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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, A CASE OF IDENTITY 2

A CASE OF IDENTITY 2

Sherlock Holmes sat silent for a few minutes with his fingertips still pressed together, his legs stretched out in front of him, and his gaze directed upward to the ceiling. Then he took down from the rack the old and oily clay pipe, which was to him as a counsellor, and, having lit it, he leaned back in his chair, with the thick blue cloud-wreaths spinning up from him, and a look of infinite languor in his face.

“Quite an interesting study, that maiden,” he observed. “I found her more interesting than her little problem, which, by the way, is rather a trite one. You will find parallel cases, if you consult my index, in Andover in '77, and there was something of the sort at The Hague last year. Old as is the idea, however, there were one or two details which were new to me. But the maiden herself was most instructive.”

“You appeared to read a good deal upon her which was quite invisible to me,” I remarked.

“Not invisible but unnoticed, Watson. You did not know where to look, and so you missed all that was important. I can never bring you to realise the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness of thumb-nails, or the great issues that may hang from a boot-lace. Now, what did you gather from that woman's appearance? Describe it.”

“Well, she had a slate-coloured, broad-brimmed straw hat, with a feather of a brickish red. Her jacket was black, with black beads sewn upon it, and a fringe of little black jet ornaments. Her dress was brown, rather darker than coffee colour, with a little purple plush at the neck and sleeves. Her gloves were greyish and were worn through at the right forefinger. Her boots I didn't observe. She had small round, hanging gold earrings, and a general air of being fairly well-to-do in a vulgar, comfortable, easy-going way.”

Sherlock Holmes clapped his hands softly together and chuckled.

“'Pon my word, Watson, you are coming along wonderfully. You have really done very well indeed. It is true that you have missed everything of importance, but you have hit upon the method, and you have a quick eye for colour. Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details. My first glance is always at a woman's sleeve. In a man it is perhaps better first to take the knee of the trouser. As you observe, this woman had plush upon her sleeves, which is a most useful material for showing traces. The double line a little above the wrist, where the typewritist presses against the table, was beautifully defined. The sewing-machine, of the hand type, leaves a similar mark, but only on the left arm, and on the side of it farthest from the thumb, instead of being right across the broadest part, as this was. I then glanced at her face, and, observing the dint of a pince-nez at either side of her nose, I ventured a remark upon short sight and typewriting, which seemed to surprise her.”

“It surprised me.”

“But, surely, it was obvious. I was then much surprised and interested on glancing down to observe that, though the boots which she was wearing were not unlike each other, they were really odd ones; the one having a slightly decorated toe-cap, and the other a plain one. One was buttoned only in the two lower buttons out of five, and the other at the first, third, and fifth. Now, when you see that a young lady, otherwise neatly dressed, has come away from home with odd boots, half-buttoned, it is no great deduction to say that she came away in a hurry.”

“And what else?” I asked, keenly interested, as I always was, by my friend's incisive reasoning.

“I noted, in passing, that she had written a note before leaving home but after being fully dressed. You observed that her right glove was torn at the forefinger, but you did not apparently see that both glove and finger were stained with violet ink. She had written in a hurry and dipped her pen too deep. It must have been this morning, or the mark would not remain clear upon the finger. All this is amusing, though rather elementary, but I must go back to business, Watson. Would you mind reading me the advertised description of Mr. Hosmer Angel?”

I held the little printed slip to the light. “Missing,” it said, “on the morning of the fourteenth, a gentleman named Hosmer Angel. About five ft. seven in. in height; strongly built, sallow complexion, black hair, a little bald in the centre, bushy, black side-whiskers and moustache; tinted glasses, slight infirmity of speech. Was dressed, when last seen, in black frock-coat faced with silk, black waistcoat, gold Albert chain, and grey Harris tweed trousers, with brown gaiters over elastic-sided boots. Known to have been employed in an office in Leadenhall Street. Anybody bringing,” &c, &c. “That will do,” said Holmes. “As to the letters,” he continued, glancing over them, “they are very commonplace. Absolutely no clue in them to Mr. Angel, save that he quotes Balzac once. There is one remarkable point, however, which will no doubt strike you.”

“They are typewritten,” I remarked.

“Not only that, but the signature is typewritten. Look at the neat little ‘Hosmer Angel' at the bottom. There is a date, you see, but no superscription except Leadenhall Street, which is rather vague. The point about the signature is very suggestive—in fact, we may call it conclusive.”

“Of what?”

“My dear fellow, is it possible you do not see how strongly it bears upon the case?”

“I cannot say that I do unless it were that he wished to be able to deny his signature if an action for breach of promise were instituted.”

“No, that was not the point. However, I shall write two letters, which should settle the matter. One is to a firm in the City, the other is to the young lady's stepfather, Mr. Windibank, asking him whether he could meet us here at six o'clock to-morrow evening. It is just as well that we should do business with the male relatives. And now, Doctor, we can do nothing until the answers to those letters come, so we may put our little problem upon the shelf for the interim.”

I had had so many reasons to believe in my friend's subtle powers of reasoning and extraordinary energy in action that I felt that he must have some solid grounds for the assured and easy demeanour with which he treated the singular mystery which he had been called upon to fathom. Once only had I known him to fail, in the case of the King of Bohemia and of the Irene Adler photograph; but when I looked back to the weird business of the Sign of Four, and the extraordinary circumstances connected with the Study in Scarlet, I felt that it would be a strange tangle indeed which he could not unravel.

I left him then, still puffing at his black clay pipe, with the conviction that when I came again on the next evening I would find that he held in his hands all the clues which would lead up to the identity of the disappearing bridegroom of Miss Mary Sutherland.

A professional case of great gravity was engaging my own attention at the time, and the whole of next day I was busy at the bedside of the sufferer. It was not until close upon six o'clock that I found myself free and was able to spring into a hansom and drive to Baker Street, half afraid that I might be too late to assist at the dénouement of the little mystery. I found Sherlock Holmes alone, however, half asleep, with his long, thin form curled up in the recesses of his armchair. A formidable array of bottles and test-tubes, with the pungent cleanly smell of hydrochloric acid, told me that he had spent his day in the chemical work which was so dear to him.

“Well, have you solved it?” I asked as I entered.

“Yes. It was the bisulphate of baryta.”

“No, no, the mystery!” I cried.

“Oh, that! I thought of the salt that I have been working upon. There was never any mystery in the matter, though, as I said yesterday, some of the details are of interest. The only drawback is that there is no law, I fear, that can touch the scoundrel.”

“Who was he, then, and what was his object in deserting Miss Sutherland?”

The question was hardly out of my mouth, and Holmes had not yet opened his lips to reply, when we heard a heavy footfall in the passage and a tap at the door.

“This is the girl's stepfather, Mr. James Windibank,” said Holmes. “He has written to me to say that he would be here at six. Come in!”

The man who entered was a sturdy, middle-sized fellow, some thirty years of age, clean-shaven, and sallow-skinned, with a bland, insinuating manner, and a pair of wonderfully sharp and penetrating grey eyes. He shot a questioning glance at each of us, placed his shiny top-hat upon the sideboard, and with a slight bow sidled down into the nearest chair.

“Good-evening, Mr. James Windibank,” said Holmes. “I think that this typewritten letter is from you, in which you made an appointment with me for six o'clock?”

“Yes, sir. I am afraid that I am a little late, but I am not quite my own master, you know. I am sorry that Miss Sutherland has troubled you about this little matter, for I think it is far better not to wash linen of the sort in public. It was quite against my wishes that she came, but she is a very excitable, impulsive girl, as you may have noticed, and she is not easily controlled when she has made up her mind on a point. Of course, I did not mind you so much, as you are not connected with the official police, but it is not pleasant to have a family misfortune like this noised abroad. Besides, it is a useless expense, for how could you possibly find this Hosmer Angel?”

“On the contrary,” said Holmes quietly; “I have every reason to believe that I will succeed in discovering Mr. Hosmer Angel.”

Mr. Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves. “I am delighted to hear it,” he said.

“It is a curious thing,” remarked Holmes, “that a typewriter has really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting. Unless they are quite new, no two of them write exactly alike. Some letters get more worn than others, and some wear only on one side. Now, you remark in this note of yours, Mr. Windibank, that in every case there is some little slurring over of the ‘e,' and a slight defect in the tail of the ‘r.' There are fourteen other characteristics, but those are the more obvious.”

“We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office, and no doubt it is a little worn,” our visitor answered, glancing keenly at Holmes with his bright little eyes.

“And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study, Mr. Windibank,” Holmes continued. “I think of writing another little monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to crime. It is a subject to which I have devoted some little attention. I have here four letters which purport to come from the missing man. They are all typewritten. In each case, not only are the ‘e's' slurred and the ‘r's' tailless, but you will observe, if you care to use my magnifying lens, that the fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well.”

Mr. Windibank sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat. “I cannot waste time over this sort of fantastic talk, Mr. Holmes,” he said. “If you can catch the man, catch him, and let me know when you have done it.”

“Certainly,” said Holmes, stepping over and turning the key in the door. “I let you know, then, that I have caught him!”

“What! where?” shouted Mr. Windibank, turning white to his lips and glancing about him like a rat in a trap.

“Oh, it won't do—really it won't,” said Holmes suavely. “There is no possible getting out of it, Mr. Windibank. It is quite too transparent, and it was a very bad compliment when you said that it was impossible for me to solve so simple a question. That's right! Sit down and let us talk it over.”

Our visitor collapsed into a chair, with a ghastly face and a glitter of moisture on his brow. “It—it's not actionable,” he stammered.

“I am very much afraid that it is not. But between ourselves, Windibank, it was as cruel and selfish and heartless a trick in a petty way as ever came before me. Now, let me just run over the course of events, and you will contradict me if I go wrong.”

The man sat huddled up in his chair, with his head sunk upon his breast, like one who is utterly crushed. Holmes stuck his feet up on the corner of the mantelpiece and, leaning back with his hands in his pockets, began talking, rather to himself, as it seemed, than to us.

“The man married a woman very much older than himself for her money,” said he, “and he enjoyed the use of the money of the daughter as long as she lived with them. It was a considerable sum, for people in their position, and the loss of it would have made a serious difference. It was worth an effort to preserve it. The daughter was of a good, amiable disposition, but affectionate and warm-hearted in her ways, so that it was evident that with her fair personal advantages, and her little income, she would not be allowed to remain single long. Now her marriage would mean, of course, the loss of a hundred a year, so what does her stepfather do to prevent it? He takes the obvious course of keeping her at home and forbidding her to seek the company of people of her own age. But soon he found that that would not answer forever. She became restive, insisted upon her rights, and finally announced her positive intention of going to a certain ball. What does her clever stepfather do then? He conceives an idea more creditable to his head than to his heart. With the connivance and assistance of his wife he disguised himself, covered those keen eyes with tinted glasses, masked the face with a moustache and a pair of bushy whiskers, sunk that clear voice into an insinuating whisper, and doubly secure on account of the girl's short sight, he appears as Mr. Hosmer Angel, and keeps off other lovers by making love himself.”

“It was only a joke at first,” groaned our visitor. “We never thought that she would have been so carried away.”

“Very likely not. However that may be, the young lady was very decidedly carried away, and, having quite made up her mind that her stepfather was in France, the suspicion of treachery never for an instant entered her mind. She was flattered by the gentleman's attentions, and the effect was increased by the loudly expressed admiration of her mother. Then Mr. Angel began to call, for it was obvious that the matter should be pushed as far as it would go if a real effect were to be produced. There were meetings, and an engagement, which would finally secure the girl's affections from turning towards anyone else. But the deception could not be kept up forever. These pretended journeys to France were rather cumbrous. The thing to do was clearly to bring the business to an end in such a dramatic manner that it would leave a permanent impression upon the young lady's mind and prevent her from looking upon any other suitor for some time to come. Hence those vows of fidelity exacted upon a Testament, and hence also the allusions to a possibility of something happening on the very morning of the wedding. James Windibank wished Miss Sutherland to be so bound to Hosmer Angel, and so uncertain as to his fate, that for ten years to come, at any rate, she would not listen to another man. As far as the church door he brought her, and then, as he could go no farther, he conveniently vanished away by the old trick of stepping in at one door of a four-wheeler and out at the other. I think that was the chain of events, Mr. Windibank!”

Our visitor had recovered something of his assurance while Holmes had been talking, and he rose from his chair now with a cold sneer upon his pale face.

“It may be so, or it may not, Mr. Holmes,” said he, “but if you are so very sharp you ought to be sharp enough to know that it is you who are breaking the law now, and not me. I have done nothing actionable from the first, but as long as you keep that door locked you lay yourself open to an action for assault and illegal constraint.”

“The law cannot, as you say, touch you,” said Holmes, unlocking and throwing open the door, “yet there never was a man who deserved punishment more. If the young lady has a brother or a friend, he ought to lay a whip across your shoulders. By Jove!” he continued, flushing up at the sight of the bitter sneer upon the man's face, “it is not part of my duties to my client, but here's a hunting crop handy, and I think I shall just treat myself to—” He took two swift steps to the whip, but before he could grasp it there was a wild clatter of steps upon the stairs, the heavy hall door banged, and from the window we could see Mr. James Windibank running at the top of his speed down the road.

“There's a cold-blooded scoundrel!” said Holmes, laughing, as he threw himself down into his chair once more. “That fellow will rise from crime to crime until he does something very bad, and ends on a gallows. The case has, in some respects, been not entirely devoid of interest.”

“I cannot now entirely see all the steps of your reasoning,” I remarked.

“Well, of course it was obvious from the first that this Mr. Hosmer Angel must have some strong object for his curious conduct, and it was equally clear that the only man who really profited by the incident, as far as we could see, was the stepfather. Then the fact that the two men were never together, but that the one always appeared when the other was away, was suggestive. So were the tinted spectacles and the curious voice, which both hinted at a disguise, as did the bushy whiskers. My suspicions were all confirmed by his peculiar action in typewriting his signature, which, of course, inferred that his handwriting was so familiar to her that she would recognise even the smallest sample of it. You see all these isolated facts, together with many minor ones, all pointed in the same direction.”

“And how did you verify them?”

“Having once spotted my man, it was easy to get corroboration. I knew the firm for which this man worked. Having taken the printed description. I eliminated everything from it which could be the result of a disguise—the whiskers, the glasses, the voice, and I sent it to the firm, with a request that they would inform me whether it answered to the description of any of their travellers. I had already noticed the peculiarities of the typewriter, and I wrote to the man himself at his business address asking him if he would come here. As I expected, his reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but characteristic defects. The same post brought me a letter from Westhouse & Marbank, of Fenchurch Street, to say that the description tallied in every respect with that of their employé, James Windibank. Voilà tout!”

“And Miss Sutherland?”

“If I tell her she will not believe me. You may remember the old Persian saying, ‘There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub, and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman.' There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace, and as much knowledge of the world.”

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A CASE OF IDENTITY 2 UN CASO DE IDENTIDAD 2 UM CASO DE IDENTIDADE 2

Sherlock Holmes sat silent for a few minutes with his fingertips still pressed together, his legs stretched out in front of him, and his gaze directed upward to the ceiling. ||||||||||кончиками пальцев||||||||||||||||||| Then he took down from the rack the old and oily clay pipe, which was to him as a counsellor, and, having lit it, he leaned back in his chair, with the thick blue cloud-wreaths spinning up from him, and a look of infinite languor in his face. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||облаками дыма||||||||||бесконечная усталость|||

“Quite an interesting study, that maiden,” he observed. “I found her more interesting than her little problem, which, by the way, is rather a trite one. You will find parallel cases, if you consult my index, in Andover in '77, and there was something of the sort at The Hague last year. Old as is the idea, however, there were one or two details which were new to me. But the maiden herself was most instructive.” Но||девица||||поучительная

“You appeared to read a good deal upon her which was quite invisible to me,” I remarked.

“Not invisible but unnoticed, Watson. You did not know where to look, and so you missed all that was important. I can never bring you to realise the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness of thumb-nails, or the great issues that may hang from a boot-lace. ||||||||||рукавов||намёк|||||||||||||| Now, what did you gather from that woman's appearance? Describe it.”

“Well, she had a slate-coloured, broad-brimmed straw hat, with a feather of a brickish red. ||||сланцевого|||||||||||| «Ну, у нее была широкополая соломенная шляпа грифельно-серого цвета с кирпично-красным пером. Her jacket was black, with black beads sewn upon it, and a fringe of little black jet ornaments. Жакет у нее был черный, с нашитыми черными бусами и бахромой из маленьких черных гагатовых украшений. Her dress was brown, rather darker than coffee colour, with a little purple plush at the neck and sleeves. Ее платье было коричневым, скорее темнее кофейного цвета, с небольшим пурпурным плюшем на шее и рукавах. Her gloves were greyish and were worn through at the right forefinger. Ее перчатки были сероватые и протерты на правом указательном пальце. Her boots I didn't observe. She had small round, hanging gold earrings, and a general air of being fairly well-to-do in a vulgar, comfortable, easy-going way.” У нее были маленькие круглые висячие золотые сережки, и в целом она производила впечатление довольно состоятельной, вульгарной, удобной и непринужденной».

Sherlock Holmes clapped his hands softly together and chuckled. Шерлок Холмс мягко хлопнул в ладоши и усмехнулся.

“'Pon my word, Watson, you are coming along wonderfully. «Честное слово, Ватсон, у вас все замечательно. You have really done very well indeed. It is true that you have missed everything of importance, but you have hit upon the method, and you have a quick eye for colour. Это правда, что вы упустили все важное, но вы наткнулись на метод, и вы быстро чувствуете цвет. Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details. |||||||||||деталях My first glance is always at a woman's sleeve. In a man it is perhaps better first to take the knee of the trouser. У мужчины, пожалуй, лучше сначала взяться за колено брюк. As you observe, this woman had plush upon her sleeves, which is a most useful material for showing traces. ||||||пухлый материал|||||||||||| Как вы заметили, у этой женщины на рукавах был плюш, а это очень удобный материал для демонстрации следов. The double line a little above the wrist, where the typewritist presses against the table, was beautifully defined. ||||||||||||к столу|||||очерчена Двойная линия чуть выше запястья, где пишущая машинка прижимается к столу, была прекрасно очерчена. Подвійна лінія трохи вище зап'ястя, де друкарка притискається до столу, була чудово окреслена. The sewing-machine, of the hand type, leaves a similar mark, but only on the left arm, and on the side of it farthest from the thumb, instead of being right across the broadest part, as this was. Швейная машина ручного типа оставляет такой же след, но только на левой руке и на стороне, наиболее удаленной от большого пальца, вместо того, чтобы располагаться прямо поперек самой широкой части, как это было. Ручна швейна машина залишає подібний слід, але тільки на лівій руці, і на тій стороні, яка є найдальшою від великого пальця, замість того, щоб бути правою поперек найширшої частини, як це було. I then glanced at her face, and, observing the dint of a pince-nez at either side of her nose, I ventured a remark upon short sight and typewriting, which seemed to surprise her.” |||||||||вмятина|||||||||||||||||||||||| Затем я взглянул на ее лицо и, заметив вмятину пенсне по обеим сторонам ее носа, осмелился сделать замечание о близорукости и машинописи, что, казалось, удивило ее». Тоді я глянув на її обличчя і, помітивши вм’ятину пенсне з обох боків її носа, я наважився зауважити короткозорість і машинопис, що, здавалося, її здивувало».

“It surprised me.” «Мене це здивувало».

“But, surely, it was obvious. I was then much surprised and interested on glancing down to observe that, though the boots which she was wearing were not unlike each other, they were really odd ones; the one having a slightly decorated toe-cap, and the other a plain one. Тогда я был очень удивлен и заинтересован, взглянув вниз и заметив, что, хотя сапоги, которые она носила, мало чем отличались друг от друга, они были действительно странными; у одного слегка украшенный носок, а у другого простой. One was buttoned only in the two lower buttons out of five, and the other at the first, third, and fifth. Одна была застегнута только на две нижние пуговицы из пяти, а другая на первую, третью и пятую. Now, when you see that a young lady, otherwise neatly dressed, has come away from home with odd boots, half-buttoned, it is no great deduction to say that she came away in a hurry.” ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||в спешке Теперь, когда вы видите, что молодая дама, в остальном опрятно одетая, вышла из дома в странных сапогах, наполовину застегнутых, не будет большим умозаключением сказать, что она ушла в спешке».

“And what else?” I asked, keenly interested, as I always was, by my friend's incisive reasoning. ||||||||||||||проницательной|аргументация "И что еще?" — спросил я, живо заинтересованный, как всегда, проницательными рассуждениями моего друга.

“I noted, in passing, that she had written a note before leaving home but after being fully dressed. |||мимоходом|||||||||||||| «Я заметил мимоходом, что она написала записку перед уходом из дома, но уже полностью одетая. You observed that her right glove was torn at the forefinger, but you did not apparently see that both glove and finger were stained with violet ink. ||||||||||указательный палец|||||по-видимому||||перчатка||||||| Вы заметили, что ее правая перчатка была разорвана на указательном пальце, но вы, по-видимому, не заметили, что и перчатка, и палец были испачканы фиолетовыми чернилами. She had written in a hurry and dipped her pen too deep. |||||||вмокнула|||| Она писала в спешке и слишком глубоко опустила перо. It must have been this morning, or the mark would not remain clear upon the finger. Должно быть, это было сегодня утром, иначе след на пальце не остался бы четким. All this is amusing, though rather elementary, but I must go back to business, Watson. ||||||||||||||Уотсон Все это забавно, хотя и довольно элементарно, но я должен вернуться к делу, Ватсон. Would you mind reading me the advertised description of Mr. Hosmer Angel?” Не могли бы вы прочитать мне рекламируемое описание мистера Хосмера Энджела?

I held the little printed slip to the light. Я поднес маленькую бумажку к свету. “Missing,” it said, “on the morning of the fourteenth, a gentleman named Hosmer Angel. |||||||||||по имени|| «Пропал, — говорилось в нем, — утром четырнадцатого числа джентльмен по имени Хосмер Энджел. About five ft. Около пяти футов. seven in. in height; strongly built, sallow complexion, black hair, a little bald in the centre, bushy, black side-whiskers and moustache; tinted glasses, slight infirmity of speech. ||||желтоватый||||||||||||||||||||| в высоту; крепкое телосложение, желтоватое лицо, черные волосы, небольшая лысина посередине, кустистые, черные бакенбарды и усы; затемненные очки, легкая слабость речи. Was dressed, when last seen, in black frock-coat faced with silk, black waistcoat, gold Albert chain, and grey Harris tweed trousers, with brown gaiters over elastic-sided boots. |||||||||||||жилет||||||||||||||| Когда его видели в последний раз, он был одет в черный сюртук, отороченный шелком, черный жилет с золотой цепью Альберта и серые твидовые брюки Харрис с коричневыми гетрами поверх ботинок с эластичными боками. Known to have been employed in an office in Leadenhall Street. Известно, что он работал в офисе на Лиденхолл-стрит. Anybody bringing,” &c, &c. Кто-нибудь принесёт», и т. д., и т. д. “That will do,” said Holmes. ||подойдет|| — Этого достаточно, — сказал Холмс. “As to the letters,” he continued, glancing over them, “they are very commonplace. -- Что касается писем, -- продолжал он, просматривая их, -- то они весьма заурядны. Absolutely no clue in them to Mr. Angel, save that he quotes Balzac once. Абсолютно никакой подсказки мистеру Ангелу в них нет, за исключением того, что он однажды цитирует Бальзака. There is one remarkable point, however, which will no doubt strike you.” Однако есть один примечательный момент, который, несомненно, вас поразит.

“They are typewritten,” I remarked. ||написаны на машинке|| — Они напечатаны на машинке, — заметил я.

“Not only that, but the signature is typewritten. «Не только это, но и подпись машинописная. Look at the neat little ‘Hosmer Angel' at the bottom. Посмотрите на аккуратный маленький «Ангел Хосмера» внизу. There is a date, you see, but no superscription except Leadenhall Street, which is rather vague. Видите ли, есть дата, но нет надписи, кроме Лиденхолл-стрит, что довольно расплывчато. Розумієте, є дата, але жодного напису, окрім Ліденхолл-стріт, який є досить розпливчастим. The point about the signature is very suggestive—in fact, we may call it conclusive.” ||||||||||||||окончательный Пункт о подписи очень наводит на размышления — на самом деле, мы можем назвать его окончательным».

“Of what?” "Которого?"

“My dear fellow, is it possible you do not see how strongly it bears upon the case?” — Дорогой мой, неужели вы не видите, как сильно это имеет отношение к делу?

“I cannot say that I do unless it were that he wished to be able to deny his signature if an action for breach of promise were instituted.” |||||||||||||||||||||||нарушение обещания|||| «Я не могу сказать, что знаю, если только он не хотел иметь возможность отказаться от своей подписи, если будет возбуждено дело о нарушении обещания».

“No, that was not the point. «Нет, дело было не в этом. However, I shall write two letters, which should settle the matter. Однако я напишу два письма, которые должны решить этот вопрос. One is to a firm in the City, the other is to the young lady's stepfather, Mr. Windibank, asking him whether he could meet us here at six o'clock to-morrow evening. ||||фирма||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Один — в фирму в Сити, другой — к отчиму юной леди, мистеру Уиндибэнку, и спрашивает его, может ли он встретиться с нами здесь завтра в шесть часов вечера. It is just as well that we should do business with the male relatives. Так же хорошо, что мы должны вести дела с родственниками-мужчинами. And now, Doctor, we can do nothing until the answers to those letters come, so we may put our little problem upon the shelf for the interim.” ||||||||||||||||||||||||||временный период

I had had so many reasons to believe in my friend's subtle powers of reasoning and extraordinary energy in action that I felt that he must have some solid grounds for the assured and easy demeanour with which he treated the singular mystery which he had been called upon to fathom. |||||||||||тонкие||||||||||||||||||||||||поведение||||||||||||||| У меня было так много причин верить в тонкое мышление моего друга и необычайную энергию в действиях, что я чувствовал, что у него должны быть какие-то веские основания для уверенного и легкого поведения, с которым он относился к необычайной тайне, которую он был призван раскрыть. вникать. Once only had I known him to fail, in the case of the King of Bohemia and of the Irene Adler photograph; but when I looked back to the weird business of the Sign of Four, and the extraordinary circumstances connected with the Study in Scarlet, I felt that it would be a strange tangle indeed which he could not unravel. |||||||потерпеть неудачу||||||||||||||||||||||странный|||||||||||||||||||||||||запутанная ситуация|||||| Только однажды я знал, что он потерпел неудачу в случае с королем Богемии и фотографией Ирэн Адлер; но когда я оглянулся назад на странные дела со Знаком Четырех и на необычные обстоятельства, связанные с Этюдом в багровых тонах, я почувствовал, что это действительно будет странная путаница, которую он не сможет распутать.

I left him then, still puffing at his black clay pipe, with the conviction that when I came again on the next evening I would find that he held in his hands all the clues which would lead up to the identity of the disappearing bridegroom of Miss Mary Sutherland. |||||пыхтя||||||||убежденностью||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||жених Мисс Мэри|||| Я ушел от него, все еще попыхивая своей черной глиняной трубкой, с убеждением, что, когда я снова приду на следующий вечер, я обнаружу, что он держит в руках все улики, которые приведут к личности исчезнувшего жениха мисс Мэри Сазерленд.

A professional case of great gravity was engaging my own attention at the time, and the whole of next day I was busy at the bedside of the sufferer. |||||весомости||||||||||||||||||||||| Мое внимание в это время занимал профессиональный случай большой тяжести, и весь следующий день я был занят у постели больного. It was not until close upon six o'clock that I found myself free and was able to spring into a hansom and drive to Baker Street, half afraid that I might be too late to assist at the dénouement of the little mystery. |||||||||||||||||вскочить||||||||||||||||||присутствовать на||||||| Только ближе к шести часам я оказался на свободе и смог вскочить в экипаж и поехать на Бейкер-стрит, наполовину опасаясь, что я могу опоздать, чтобы помочь в развязке этой маленькой тайны. I found Sherlock Holmes alone, however, half asleep, with his long, thin form curled up in the recesses of his armchair. |||||||||||||||||углублениях||| Однако я застал Шерлока Холмса одного, в полусне, его длинная худая фигура свернулась калачиком в нишах кресла. A formidable array of bottles and test-tubes, with the pungent cleanly smell of hydrochloric acid, told me that he had spent his day in the chemical work which was so dear to him. |впечатляющий|впечатляющий набор||бутылок||||||резкий|чистым|||соляная кислота|кислота|||||||||||||||||| Громадное множество бутылок и пробирок с резким чистым запахом соляной кислоты говорило мне о том, что он провел свой день в химической работе, которая была ему так дорога.

“Well, have you solved it?” I asked as I entered.

“Yes. It was the bisulphate of baryta.” Это был бисульфат барита.

“No, no, the mystery!” I cried.

“Oh, that! "Ах это! I thought of the salt that I have been working upon. Я подумал о соли, над которой работал. There was never any mystery in the matter, though, as I said yesterday, some of the details are of interest. Никакой тайны в этом деле никогда не было, хотя, как я сказал вчера, некоторые детали представляют интерес. The only drawback is that there is no law, I fear, that can touch the scoundrel.” ||недостаток|||||||||||||негодяй Единственный недостаток в том, что, боюсь, нет закона, который мог бы коснуться негодяя.

“Who was he, then, and what was his object in deserting Miss Sutherland?” — Кем же он был тогда и с какой целью бросил мисс Сазерленд?

The question was hardly out of my mouth, and Holmes had not yet opened his lips to reply, when we heard a heavy footfall in the passage and a tap at the door. |||||||||||||||||||||||шаги|||коридоре|||||| Едва вопрос сорвался с моих губ, а Холмс еще не успел открыть рот, чтобы ответить, как мы услышали тяжелые шаги в коридоре и стук в дверь.

“This is the girl's stepfather, Mr. James Windibank,” said Holmes. — Это отчим девочки, мистер Джеймс Уиндибэнк, — сказал Холмс. “He has written to me to say that he would be here at six. Come in!”

The man who entered was a sturdy, middle-sized fellow, some thirty years of age, clean-shaven, and sallow-skinned, with a bland, insinuating manner, and a pair of wonderfully sharp and penetrating grey eyes. ||||||крепкий||||||||||||||||безмятежный|намекающий|||||||||проницательные|| Вошедший мужчина был крепким мужчиной среднего роста лет тридцати, чисто выбритым, с желтоватым оттенком кожи, с мягким, вкрадчивым видом и парой удивительно острых и проницательных серых глаз. He shot a questioning glance at each of us, placed his shiny top-hat upon the sideboard, and with a slight bow sidled down into the nearest chair. ||||||||||||||на||||||||подошёл к||||| Он вопросительно взглянул на каждого из нас, положил свой блестящий цилиндр на буфет и с легким поклоном сел на ближайший стул.

“Good-evening, Mr. James Windibank,” said Holmes. “I think that this typewritten letter is from you, in which you made an appointment with me for six o'clock?” «Я думаю, что это машинописное письмо от вас, в котором вы назначили мне встречу на шесть часов?»

“Yes, sir. I am afraid that I am a little late, but I am not quite my own master, you know. Боюсь, что я немного опоздал, но я, знаете ли, не совсем себе хозяин. I am sorry that Miss Sutherland has troubled you about this little matter, for I think it is far better not to wash linen of the sort in public. |||||||||||||||||||||||белье||||| Мне жаль, что мисс Сазерленд побеспокоила вас из-за этого пустяка, потому что я думаю, что гораздо лучше не стирать такое белье на людях. It was quite against my wishes that she came, but she is a very excitable, impulsive girl, as you may have noticed, and she is not easily controlled when she has made up her mind on a point. ||||||||||||||возбудимая|импульсивная|||||||||||||||||||||| Я совершенно не хотел, чтобы она приехала, но она очень возбудимая, импульсивная девушка, как вы могли заметить, и ее нелегко контролировать, когда она что-то решает. Of course, I did not mind you so much, as you are not connected with the official police, but it is not pleasant to have a family misfortune like this noised abroad. |||||возражать|||||||||||||||||||||||||распространённой| Я, конечно, не очень-то противился тебе, так как ты не связан с официальной полицией, но неприятно, когда о семейном несчастье так шумят за границей. Besides, it is a useless expense, for how could you possibly find this Hosmer Angel?” Крім того, це марні витрати, бо як ти міг знайти цього Хосмерового ангела?»

“On the contrary,” said Holmes quietly; “I have every reason to believe that I will succeed in discovering Mr. Hosmer Angel.”

Mr. Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves. ||||резкий||||| Мистер Уиндибэнк резко вздрогнул и уронил перчатки. “I am delighted to hear it,” he said.

“It is a curious thing,” remarked Holmes, “that a typewriter has really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting. |||||||||||||||индивидуальность||||почерк человека «Любопытно, — заметил Холмс, — что пишущая машинка на самом деле столь же индивидуальна, как и человеческий почерк. Unless they are quite new, no two of them write exactly alike. Если они не совсем новые, никакие два из них не пишутся совершенно одинаково. Some letters get more worn than others, and some wear only on one side. Некоторые буквы изнашиваются больше, чем другие, а некоторые изнашиваются только с одной стороны. Now, you remark in this note of yours, Mr. Windibank, that in every case there is some little slurring over of the ‘e,' and a slight defect in the tail of the ‘r.' ||||||||||||||||||размытость|||||||||||||| Так вот, вы замечаете в этой своей записке, мистер Уиндибэнк, что в каждом случае есть небольшая нечеткость «е» и небольшой дефект в хвосте «r». There are fourteen other characteristics, but those are the more obvious.”

“We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office, and no doubt it is a little worn,” our visitor answered, glancing keenly at Holmes with his bright little eyes. -- Всю нашу переписку с этой машиной мы делаем в конторе, и, верно, она немного поношена, -- ответил наш гость, зорко взглянув на Холмса своими блестящими глазками.

“And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study, Mr. Windibank,” Holmes continued. “I think of writing another little monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to crime. «На днях я думаю написать еще одну маленькую монографию о пишущей машинке и ее связи с преступностью. It is a subject to which I have devoted some little attention. ||||||||уделил||| Это предмет, которому я уделил немного внимания. I have here four letters which purport to come from the missing man. ||||||предполагают|||||| У меня здесь четыре письма, которые якобы пришли от пропавшего человека. They are all typewritten. In each case, not only are the ‘e's' slurred and the ‘r's' tailless, but you will observe, if you care to use my magnifying lens, that the fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well.” ||||||||смешаны|||||||||||||||увеличительное|лупа||||||||||упомянул|||| В каждом случае не только буквы «е» невнятны, а буквы «р» бесхвостыми, но вы заметите, если воспользуетесь моей увеличительной линзой, что четырнадцать других характеристик, на которые я намекал, также присутствуют».

Mr. Windibank sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat. Мистер Уиндибэнк вскочил со стула и поднял шляпу. “I cannot waste time over this sort of fantastic talk, Mr. Holmes,” he said. “If you can catch the man, catch him, and let me know when you have done it.”

“Certainly,” said Holmes, stepping over and turning the key in the door. — Конечно, — сказал Холмс, подойдя и повернув ключ в двери. “I let you know, then, that I have caught him!” — Тогда я сообщаю вам, что поймал его! «Тож я повідомляю вам, що я його спіймав!»

“What! where?” shouted Mr. Windibank, turning white to his lips and glancing about him like a rat in a trap. |||||||||||||||крыса||| куда?" — закричал мистер Уиндибэнк, побелев на губах и оглядываясь, как крыса в капкане.

“Oh, it won't do—really it won't,” said Holmes suavely. О нет|||||||||вкрадчиво — О, это не годится, право, не годится, — учтиво сказал Холмс. “There is no possible getting out of it, Mr. Windibank. — Выйти из этого невозможно, мистер Уиндибэнк. It is quite too transparent, and it was a very bad compliment when you said that it was impossible for me to solve so simple a question. Это слишком прозрачно, и это был очень плохой комплимент, когда вы сказали, что я не могу решить такой простой вопрос. That's right! Sit down and let us talk it over.” Садись и давай поговорим».

Our visitor collapsed into a chair, with a ghastly face and a glitter of moisture on his brow. ||||||||ужасным||||блеск|||||лоб Наш гость рухнул в кресло с ужасным лицом и блестящей влагой на лбу. “It—it's not actionable,” he stammered. |||неподъемный|| — Это… это недействительно, — пробормотал он.

“I am very much afraid that it is not. «Я очень боюсь, что это не так. But between ourselves, Windibank, it was as cruel and selfish and heartless a trick in a petty way as ever came before me. ||||||||||||||||мелочный|||||| Но, между нами говоря, Уиндибанк, это была самая жестокая, эгоистичная и бессердечная мелочная уловка, какая когда-либо доводилась до меня. Now, let me just run over the course of events, and you will contradict me if I go wrong.” Теперь позвольте мне просто пробежаться по ходу событий, и вы будете возражать мне, если я ошибусь».

The man sat huddled up in his chair, with his head sunk upon his breast, like one who is utterly crushed. ||||||||||||||||||||раздавленный Человек сидел, скорчившись, в кресле, опустив голову на грудь, как человек, которого совершенно раздавили. Holmes stuck his feet up on the corner of the mantelpiece and, leaning back with his hands in his pockets, began talking, rather to himself, as it seemed, than to us. ||||||||||||откинувшись|||||||||||||||||| Холмс закинул ноги на угол каминной полки и, откинувшись назад, засунув руки в карманы, заговорил, как казалось, скорее с самим собой, чем с нами.

“The man married a woman very much older than himself for her money,” said he, “and he enjoyed the use of the money of the daughter as long as she lived with them. «Этот человек женился на женщине намного старше себя из-за ее денег, — сказал он, — и он наслаждался деньгами дочери, пока она жила с ними. It was a considerable sum, for people in their position, and the loss of it would have made a serious difference. Это была значительная сумма для людей их положения, и ее потеря имела бы серьезное значение. It was worth an effort to preserve it. ||||||сохранить| Стоило постараться сохранить его. The daughter was of a good, amiable disposition, but affectionate and warm-hearted in her ways, so that it was evident that with her fair personal advantages, and her little income, she would not be allowed to remain single long. |||||||||любящей|||||||||||||||привлекательными||||||||||||||| Дочь была доброго, любезного нрава, но по-своему ласкова и сердечна, так что было видно, что при ее неплохих личных достоинствах и небольшом доходе ей недолго оставаться одной. Now her marriage would mean, of course, the loss of a hundred a year, so what does her stepfather do to prevent it? He takes the obvious course of keeping her at home and forbidding her to seek the company of people of her own age. Он берет очевидный курс, удерживая ее дома и запрещая ей искать компанию людей ее возраста. But soon he found that that would not answer forever. Но вскоре он обнаружил, что не будет отвечать вечно. She became restive, insisted upon her rights, and finally announced her positive intention of going to a certain ball. ||недовольная|||||||||||||||| What does her clever stepfather do then? Что тогда делает ее умный отчим? He conceives an idea more creditable to his head than to his heart. |задумывает||||||||||| Он вынашивает идею, более достойную его головы, чем его сердца. With the connivance and assistance of his wife he disguised himself, covered those keen eyes with tinted glasses, masked the face with a moustache and a pair of bushy whiskers, sunk that clear voice into an insinuating whisper, and doubly secure on account of the girl's short sight, he appears as Mr. Hosmer Angel, and keeps off other lovers by making love himself.” ||согласие|||||||замаскировал||||острые|||тонированными|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| При попустительстве и содействии жены он переоделся, прикрыл эти зоркие глаза тонированными очками, замаскировал лицо усами и парой густых бакенбардов, превратил чистый голос в вкрадчивый шепот и вдвойне надежен благодаря С близостью он предстает как мистер Хосмер Энджел и отгоняет других любовников, занимаясь любовью сам».

“It was only a joke at first,” groaned our visitor. |||||||прошептал|| «Сначала это была просто шутка», — простонал наш посетитель. “We never thought that she would have been so carried away.” «Мы никогда не думали, что она так увлечется».

“Very likely not. However that may be, the young lady was very decidedly carried away, and, having quite made up her mind that her stepfather was in France, the suspicion of treachery never for an instant entered her mind. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||предательство|||один|||| Как бы то ни было, барышня очень решительно увлеклась и, вполне решив, что ее отчим находится во Франции, подозрение в измене ни на мгновение не приходило ей в голову. She was flattered by the gentleman's attentions, and the effect was increased by the loudly expressed admiration of her mother. ||польщена||||||||||||||||| Ей льстили знаки внимания кавалера, а эффект усиливался громко высказанным восхищением матери. Then Mr. Angel began to call, for it was obvious that the matter should be pushed as far as it would go if a real effect were to be produced. Затем начал звонить мистер Энджел, ибо было очевидно, что дело следует зайти так далеко, как только возможно, чтобы произвести настоящий эффект. There were meetings, and an engagement, which would finally secure the girl's affections from turning towards anyone else. |||||||||обеспечить|||||||| Были встречи и помолвка, которые, наконец, уберегут привязанность девушки от кого-либо другого. But the deception could not be kept up forever. ||обман|||||| Но обман не мог продолжаться вечно. These pretended journeys to France were rather cumbrous. |||||||трудоемкие Эти мнимые поездки во Францию были довольно громоздкими. The thing to do was clearly to bring the business to an end in such a dramatic manner that it would leave a permanent impression upon the young lady's mind and prevent her from looking upon any other suitor for some time to come. ||||||||||||||||драматичный||||||||||||||||||||||жених||||| Очевидно, нужно было завершить дело таким драматическим образом, чтобы это оставило неизгладимое впечатление в уме молодой леди и помешало ей на какое-то время взглянуть на какого-либо другого жениха. Hence those vows of fidelity exacted upon a Testament, and hence also the allusions to a possibility of something happening on the very morning of the wedding. Следовательно||||||||завещание||поэтому|||намёки||||||||||||| Отсюда эти клятвы верности завещанию, а отсюда и намеки на возможность того, что что-то произойдет в самое утро свадьбы. James Windibank wished Miss Sutherland to be so bound to Hosmer Angel, and so uncertain as to his fate, that for ten years to come, at any rate, she would not listen to another man. Джеймс Уиндибэнк хотел, чтобы мисс Сазерленд была так привязана к Хосмеру Энджелу и так не знала о его судьбе, что, по крайней мере, в ближайшие десять лет она не слушала бы другого мужчину. As far as the church door he brought her, and then, as he could go no farther, he conveniently vanished away by the old trick of stepping in at one door of a four-wheeler and out at the other. Он довел ее до церковных дверей, а затем, так как дальше идти было уже некуда, благополучно исчез, воспользовавшись старым приемом: зайти в одну дверь квадроцикла и выйти через другую. I think that was the chain of events, Mr. Windibank!” Я думаю, это была цепь событий, мистер Уиндибэнк!

Our visitor had recovered something of his assurance while Holmes had been talking, and he rose from his chair now with a cold sneer upon his pale face. |||||||||||||||||||||||насмешка|||| Пока Холмс говорил, к нашему посетителю вернулась уверенность, и теперь он поднялся со стула с холодной усмешкой на бледном лице.

“It may be so, or it may not, Mr. Holmes,” said he, “but if you are so very sharp you ought to be sharp enough to know that it is you who are breaking the law now, and not me. -- Может быть, так оно и есть, а может и нет, мистер Холмс, -- сказал он, -- но если вы так сообразительны, то должны быть достаточно сообразительны, чтобы понять, что теперь это вы нарушаете закон, а не я. I have done nothing actionable from the first, but as long as you keep that door locked you lay yourself open to an action for assault and illegal constraint.” |||||||||||||||||||||||||нападение|||незаконное ограничение Я не сделал ничего предосудительного с самого начала, но пока вы держите эту дверь запертой, вы становитесь открытым для иска за нападение и незаконное принуждение».

“The law cannot, as you say, touch you,” said Holmes, unlocking and throwing open the door, “yet there never was a man who deserved punishment more. — Закон не может, как вы говорите, вас коснуться, — сказал Холмс, отпирая и распахивая дверь, — и все же никогда не было человека, который заслуживал большего наказания. If the young lady has a brother or a friend, he ought to lay a whip across your shoulders. Если у юной леди есть брат или друг, он должен ударить вас плетью по плечу. By Jove!” he continued, flushing up at the sight of the bitter sneer upon the man's face, “it is not part of my duties to my client, but here's a hunting crop handy, and I think I shall just treat myself to—” He took two swift steps to the whip, but before he could grasp it there was a wild clatter of steps upon the stairs, the heavy hall door banged, and from the window we could see Mr. James Windibank running at the top of his speed down the road. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||быстрых||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Клянусь Юпитером! — продолжал он, покраснев при виде горькой усмешки на лице этого человека, — это не входит в мои обязанности по отношению к моему клиенту, но вот охотничий хлыст под рукой, и я думаю, что я просто побалую себя... — Он взял два Быстрые шаги к кнуту, но прежде чем он успел схватиться за него, на лестнице раздался дикий стук шагов, хлопнула тяжелая дверь холла, и из окна мы увидели, как мистер Джеймс Уиндибэнк мчится во весь опор по дороге. . Клянусь Юпітером!» — продовжив він, почервонівши, побачивши гірку насмішку на обличчі чоловіка, — це не входить до моїх обов’язків перед клієнтом, але ось під рукою мисливський урожай, і я думаю, що я просто побалую себе… — Він узяв дві швидкими кроками до батога, але перш ніж він встиг його схопити, на сходах почувся дикий стукіт кроків, грюкнули важкі двері передпокою, і з вікна ми побачили містера Джеймса Віндібенка, що мчав дорогою на максимальній швидкості. .

“There's a cold-blooded scoundrel!” said Holmes, laughing, as he threw himself down into his chair once more. «Вот хладнокровный негодяй!» — смеясь, сказал Холмс, снова падая на стул. “That fellow will rise from crime to crime until he does something very bad, and ends on a gallows. ||||||||||||||||||виселице «Этот парень будет подниматься от преступления к преступлению, пока не совершит что-нибудь очень плохое и не окажется на виселице. The case has, in some respects, been not entirely devoid of interest.” |||||||||лишён|| Дело, в некоторых отношениях, было не совсем лишено интереса».

“I cannot now entirely see all the steps of your reasoning,” I remarked. -- Я не могу теперь вполне видеть всех шагов ваших рассуждений, -- заметил я.

“Well, of course it was obvious from the first that this Mr. Hosmer Angel must have some strong object for his curious conduct, and it was equally clear that the only man who really profited by the incident, as far as we could see, was the stepfather. «Ну, конечно, с самого начала было очевидно, что этот мистер Хосмер Энджел должен иметь какую-то сильную цель для своего любопытного поведения, и столь же ясно было, что единственный человек, который действительно извлек выгоду из этого инцидента, насколько мы могли видеть, был отчимом. Then the fact that the two men were never together, but that the one always appeared when the other was away, was suggestive. Тогда тот факт, что эти двое мужчин никогда не были вместе, а то, что один всегда появлялся, когда другого не было, наводил на размышления. So were the tinted spectacles and the curious voice, which both hinted at a disguise, as did the bushy whiskers. ||||||||||||||||||пышные| Так же как и затемненные очки и любопытный голос, которые намекали на маскировку, как и густые бакенбарды. My suspicions were all confirmed by his peculiar action in typewriting his signature, which, of course, inferred that his handwriting was so familiar to her that she would recognise even the smallest sample of it. ||||||||||||подпись|||||||||||||||||||||| Все мои подозрения подтверждались его странным поведением при машинописи своей подписи, из чего, конечно, следовало, что его почерк был ей настолько знаком, что она узнала бы даже малейший его образец. You see all these isolated facts, together with many minor ones, all pointed in the same direction.” Вы видите, что все эти отдельные факты вместе со многими незначительными указывают в одном направлении».

“And how did you verify them?” — И как вы их проверили?

“Having once spotted my man, it was easy to get corroboration. ||||||||||подтверждение «Однажды заметив моего человека, было легко получить подтверждение. I knew the firm for which this man worked. Я знал фирму, в которой работал этот человек. Having taken the printed description. Взяв распечатанное описание. I eliminated everything from it which could be the result of a disguise—the whiskers, the glasses, the voice, and I sent it to the firm, with a request that they would inform me whether it answered to the description of any of their travellers. Я устранил из него все, что могло быть результатом переодевания, — бакенбарды, очки, голос, и отправил на фирму с просьбой сообщить мне, соответствует ли оно описанию кого-либо из их путешественников. . I had already noticed the peculiarities of the typewriter, and I wrote to the man himself at his business address asking him if he would come here. ||||||||||||||||по|||||||||| Я уже заметил особенности машинки и написал самому человеку на его служебный адрес, спрашивая, не приедет ли он сюда. Я вже помітив особливості друкарської машинки і написав самому чоловікові на його робочу адресу, чи не прийде він сюди. As I expected, his reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but characteristic defects. Как я и ожидал, его ответ был напечатан на машинке и выявил те же мелкие, но характерные недостатки. The same post brought me a letter from Westhouse & Marbank, of Fenchurch Street, to say that the description tallied in every respect with that of their employé, James Windibank. ||||||||||||||||||совпадала|||||||||| С той же почтой я получил письмо от Westhouse & Marbank с Фенчерч-стрит, в котором сообщалось, что описание во всех отношениях совпадает с описанием их сотрудника Джеймса Уиндибанка. Voilà tout!” Вуаля!

“And Miss Sutherland?”

“If I tell her she will not believe me. «Если я скажу ей, она мне не поверит. You may remember the old Persian saying, ‘There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub, and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman.' Возможно, вы помните старую персидскую поговорку: «Тот, кто берет тигренка, подвергается опасности, а также опасность тому, кто вырывает иллюзию у женщины». Можливо, ви пам’ятаєте стару перську приказку: «Небезпека для того, хто забирає тигреня, і для того, хто викрадає оману у жінки». There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace, and as much knowledge of the world.” В Гафизе столько же разума, сколько в Горацию, и столько же знаний о мире». У Хафіза стільки ж розуму, скільки в Горація, і стільки ж знань про світ».