madly, insanely, in love with her, but some two years ago, when he was only a lad, and before he really knew her, for she had been away five years at a boarding-school, what does the idiot do but get into the clutches of a barmaid in Bristol and marry her at a registry office? No one knows a word of the matter, but you can imagine how maddening it must be to him to be upbraided for not doing what he would give his very eyes to do, but what he knows to be absolutely impossible. It was sheer frenzy of this sort which made him throw his hands up into the air when his father, at their last interview, was goading him on to propose to Miss Turner. On the other hand, he had no means of supporting himself, and his father, who was by all accounts a very hard man, would have thrown him over utterly had he known the truth. It was with his barmaid wife that he had spent the last three days in Bristol, and his father did not know where he was. Mark that point. It is of importance. Good has come out of evil, however, for the barmaid, finding from the papers that he is in serious trouble and likely to be hanged, has thrown him over utterly and has written to him to say that she has a husband already in the Bermuda Dockyard, so that there is really no tie between them. I think that that bit of news has consoled young McCarthy for all that he has suffered."

"But if he is innocent, who has done it?"

"Ah! who? I would call your attention very particularly to two points. One is that the murdered man had an appointment with someone at the pool, and that the someone could not have been his son, for his son was away, and he did not know when he would return. The second is that the murdered man was heard to cry 'Cooee!' before he knew that his son had returned. Those are the crucial points upon which the case depends. And now let us talk about George Meredith, if you please, and we shall leave all minor matters until to-morrow."

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Adventure IV. The Boscombe Valley Mystery (5) (с подсказками)

"I am ashamed [q'SeImd] (стыдно) of you, Holmes," said Lestrade with dignity ['dIgnIti] (достоинство) after a few minutes silence. "Why should you raise up hopes which you are bound (наверняка) to disappoint ["dIsq'pOInt] (не оправдаете)? I am not over-tender ['quvq'tendq] (излишне чувствительный) of heart, but I call it cruel [kruql] (жестоко)."

"I think that I see my way to clearing James McCarthy," said Holmes. "Have you an order to see him in prison?"

"Yes, but only for you and me."

"Then I shall reconsider ['ri:kqn'sIdq] (пересмотрю) my resolution ["rezq'lu:Sqn] (решение) about going out. We have still time to take a train to Hereford ['herIfqd] (Херефорд)љand see him to-night [tq'naIt] (сегодня вечером)?"

"Ample ['xmpl] (вполне достаточно)."

"Then let us do so. Watson, I fear that you will find it very slow, but I shall only be away a couple of hours."

I walked down to the station with them, and then wandered ['wPndqd] (блуждал) through the streets of the little town, finally returning to the hotel, where I lay upon the sofa ['squfq] (диван) and tried to interest myself in a yellow ['jelqu]-backed (бульварный) novel ['nPvql] (роман). The puny ['pjHni] (слабый) plot [plPt] (сюжет) of the story was so thin, however, when compared to the deep mystery ['mIst(q)rI] (тайна) through which we were groping ['grqupIN] (пробирались на ощупь), and I found my attention wander ['wPndq] (блуждало) so continually [kqn'tInjuqli] (непрерывно) from the action to the fact, that I at last flung [flAN] (бросил : fling - бросать) it across the room and gave myself up entirely (полностью предался) to a consideration of the events of the day. Supposing that this unhappy [An'hxpi] (несчастный) young man's story were absolutely true, then what hellish ['helIS] (бесчеловечный) thing, what absolutely unforeseen [AnfL'sJn] (непредвиденное) and extraordinary [Iks'trLdnrI] (необычайное) calamity [kq'lxmIti] (бедствие) could have occurred (могло произойти) between the time when he parted ['pRtId] (расстался) from his father, and the moment when drawn [drLn] (привлекаемый) back by his screams [skrJmz] (крики), he rushed [rASt] (побежал) into the glade [gleId] (поляна)? It was something terrible and deadly ['dedlI] (кошмарное). What could it be? Might not the nature of the injuries reveal (открыть) something to my medical instincts ['InstINkts] (инстинкт)? I rang [rxN]љ the bell [bel] (позвонил) and called for the weekly ['wi:klI] (еженедельный) county paper, which contained a verbatim [vE:'beItIm] (дословный) account of the inquest ['Inkwest] (следствие). In the surgeon's ['sE:Gqnz] (хирурга) deposition ["depq'zISqn] (показания) it was stated that the posterior [pP'stI(q)rIq] (задняя) third [TE:d] (треть) of the left parietal [pq'raIItl] (теменной) bone and the left half of the occipital [Pk'sIpItl] (затылочная) bone had been shattered ['Sxtqd] (разбиты) by a heavy blow from a blunt [blAnt] (тупое) weapon. I marked the spot (место) upon my own head. Clearly such a blow must have been struck from behind. That was to some extent [Iks'tent] (мера) in favor ['feIvq] (в пользу) of the accused [q'kjHzd] (обвиненный), as when seen quarrelling ['kwPr(q)lIN] (ссорящиеся) he was face to face with his father. Still, it did not go for very much, for the older ['quldq] (старший) man might have turned his back before the blow fell. Still, it might be worth while (стоит) to call Holmes's attention to it. Then there was the peculiar [pI'kjHliq] (особый) dying reference (упоминание) to a rat [rxt] (крыса). What could that mean? It could not be delirium [dI'lI(q)riqm] (бред). A man dying from a sudden ['sAdn] (внезапный) blow does not commonly ['kPmqnli] (обычно) become delirious [dI'lIriqs] (находящийся в бреду). No, it was more likely to be (скорее это была) an attempt to explain how he met his fate [feIt] (судьба). But what could it indicate? I cudgelled ['kAGqld]љmy brains (ломал себе голову) to find some possible explanation. And then the incident of the gray [greI] (серый) cloth [klPT] (одежда) seen by young McCarthy. If that were true the murderer ['mE:d(q)rq] (убийца) must have dropped some part of his dress, presumably [prI'zju:mqblI] (вероятно) his overcoat ['quvqkqut] (плащ), in his flight (бегство), and must have had the hardihood ['hRdihud] (смелость) to return and to carry it away at the instant ['Instqnt] (мгновение) when the son was kneeling ['nJlIN] (стоял на коленях) with his back turned not a dozen [dAzn] (дюжина) paces ['peIsIz] (шаги) off. What a tissue ['tISu:] (сеть, сплетение) of mysteries ['mIstqriz] (тайны) and improbabilities [Im"prPbq'bIlitiz] (невероятное) the whole thing was! I did not wonder at Lestrade's opinion, and yet I had so much faith in Sherlock Holmes's insight ['InsaIt] (понимание) that I could not lose hope as long as every fresh fact seemed to strengthen ['streNTqn] (усиливать) his conviction [kqn'vIkS(q)n] (убеждение) of young McCarthy's innocence ['Inqsqns] (невиновность).

It was late before Sherlock Holmes returned. He came back alone, for Lestrade was staying in lodgings ['lPGINz] (квартиры) in the town.

"The glass (барометр) still keeps very high," he remarked [rI'mRkt] (заметил) as he sat down. "It is of importance that it should not rain before we are able to go over the ground. On the other hand, a man should be at his very best and keenest ['kJnIst] (весь свой ум) for such nice work as that, and I did not wish to do it when fagged [fxgd] (утомленный) by a long journey. I have seen young McCarthy."

"And what did you learn from him?"

"Nothing."

"Could he throw no light?"

"None at all. I was inclined [In'klaInd] (склонялся) to think at one time that he knew who had done it and was screening ['skrJnIN] (прикрывал) him or her, but I am convinced [kqn'vInst] (убежден) now that he is as puzzled [pAzld] (озадачен) as everyone else. He is not a very quick-witted ["kwIk-'wItId] (сообразительный) youth [ju:T] (юноша) , though comely ['kAmli] (миловидный) to look at and, I should think, sound (неиспорченный) at heart."

"I cannot ['kxnqt, -nPt] (не могу) admire [qd'maIq] (восхищаться) his taste [teIst] (вкус)," I remarked [rI'mRkt] (заметил), "if it is indeed a fact that he was averse [q'vE:s] (был нерасположен) to a marriage with so charming ['CRmIN] (очаровательная) a young lady as this Miss Turner."

"Ah [R] (о), thereby [Deq'baI] (над всем этим) hangs a rather painful ['peInf(q)l] (неприятный) tale [teIl] (история). This fellow ['felqu] (малый) is madly ['mxdli] (безумно), insanely [In'seInli] (безумно), in love with her, but some two years ago, when he was only a lad [lxd] (юноша), and before he really knew her, for she had been away five years at a boarding-school ['bLdIN-skHl] (пансион), what does the idiot ['IdIqt]љ do but get into the clutches ['klACIz] (лапы) of a barmaid ['bRmeId] (буфетчица) in Bristol and marry her at a registry ['reGIstri] office (ЗАГС)? No one knows a word of the matter, but you can imagine how maddening ['mxdnIN] (мучительно) it must be to him to be upbraided ["Ap'breIdId] (быть укоряемым) for not doing what he would give his very eyes to do, but what he knows to be absolutely impossible. It was sheer [SIq] (полнейшее) frenzy ['frenzI] (отчаяние) of this sort which made him throw his hands up into the air when his father, at their last interview, was goading ['gqudIN] (побуждать) him on to propose to Miss Turner. On the other hand, he had no means of supporting himself, and his father, who was by all accounts a very hard man, would have thrown him over (выгнал бы из дому) utterly ['AtqlI] (зд. на веки) had he known the truth. It was with his barmaid ['bRmeId] (буфетчица) wife that he had spent the last three days in Bristol, and his father did not know where he was. Mark that point. It is of importance. Good has come out of evil ['Jv(q)l] (зло), however, for the barmaid ['bRmeId] (буфетчица), finding from the papers that he is in serious trouble and likely to be hanged, has thrown him over (бросила) utterly ['AtqlI] (зд. сразу же) and has written to him to say that she has a husband already in the Bermuda [bq'mjHdq] (Бермуды) Dockyard ['dPkjRd] (верфь), so that there is really no tie [taI] (связь) between them. I think that that bit of news has consoled [kqn'squld] (утешило) young McCarthy for all that he has suffered."

"But if he is innocent ['Inqsqnt] (невиновный), who has done it?"

"Ah [R] (О)! who? I would call your attention very particularly to two points. One is that the murdered ['mE:dqd] (убитый) man had an appointment with someone at the pool (омут), and that the someone could not have been his son, for his son was away, and he did not know when he would return. The second is that the murdered ['mE:dqd] (убитый) man was heard to cry 'Cooee!' before he knew that his son had returned. Those are the crucial ['kru:Sql] (решающий) points upon which the case depends. And now let us talk about George [GLG] (Джордж) Meredith ['merqdIT] (Мередит), if you please, and we shall leave all minor ['maInq] (незначительный) matters until to-morrow [tq'mPrqu] (завтра)."

To be continued...

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

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