Артур Дойл - Приключения Шерлока Холмса / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (сборник)
II
After the interview Sherlock Holmes was very thoughtful. Several times in the next few days he took this piece of paper from his note-book and looked long at the curious figures on it. He didn’t share his ideas with me. But one day, two weeks later, when I was going out he said to me:
“You had better[106] stay here, Watson.”
“Why?”
“Because Hilton Cubitt called me this morning. Do you remember Hilton Cubitt, the case of the dancing men? He may be here at any moment. As far as I understood[107] there were some new incidents.”
We didn’t have to wait for a long time, because our Norfolk squire came straight from the station as fast as he could. He looked worried and depressed, his eyes were tired.
“It’s getting on my nerves[108], this business, Mr. Holmes,” he said, as he seated into the armchair. “I feel really bad, I’m surrounded by invisible unknown people, who want something from me and my family. But in addition to that it’s frightening to see that it’s slowly killing your wife. She’s just dying before my eyes, Mr. Holmes!”
“Has she said anything yet?”
“No, Mr. Holmes, she has not. Sometimes I saw that my poor wife wanted to speak, but could not do it. I have tried to help her; but I must say I’m a clumsy man in these things, and scared her off from it[109]. She has spoken about my old family, and our reputation in the county, and our pride and honour. And I always felt it was very close to the point… but somehow she couldn’t go further.”
“But you have found out something, haven’t you?”
“Yes, Mr. Holmes. I have several fresh dancing men pictures for you, and, what is more important, I have seen that man.”
“What, the man who draws them?”
“Yes, I saw him while he was doing it. But I will tell you everything in order. When I got back after my visit to you, the very first thing I saw next morning was some fresh dancing men. They were drawn in chalk on the black wooden door of the tool-house, which stands beside the lawn in front of windows. I took an exact copy, and here it is.” He took out a paper and laid it on the table. Here is a copy of it:
“Excellent!” said Holmes. “Excellent! Pray, continue!”
“When I had taken the copy I washed the marks out. But two mornings later fresh symbols appeared. I have a copy of it here”:
Holmes rubbed his hands[110] and said with delight:
“Our material is quickly growing.”
“Three days later another message was left written on the paper. I found it on the sun-dial. Here it is. The symbols are, as you see, exactly the same as the last one. After that I decided to hide and wait. So I got out my revolver and I sat up in my room, from where I could see the lawn and garden. About two in the morning I was seated by the window, it was very dark, when I heard steps behind me, and there was my wife in her dressing-gown. She tried to persuade me to come to bed. I told her frankly that I wished to see who it was who played such stupid tricks on us[111]. She answered that it was just a silly joke, and that I should not think about it.
“‘If it really annoys you, Hilton, we might go and travel, you and I, and so avoid this nuisance.’
“‘What? It means that we will leave our own house because of some jokers?’ I said. ‘The whole county will be laughing at us.’
“‘Well, come to bed,’ she said, ‘and we can discuss it in the morning.’
“Suddenly, as she spoke, I saw that her pale face became paler, and her hand grabbed mine. Something was moving in the shadow of the tool-house. I saw a dark figure which stopped in front of the door. I took my revolver and was going to run out, when my wife tried to stop me and held me with her arms. I tried to get rid of her, but she held me very desperately. At last I broke free[112], but by the time I had opened the door and reached the house the man disappeared. He had left some dancing men, but their arrangement was the same, which the previous and which I have copied on that paper. I couldn’t find that man anywhere, although I ran all over the garden. But the amazing thing is that he must have been there all the time, because when I examined the door again, he had drawn some more of his pictures under the line which I had already seen.”
“Do you have that fresh drawing?”
“Yes, it is very short, but I made a copy of it, and here it is.”
Again he showed a paper. The new dance was in this form:
“Tell me,” said Holmes – and I could see that he was very much excited – “was this an addition to the first, or did it appear separately?”
“It was on a different panel of the door.”
“Excellent! This is very important for us. It fills me with hopes. Now, Mr. Hilton Cubitt, please continue your interesting story.”
“I have nothing more to say, Mr. Holmes, except that I was angry with my wife that night. She held me when I could catch this terrible man. She said that she feared that he could hurt me. For a second an idea came to my mind that perhaps what she really feared was that I could hurt him. I could not doubt that she knew who this man was and what he meant by these strange symbols. But my wife has such a tone in her voice, Mr. Holmes, and a look in her eyes which forbid doubt – I am sure that she told me the truth. That’s it, and now I want your advice, what I should do. My own idea is to ask my farm friends to hide in the garden, and when this man comes again we can give him such a lesson[113] that he will leave us in peace.”
“I fear it will not be enough,” said Holmes. “How long can you stay in London?”
“I must come back today. I can’t leave my wife alone all night. She is very nervous and begged me to come back.”
“I think you are right. But then we could return together in a day or two. Anyway, leave me these papers, and I think that I’ll visit your house soon. And we’ll be able to throw some light on[114] your case.”
Sherlock Holmes looked professionally calm until our visitor had left us. But it was easy for me, who knew him so well, to see that he was very excited. The moment that Hilton Cubitt’s left, my friend rushed to the table, laid out all the pieces of paper containing dancing men in front of him and began examining them.
For two hours I watched him – he was very busy copying dancing men and writing letters, he was so completely occupied with this task that he had evidently forgotten about me. Sometimes he was making progress[115] and whistled or sang something. Sometimes he became puzzled, and could sit for hours looking absent-minded. Finally he jumped up from his chair with a cry of satisfaction, and walked up and down the room rubbing his hands together. Then he wrote a long telegram.
“If my answer to this is right, you will have a very pretty case to your collection, Watson,” he said. “I think that we should go down to Norfolk tomorrow. And we will finally solve this puzzle, which worries our friend so much.”
Of course I was filled with curiosity, but I knew that Holmes liked to make his conclusions at his own time and in his own way. So I waited.
Exercises
1. When did Mr. Cubitt visit Sherlock Holmes again?
1) The next day
2) A week later
3) A month later
4) Two weeks later
2. Why did Mr. Cubitt look worried and depressed?
1) His wife was very afraid.
2) This business was getting on his nerves.
3) He didn’t like London.
4) Sherlock Holmes couldn’t help him.
3. Why couldn’t Mr. Cubitt just talk to his wife and find out the truth?
1) He was afraid of his wife.
2) He was scary and he didn’t want to scary her off.
3) He had no time for it.
4) He was a clumsy man in these things.
4. What did he find out?
1) He brought some new drawings of dancing men and saw the man who drew them.
2) He caught the joker – it was his stable-boy.
3) He didn’t find out anything.
4) He found out that there were several men who drew these pictures.
5. What was Mrs. Cubitt’s suggestion?
1) To hide and wait
2) To travel in order to avoid this nuisance
3) To sell the house
4) To call the police
6. Why was Mr. Cubitt angry with his wife?
1) She didn’t want to come to bed.
2) She didn’t want to talk to him.
3) She told him that she knew this man.
4) She held him when he could catch this man.
7. What did Sherlock Holmes do when Mr. Cubitt left?
1) He was tired and went to bed.
2) He decided to have dinner and then started working.
3) He started working, he was very busy copying dancing men and writing letters.
4) He solved the riddle very quickly and wrote a long telegram.
8. Why didn’t Sherlock Holmes share his ideas with Dr. Watson?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Choose the right line:
Sherlock Holmes…………… to the table…………… out all the pieces of paper…………… dancing men in front of him and…………… examining them.
1) was rushing, lay, contained, began
2) rushed, lay, containing, began
3) rushed, laid, containing, began
4) was rushing, laid, containing, beginning
10. Complete the sentences with these words and expressions:
as far as, played such stupid tricks, on my nerves, a lesson, progress, had better
1) When this man comes again we can give him such…………… that he will leave us in peace.
2) I told her frankly that I wished to see who it was who…………… on us.
3) “…………… I understood there were some new incidents.”
4) Sometimes he was making…………… and whistled or sang something.
5) “You…………… stay here, Watson.”
6) “It’s getting……………, this business, Mr. Holmes,” he said.
11. Insert the right prepositions:
