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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY 2

THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY 2

There was no rain, as Holmes had foretold, and the morning broke bright and cloudless. At nine o'clock Lestrade called for us with the carriage, and we set off for Hatherley Farm and the Boscombe Pool.

“There is serious news this morning,” Lestrade observed. “It is said that Mr. Turner, of the Hall, is so ill that his life is despaired of.”

“An elderly man, I presume?” said Holmes.

“About sixty; but his constitution has been shattered by his life abroad, and he has been in failing health for some time. This business has had a very bad effect upon him. He was an old friend of McCarthy's, and, I may add, a great benefactor to him, for I have learned that he gave him Hatherley Farm rent free.”

“Indeed! That is interesting,” said Holmes.

“Oh, yes! In a hundred other ways he has helped him. Everybody about here speaks of his kindness to him.”

“Really! Does it not strike you as a little singular that this McCarthy, who appears to have had little of his own, and to have been under such obligations to Turner, should still talk of marrying his son to Turner's daughter, who is, presumably, heiress to the estate, and that in such a very cocksure manner, as if it were merely a case of a proposal and all else would follow? It is the more strange, since we know that Turner himself was averse to the idea. The daughter told us as much. Do you not deduce something from that?”

“We have got to the deductions and the inferences,” said Lestrade, winking at me. “I find it hard enough to tackle facts, Holmes, without flying away after theories and fancies.”

“You are right,” said Holmes demurely; “you do find it very hard to tackle the facts.”

“Anyhow, I have grasped one fact which you seem to find it difficult to get hold of,” replied Lestrade with some warmth.

“And that is—”

“That McCarthy senior met his death from McCarthy junior and that all theories to the contrary are the merest moonshine.”

“Well, moonshine is a brighter thing than fog,” said Holmes, laughing. “But I am very much mistaken if this is not Hatherley Farm upon the left.”

“Yes, that is it.” It was a widespread, comfortable-looking building, two-storied, slate-roofed, with great yellow blotches of lichen upon the grey walls. The drawn blinds and the smokeless chimneys, however, gave it a stricken look, as though the weight of this horror still lay heavy upon it. We called at the door, when the maid, at Holmes' request, showed us the boots which her master wore at the time of his death, and also a pair of the son's, though not the pair which he had then had. Having measured these very carefully from seven or eight different points, Holmes desired to be led to the court-yard, from which we all followed the winding track which led to Boscombe Pool.

Sherlock Holmes was transformed when he was hot upon such a scent as this. Men who had only known the quiet thinker and logician of Baker Street would have failed to recognise him. His face flushed and darkened. His brows were drawn into two hard black lines, while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter. His face was bent downward, his shoulders bowed, his lips compressed, and the veins stood out like whipcord in his long, sinewy neck. His nostrils seemed to dilate with a purely animal lust for the chase, and his mind was so absolutely concentrated upon the matter before him that a question or remark fell unheeded upon his ears, or, at the most, only provoked a quick, impatient snarl in reply. Swiftly and silently he made his way along the track which ran through the meadows, and so by way of the woods to the Boscombe Pool. It was damp, marshy ground, as is all that district, and there were marks of many feet, both upon the path and amid the short grass which bounded it on either side. Sometimes Holmes would hurry on, sometimes stop dead, and once he made quite a little detour into the meadow. Lestrade and I walked behind him, the detective indifferent and contemptuous, while I watched my friend with the interest which sprang from the conviction that every one of his actions was directed towards a definite end.

The Boscombe Pool, which is a little reed-girt sheet of water some fifty yards across, is situated at the boundary between the Hatherley Farm and the private park of the wealthy Mr. Turner. Above the woods which lined it upon the farther side we could see the red, jutting pinnacles which marked the site of the rich landowner's dwelling. On the Hatherley side of the pool the woods grew very thick, and there was a narrow belt of sodden grass twenty paces across between the edge of the trees and the reeds which lined the lake. Lestrade showed us the exact spot at which the body had been found, and, indeed, so moist was the ground, that I could plainly see the traces which had been left by the fall of the stricken man. To Holmes, as I could see by his eager face and peering eyes, very many other things were to be read upon the trampled grass. He ran round, like a dog who is picking up a scent, and then turned upon my companion.

“What did you go into the pool for?” he asked.

“I fished about with a rake. I thought there might be some weapon or other trace. But how on earth—”

“Oh, tut, tut! I have no time! That left foot of yours with its inward twist is all over the place. A mole could trace it, and there it vanishes among the reeds. Oh, how simple it would all have been had I been here before they came like a herd of buffalo and wallowed all over it. Here is where the party with the lodge-keeper came, and they have covered all tracks for six or eight feet round the body. But here are three separate tracks of the same feet.” He drew out a lens and lay down upon his waterproof to have a better view, talking all the time rather to himself than to us. “These are young McCarthy's feet. Twice he was walking, and once he ran swiftly, so that the soles are deeply marked and the heels hardly visible. That bears out his story. He ran when he saw his father on the ground. Then here are the father's feet as he paced up and down. What is this, then? It is the butt-end of the gun as the son stood listening. And this? Ha, ha! What have we here? Tiptoes! tiptoes! Square, too, quite unusual boots! They come, they go, they come again—of course that was for the cloak. Now where did they come from?” He ran up and down, sometimes losing, sometimes finding the track until we were well within the edge of the wood and under the shadow of a great beech, the largest tree in the neighbourhood. Holmes traced his way to the farther side of this and lay down once more upon his face with a little cry of satisfaction. For a long time he remained there, turning over the leaves and dried sticks, gathering up what seemed to me to be dust into an envelope and examining with his lens not only the ground but even the bark of the tree as far as he could reach. A jagged stone was lying among the moss, and this also he carefully examined and retained. Then he followed a pathway through the wood until he came to the highroad, where all traces were lost.

“It has been a case of considerable interest,” he remarked, returning to his natural manner. “I fancy that this grey house on the right must be the lodge. I think that I will go in and have a word with Moran, and perhaps write a little note. Having done that, we may drive back to our luncheon. You may walk to the cab, and I shall be with you presently.”

It was about ten minutes before we regained our cab and drove back into Ross, Holmes still carrying with him the stone which he had picked up in the wood.

“This may interest you, Lestrade,” he remarked, holding it out. “The murder was done with it.”

“I see no marks.”

“There are none.”

“How do you know, then?”

“The grass was growing under it. It had only lain there a few days. There was no sign of a place whence it had been taken. It corresponds with the injuries. There is no sign of any other weapon.”

“And the murderer?”

“Is a tall man, left-handed, limps with the right leg, wears thick-soled shooting-boots and a grey cloak, smokes Indian cigars, uses a cigar-holder, and carries a blunt pen-knife in his pocket. There are several other indications, but these may be enough to aid us in our search.”

Lestrade laughed. “I am afraid that I am still a sceptic,” he said. “Theories are all very well, but we have to deal with a hard-headed British jury.”

“Nous verrons,” answered Holmes calmly. “You work your own method, and I shall work mine. I shall be busy this afternoon, and shall probably return to London by the evening train.”

“And leave your case unfinished?”

“No, finished.”

“But the mystery?”

“It is solved.”

“Who was the criminal, then?”

“The gentleman I describe.”

“But who is he?”

“Surely it would not be difficult to find out. This is not such a populous neighbourhood.”

Lestrade shrugged his shoulders. “I am a practical man,” he said, “and I really cannot undertake to go about the country looking for a left-handed gentleman with a game leg. I should become the laughing-stock of Scotland Yard.”

“All right,” said Holmes quietly. “I have given you the chance. Here are your lodgings. Good-bye. I shall drop you a line before I leave.”

Having left Lestrade at his rooms, we drove to our hotel, where we found lunch upon the table. Holmes was silent and buried in thought with a pained expression upon his face, as one who finds himself in a perplexing position.

“Look here, Watson,” he said when the cloth was cleared “just sit down in this chair and let me preach to you for a little. I don't know quite what to do, and I should value your advice. Light a cigar and let me expound.”

“Pray do so.”

“Well, now, in considering this case there are two points about young McCarthy's narrative which struck us both instantly, although they impressed me in his favour and you against him. One was the fact that his father should, according to his account, cry ‘Cooee!' before seeing him. The other was his singular dying reference to a rat. He mumbled several words, you understand, but that was all that caught the son's ear. Now from this double point our research must commence, and we will begin it by presuming that what the lad says is absolutely true.”

“What of this ‘Cooee!' then?”

“Well, obviously it could not have been meant for the son. The son, as far as he knew, was in Bristol. It was mere chance that he was within earshot. The ‘Cooee!' was meant to attract the attention of whoever it was that he had the appointment with. But ‘Cooee' is a distinctly Australian cry, and one which is used between Australians. There is a strong presumption that the person whom McCarthy expected to meet him at Boscombe Pool was someone who had been in Australia.”

“What of the rat, then?”

Sherlock Holmes took a folded paper from his pocket and flattened it out on the table. “This is a map of the Colony of Victoria,” he said. “I wired to Bristol for it last night.” He put his hand over part of the map. “What do you read?”

“ARAT,” I read.

“And now?” He raised his hand.

“BALLARAT.”

“Quite so. That was the word the man uttered, and of which his son only caught the last two syllables. He was trying to utter the name of his murderer. So and so, of Ballarat.”

“It is wonderful!” I exclaimed.

“It is obvious. And now, you see, I had narrowed the field down considerably. The possession of a grey garment was a third point which, granting the son's statement to be correct, was a certainty. We have come now out of mere vagueness to the definite conception of an Australian from Ballarat with a grey cloak.”

“Certainly.”

“And one who was at home in the district, for the pool can only be approached by the farm or by the estate, where strangers could hardly wander.”

“Quite so.”

“Then comes our expedition of to-day. By an examination of the ground I gained the trifling details which I gave to that imbecile Lestrade, as to the personality of the criminal.”

“But how did you gain them?”

“You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of trifles.”

“His height I know that you might roughly judge from the length of his stride. His boots, too, might be told from their traces.”

“Yes, they were peculiar boots.”

“But his lameness?”

“The impression of his right foot was always less distinct than his left. He put less weight upon it. Why? Because he limped—he was lame.”

“But his left-handedness.”

“You were yourself struck by the nature of the injury as recorded by the surgeon at the inquest. The blow was struck from immediately behind, and yet was upon the left side. Now, how can that be unless it were by a left-handed man? He had stood behind that tree during the interview between the father and son. He had even smoked there. I found the ash of a cigar, which my special knowledge of tobacco ashes enables me to pronounce as an Indian cigar. I have, as you know, devoted some attention to this, and written a little monograph on the ashes of 140 different varieties of pipe, cigar, and cigarette tobacco. Having found the ash, I then looked round and discovered the stump among the moss where he had tossed it. It was an Indian cigar, of the variety which are rolled in Rotterdam.”

“And the cigar-holder?”

“I could see that the end had not been in his mouth. Therefore he used a holder. The tip had been cut off, not bitten off, but the cut was not a clean one, so I deduced a blunt pen-knife.”

“Holmes,” I said, “you have drawn a net round this man from which he cannot escape, and you have saved an innocent human life as truly as if you had cut the cord which was hanging him. I see the direction in which all this points. The culprit is—”

“Mr. John Turner,” cried the hotel waiter, opening the door of our sitting-room, and ushering in a visitor.

The man who entered was a strange and impressive figure. His slow, limping step and bowed shoulders gave the appearance of decrepitude, and yet his hard, deep-lined, craggy features, and his enormous limbs showed that he was possessed of unusual strength of body and of character. His tangled beard, grizzled hair, and outstanding, drooping eyebrows combined to give an air of dignity and power to his appearance, but his face was of an ashen white, while his lips and the corners of his nostrils were tinged with a shade of blue. It was clear to me at a glance that he was in the grip of some deadly and chronic disease.

“Pray sit down on the sofa,” said Holmes gently. “You had my note?”

“Yes, the lodge-keeper brought it up. You said that you wished to see me here to avoid scandal.”

“I thought people would talk if I went to the Hall.”

“And why did you wish to see me?” He looked across at my companion with despair in his weary eyes, as though his question was already answered.

“Yes,” said Holmes, answering the look rather than the words. “It is so. I know all about McCarthy.”

The old man sank his face in his hands. “God help me!” he cried. “But I would not have let the young man come to harm. I give you my word that I would have spoken out if it went against him at the Assizes.”

“I am glad to hear you say so,” said Holmes gravely.

“I would have spoken now had it not been for my dear girl. It would break her heart—it will break her heart when she hears that I am arrested.”

“It may not come to that,” said Holmes.

“What?”

“I am no official agent. I understand that it was your daughter who required my presence here, and I am acting in her interests. Young McCarthy must be got off, however.”

“I am a dying man,” said old Turner. “I have had diabetes for years. My doctor says it is a question whether I shall live a month. Yet I would rather die under my own roof than in a gaol.”

Holmes rose and sat down at the table with his pen in his hand and a bundle of paper before him. “Just tell us the truth,” he said. “I shall jot down the facts. You will sign it, and Watson here can witness it. Then I could produce your confession at the last extremity to save young McCarthy. I promise you that I shall not use it unless it is absolutely needed.”

“It's as well,” said the old man; “it's a question whether I shall live to the Assizes, so it matters little to me, but I should wish to spare Alice the shock. And now I will make the thing clear to you; it has been a long time in the acting, but will not take me long to tell.

“You didn't know this dead man, McCarthy. He was a devil incarnate. I tell you that. God keep you out of the clutches of such a man as he. His grip has been upon me these twenty years, and he has blasted my life. I'll tell you first how I came to be in his power.

“It was in the early '60's at the diggings. I was a young chap then, hot-blooded and reckless, ready to turn my hand at anything; I got among bad companions, took to drink, had no luck with my claim, took to the bush, and in a word became what you would call over here a highway robber. There were six of us, and we had a wild, free life of it, sticking up a station from time to time, or stopping the wagons on the road to the diggings. Black Jack of Ballarat was the name I went under, and our party is still remembered in the colony as the Ballarat Gang.

“One day a gold convoy came down from Ballarat to Melbourne, and we lay in wait for it and attacked it. There were six troopers and six of us, so it was a close thing, but we emptied four of their saddles at the first volley. Three of our boys were killed, however, before we got the swag. I put my pistol to the head of the wagon-driver, who was this very man McCarthy. I wish to the Lord that I had shot him then, but I spared him, though I saw his wicked little eyes fixed on my face, as though to remember every feature. We got away with the gold, became wealthy men, and made our way over to England without being suspected. There I parted from my old pals and determined to settle down to a quiet and respectable life. I bought this estate, which chanced to be in the market, and I set myself to do a little good with my money, to make up for the way in which I had earned it. I married, too, and though my wife died young she left me my dear little Alice. Even when she was just a baby her wee hand seemed to lead me down the right path as nothing else had ever done. In a word, I turned over a new leaf and did my best to make up for the past. All was going well when McCarthy laid his grip upon me.

“I had gone up to town about an investment, and I met him in Regent Street with hardly a coat to his back or a boot to his foot.

“‘Here we are, Jack,' says he, touching me on the arm; ‘we'll be as good as a family to you. There's two of us, me and my son, and you can have the keeping of us. If you don't—it's a fine, law-abiding country is England, and there's always a policeman within hail.'

“Well, down they came to the west country, there was no shaking them off, and there they have lived rent free on my best land ever since. There was no rest for me, no peace, no forgetfulness; turn where I would, there was his cunning, grinning face at my elbow. It grew worse as Alice grew up, for he soon saw I was more afraid of her knowing my past than of the police. Whatever he wanted he must have, and whatever it was I gave him without question, land, money, houses, until at last he asked a thing which I could not give. He asked for Alice.

“His son, you see, had grown up, and so had my girl, and as I was known to be in weak health, it seemed a fine stroke to him that his lad should step into the whole property. But there I was firm. I would not have his cursed stock mixed with mine; not that I had any dislike to the lad, but his blood was in him, and that was enough. I stood firm. McCarthy threatened. I braved him to do his worst. We were to meet at the pool midway between our houses to talk it over.

“When I went down there I found him talking with his son, so I smoked a cigar and waited behind a tree until he should be alone. But as I listened to his talk all that was black and bitter in me seemed to come uppermost. He was urging his son to marry my daughter with as little regard for what she might think as if she were a slut from off the streets. It drove me mad to think that I and all that I held most dear should be in the power of such a man as this. Could I not snap the bond? I was already a dying and a desperate man. Though clear of mind and fairly strong of limb, I knew that my own fate was sealed. But my memory and my girl! Both could be saved if I could but silence that foul tongue. I did it, Mr. Holmes. I would do it again. Deeply as I have sinned, I have led a life of martyrdom to atone for it. But that my girl should be entangled in the same meshes which held me was more than I could suffer. I struck him down with no more compunction than if he had been some foul and venomous beast. His cry brought back his son; but I had gained the cover of the wood, though I was forced to go back to fetch the cloak which I had dropped in my flight. That is the true story, gentlemen, of all that occurred.”

“Well, it is not for me to judge you,” said Holmes as the old man signed the statement which had been drawn out. “I pray that we may never be exposed to such a temptation.”

“I pray not, sir. And what do you intend to do?”

“In view of your health, nothing. You are yourself aware that you will soon have to answer for your deed at a higher court than the Assizes. I will keep your confession, and if McCarthy is condemned I shall be forced to use it. If not, it shall never be seen by mortal eye; and your secret, whether you be alive or dead, shall be safe with us.”

“Farewell, then,” said the old man solemnly. “Your own deathbeds, when they come, will be the easier for the thought of the peace which you have given to mine.” Tottering and shaking in all his giant frame, he stumbled slowly from the room.

“God help us!” said Holmes after a long silence. “Why does fate play such tricks with poor, helpless worms? I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter's words, and say, ‘There, but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes. '”

James McCarthy was acquitted at the Assizes on the strength of a number of objections which had been drawn out by Holmes and submitted to the defending counsel. Old Turner lived for seven months after our interview, but he is now dead; and there is every prospect that the son and daughter may come to live happily together in ignorance of the black cloud which rests upon their past.


THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY 2 DAS GEHEIMNIS DES BOSCOMBE-TALS 2

There was no rain, as Holmes had foretold, and the morning broke bright and cloudless. Как и предсказывал Холмс, дождя не было, и утро выдалось ясным и безоблачным. At nine o'clock Lestrade called for us with the carriage, and we set off for Hatherley Farm and the Boscombe Pool.

“There is serious news this morning,” Lestrade observed. — Сегодня утром есть серьезные новости, — заметил Лестрейд. “It is said that Mr. Turner, of the Hall, is so ill that his life is despaired of.” «Говорят, что мистер Тернер из Холла так болен, что его жизнь безнадежна».

“An elderly man, I presume?” said Holmes. — Пожилой мужчина, я полагаю? — сказал Холмс.

“About sixty; but his constitution has been shattered by his life abroad, and he has been in failing health for some time. «Около шестидесяти; но его телосложение было подорвано жизнью за границей, и в течение некоторого времени его здоровье ухудшалось. This business has had a very bad effect upon him. Это дело очень плохо на него подействовало. He was an old friend of McCarthy's, and, I may add, a great benefactor to him, for I have learned that he gave him Hatherley Farm rent free.”

“Indeed! That is interesting,” said Holmes.

“Oh, yes! In a hundred other ways he has helped him. Everybody about here speaks of his kindness to him.”

“Really! Does it not strike you as a little singular that this McCarthy, who appears to have had little of his own, and to have been under such obligations to Turner, should still talk of marrying his son to Turner's daughter, who is, presumably, heiress to the estate, and that in such a very cocksure manner, as if it were merely a case of a proposal and all else would follow? Не кажется ли вам немного странным, что этот Маккарти, у которого, по-видимому, было мало своего и который был связан такими обязательствами перед Тернером, все еще говорит о женитьбе своего сына на дочери Тернера, которая, по-видимому, является наследницей к поместью, и притом с такой самоуверенностью, как будто речь идет о простом предложении, а все остальное последует? It is the more strange, since we know that Turner himself was averse to the idea. The daughter told us as much. Do you not deduce something from that?”

“We have got to the deductions and the inferences,” said Lestrade, winking at me. — Мы добрались до выводов и выводов, — сказал Лестрейд, подмигивая мне. “I find it hard enough to tackle facts, Holmes, without flying away after theories and fancies.” - Мне и так достаточно трудно браться за факты, Холмс, не увлекаясь теориями и фантазиями.

“You are right,” said Holmes demurely; “you do find it very hard to tackle the facts.” — Вы правы, — скромно сказал Холмс. — Вам действительно очень трудно разобраться с фактами.

“Anyhow, I have grasped one fact which you seem to find it difficult to get hold of,” replied Lestrade with some warmth. — Во всяком случае, я понял один факт, который вам, кажется, трудно усвоить, — ответил Лестрейд с некоторой теплотой.

“And that is—”

“That McCarthy senior met his death from McCarthy junior and that all theories to the contrary are the merest moonshine.” «Этот Маккарти-старший встретил свою смерть от Маккарти-младшего, и что все теории об обратном — просто чепуха».

“Well, moonshine is a brighter thing than fog,” said Holmes, laughing. -- Что ж, самогон ярче тумана, -- рассмеялся Холмс. “But I am very much mistaken if this is not Hatherley Farm upon the left.” — Но я сильно ошибаюсь, если это не ферма Хазерли слева.

“Yes, that is it.” It was a widespread, comfortable-looking building, two-storied, slate-roofed, with great yellow blotches of lichen upon the grey walls. — Да, это так. Это было широкое, уютное на вид здание, двухэтажное, с шиферной крышей, с большими желтыми пятнами лишайника на серых стенах. The drawn blinds and the smokeless chimneys, however, gave it a stricken look, as though the weight of this horror still lay heavy upon it. Задернутые жалюзи и бездымные трубы, однако, придавали ему вид пораженный, как будто тяжесть этого ужаса все еще тяготила его. We called at the door, when the maid, at Holmes' request, showed us the boots which her master wore at the time of his death, and also a pair of the son's, though not the pair which he had then had. Мы позвонили в дверь, когда служанка по просьбе Холмса показала нам сапоги, которые были на ее хозяине в момент его смерти, а также пару обуви сына, хотя и не ту пару, которая была у него тогда. Having measured these very carefully from seven or eight different points, Holmes desired to be led to the court-yard, from which we all followed the winding track which led to Boscombe Pool. Тщательно измерив их в семи или восьми разных точках, Холмс пожелал, чтобы нас отвели во двор, откуда мы все пошли по извилистой тропе, ведущей к Боскомбскому бассейну.

Sherlock Holmes was transformed when he was hot upon such a scent as this. Шерлок Холмс преобразился, когда учуял такой запах. Men who had only known the quiet thinker and logician of Baker Street would have failed to recognise him. Люди, знавшие только тихого мыслителя и логика с Бейкер-стрит, не узнали бы его. His face flushed and darkened. Его лицо покраснело и потемнело. His brows were drawn into two hard black lines, while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter. Его брови были сведены в две жесткие черные линии, а глаза из-под них сияли стальным блеском. His face was bent downward, his shoulders bowed, his lips compressed, and the veins stood out like whipcord in his long, sinewy neck. Лицо его было склонено вниз, плечи опущены, губы сжаты, и вены вздулись, как плети, на длинной жилистой шее. His nostrils seemed to dilate with a purely animal lust for the chase, and his mind was so absolutely concentrated upon the matter before him that a question or remark fell unheeded upon his ears, or, at the most, only provoked a quick, impatient snarl in reply. Его ноздри, казалось, раздувались от чисто животной жажды погони, а его мысли были настолько сосредоточены на предмете, стоявшем перед ним, что любой вопрос или замечание не улавливались его ушами или, самое большее, вызывали лишь быстрое, нетерпеливое рычание. в ответ. Swiftly and silently he made his way along the track which ran through the meadows, and so by way of the woods to the Boscombe Pool. Быстро и бесшумно он направился по тропе, пролегавшей через луга, и так через лес к Боскомскому пруду. It was damp, marshy ground, as is all that district, and there were marks of many feet, both upon the path and amid the short grass which bounded it on either side. Это была влажная, болотистая местность, как и вся эта местность, и на тропинке и среди короткой травы, окаймлявшей ее с обеих сторон, были видны следы многих ног. Sometimes Holmes would hurry on, sometimes stop dead, and once he made quite a little detour into the meadow. Иногда Холмс торопился, иногда останавливался как вкопанный, а однажды он сделал небольшой крюк на луг. Lestrade and I walked behind him, the detective indifferent and contemptuous, while I watched my friend with the interest which sprang from the conviction that every one of his actions was directed towards a definite end. Лестрейд и я шли за ним, сыщик равнодушный и презрительный, а я наблюдал за своим другом с интересом, проистекавшим из убеждения, что каждое его действие направлено к определенной цели.

The Boscombe Pool, which is a little reed-girt sheet of water some fifty yards across, is situated at the boundary between the Hatherley Farm and the private park of the wealthy Mr. Turner. Боскомбский бассейн, представляющий собой небольшую полосу воды, опоясанную тростником, около пятидесяти ярдов в поперечнике, расположен на границе между фермой Хазерли и частным парком богатого мистера Тернера. Above the woods which lined it upon the farther side we could see the red, jutting pinnacles which marked the site of the rich landowner's dwelling. Над лесом, окаймлявшим его с дальней стороны, виднелись красные торчащие шпили, отмечавшие место, где стояло жилище богатого землевладельца. On the Hatherley side of the pool the woods grew very thick, and there was a narrow belt of sodden grass twenty paces across between the edge of the trees and the reeds which lined the lake. На хазерлейской стороне пруда лес стал очень густым, и между краем деревьев и тростником, окаймлявшим озеро, тянулась узкая полоса размокшей травы в двадцати шагах. Lestrade showed us the exact spot at which the body had been found, and, indeed, so moist was the ground, that I could plainly see the traces which had been left by the fall of the stricken man. Лестрейд показал нам точное место, где было найдено тело, и действительно, земля была настолько влажной, что я ясно мог разглядеть следы, оставленные падением раненого. To Holmes, as I could see by his eager face and peering eyes, very many other things were to be read upon the trampled grass. Холмсу, как я мог видеть по его жадному лицу и пристальным глазам, предстояло прочесть очень многое другое на притоптанной траве. He ran round, like a dog who is picking up a scent, and then turned upon my companion. Он обежал кругом, как собака, почуявшая след, и тут же повернулся к моему спутнику.

“What did you go into the pool for?” he asked. — Зачем ты ходил в бассейн? он спросил.

“I fished about with a rake. «Я ловил рыбу граблями. I thought there might be some weapon or other trace. Я думал, что там может быть какое-то оружие или другие следы. But how on earth—”

“Oh, tut, tut! «Ах, тьфу, тьфу! I have no time! That left foot of yours with its inward twist is all over the place. Твоя левая нога с ее изгибом внутрь повсюду. A mole could trace it, and there it vanishes among the reeds. Его проследит крот, и вот он исчезает в камышах. Oh, how simple it would all have been had I been here before they came like a herd of buffalo and wallowed all over it. О, как все было бы просто, если бы я был здесь до того, как они пришли, как стадо бизонов, и валялись в нем. Here is where the party with the lodge-keeper came, and they have covered all tracks for six or eight feet round the body. Сюда прибыла группа со смотрителем вигвама, и они проделали все следы на шесть или восемь футов вокруг тела. But here are three separate tracks of the same feet.” He drew out a lens and lay down upon his waterproof to have a better view, talking all the time rather to himself than to us. А вот три отдельных следа одних и тех же ног». Он вытащил лупу и лег на непромокаемую одежду, чтобы лучше видеть, и все время разговаривал скорее сам с собой, чем с нами. “These are young McCarthy's feet. Twice he was walking, and once he ran swiftly, so that the soles are deeply marked and the heels hardly visible. Дважды он шел, а один раз бежал быстро, так что подошвы были глубоко отпечатаны, а каблуки едва видны. That bears out his story. Это подтверждает его историю. He ran when he saw his father on the ground. Он побежал, когда увидел своего отца на земле. Then here are the father's feet as he paced up and down. А вот и ноги отца, когда он ходил взад-вперед. What is this, then? Что это такое? It is the butt-end of the gun as the son stood listening. Это приклад ружья, пока сын стоял и слушал. And this? Ha, ha! What have we here? Tiptoes! На цыпочках! tiptoes! Square, too, quite unusual boots! Квадратные тоже довольно необычные сапоги! They come, they go, they come again—of course that was for the cloak. Они приходят, уходят, снова приходят — конечно, из-за плаща. Now where did they come from?” He ran up and down, sometimes losing, sometimes finding the track until we were well within the edge of the wood and under the shadow of a great beech, the largest tree in the neighbourhood. Откуда же они взялись? Он бегал взад и вперед, то теряя, то находя тропу, пока мы не оказались на опушке леса в тени большого бука, самого большого дерева в округе. Holmes traced his way to the farther side of this and lay down once more upon his face with a little cry of satisfaction. Холмс проследил свой путь к дальней стороне этого и снова лег ничком с небольшим криком удовлетворения. For a long time he remained there, turning over the leaves and dried sticks, gathering up what seemed to me to be dust into an envelope and examining with his lens not only the ground but even the bark of the tree as far as he could reach. Он долго оставался там, переворачивая листья и засохшие ветки, собирая в конверт то, что мне показалось пылью, и разглядывая своим объективом не только землю, но даже кору дерева, насколько мог дотянуться . A jagged stone was lying among the moss, and this also he carefully examined and retained. Среди мха лежал зазубренный камень, и его он тоже внимательно рассмотрел и сохранил. Then he followed a pathway through the wood until he came to the highroad, where all traces were lost. Затем он пошел по тропинке через лес, пока не вышел на большую дорогу, где все следы были потеряны.

“It has been a case of considerable interest,” he remarked, returning to his natural manner. -- Это дело вызвало значительный интерес, -- заметил он, возвращаясь к своей естественной манере. “I fancy that this grey house on the right must be the lodge. «Мне кажется, что этот серый дом справа должен быть флигелем. I think that I will go in and have a word with Moran, and perhaps write a little note. Я думаю, что я войду и поговорю с Мораном и, возможно, напишу небольшую записку. Having done that, we may drive back to our luncheon. Сделав это, мы можем вернуться к нашему обеду. You may walk to the cab, and I shall be with you presently.” Вы можете дойти до кэба, а я сейчас буду с вами.

It was about ten minutes before we regained our cab and drove back into Ross, Holmes still carrying with him the stone which he had picked up in the wood. Прошло около десяти минут, прежде чем мы снова взяли кэб и поехали обратно в Росс. Холмс все еще вез с собой камень, который он подобрал в лесу.

“This may interest you, Lestrade,” he remarked, holding it out. — Это может вас заинтересовать, Лестрейд, — заметил он, протягивая бумажку. “The murder was done with it.” «Убийство было совершено с его помощью».

“I see no marks.”

“There are none.” — Их нет.

“How do you know, then?”

“The grass was growing under it. «Под ним росла трава. It had only lain there a few days. Он пролежал там всего несколько дней. There was no sign of a place whence it had been taken. Не было никаких признаков места, откуда оно было взято. It corresponds with the injuries. Это соответствует травмам. There is no sign of any other weapon.” Нет никаких признаков другого оружия».

“And the murderer?” — А убийца?

“Is a tall man, left-handed, limps with the right leg, wears thick-soled shooting-boots and a grey cloak, smokes Indian cigars, uses a cigar-holder, and carries a blunt pen-knife in his pocket. «Это высокий мужчина, левша, хромает на правую ногу, носит охотничьи сапоги на толстой подошве и серый плащ, курит индийские сигары, пользуется мундштуком и носит в кармане тупой перочинный нож. There are several other indications, but these may be enough to aid us in our search.” Есть еще несколько признаков, но этого может быть достаточно, чтобы помочь нам в наших поисках.

Lestrade laughed. Лестрейд рассмеялся. “I am afraid that I am still a sceptic,” he said. «Боюсь, что я все еще скептик, — сказал он. “Theories are all very well, but we have to deal with a hard-headed British jury.” «Все теории хороши, но нам приходится иметь дело с трезвомыслящими британскими присяжными».

“Nous verrons,” answered Holmes calmly. — Nous verrons, — спокойно ответил Холмс. “You work your own method, and I shall work mine. I shall be busy this afternoon, and shall probably return to London by the evening train.”

“And leave your case unfinished?”

“No, finished.”

“But the mystery?” — Но тайна?

“It is solved.” «Решено».

“Who was the criminal, then?”

“The gentleman I describe.”

“But who is he?”

“Surely it would not be difficult to find out. «Конечно, это будет нетрудно узнать. This is not such a populous neighbourhood.” Это не такой густонаселенный район».

Lestrade shrugged his shoulders. Лестрейд пожал плечами. “I am a practical man,” he said, “and I really cannot undertake to go about the country looking for a left-handed gentleman with a game leg. «Я человек практичный, — сказал он, — и я действительно не могу взяться ходить по стране в поисках джентльмена-левши с бойкой ногой. I should become the laughing-stock of Scotland Yard.” Я должен стать посмешищем Скотленд-Ярда».

“All right,” said Holmes quietly. — Хорошо, — тихо сказал Холмс. “I have given you the chance. «Я дал тебе шанс. Here are your lodgings. Вот ваше жилье. Good-bye. I shall drop you a line before I leave.” Я напишу вам пару строк, прежде чем уйду.

Having left Lestrade at his rooms, we drove to our hotel, where we found lunch upon the table. Holmes was silent and buried in thought with a pained expression upon his face, as one who finds himself in a perplexing position. Холмс молчал и погрузился в размышления с страдальческим выражением лица, как у человека, оказавшегося в затруднительном положении.

“Look here, Watson,” he said when the cloth was cleared “just sit down in this chair and let me preach to you for a little. «Послушайте, Ватсон, — сказал он, когда ткань была очищена, — просто сядьте в этот стул и позвольте мне немного проповедовать вам. I don't know quite what to do, and I should value your advice. Я не знаю, что делать, и я должен ценить ваш совет. Light a cigar and let me expound.” Закурите сигару и позвольте мне объяснить.

“Pray do so.” «Пожалуйста, сделайте это».

“Well, now, in considering this case there are two points about young McCarthy's narrative which struck us both instantly, although they impressed me in his favour and you against him. — Что ж, при рассмотрении этого дела есть два момента в рассказе молодого Маккарти, которые сразу поразили нас обоих, хотя они произвели впечатление на меня в его пользу, а на вас — против него. One was the fact that his father should, according to his account, cry ‘Cooee!' Одним из них был тот факт, что его отец, по его словам, должен был кричать «Куи!» before seeing him. The other was his singular dying reference to a rat. Другим было его единственное предсмертное упоминание о крысе. He mumbled several words, you understand, but that was all that caught the son's ear. Он промямлил несколько слов, вы понимаете, но это было все, что привлекло внимание сына. Now from this double point our research must commence, and we will begin it by presuming that what the lad says is absolutely true.” Теперь с этой двойной точки должно начаться наше исследование, и мы начнем его с того, что предположим, что то, что говорит юноша, абсолютно верно».

“What of this ‘Cooee!' «Что насчет этого «Куи!» then?” тогда?"

“Well, obviously it could not have been meant for the son. «Ну, очевидно, это не могло быть предназначено для сына. The son, as far as he knew, was in Bristol. It was mere chance that he was within earshot. То, что он был в пределах слышимости, было чистой случайностью. The ‘Cooee!' "Куи!" was meant to attract the attention of whoever it was that he had the appointment with. должен был привлечь внимание того, с кем у него была назначена встреча. But ‘Cooee' is a distinctly Australian cry, and one which is used between Australians. Но «Куи» — это отчетливо австралийский крик, который используется между австралийцами. There is a strong presumption that the person whom McCarthy expected to meet him at Boscombe Pool was someone who had been in Australia.” Существует серьезное предположение, что человек, которого Маккарти ожидал встретить в Боскомбском бассейне, был кем-то, кто был в Австралии».

“What of the rat, then?” — А как же крыса?

Sherlock Holmes took a folded paper from his pocket and flattened it out on the table. Шерлок Холмс достал из кармана свернутую бумагу и разложил ее на столе. “This is a map of the Colony of Victoria,” he said. — Это карта колонии Виктория, — сказал он. “I wired to Bristol for it last night.” He put his hand over part of the map. — Я телеграфировал в Бристоль прошлой ночью. Он положил руку на часть карты. “What do you read?” "Что ты читаешь?"

“ARAT,” I read. «АРАТ», — прочитал я.

“And now?” He raised his hand. "И сейчас?" Он поднял руку.

“BALLARAT.” «БАЛЛАРАТ».

“Quite so. «Совершенно так. That was the word the man uttered, and of which his son only caught the last two syllables. He was trying to utter the name of his murderer. Он пытался произнести имя своего убийцы. So and so, of Ballarat.” Такой-то из Балларата.

“It is wonderful!” I exclaimed. "Это чудесно!" — воскликнул я.

“It is obvious. "Это очевидно. And now, you see, I had narrowed the field down considerably. А теперь, видите ли, я значительно сузил поле. The possession of a grey garment was a third point which, granting the son's statement to be correct, was a certainty. Обладание серой одеждой было третьим пунктом, который, подтверждая правильность утверждения сына, был несомненностью. We have come now out of mere vagueness to the definite conception of an Australian from Ballarat with a grey cloak.” Теперь мы пришли от простой неопределенности к определенному представлению об австралийце из Балларата в сером плаще».

“Certainly.”

“And one who was at home in the district, for the pool can only be approached by the farm or by the estate, where strangers could hardly wander.” «А тот, кто был дома в округе, к омуту можно подойти только по хутору или по имению, где чужие едва ли могли забрести».

“Quite so.”

“Then comes our expedition of to-day. — Затем идет наша сегодняшняя экспедиция. By an examination of the ground I gained the trifling details which I gave to that imbecile Lestrade, as to the personality of the criminal.” Осмотрев землю, я получил мельчайшие подробности, которые сообщил этому идиоту Лестрейду, относительно личности преступника.

“But how did you gain them?” — Но как вы их получили?

“You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of trifles.” Он основан на наблюдении за мелочами».

“His height I know that you might roughly judge from the length of his stride. «Я знаю, что его рост можно приблизительно оценить по длине его шага. His boots, too, might be told from their traces.” Его ботинки тоже можно узнать по следам.

“Yes, they were peculiar boots.” — Да, это были своеобразные сапоги.

“But his lameness?”

“The impression of his right foot was always less distinct than his left. «Отпечаток его правой ноги всегда был менее отчетлив, чем левой. He put less weight upon it. Он придавал этому меньше значения. Why? Because he limped—he was lame.” Потому что он хромал — он был хромым.

“But his left-handedness.”

“You were yourself struck by the nature of the injury as recorded by the surgeon at the inquest. «Вы сами были поражены характером травмы, зафиксированной хирургом на дознании. The blow was struck from immediately behind, and yet was upon the left side. Удар был нанесен сразу сзади, но при этом пришелся на левый бок. Now, how can that be unless it were by a left-handed man? Как же это может быть, если это не левша? He had stood behind that tree during the interview between the father and son. Он стоял за этим деревом во время беседы между отцом и сыном. He had even smoked there. I found the ash of a cigar, which my special knowledge of tobacco ashes enables me to pronounce as an Indian cigar. Я нашел пепел сигары, который благодаря моим специальным знаниям о табачном пепле я могу назвать индийской сигарой. I have, as you know, devoted some attention to this, and written a little monograph on the ashes of 140 different varieties of pipe, cigar, and cigarette tobacco. Я, как вы знаете, уделил этому некоторое внимание и написал небольшую монографию о золе 140 различных сортов трубочного, сигарного и сигаретного табака. Having found the ash, I then looked round and discovered the stump among the moss where he had tossed it. Найдя пепел, я огляделся и обнаружил пень среди мха, куда он его бросил. It was an Indian cigar, of the variety which are rolled in Rotterdam.” Это была индийская сигара из тех, что крутят в Роттердаме.

“And the cigar-holder?” — А мундштук?

“I could see that the end had not been in his mouth. «Я видел, что конец не был у него во рту. Therefore he used a holder. The tip had been cut off, not bitten off, but the cut was not a clean one, so I deduced a blunt pen-knife.” Кончик был срезан, а не откушен, но срез был неровный, поэтому я сделал вывод, что это тупой перочинный нож».

“Holmes,” I said, “you have drawn a net round this man from which he cannot escape, and you have saved an innocent human life as truly as if you had cut the cord which was hanging him. «Холмс, — сказал я, — вы натянули на этого человека сеть, из которой он не может выбраться, и вы спасли невинную человеческую жизнь так же верно, как если бы перерезали веревку, на которой он висит. I see the direction in which all this points. Я вижу направление, в котором все это указывает. The culprit is—” Виновник…

“Mr. John Turner,” cried the hotel waiter, opening the door of our sitting-room, and ushering in a visitor. Джон Тернер, — крикнул официант отеля, открывая дверь нашей гостиной и пропуская посетителя.

The man who entered was a strange and impressive figure. Вошедший был странной и впечатляющей фигурой. His slow, limping step and bowed shoulders gave the appearance of decrepitude, and yet his hard, deep-lined, craggy features, and his enormous limbs showed that he was possessed of unusual strength of body and of character. Его медленная, прихрамывающая походка и сгорбленные плечи придавали вид дряхлости, а между тем его жесткие, глубокие черты, скалистые черты лица и огромные конечности свидетельствовали о том, что он обладал необыкновенной силой тела и характера. His tangled beard, grizzled hair, and outstanding, drooping eyebrows combined to give an air of dignity and power to his appearance, but his face was of an ashen white, while his lips and the corners of his nostrils were tinged with a shade of blue. Его спутанная борода, седые волосы и выдающиеся, опущенные брови вместе придавали его внешности вид достоинства и силы, но его лицо было пепельно-белым, а губы и уголки ноздрей были окрашены в голубой оттенок. . It was clear to me at a glance that he was in the grip of some deadly and chronic disease. Мне было ясно с первого взгляда, что он был во власти какой-то смертельной и хронической болезни.

“Pray sit down on the sofa,” said Holmes gently. “You had my note?” — У тебя была моя записка?

“Yes, the lodge-keeper brought it up. You said that you wished to see me here to avoid scandal.”

“I thought people would talk if I went to the Hall.”

“And why did you wish to see me?” He looked across at my companion with despair in his weary eyes, as though his question was already answered.

“Yes,” said Holmes, answering the look rather than the words. “It is so. I know all about McCarthy.”

The old man sank his face in his hands. “God help me!” he cried. “But I would not have let the young man come to harm. I give you my word that I would have spoken out if it went against him at the Assizes.”

“I am glad to hear you say so,” said Holmes gravely.

“I would have spoken now had it not been for my dear girl. It would break her heart—it will break her heart when she hears that I am arrested.”

“It may not come to that,” said Holmes.

“What?”

“I am no official agent. I understand that it was your daughter who required my presence here, and I am acting in her interests. Young McCarthy must be got off, however.”

“I am a dying man,” said old Turner. “I have had diabetes for years. My doctor says it is a question whether I shall live a month. Yet I would rather die under my own roof than in a gaol.”

Holmes rose and sat down at the table with his pen in his hand and a bundle of paper before him. “Just tell us the truth,” he said. “I shall jot down the facts. You will sign it, and Watson here can witness it. Then I could produce your confession at the last extremity to save young McCarthy. I promise you that I shall not use it unless it is absolutely needed.”

“It's as well,” said the old man; “it's a question whether I shall live to the Assizes, so it matters little to me, but I should wish to spare Alice the shock. "Это также," сказал старик; — Вопрос в том, доживу ли я до суда присяжных, так что для меня это мало что значит, но я хотел бы избавить Алису от шока. And now I will make the thing clear to you; it has been a long time in the acting, but will not take me long to tell. А теперь я объясню вам это; это было долгое время в действии, но я не буду долго говорить.

“You didn't know this dead man, McCarthy. — Вы не знали этого покойника, Маккарти. He was a devil incarnate. Он был воплощением дьявола. I tell you that. Я говорю вам это. God keep you out of the clutches of such a man as he. Храни вас Бог из лап такого человека, как он. His grip has been upon me these twenty years, and he has blasted my life. Его хватка была на мне эти двадцать лет, и он разрушил мою жизнь. I'll tell you first how I came to be in his power. Сначала я расскажу вам, как я оказался в его власти.

“It was in the early '60's at the diggings. «Это было в начале 60-х на раскопках. I was a young chap then, hot-blooded and reckless, ready to turn my hand at anything; I got among bad companions, took to drink, had no luck with my claim, took to the bush, and in a word became what you would call over here a highway robber. Я был тогда молодым парнем, вспыльчивым и безрассудным, готовым пойти на все; Я попал к дурным товарищам, напился, не повезло с моим притязанием, ушел в кусты и, одним словом, стал тем, кого здесь назовут разбойником с большой дороги. There were six of us, and we had a wild, free life of it, sticking up a station from time to time, or stopping the wagons on the road to the diggings. Нас было шестеро, и мы вели разгульную, свободную жизнь, время от времени взламывая станции или останавливая фургоны по дороге на раскопки. Black Jack of Ballarat was the name I went under, and our party is still remembered in the colony as the Ballarat Gang. Блэк Джек из Балларата было моим именем, и нашу группу до сих пор помнят в колонии как Банду Балларата.

“One day a gold convoy came down from Ballarat to Melbourne, and we lay in wait for it and attacked it. «Однажды из Балларата в Мельбурн прибыл караван с золотом, и мы подкараулили его и напали на него. There were six troopers and six of us, so it was a close thing, but we emptied four of their saddles at the first volley. Нас было шесть солдат и шестеро, так что дело было близко, но мы опустошили четверых их седел с первого же залпа. Three of our boys were killed, however, before we got the swag. I put my pistol to the head of the wagon-driver, who was this very man McCarthy. Я приставил пистолет к извозчику, который и был этим самым Маккарти. I wish to the Lord that I had shot him then, but I spared him, though I saw his wicked little eyes fixed on my face, as though to remember every feature. Желаю Господу, чтобы я его тогда застрелил, но я пощадил его, хоть и видел его злые глазенки, устремленные на мое лицо, как бы запоминая каждую черточку. We got away with the gold, became wealthy men, and made our way over to England without being suspected. Нам сошло с рук золото, мы стали богатыми людьми и незаметно перебрались в Англию. There I parted from my old pals and determined to settle down to a quiet and respectable life. Там я расстался со своими старыми приятелями и решил устроиться на спокойную и респектабельную жизнь. I bought this estate, which chanced to be in the market, and I set myself to do a little good with my money, to make up for the way in which I had earned it. Я купил это поместье, которое случайно оказалось на рынке, и решил немного поработать со своими деньгами, чтобы компенсировать то, как я их заработал. I married, too, and though my wife died young she left me my dear little Alice. Even when she was just a baby her wee hand seemed to lead me down the right path as nothing else had ever done. Даже когда она была совсем малышкой, казалось, ее крошечная ручка вела меня по правильному пути, как ничто другое. In a word, I turned over a new leaf and did my best to make up for the past. Одним словом, я открыл новую страницу и сделал все возможное, чтобы наверстать упущенное. All was going well when McCarthy laid his grip upon me. Все шло хорошо, когда Маккарти схватил меня.

“I had gone up to town about an investment, and I met him in Regent Street with hardly a coat to his back or a boot to his foot. «Я ездил в город по поводу инвестиций и встретил его на Риджент-стрит почти без пальто на спине и в сапогах на ногах.

“‘Here we are, Jack,' says he, touching me on the arm; ‘we'll be as good as a family to you. «Вот и мы, Джек, — говорит он, касаясь меня за руку. — Мы будем для тебя как семья. There's two of us, me and my son, and you can have the keeping of us. Нас двое, я и мой сын, и вы можете взять нас на содержание. If you don't—it's a fine, law-abiding country is England, and there's always a policeman within hail.' Если нет — это прекрасная, законопослушная страна — Англия, и полицейский всегда рядом.

“Well, down they came to the west country, there was no shaking them off, and there they have lived rent free on my best land ever since. «Ну, они пришли в западную страну, их было не оторвать, и с тех пор они жили бесплатно на моей лучшей земле. There was no rest for me, no peace, no forgetfulness; turn where I would, there was his cunning, grinning face at my elbow. Не было мне ни покоя, ни покоя, ни забвения; куда бы я ни повернулся, его хитрое ухмыляющееся лицо было у моего локтя. It grew worse as Alice grew up, for he soon saw I was more afraid of her knowing my past than of the police. По мере взросления Алисы становилось все хуже, потому что вскоре он понял, что я больше боюсь того, что она узнает о моем прошлом, чем полиции. Whatever he wanted he must have, and whatever it was I gave him without question, land, money, houses, until at last he asked a thing which I could not give. He asked for Alice.

“His son, you see, had grown up, and so had my girl, and as I was known to be in weak health, it seemed a fine stroke to him that his lad should step into the whole property. - Его сын, видите ли, вырос, и моя девочка тоже, а так как я был известен своим слабым здоровьем, ему показалось прекрасным, что его мальчик перешел во все имение. But there I was firm. Но там я был тверд. I would not have his cursed stock mixed with mine; not that I had any dislike to the lad, but his blood was in him, and that was enough. Я не хочу, чтобы его проклятый род смешивался с моим; не то чтобы я не любил этого парня, но в нем была его кровь, и этого было достаточно. I stood firm. Я стоял твердо. McCarthy threatened. Маккарти пригрозил. I braved him to do his worst. Я заставил его сделать все возможное. We were to meet at the pool midway between our houses to talk it over. Мы должны были встретиться у бассейна на полпути между нашими домами, чтобы обсудить это.

“When I went down there I found him talking with his son, so I smoked a cigar and waited behind a tree until he should be alone. «Когда я спустился туда, я обнаружил, что он разговаривает со своим сыном, поэтому я выкурил сигару и подождал за деревом, пока он не останется один. But as I listened to his talk all that was black and bitter in me seemed to come uppermost. Но когда я слушал его речь, все, что было во мне черного и горького, казалось, возобладало. He was urging his son to marry my daughter with as little regard for what she might think as if she were a slut from off the streets. Он уговаривал своего сына жениться на моей дочери, не обращая внимания на то, что она может подумать, как если бы она была шлюхой с улицы. It drove me mad to think that I and all that I held most dear should be in the power of such a man as this. Меня сводила с ума мысль о том, что я и все самое дорогое для меня должны быть во власти такого человека, как этот. Could I not snap the bond? Могу ли я не разорвать связь? I was already a dying and a desperate man. Я уже был умирающим и отчаявшимся человеком. Though clear of mind and fairly strong of limb, I knew that my own fate was sealed. Несмотря на ясность ума и довольно крепкие конечности, я знал, что моя собственная судьба решена. But my memory and my girl! Но моя память и моя девочка! Both could be saved if I could but silence that foul tongue. Их обоих можно было бы спасти, если бы я только заткнул этот грязный язык. I did it, Mr. Holmes. Я сделал это, мистер Холмс. I would do it again. Я бы сделал это снова. Deeply as I have sinned, I have led a life of martyrdom to atone for it. Как ни глубоко я согрешил, я прожил жизнь мученика, чтобы искупить это. But that my girl should be entangled in the same meshes which held me was more than I could suffer. Но то, что моя девочка запуталась в тех же сетях, что держали меня, было больше, чем я мог вынести. I struck him down with no more compunction than if he had been some foul and venomous beast. Я сразил его с таким же сожалением, как если бы он был каким-то мерзким и ядовитым зверем. His cry brought back his son; but I had gained the cover of the wood, though I was forced to go back to fetch the cloak which I had dropped in my flight. Его крик вернул сына; но я укрылся в лесу, хотя и был вынужден вернуться за плащом, который уронил во время бегства. That is the true story, gentlemen, of all that occurred.”

“Well, it is not for me to judge you,” said Holmes as the old man signed the statement which had been drawn out. — Что ж, не мне вас судить, — сказал Холмс, когда старик подписал растянутое заявление. “I pray that we may never be exposed to such a temptation.” «Я молюсь, чтобы мы никогда не подверглись такому искушению».

“I pray not, sir. — Я не молюсь, сэр. And what do you intend to do?”

“In view of your health, nothing. — С точки зрения вашего здоровья — ничего. You are yourself aware that you will soon have to answer for your deed at a higher court than the Assizes. Вы сами понимаете, что вскоре вам придется отвечать за свой поступок в суде более высокой инстанции, чем присяжные. I will keep your confession, and if McCarthy is condemned I shall be forced to use it. Я сохраню ваше признание, и если Маккарти осудят, я буду вынужден использовать его. If not, it shall never be seen by mortal eye; and your secret, whether you be alive or dead, shall be safe with us.” В противном случае его никогда не увидит смертный глаз; и твоя тайна, жив ты или мертв, будет с нами в безопасности».

“Farewell, then,” said the old man solemnly. “Your own deathbeds, when they come, will be the easier for the thought of the peace which you have given to mine.” Tottering and shaking in all his giant frame, he stumbled slowly from the room. «Ваши собственные смертные одра, когда они придут, будут легче для мысли о мире, который вы дали моим». Шатаясь и трясясь всем своим гигантским телом, он медленно, спотыкаясь, вышел из комнаты.

“God help us!” said Holmes after a long silence. "Да поможет нам Бог!" — сказал Холмс после долгого молчания. “Why does fate play such tricks with poor, helpless worms? «Почему судьба проделывает такие шутки с бедными беспомощными червячками? I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter's words, and say, ‘There, but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes. Я никогда не слышал о таком случае, как этот, чтобы я не подумал о словах Бакстера и не сказал: «Вот, да по милости Божией, идет Шерлок Холмс». '”

James McCarthy was acquitted at the Assizes on the strength of a number of objections which had been drawn out by Holmes and submitted to the defending counsel. Джеймс Маккарти был оправдан судом присяжных на основании ряда возражений, выдвинутых Холмсом и представленных защитнику. Old Turner lived for seven months after our interview, but he is now dead; and there is every prospect that the son and daughter may come to live happily together in ignorance of the black cloud which rests upon their past. Старый Тернер прожил семь месяцев после нашего разговора, но теперь он мертв; и есть все шансы, что сын и дочь смогут жить счастливо вместе, не зная о черной туче, нависшей над их прошлым.