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The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Chapter 4. Sir Henry Baskerville

Chapter 4. Sir Henry Baskerville

Our breakfast table was cleared early, and Holmes waited in his dressing-gown for the promised interview.

Our clients were punctual to their appointment, for the clock had just struck ten when Dr. Mortimer was shown up, followed by the young baronet. The latter was a small, alert, dark-eyed man about thirty years of age, very sturdily built, with thick black eyebrows and a strong, pugnacious face. He wore a ruddy-tinted tweed suit and had the weather-beaten appearance of one who has spent most of his time in the open air, and yet there was something in his steady eye and the quiet assurance of his bearing which indicated the gentleman.

"This is Sir Henry Baskerville," said Dr. Mortimer. "Why, yes," said he, "and the strange thing is, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, that if my friend here had not proposed coming round to you this morning I should have come on my own account. I understand that you think out little puzzles, and I've had one this morning which wants more thinking out than I am able to give it. " "Pray take a seat, Sir Henry. Do I understand you to say that you have yourself had some remarkable experience since you arrived in London? " "Nothing of much importance, Mr. Holmes. Only a joke, as like as not. It was this letter, if you can call it a letter, which reached me this morning. " He laid an envelope upon the table, and we all bent over it.

It was of common quality, grayish in colour. The address, "Sir Henry Baskerville, Northumberland Hotel," was printed in rough characters; the post-mark "Charing Cross," and the date of posting the preceding evening. "Who knew that you were going to the Northumberland Hotel? " asked Holmes, glancing keenly across at our visitor. "No one could have known. We only decided after I met Dr. Mortimer. " "But Dr. Mortimer was no doubt already stopping there? "No, I had been staying with a friend," said the doctor. "There was no possible indication that we intended to go to this hotel. "Hum! Someone seems to be very deeply interested in your movements." Out of the envelope he took a half-sheet of foolscap paper folded into four. This he opened and spread flat upon the table. Across the middle of it a single sentence had been formed by the expedient of pasting printed words upon it. It ran:

As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor.

The word "moor" only was printed in ink. "Now," said Sir Henry Baskerville, "perhaps you will tell me, Mr. Holmes, what in thunder is the meaning of that, and who it is that takes so much interest in my affairs? "What do you make of it, Dr. Mortimer? You must allow that there is nothing supernatural about this, at any rate? " "No, sir, but it might very well come from someone who was convinced that the business is supernatural. "What business? " asked Sir Henry sharply. "It seems to me that all you gentlemen know a great deal more than I do about my own affairs. " "You shall share our knowledge before you leave this room, Sir Henry. I promise you that," said Sherlock Holmes. "We will confine ourselves for the present with your permission to this very interesting document, which must have been put together and posted yesterday evening. Have you yesterday's Times, Watson? " "It is here in the corner. "Might I trouble you for it—the inside page, please, with the leading articles? " He glanced swiftly over it, running his eyes up and down the columns. "Capital article this on free trade. Permit me to give you an extract from it.

'You may be cajoled into imagining that your own special trade or your own industry will be encouraged by a protective tariff, but it stands to reason that such legislation must in the long run keep away wealth from the country, diminish the value of our imports, and lower the general conditions of life in this island. "What do you think of that, Watson? " cried Holmes in high glee, rubbing his hands together with satisfaction. "Don't you think that is an admirable sentiment? " Dr.

Mortimer looked at Holmes with an air of professional interest, and Sir Henry Baskerville turned a pair of puzzled dark eyes upon me.

"I don't know much about the tariff and things of that kind," said he, "but it seems to me we've got a bit off the trail so far as that note is concerned. "On the contrary, I think we are particularly hot upon the trail, Sir Henry. Watson here knows more about my methods than you do, but I fear that even he has not quite grasped the significance of this sentence. " "No, I confess that I see no connection. "And yet, my dear Watson, there is so very close a connection that the one is extracted out of the other. 'You,' 'your,' 'your,' 'life,' 'reason,' 'value,' 'keep away,' 'from the.' Don't you see now whence these words have been taken? " "By thunder, you're right! Well, if that isn't smart!" cried Sir Henry.

"If any possible doubt remained it is settled by the fact that 'keep away' and 'from the' are cut out in one piece. "Well, now—so it is! "Really, Mr. Holmes, this exceeds anything which I could have imagined," said Dr. Mortimer, gazing at my friend in amazement. "I could understand anyone saying that the words were from a newspaper; but that you should name which, and add that it came from the leading article, is really one of the most remarkable things which I have ever known. How did you do it? " "I presume, Doctor, that you could tell the skull of a negro from that of an Esquimau? "Most certainly. "But how? "Because that is my special hobby. The differences are obvious. The supra-orbital crest, the facial angle, the maxillary curve, the—" "But this is my special hobby, and the differences are equally obvious. There is as much difference to my eyes between the leaded bourgeois type of a Times article and the slovenly print of an evening half-penny paper as there could be between your negro and your Esquimau. The detection of types is one of the most elementary branches of knowledge to the special expert in crime, though I confess that once when I was very young I confused the Leeds Mercury with the Western Morning News. But a Times leader is entirely distinctive, and these words could have been taken from nothing else. As it was done yesterday the strong probability was that we should find the words in yesterday's issue. " "So far as I can follow you, then, Mr. Holmes," said Sir Henry Baskerville, "someone cut out this message with a scissors—" "Nail-scissors," said Holmes. "You can see that it was a very short-bladed scissors, since the cutter had to take two snips over 'keep away. '" "That is so. Someone, then, cut out the message with a pair of short-bladed scissors, pasted it with paste—" "Gum," said Holmes. "With gum on to the paper. But I want to know why the word 'moor' should have been written? " "Because he could not find it in print. The other words were all simple and might be found in any issue, but 'moor' would be less common. " "Why, of course, that would explain it. Have you read anything else in this message, Mr. Holmes? " "There are one or two indications, and yet the utmost pains have been taken to remove all clues. The address, you observe is printed in rough characters. But the Times is a paper which is seldom found in any hands but those of the highly educated. We may take it, therefore, that the letter was composed by an educated man who wished to pose as an uneducated one, and his effort to conceal his own writing suggests that that writing might be known, or come to be known, by you. Again, you will observe that the words are not gummed on in an accurate line, but that some are much higher than others. 'Life,' for example is quite out of its proper place. That may point to carelessness or it may point to agitation and hurry upon the part of the cutter. On the whole I incline to the latter view, since the matter was evidently important, and it is unlikely that the composer of such a letter would be careless. If he were in a hurry it opens up the interesting question why he should be in a hurry, since any letter posted up to early morning would reach Sir Henry before he would leave his hotel. Did the composer fear an interruption—and from whom? " "We are coming now rather into the region of guesswork," said Dr. Mortimer. "Say, rather, into the region where we balance probabilities and choose the most likely. It is the scientific use of the imagination, but we have always some material basis on which to start our speculation. Now, you would call it a guess, no doubt, but I am almost certain that this address has been written in a hotel. " "How in the world can you say that? "If you examine it carefully you will see that both the pen and the ink have given the writer trouble. The pen has spluttered twice in a single word and has run dry three times in a short address, showing that there was very little ink in the bottle. Now, a private pen or ink-bottle is seldom allowed to be in such a state, and the combination of the two must be quite rare. But you know the hotel ink and the hotel pen, where it is rare to get anything else. Yes, I have very little hesitation in saying that could we examine the waste-paper baskets of the hotels around Charing Cross until we found the remains of the mutilated Times leader we could lay our hands straight upon the person who sent this singular message. Halloa! Halloa! What's this? " He was carefully examining the foolscap, upon which the words were pasted, holding it only an inch or two from his eyes.

"Well? "Nothing," said he, throwing it down. "It is a blank half-sheet of paper, without even a water-mark upon it. I think we have drawn as much as we can from this curious letter; and now, Sir Henry, has anything else of interest happened to you since you have been in London? " "Why, no, Mr. Holmes. I think not. " "You have not observed anyone follow or watch you? "I seem to have walked right into the thick of a dime novel," said our visitor. "Why in thunder should anyone follow or watch me? " "We are coming to that. You have nothing else to report to us before we go into this matter? " "Well, it depends upon what you think worth reporting. "I think anything out of the ordinary routine of life well worth reporting. Sir Henry smiled.

"I don't know much of British life yet, for I have spent nearly all my time in the States and in Canada. But I hope that to lose one of your boots is not part of the ordinary routine of life over here. " "You have lost one of your boots? "My dear sir," cried Dr. Mortimer, "it is only mislaid. You will find it when you return to the hotel. What is the use of troubling Mr. Holmes with trifles of this kind? " "Well, he asked me for anything outside the ordinary routine. "Exactly," said Holmes, "however foolish the incident may seem. You have lost one of your boots, you say? " "Well, mislaid it, anyhow. I put them both outside my door last night, and there was only one in the morning. I could get no sense out of the chap who cleans them. The worst of it is that I only bought the pair last night in the Strand, and I have never had them on. " "If you have never worn them, why did you put them out to be cleaned? "They were tan boots and had never been varnished. That was why I put them out. " "Then I understand that on your arrival in London yesterday you went out at once and bought a pair of boots? "I did a good deal of shopping. Dr. Mortimer here went round with me. You see, if I am to be squire down there I must dress the part, and it may be that I have got a little careless in my ways out West. Among other things I bought these brown boots—gave six dollars for them—and had one stolen before ever I had them on my feet. " "It seems a singularly useless thing to steal," said Sherlock Holmes. "I confess that I share Dr. Mortimer's belief that it will not be long before the missing boot is found. " "And, now, gentlemen," said the baronet with decision, "it seems to me that I have spoken quite enough about the little that I know. It is time that you kept your promise and gave me a full account of what we are all driving at. " "Your request is a very reasonable one," Holmes answered. "Dr. Mortimer, I think you could not do better than to tell your story as you told it to us. " Thus encouraged, our scientific friend drew his papers from his pocket and presented the whole case as he had done upon the morning before.

Sir Henry Baskerville listened with the deepest attention and with an occasional exclamation of surprise.

"Well, I seem to have come into an inheritance with a vengeance," said he when the long narrative was finished. "Of course, I've heard of the hound ever since I was in the nursery. It's the pet story of the family, though I never thought of taking it seriously before. But as to my uncle's death—well, it all seems boiling up in my head, and I can't get it clear yet. You don't seem quite to have made up your mind whether it's a case for a policeman or a clergyman. " "Precisely. "And now there's this affair of the letter to me at the hotel. I suppose that fits into its place. " "It seems to show that someone knows more than we do about what goes on upon the moor," said Dr. Mortimer. "And also," said Holmes, "that someone is not ill-disposed towards you, since they warn you of danger. "Or it may be that they wish, for their own purposes, to scare me away. "Well, of course, that is possible also. I am very much indebted to you, Dr. Mortimer, for introducing me to a problem which presents several interesting alternatives. But the practical point which we now have to decide, Sir Henry, is whether it is or is not advisable for you to go to Baskerville Hall. " "Why should I not go? "There seems to be danger. "Do you mean danger from this family fiend or do you mean danger from human beings? "Well, that is what we have to find out. "Whichever it is, my answer is fixed. There is no devil in hell, Mr. Holmes, and there is no man upon earth who can prevent me from going to the home of my own people, and you may take that to be my final answer." His dark brows knitted and his face flushed to a dusky red as he spoke. It was evident that the fiery temper of the Baskervilles was not extinct in this their last representative. "Meanwhile," said he, "I have hardly had time to think over all that you have told me. It's a big thing for a man to have to understand and to decide at one sitting. I should like to have a quiet hour by myself to make up my mind. Now, look here, Mr. Holmes, it's half-past eleven now and I am going back right away to my hotel. Suppose you and your friend, Dr. Watson, come round and lunch with us at two. I'll be able to tell you more clearly then how this thing strikes me. " "Is that convenient to you, Watson? "Perfectly. "Then you may expect us. Shall I have a cab called? " "I'd prefer to walk, for this affair has flurried me rather. "I'll join you in a walk, with pleasure," said his companion. "Then we meet again at two o'clock. Au revoir, and good-morning! " We heard the steps of our visitors descend the stair and the bang of the front door.

In an instant Holmes had changed from the languid dreamer to the man of action.

"Your hat and boots, Watson, quick! Not a moment to lose!" He rushed into his room in his dressing-gown and was back again in a few seconds in a frock-coat. We hurried together down the stairs and into the street. Dr. Mortimer and Baskerville were still visible about two hundred yards ahead of us in the direction of Oxford Street.

"Shall I run on and stop them? "Not for the world, my dear Watson. I am perfectly satisfied with your company if you will tolerate mine. Our friends are wise, for it is certainly a very fine morning for a walk. " He quickened his pace until we had decreased the distance which divided us by about half.

Then, still keeping a hundred yards behind, we followed into Oxford Street and so down Regent Street. Once our friends stopped and stared into a shop window, upon which Holmes did the same. An instant afterwards he gave a little cry of satisfaction, and, following the direction of his eager eyes, I saw that a hansom cab with a man inside which had halted on the other side of the street was now proceeding slowly onward again.

"There's our man, Watson! Come along! We'll have a good look at him, if we can do no more. " At that instant I was aware of a bushy black beard and a pair of piercing eyes turned upon us through the side window of the cab.

Instantly the trapdoor at the top flew up, something was screamed to the driver, and the cab flew madly off down Regent Street. Holmes looked eagerly round for another, but no empty one was in sight. Then he dashed in wild pursuit amid the stream of the traffic, but the start was too great, and already the cab was out of sight.

"There now! " said Holmes bitterly as he emerged panting and white with vexation from the tide of vehicles. "Was ever such bad luck and such bad management, too? Watson, Watson, if you are an honest man you will record this also and set it against my successes! " "Who was the man? "I have not an idea. "A spy? "Well, it was evident from what we have heard that Baskerville has been very closely shadowed by someone since he has been in town. How else could it be known so quickly that it was the Northumberland Hotel which he had chosen? If they had followed him the first day I argued that they would follow him also the second. You may have observed that I twice strolled over to the window while Dr. Mortimer was reading his legend. " "Yes, I remember. "I was looking out for loiterers in the street, but I saw none. We are dealing with a clever man, Watson. This matter cuts very deep, and though I have not finally made up my mind whether it is a benevolent or a malevolent agency which is in touch with us, I am conscious always of power and design. When our friends left I at once followed them in the hopes of marking down their invisible attendant. So wily was he that he had not trusted himself upon foot, but he had availed himself of a cab so that he could loiter behind or dash past them and so escape their notice. His method had the additional advantage that if they were to take a cab he was all ready to follow them. It has, however, one obvious disadvantage. " "It puts him in the power of the cabman. "Exactly. "What a pity we did not get the number! "My dear Watson, clumsy as I have been, you surely do not seriously imagine that I neglected to get the number? No. 2704 is our man. But that is no use to us for the moment. " "I fail to see how you could have done more. "On observing the cab I should have instantly turned and walked in the other direction. I should then at my leisure have hired a second cab and followed the first at a respectful distance, or, better still, have driven to the Northumberland Hotel and waited there. When our unknown had followed Baskerville home we should have had the opportunity of playing his own game upon himself and seeing where he made for. As it is, by an indiscreet eagerness, which was taken advantage of with extraordinary quickness and energy by our opponent, we have betrayed ourselves and lost our man. " We had been sauntering slowly down Regent Street during this conversation, and Dr. Mortimer, with his companion, had long vanished in front of us.

"There is no object in our following them," said Holmes. "The shadow has departed and will not return. We must see what further cards we have in our hands and play them with decision. Could you swear to that man's face within the cab? " "I could swear only to the beard. "And so could I—from which I gather that in all probability it was a false one. A clever man upon so delicate an errand has no use for a beard save to conceal his features. Come in here, Watson! " He turned into one of the district messenger offices, where he was warmly greeted by the manager.

"Ah, Wilson, I see you have not forgotten the little case in which I had the good fortune to help you? "No, sir, indeed I have not. You saved my good name, and perhaps my life. " "My dear fellow, you exaggerate. I have some recollection, Wilson, that you had among your boys a lad named Cartwright, who showed some ability during the investigation. " "Yes, sir, he is still with us. "Could you ring him up?—thank you! And I should be glad to have change of this five-pound note. " A lad of fourteen, with a bright, keen face, had obeyed the summons of the manager.

He stood now gazing with great reverence at the famous detective.

"Let me have the Hotel Directory," said Holmes. "Thank you! Now, Cartwright, there are the names of twenty-three hotels here, all in the immediate neighbourhood of Charing Cross. Do you see? " "Yes, sir. "You will visit each of these in turn. "Yes, sir. "You will begin in each case by giving the outside porter one shilling. Here are twenty-three shillings. " "Yes, sir. "You will tell him that you want to see the waste-paper of yesterday. You will say that an important telegram has miscarried and that you are looking for it. You understand? " "Yes, sir. "But what you are really looking for is the centre page of the Times with some holes cut in it with scissors. Here is a copy of the Times. It is this page. You could easily recognize it, could you not? " "Yes, sir. "In each case the outside porter will send for the hall porter, to whom also you will give a shilling. Here are twenty-three shillings. You will then learn in possibly twenty cases out of the twenty-three that the waste of the day before has been burned or removed. In the three other cases you will be shown a heap of paper and you will look for this page of the Times among it. The odds are enormously against your finding it. There are ten shillings over in case of emergencies. Let me have a report by wire at Baker Street before evening. And now, Watson, it only remains for us to find out by wire the identity of the cabman, No. 2704, and then we will drop into one of the Bond Street picture galleries and fill in the time until we are due at the hotel. "

Chapter 4. Sir Henry Baskerville Capítulo 4. Sir Henry Baskerville Chapitre 4. Sir Henry Baskerville Глава 4. Сэр Генри Баскервиль Розділ 4. Сер Генрі Баскервіль

Our breakfast table was cleared early, and Holmes waited in his dressing-gown for the promised interview. Unser Frühstückstisch wurde früh abgeräumt, und Holmes wartete in seinem Morgenmantel auf das versprochene Gespräch. Notre table de petit-déjeuner fut débarrassée tôt et Holmes attendit dans sa robe de chambre l'interview promise.

Our clients were punctual to their appointment, for the clock had just struck ten when Dr. Mortimer was shown up, followed by the young baronet. Unsere Kunden waren pünktlich zu ihrem Termin, denn die Uhr hatte gerade zehn geschlagen, als Dr. Mortimer, gefolgt von dem jungen Baronet, erschien. The latter was a small, alert, dark-eyed man about thirty years of age, very sturdily built, with thick black eyebrows and a strong, pugnacious face. Letzterer war ein kleiner, aufgeweckter, dunkeläugiger Mann von etwa dreißig Jahren, sehr kräftig gebaut, mit dicken schwarzen Augenbrauen und einem starken, kämpferischen Gesicht. He wore a ruddy-tinted tweed suit and had the weather-beaten appearance of one who has spent most of his time in the open air, and yet there was something in his steady eye and the quiet assurance of his bearing which indicated the gentleman. Er trug einen rötlich gefärbten Tweedanzug und hatte das wettergegerbte Aussehen eines Mannes, der die meiste Zeit unter freiem Himmel verbracht hatte, und doch lag etwas in seinem ruhigen Blick und seiner sicheren Haltung, das auf einen Gentleman hindeutete.

"This is Sir Henry Baskerville," said Dr. Mortimer. "Das ist Sir Henry Baskerville", sagte Dr. Mortimer. "Why, yes," said he, "and the strange thing is, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, that if my friend here had not proposed coming round to you this morning I should have come on my own account. "Ja", sagte er, "und das Seltsame ist, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, wenn mein Freund hier nicht vorgeschlagen hätte, heute Morgen bei Ihnen vorbeizukommen, wäre ich von sich aus gekommen. I understand that you think out little puzzles, and I’ve had one this morning which wants more thinking out than I am able to give it. " Ich verstehe, dass Sie sich kleine Rätsel ausdenken, und ich hatte heute Morgen eines, das mehr Ausdenken erfordert, als ich in der Lage bin, es zu geben. " "Pray take a seat, Sir Henry. "Bitte setzen Sie sich, Sir Henry. Do I understand you to say that you have yourself had some remarkable experience since you arrived in London? " Verstehe ich Sie richtig, dass Sie selbst eine bemerkenswerte Erfahrung gemacht haben, seit Sie in London angekommen sind? " "Nothing of much importance, Mr. Holmes. "Nichts von großer Bedeutung, Mr. Holmes. Only a joke, as like as not. Das ist nur ein Scherz, so gut wie keiner. It was this letter, if you can call it a letter, which reached me this morning. " Dieser Brief, wenn man ihn als Brief bezeichnen kann, hat mich heute Morgen erreicht. " He laid an envelope upon the table, and we all bent over it. Er legte einen Umschlag auf den Tisch, und wir beugten uns alle über ihn.

It was of common quality, grayish in colour. Es war von gewöhnlicher Qualität und von gräulicher Farbe. The address, "Sir Henry Baskerville, Northumberland Hotel," was printed in rough characters; the post-mark "Charing Cross," and the date of posting the preceding evening. Die Adresse "Sir Henry Baskerville, Northumberland Hotel" war in groben Buchstaben gedruckt, der Poststempel "Charing Cross" und das Datum der Aufgabe am Vorabend. "Who knew that you were going to the Northumberland Hotel? "Wer wusste, dass Sie ins Northumberland Hotel gehen würden? " asked Holmes, glancing keenly across at our visitor. ", fragte Holmes und blickte aufmerksam zu unserem Besucher hinüber. "No one could have known. "Das konnte niemand wissen. We only decided after I met Dr. Mortimer. " Wir haben uns erst entschieden, nachdem ich Dr. Mortimer getroffen habe. " "But Dr. Mortimer was no doubt already stopping there? "Aber Dr. Mortimer hat doch sicher schon dort angehalten? "No, I had been staying with a friend," said the doctor. "Nein, ich war bei einem Freund untergebracht", sagte der Arzt. "There was no possible indication that we intended to go to this hotel. "Es gab keinen Hinweis darauf, dass wir in dieses Hotel gehen wollten. "Hum! Someone seems to be very deeply interested in your movements." Out of the envelope he took a half-sheet of foolscap paper folded into four. Aus dem Umschlag nahm er ein halbes Blatt Papier, das in vier Teile gefaltet war. De l'enveloppe, il sortit une demi-feuille de papier plié en quatre. This he opened and spread flat upon the table. Diese öffnete er und legte sie flach auf den Tisch. Across the middle of it a single sentence had been formed by the expedient of pasting printed words upon it. In der Mitte war ein einziger Satz durch Aufkleben von gedruckten Wörtern gebildet worden. It ran:

As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor.

The word "moor" only was printed in ink. "Now," said Sir Henry Baskerville, "perhaps you will tell me, Mr. Holmes, what in thunder is the meaning of that, and who it is that takes so much interest in my affairs? "Nun", sagte Sir Henry Baskerville, "vielleicht werden Sie mir sagen, Mr. Holmes, was das zu bedeuten hat, und wer sich so sehr für meine Angelegenheiten interessiert? "What do you make of it, Dr. Mortimer? "Was halten Sie davon, Dr. Mortimer? You must allow that there is nothing supernatural about this, at any rate? " Sie müssen zugeben, dass daran nichts Übernatürliches ist, oder? " "No, sir, but it might very well come from someone who was convinced that the business is supernatural. "Nein, Sir, aber es könnte sehr wohl von jemandem kommen, der davon überzeugt ist, dass das Geschäft übernatürlich ist. "What business? " asked Sir Henry sharply. ", fragte Sir Henry scharf. "It seems to me that all you gentlemen know a great deal more than I do about my own affairs. " "Ich habe den Eindruck, dass Sie alle sehr viel mehr über meine eigenen Angelegenheiten wissen als ich. " "You shall share our knowledge before you leave this room, Sir Henry. "Sie werden unser Wissen teilen, bevor Sie diesen Raum verlassen, Sir Henry. I promise you that," said Sherlock Holmes. Das verspreche ich Ihnen", sagte Sherlock Holmes. "We will confine ourselves for the present with your permission to this very interesting document, which must have been put together and posted yesterday evening. "Mit Ihrer Erlaubnis werden wir uns vorerst auf dieses sehr interessante Dokument beschränken, das gestern Abend zusammengestellt und zur Post gebracht worden sein muss. "Наразі, з вашого дозволу, ми обмежимося цим дуже цікавим документом, який, напевно, був складений і опублікований вчора ввечері. Have you yesterday’s Times, Watson? " Haben Sie die Times von gestern, Watson? " "It is here in the corner. "Es ist hier in der Ecke. "Might I trouble you for it—the inside page, please, with the leading articles? " He glanced swiftly over it, running his eyes up and down the columns. "Capital article this on free trade. "Capital-Artikel über den Freihandel. Permit me to give you an extract from it. Erlauben Sie mir, Ihnen einen Auszug daraus zu geben.

'You may be cajoled into imagining that your own special trade or your own industry will be encouraged by a protective tariff, but it stands to reason that such legislation must in the long run keep away wealth from the country, diminish the value of our imports, and lower the general conditions of life in this island. Man mag Ihnen einreden, dass Ihr eigener spezieller Handel oder Ihre eigene Industrie durch einen Schutzzoll gefördert wird, aber es liegt auf der Hand, dass eine solche Gesetzgebung auf lange Sicht Reichtum vom Land fernhält, den Wert unserer Einfuhren verringert und die allgemeinen Lebensbedingungen auf dieser Insel verschlechtert. "What do you think of that, Watson? " cried Holmes in high glee, rubbing his hands together with satisfaction. "Don’t you think that is an admirable sentiment? " "Ist das nicht ein bewundernswerter Gedanke? " "Вам не здається, що це чудовий настрій? " Dr.

Mortimer looked at Holmes with an air of professional interest, and Sir Henry Baskerville turned a pair of puzzled dark eyes upon me. Mortimer schaute Holmes mit professionellem Interesse an, und Sir Henry Baskerville richtete ein Paar verwirrter dunkler Augen auf mich.

"I don’t know much about the tariff and things of that kind," said he, "but it seems to me we’ve got a bit off the trail so far as that note is concerned. "Ich weiß nicht viel über den Zolltarif und solche Dinge", sagte er, "aber mir scheint, wir sind ein wenig von der Spur abgekommen, was diese Notiz betrifft. "Я не дуже розуміюся на тарифах і подібних речах, - сказав він, - але мені здається, що ми трохи зійшли зі стежки, коли йдеться про цю ноту". "On the contrary, I think we are particularly hot upon the trail, Sir Henry. "Im Gegenteil, ich glaube, wir sind der Sache besonders dicht auf der Spur, Sir Henry. Watson here knows more about my methods than you do, but I fear that even he has not quite grasped the significance of this sentence. " Watson hier weiß mehr über meine Methoden als Sie, aber ich fürchte, dass selbst er die Bedeutung dieses Satzes nicht ganz erfasst hat. " "No, I confess that I see no connection. "And yet, my dear Watson, there is so very close a connection that the one is extracted out of the other. 'You,' 'your,' 'your,' 'life,' 'reason,' 'value,' 'keep away,' 'from the.' Don’t you see now whence these words have been taken? " "By thunder, you’re right! "Клянуся громом, ти маєш рацію! Well, if that isn’t smart!" cried Sir Henry.

"If any possible doubt remained it is settled by the fact that 'keep away' and 'from the' are cut out in one piece. "Wenn es noch Zweifel gab, so wurden sie durch die Tatsache ausgeräumt, dass 'keep away' und 'from the' in einem Stück ausgeschnitten sind. "Якщо залишилися якісь сумніви, вони вирішуються тим, що "триматися подалі" і "від" вирізані одним шматком. "Well, now—so it is! "Really, Mr. Holmes, this exceeds anything which I could have imagined," said Dr. Mortimer, gazing at my friend in amazement. "Wirklich, Mr. Holmes, das übertrifft alles, was ich mir hätte vorstellen können", sagte Dr. Mortimer und schaute meinen Freund erstaunt an. "Справді, містере Холмс, це перевершує все, що я міг собі уявити", - сказав доктор Мортимер, здивовано дивлячись на мого друга. "I could understand anyone saying that the words were from a newspaper; but that you should name which, and add that it came from the leading article, is really one of the most remarkable things which I have ever known. How did you do it? " "I presume, Doctor, that you could tell the skull of a negro from that of an Esquimau? "Ich nehme an, Herr Doktor, dass Sie den Schädel eines Negers von dem eines Eskimos unterscheiden können? "Я припускаю, лікарю, що ви могли б відрізнити череп негра від черепа ескімоса? "Most certainly. "But how? "Because that is my special hobby. The differences are obvious. The supra-orbital crest, the facial angle, the maxillary curve, the—" Der Oberkieferkamm, der Gesichtswinkel, die Oberkieferkurve, die..." Надорбітальний гребінь, кут обличчя, верхньощелепна крива, ..." "But this is my special hobby, and the differences are equally obvious. There is as much difference to my eyes between the leaded bourgeois type of a Times article and the slovenly print of an evening half-penny paper as there could be between your negro and your Esquimau. In meinen Augen besteht zwischen dem bleiernen, bürgerlichen Typus eines Times-Artikels und dem schlampigen Druck eines abendlichen Groschenblattes ein so großer Unterschied wie zwischen Ihrem Neger und Ihrem Esquimau. На мій погляд, між свинцевим буржуазним шрифтом статті в "Таймс" і неохайним друком вечірньої газети за півкопійки така ж різниця, як між вашим негром і вашим ескімосом. The detection of types is one of the most elementary branches of knowledge to the special expert in crime, though I confess that once when I was very young I confused the Leeds Mercury with the Western Morning News. Die Erkennung von Schriftzeichen gehört zu den elementarsten Kenntnissen des Kriminalexperten, obwohl ich gestehen muss, dass ich einmal, als ich noch sehr jung war, den Leeds Mercury mit den Western Morning News verwechselt habe. Виявлення типів є однією з найелементарніших галузей знань для спеціального експерта зі злочинів, хоча я зізнаюся, що одного разу, коли я був дуже молодим, я переплутав "Лідс Мерк'юрі" з "Вестерн Морнінг Ньюз". But a Times leader is entirely distinctive, and these words could have been taken from nothing else. Але лідер "Таймс" є абсолютно особливим, і ці слова не могли бути взяті нізвідки. As it was done yesterday the strong probability was that we should find the words in yesterday’s issue. " Da dies gestern geschah, war es sehr wahrscheinlich, dass wir die Worte in der gestrigen Ausgabe finden würden. " "So far as I can follow you, then, Mr. Holmes," said Sir Henry Baskerville, "someone cut out this message with a scissors—" "Soweit ich Ihnen folgen kann, Mr. Holmes", sagte Sir Henry Baskerville, "hat also jemand diese Nachricht mit einer Schere ausgeschnitten." "Наскільки я розумію, містере Холмс, - сказав сер Генрі Баскервіль, - хтось вирізав це послання ножицями..." "Nail-scissors," said Holmes. "Nagelschere", sagte Holmes. "You can see that it was a very short-bladed scissors, since the cutter had to take two snips over 'keep away. '" "Man sieht, dass es sich um eine Schere mit sehr kurzer Klinge handelte, da der Cutter zwei Schnitte über 'keep away' machen musste. '" "Vous pouvez voir que c'était des ciseaux à très courte lame, puisque le coupeur devait prendre deux cisailles pour" rester à l'écart "." "Видно, що це були ножиці з дуже коротким лезом, оскільки різаку довелося зробити два надрізи за принципом "тримайся подалі". '" "That is so. Someone, then, cut out the message with a pair of short-bladed scissors, pasted it with paste—" Jemand hat dann die Nachricht mit einer kurzen Schere ausgeschnitten und mit Kleister aufgeklebt..." Хтось вирізав повідомлення ножицями з короткими лезами, заклеїв його пастою..." "Gum," said Holmes. "Kaugummi", sagte Holmes. "Gum," dit Holmes. "Жуйка", - сказав Холмс. "With gum on to the paper. "Mit Kaugummi auf dem Papier. But I want to know why the word 'moor' should have been written? " Aber ich möchte wissen, warum das Wort 'Moor' hätte geschrieben werden müssen? " "Because he could not find it in print. "Weil er sie nicht in gedruckter Form finden konnte. The other words were all simple and might be found in any issue, but 'moor' would be less common. " Die anderen Wörter waren alle einfach und konnten in jeder Ausgabe vorkommen, aber 'Moor' war weniger häufig. " "Why, of course, that would explain it. "Ja, natürlich, das würde es erklären. Have you read anything else in this message, Mr. Holmes? " Haben Sie noch etwas anderes in dieser Nachricht gelesen, Mr. Holmes? " "There are one or two indications, and yet the utmost pains have been taken to remove all clues. "Es gibt ein oder zwei Hinweise, aber es wurde alles unternommen, um alle Spuren zu beseitigen. "Є одна-дві вказівки, і все ж було зроблено все можливе, щоб прибрати всі зачіпки. The address, you observe is printed in rough characters. Die Adresse ist in groben Buchstaben gedruckt. Адреса, яку ви бачите, надрукована грубими літерами. But the Times is a paper which is seldom found in any hands but those of the highly educated. Aber die Times ist eine Zeitung, die nur selten in den Händen von hochgebildeten Menschen zu finden ist. Але "Таймс" - це газета, яка рідко потрапляє до рук когось, окрім високоосвічених людей. We may take it, therefore, that the letter was composed by an educated man who wished to pose as an uneducated one, and his effort to conceal his own writing suggests that that writing might be known, or come to be known, by you. Wir können also davon ausgehen, dass der Brief von einem gebildeten Mann verfasst wurde, der sich als ungebildet ausgeben wollte, und sein Bemühen, sein eigenes Schreiben zu verbergen, lässt vermuten, dass dieses Schreiben Ihnen bekannt sein oder bekannt werden könnte. Отже, ми можемо припустити, що лист був написаний освіченою людиною, яка хотіла видати себе за неосвічену, і його намагання приховати власне авторство наводить на думку, що цей лист міг бути відомий або стати відомим вам. Again, you will observe that the words are not gummed on in an accurate line, but that some are much higher than others. Auch hier werden Sie feststellen, dass die Wörter nicht in einer exakten Linie aufgeklebt sind, sondern dass einige viel höher sind als andere. Знову ж таки, ви побачите, що слова не приклеєні в акуратну лінію, але деякі з них розташовані набагато вище за інші. 'Life,' for example is quite out of its proper place. Das Wort "Leben" zum Beispiel ist völlig fehl am Platz. That may point to carelessness or it may point to agitation and hurry upon the part of the cutter. Das kann auf Unachtsamkeit hindeuten oder auf Aufregung und Eile seitens des Cutters. Це може свідчити про недбалість або про хвилювання і поспіх з боку різальника. On the whole I incline to the latter view, since the matter was evidently important, and it is unlikely that the composer of such a letter would be careless. Im Großen und Ganzen neige ich zu letzterer Ansicht, da es sich offensichtlich um eine wichtige Angelegenheit handelte und es unwahrscheinlich ist, dass der Verfasser eines solchen Briefes unvorsichtig gewesen wäre. Загалом я схиляюся до останньої думки, оскільки справа була явно важливою, і навряд чи автор такого листа міг бути недбалим. If he were in a hurry it opens up the interesting question why he should be in a hurry, since any letter posted up to early morning would reach Sir Henry before he would leave his hotel. Wenn er es eilig hatte, stellt sich die interessante Frage, warum er es eilig haben sollte, denn jeder Brief, der bis zum frühen Morgen aufgegeben wurde, würde Sir Henry erreichen, bevor er sein Hotel verlassen würde. Did the composer fear an interruption—and from whom? " Befürchtete der Komponist eine Unterbrechung - und von wem? " Чи боявся композитор перерви - і від кого? " "We are coming now rather into the region of guesswork," said Dr. Mortimer. "Wir kommen jetzt eher in den Bereich der Vermutungen", sagte Dr. Mortimer. "Зараз ми перебуваємо радше в області здогадок", - сказав доктор Мортимер. "Say, rather, into the region where we balance probabilities and choose the most likely. "Sagen wir lieber, in den Bereich, in dem wir die Wahrscheinlichkeiten abwägen und das Wahrscheinlichste wählen. "Скажімо, скоріше, в область, де ми балансуємо ймовірності і вибираємо найбільш вірогідну. It is the scientific use of the imagination, but we have always some material basis on which to start our speculation. Це наукове використання уяви, але ми завжди маємо якусь матеріальну основу, з якої починаємо наші спекуляції. Now, you would call it a guess, no doubt, but I am almost certain that this address has been written in a hotel. " Nun, Sie würden es zweifellos eine Vermutung nennen, aber ich bin mir fast sicher, dass diese Adresse in einem Hotel geschrieben wurde. " Ви, без сумніву, назвете це здогадкою, але я майже впевнений, що ця адреса була написана в готелі. " "How in the world can you say that? "If you examine it carefully you will see that both the pen and the ink have given the writer trouble. "Wenn Sie es genau betrachten, werden Sie sehen, dass sowohl die Feder als auch die Tinte dem Schreiber Probleme bereitet haben. "Якщо ви уважно розглянете його, то побачите, що і перо, і чорнило завдали письменникові клопоту. The pen has spluttered twice in a single word and has run dry three times in a short address, showing that there was very little ink in the bottle. Die Feder hat bei einem einzigen Wort zweimal gekleckert und ist bei einer kurzen Ansprache dreimal trocken gelaufen, was zeigt, dass nur sehr wenig Tinte in der Flasche war. Now, a private pen or ink-bottle is seldom allowed to be in such a state, and the combination of the two must be quite rare. Ein privates Schreibgerät oder ein Tintenfass darf sich nur selten in einem solchen Zustand befinden, und die Kombination von beidem muss sehr selten sein. Зараз приватна ручка або чорнильниця рідко перебувають у такому стані, а поєднання цих двох речей має бути досить рідкісним. But you know the hotel ink and the hotel pen, where it is rare to get anything else. Aber Sie kennen ja die Hoteltinte und den Hotelschreiber, wo man selten etwas anderes bekommt. Yes, I have very little hesitation in saying that could we examine the waste-paper baskets of the hotels around Charing Cross until we found the remains of the mutilated Times leader we could lay our hands straight upon the person who sent this singular message. Ja, ich zögere nicht, zu sagen, dass wir, wenn wir die Papierkörbe der Hotels rund um Charing Cross untersuchen würden, bis wir die Überreste des verstümmelten Times-Führers finden, den Absender dieser einzigartigen Nachricht direkt ausfindig machen könnten. Так, я не вагаючись скажу, що якби ми дослідили кошики для макулатури в готелях навколо Чарінг-Кросу, поки не знайшли б останки понівеченого лідера "Таймс", ми могли б покласти руку прямо на того, хто надіслав це єдине послання. Halloa! Хеллоа! Halloa! What’s this? " He was carefully examining the foolscap, upon which the words were pasted, holding it only an inch or two from his eyes. Er untersuchte das Blatt, auf das die Worte geklebt waren, sorgfältig und hielt es nur ein oder zwei Zentimeter von seinen Augen entfernt. Він уважно роздивлявся папірець, на якому були наклеєні слова, тримаючи його на відстані лише дюйма чи двох від очей.

"Well? "Nothing," said he, throwing it down. "It is a blank half-sheet of paper, without even a water-mark upon it. "Це чистий аркуш паперу, на якому немає навіть водяного знаку. I think we have drawn as much as we can from this curious letter; and now, Sir Henry, has anything else of interest happened to you since you have been in London? " Ich denke, wir haben diesem merkwürdigen Brief so viel wie möglich entnommen. Und nun, Sir Henry, ist Ihnen sonst noch etwas Interessantes passiert, seit Sie in London sind? " Гадаю, ми витягли з цього цікавого листа все, що могли; а тепер, сер Генрі, чи трапилося з вами ще щось цікаве з того часу, як ви були в Лондоні? " "Why, no, Mr. Holmes. I think not. " "You have not observed anyone follow or watch you? "I seem to have walked right into the thick of a dime novel," said our visitor. "Ich scheine mitten in einen Groschenroman hineingeraten zu sein", sagte unser Besucher. "Здається, я потрапив у саму гущу дешевого роману", - сказав наш відвідувач. "Why in thunder should anyone follow or watch me? " "Warum sollte mir jemand folgen oder mich beobachten? " "We are coming to that. You have nothing else to report to us before we go into this matter? " "Well, it depends upon what you think worth reporting. "I think anything out of the ordinary routine of life well worth reporting. Sir Henry smiled.

"I don’t know much of British life yet, for I have spent nearly all my time in the States and in Canada. But I hope that to lose one of your boots is not part of the ordinary routine of life over here. " Але я сподіваюся, що втрата одного з ваших черевиків не є частиною звичайної рутини тутешнього життя. " "You have lost one of your boots? "My dear sir," cried Dr. Mortimer, "it is only mislaid. "Mein lieber Herr", rief Dr. Mortimer, "es ist nur verlegt worden. "Мій дорогий сер, - вигукнув доктор Мортимер, - це просто загублено. You will find it when you return to the hotel. Sie finden es, wenn Sie zum Hotel zurückkehren. Ви знайдете його, коли повернетеся до готелю. What is the use of troubling Mr. Holmes with trifles of this kind? " Welchen Sinn hat es, Mr. Holmes mit solchen Kleinigkeiten zu belästigen? " Який сенс турбувати містера Холмса такими дрібницями? " "Well, he asked me for anything outside the ordinary routine. "Nun, er hat mich nach etwas gefragt, das über die übliche Routine hinausgeht. "Exactly," said Holmes, "however foolish the incident may seem. You have lost one of your boots, you say? " "Well, mislaid it, anyhow. "Ну, загубив, так чи інакше. I put them both outside my door last night, and there was only one in the morning. I could get no sense out of the chap who cleans them. Я не міг нічого зрозуміти від хлопця, який їх чистить. The worst of it is that I only bought the pair last night in the Strand, and I have never had them on. " Das Schlimmste daran ist, dass ich das Paar erst gestern Abend im Strand gekauft habe und es noch nie anhatte. " Найгірше те, що я купив цю пару лише вчора ввечері в "Стренд" і ще жодного разу не одягав її. " "If you have never worn them, why did you put them out to be cleaned? "Якщо ви їх ніколи не носили, то навіщо віддали в чистку? "They were tan boots and had never been varnished. "Es waren hellbraune Stiefel, die nie lackiert worden waren. «Это были коричневые ботинки, и их никогда не лакировали. "Це були коричневі черевики, вони ніколи не були лаковані. That was why I put them out. " "Then I understand that on your arrival in London yesterday you went out at once and bought a pair of boots? "Тоді я так розумію, що по приїзді до Лондона вчора ви одразу ж пішли і купили собі пару черевиків? "I did a good deal of shopping. "Я зробила багато покупок. Dr. Mortimer here went round with me. You see, if I am to be squire down there I must dress the part, and it may be that I have got a little careless in my ways out West. Ihr seht, wenn ich dort unten Gutsherr werden soll, muss ich mich entsprechend kleiden, und es kann sein, dass ich im Westen etwas nachlässig geworden bin. Vous voyez, si je dois être écuyer là-bas, je dois habiller le rôle, et il se peut que je sois un peu insouciant dans mes sorties dans l'Ouest. Видите ли, если мне суждено стать там сквайром, я должен одеваться соответствующе, и, может быть, я стал немного небрежен в своих поездках на Запад. Розумієте, якщо я буду там сквайром, то мушу одягатися відповідно, і, можливо, я був трохи недбалим у моїх подорожах на Захід. Among other things I bought these brown boots—gave six dollars for them—and had one stolen before ever I had them on my feet. " Серед іншого я купив ці коричневі черевики - віддав за них шість доларів - і один з них вкрали ще до того, як я взув їх на ногу. " "It seems a singularly useless thing to steal," said Sherlock Holmes. "Красти здається надзвичайно марною справою", - сказав Шерлок Холмс. "I confess that I share Dr. Mortimer’s belief that it will not be long before the missing boot is found. " "Зізнаюся, я поділяю віру доктора Мортимера в те, що зниклий черевик незабаром знайдеться. " "And, now, gentlemen," said the baronet with decision, "it seems to me that I have spoken quite enough about the little that I know. "А тепер, панове, - рішуче сказав баронет, - мені здається, що я цілком достатньо розповів про те невелике, що мені відомо. It is time that you kept your promise and gave me a full account of what we are all driving at. " Настав час виконати свою обіцянку і дати мені повний звіт про те, до чого ми всі прагнемо. " "Your request is a very reasonable one," Holmes answered. "Dr. Mortimer, I think you could not do better than to tell your story as you told it to us. " Thus encouraged, our scientific friend drew his papers from his pocket and presented the whole case as he had done upon the morning before. So ermutigt, holte unser wissenschaftlicher Freund seine Papiere aus der Tasche und trug den ganzen Fall vor, wie er es am Morgen zuvor getan hatte. Підбадьорений таким чином, наш науковий друг дістав з кишені свої папери і виклав всю справу так, як він робив це вранці.

Sir Henry Baskerville listened with the deepest attention and with an occasional exclamation of surprise.

"Well, I seem to have come into an inheritance with a vengeance," said he when the long narrative was finished. "Well, I seem to have come into an inheritance with a vengeance," said he when the long narrative was finished. "Of course, I’ve heard of the hound ever since I was in the nursery. "Natürlich habe ich von dem Hund gehört, seit ich im Kinderzimmer war. "Of course, I've heard of the hound ever since I was in the nursery. "Звичайно, я чула про гончака ще з дитячого садка. It’s the pet story of the family, though I never thought of taking it seriously before. Es ist die Lieblingsgeschichte der Familie, obwohl ich noch nie daran gedacht habe, sie ernst zu nehmen. But as to my uncle’s death—well, it all seems boiling up in my head, and I can’t get it clear yet. You don’t seem quite to have made up your mind whether it’s a case for a policeman or a clergyman. " Sie scheinen sich noch nicht ganz entschieden zu haben, ob es sich um einen Fall für einen Polizisten oder einen Geistlichen handelt. " You don't seem quite to have made up your mind whether it's a case for a policeman or a clergyman. " "Precisely. "And now there’s this affair of the letter to me at the hotel. I suppose that fits into its place. " Ich nehme an, das passt an seinen Platz. " "It seems to show that someone knows more than we do about what goes on upon the moor," said Dr. Mortimer. "Es scheint zu zeigen, dass jemand mehr als wir darüber weiß, was im Moor vor sich geht", sagte Dr. Mortimer. "And also," said Holmes, "that someone is not ill-disposed towards you, since they warn you of danger. "Or it may be that they wish, for their own purposes, to scare me away. "Oder sie wollen mich für ihre eigenen Zwecke verscheuchen. "Well, of course, that is possible also. "Nun, das ist natürlich auch möglich. I am very much indebted to you, Dr. Mortimer, for introducing me to a problem which presents several interesting alternatives. Ich bin Ihnen, Herr Dr. Mortimer, sehr zu Dank verpflichtet, dass Sie mich in ein Problem eingeführt haben, das mehrere interessante Alternativen bietet. Я дуже вдячний вам, докторе Мортімер, за те, що ви познайомили мене з проблемою, яка представляє кілька цікавих альтернатив. But the practical point which we now have to decide, Sir Henry, is whether it is or is not advisable for you to go to Baskerville Hall. " Aber der praktische Punkt, den wir jetzt zu entscheiden haben, Sir Henry, ist, ob es für Sie ratsam ist oder nicht, nach Baskerville Hall zu gehen. " "Why should I not go? "Warum sollte ich nicht gehen? "There seems to be danger. "Es scheint Gefahr zu bestehen. "Do you mean danger from this family fiend or do you mean danger from human beings? "Meinst du die Gefahr, die von diesem Familienmenschen ausgeht, oder meinst du die Gefahr, die von den Menschen ausgeht? "Well, that is what we have to find out. "Whichever it is, my answer is fixed. "Wie auch immer, meine Antwort steht fest. There is no devil in hell, Mr. Holmes, and there is no man upon earth who can prevent me from going to the home of my own people, and you may take that to be my final answer." Es gibt keinen Teufel in der Hölle, Mr. Holmes, und es gibt niemanden auf Erden, der mich daran hindern kann, in die Heimat meines Volkes zu gehen, und das können Sie als meine endgültige Antwort verstehen." His dark brows knitted and his face flushed to a dusky red as he spoke. Seine dunklen Brauen zogen sich zusammen und sein Gesicht errötete, als er sprach. Ses sourcils sombres se froncèrent et son visage rougit d'un rouge sombre alors qu'il parlait. Його темні брови супилися, а обличчя почервоніло до темно-червоного, коли він говорив. It was evident that the fiery temper of the Baskervilles was not extinct in this their last representative. Es war offensichtlich, dass das feurige Temperament der Baskervilles in diesem letzten Vertreter nicht erloschen war. "Meanwhile," said he, "I have hardly had time to think over all that you have told me. "In der Zwischenzeit", sagte er, "hatte ich kaum Zeit, über all das nachzudenken, was Sie mir gesagt haben. It’s a big thing for a man to have to understand and to decide at one sitting. I should like to have a quiet hour by myself to make up my mind. Now, look here, Mr. Holmes, it’s half-past eleven now and I am going back right away to my hotel. Suppose you and your friend, Dr. Watson, come round and lunch with us at two. Nehmen wir an, Sie und Ihr Freund, Dr. Watson, kommen um zwei Uhr zum Mittagessen zu uns. I’ll be able to tell you more clearly then how this thing strikes me. " Dann kann ich Ihnen genauer sagen, wie mir diese Sache vorkommt. " "Is that convenient to you, Watson? "Perfectly. "Then you may expect us. Shall I have a cab called? " "I’d prefer to walk, for this affair has flurried me rather. "Ich würde lieber zu Fuß gehen, denn diese Angelegenheit hat mich ziemlich aufgewühlt. "I’ll join you in a walk, with pleasure," said his companion. "Ich gehe gerne mit Ihnen spazieren", sagte sein Begleiter. "Then we meet again at two o’clock. "Dann treffen wir uns um zwei Uhr wieder. Au revoir, and good-morning! " Au revoir, und guten Morgen! " We heard the steps of our visitors descend the stair and the bang of the front door. Ми почули кроки наших відвідувачів, що спускалися сходами, і грюкіт вхідних дверей.

In an instant Holmes had changed from the languid dreamer to the man of action. In einem Augenblick hatte sich Holmes von einem trägen Träumer zu einem Mann der Tat gewandelt. В одну мить Холмс перетворився з млявого мрійника на людину дії.

"Your hat and boots, Watson, quick! Not a moment to lose!" He rushed into his room in his dressing-gown and was back again in a few seconds in a frock-coat. Il se précipita dans sa chambre en peignoir et revint quelques secondes plus tard en redingote. We hurried together down the stairs and into the street. Dr. Mortimer and Baskerville were still visible about two hundred yards ahead of us in the direction of Oxford Street.

"Shall I run on and stop them? "Not for the world, my dear Watson. I am perfectly satisfied with your company if you will tolerate mine. Our friends are wise, for it is certainly a very fine morning for a walk. " He quickened his pace until we had decreased the distance which divided us by about half.

Then, still keeping a hundred yards behind, we followed into Oxford Street and so down Regent Street. Once our friends stopped and stared into a shop window, upon which Holmes did the same. An instant afterwards he gave a little cry of satisfaction, and, following the direction of his eager eyes, I saw that a hansom cab with a man inside which had halted on the other side of the street was now proceeding slowly onward again. Einen Augenblick später stieß er einen kleinen Schrei der Genugtuung aus, und als ich die Richtung seiner eifrigen Augen verfolgte, sah ich, dass eine Droschke mit einem Mann darin, die auf der anderen Straßenseite angehalten hatte, nun langsam wieder weiterfuhr.

"There’s our man, Watson! Come along! Kommen Sie mit! We’ll have a good look at him, if we can do no more. " At that instant I was aware of a bushy black beard and a pair of piercing eyes turned upon us through the side window of the cab. In diesem Moment bemerkte ich einen buschigen schwarzen Bart und ein Paar stechende Augen, die uns durch das Seitenfenster des Taxis ansahen.

Instantly the trapdoor at the top flew up, something was screamed to the driver, and the cab flew madly off down Regent Street. Sofort flog die Falltür oben auf, dem Fahrer wurde etwas zugerufen, und das Taxi raste wie wild die Regent Street hinunter. Holmes looked eagerly round for another, but no empty one was in sight. Holmes sah sich eifrig nach einem anderen um, aber es war kein leeres Exemplar in Sicht. Then he dashed in wild pursuit amid the stream of the traffic, but the start was too great, and already the cab was out of sight. Dann stürzte er in wilder Verfolgungsjagd durch den Verkehrsstrom, aber der Vorsprung war zu groß, und schon war das Taxi außer Sichtweite.

"There now! "So, jetzt! " said Holmes bitterly as he emerged panting and white with vexation from the tide of vehicles. "гірко сказав Холмс, задихаючись і біліючи від роздратування, коли вийшов з потоку машин. "Was ever such bad luck and such bad management, too? "Gab es jemals so viel Pech und auch so schlechtes Management? "Чи було коли-небудь таке невезіння і такий поганий менеджмент? Watson, Watson, if you are an honest man you will record this also and set it against my successes! " Watson, Watson, wenn Sie ein ehrlicher Mann sind, werden Sie das auch aufzeichnen und meinen Erfolgen gegenüberstellen! " "Who was the man? "Wer war der Mann? "I have not an idea. "Ich habe keine Ahnung. "A spy? "Ein Spion? "Well, it was evident from what we have heard that Baskerville has been very closely shadowed by someone since he has been in town. "Nun, aus dem, was wir gehört haben, ging hervor, dass Baskerville von jemandem sehr genau beschattet wurde, seit er in der Stadt ist. «Eh bien, il était évident d'après ce que nous avons entendu que Baskerville a été très étroitement suivi par quelqu'un depuis qu'il est en ville. How else could it be known so quickly that it was the Northumberland Hotel which he had chosen? Wie hätte man sonst so schnell wissen können, dass er sich für das Northumberland Hotel entschieden hatte? If they had followed him the first day I argued that they would follow him also the second. Wenn sie ihm am ersten Tag gefolgt waren, würde ich behaupten, dass sie ihm auch am zweiten Tag folgen würden. You may have observed that I twice strolled over to the window while Dr. Mortimer was reading his legend. " Sie haben vielleicht bemerkt, dass ich zweimal zum Fenster hinübergegangen bin, während Dr. Mortimer seine Legende las. " "Yes, I remember. "Ja, ich erinnere mich. "I was looking out for loiterers in the street, but I saw none. "Ich habe auf der Straße nach Herumlungernden Ausschau gehalten, aber ich habe keine gesehen. We are dealing with a clever man, Watson. Wir haben es mit einem klugen Mann zu tun, Watson. This matter cuts very deep, and though I have not finally made up my mind whether it is a benevolent or a malevolent agency which is in touch with us, I am conscious always of power and design. Diese Angelegenheit geht sehr tief, und obwohl ich mich noch nicht endgültig entschieden habe, ob es eine wohlwollende oder eine böswillige Organisation ist, die mit uns in Verbindung steht, bin ich mir immer der Macht und des Plans bewusst. Cette question est très profonde, et bien que je n’ai pas finalement décidé si c’est une agence bienveillante ou malveillante qui est en contact avec nous, je suis toujours consciente du pouvoir et du design. When our friends left I at once followed them in the hopes of marking down their invisible attendant. So wily was he that he had not trusted himself upon foot, but he had availed himself of a cab so that he could loiter behind or dash past them and so escape their notice. Er war so gerissen, dass er sich nicht zu Fuß traute, sondern ein Taxi benutzte, um sich hinter ihnen aufzuhalten oder an ihnen vorbeizuschießen und so ihrer Aufmerksamkeit zu entgehen. Il était si rusé qu'il ne s'était pas fait confiance à pied, mais il s'était prévalu d'un taxi pour pouvoir flâner derrière eux ou se précipiter devant eux et ainsi échapper à leur attention. Він був настільки хитрий, що не довіряв собі йти пішки, а скористався послугами візника, щоб прослизнути позаду або проскочити повз них і таким чином вислизнути від їхньої уваги. His method had the additional advantage that if they were to take a cab he was all ready to follow them. Seine Methode hatte den zusätzlichen Vorteil, dass er bereit war, ihnen zu folgen, wenn sie ein Taxi nehmen wollten. It has, however, one obvious disadvantage. " Sie hat jedoch einen offensichtlichen Nachteil. " "It puts him in the power of the cabman. "Damit ist er der Macht des Taxifahrers ausgeliefert. "Це ставить його у владу таксиста. "Exactly. "What a pity we did not get the number! "My dear Watson, clumsy as I have been, you surely do not seriously imagine that I neglected to get the number? "Mein lieber Watson, so ungeschickt ich auch war, Sie glauben doch nicht ernsthaft, dass ich die Nummer übersehen habe? "Мій любий Ватсоне, яким би незграбним я не був, ви ж не думаєте, що я забув записати номер? No. 2704 is our man. But that is no use to us for the moment. " "I fail to see how you could have done more. "Я не бачу, як ви могли б зробити більше. "On observing the cab I should have instantly turned and walked in the other direction. "Als ich das Taxi sah, hätte ich sofort umdrehen und in die andere Richtung gehen müssen. «Увидев такси, я должен был немедленно повернуться и пойти в другом направлении. "Побачивши таксі, я мав би миттєво розвернутися і піти в інший бік. I should then at my leisure have hired a second cab and followed the first at a respectful distance, or, better still, have driven to the Northumberland Hotel and waited there. Тоді я мав би на дозвіллі найняти друге таксі і їхати за першим на шанобливій відстані, або, ще краще, поїхати до готелю "Нортумберленд" і чекати там. When our unknown had followed Baskerville home we should have had the opportunity of playing his own game upon himself and seeing where he made for. Коли наш невідомий пішов за Баскервілем додому, ми повинні були мати можливість зіграти в його власну гру з ним самим і побачити, куди він прямує. As it is, by an indiscreet eagerness, which was taken advantage of with extraordinary quickness and energy by our opponent, we have betrayed ourselves and lost our man. " Durch einen indiskreten Eifer, der von unserem Gegner mit außerordentlicher Schnelligkeit und Energie ausgenutzt wurde, haben wir uns verraten und unseren Mann verloren. " Так чи інакше, через необачне бажання, яким з надзвичайною швидкістю та енергією скористався наш супротивник, ми зрадили себе і втратили нашу людину. " We had been sauntering slowly down Regent Street during this conversation, and Dr. Mortimer, with his companion, had long vanished in front of us. Під час цієї розмови ми повільно прогулювалися Ріджент-стріт, і доктор Мортимер зі своєю супутницею вже давно зникли у нас перед очима.

"There is no object in our following them," said Holmes. "The shadow has departed and will not return. "Тінь пішла і не повернеться. We must see what further cards we have in our hands and play them with decision. Ми повинні бачити, які подальші карти у нас на руках, і розігрувати їх рішуче. Could you swear to that man’s face within the cab? " Чи можете ви присягнутися, що бачили того чоловіка в кабіні? " "I could swear only to the beard. "Я міг би присягнути тільки бородою. "And so could I—from which I gather that in all probability it was a false one. "Und ich auch - woraus ich schließe, dass es sich höchstwahrscheinlich um einen falschen Namen handelt. "І я теж, - з чого я зрозумів, що, швидше за все, це був фальшивий. A clever man upon so delicate an errand has no use for a beard save to conceal his features. Ein kluger Mann, der eine so heikle Aufgabe zu erfüllen hat, braucht keinen Bart, außer um seine Gesichtszüge zu verbergen. Розумному чоловікові, який виконує таке делікатне доручення, борода не потрібна, окрім як для того, щоб приховати риси обличчя. Come in here, Watson! " Заходьте, Вaтcонe! " He turned into one of the district messenger offices, where he was warmly greeted by the manager. Er bog in eines der Bezirksbotenbüros ein, wo er vom Leiter herzlich begrüßt wurde. Він звернув до одного з районних відділень зв'язку, де його привітно зустрів менеджер.

"Ah, Wilson, I see you have not forgotten the little case in which I had the good fortune to help you? "А, Вілсоне, я бачу, ти не забув ту маленьку справу, в якій мені пощастило тобі допомогти? "No, sir, indeed I have not. You saved my good name, and perhaps my life. " "My dear fellow, you exaggerate. I have some recollection, Wilson, that you had among your boys a lad named Cartwright, who showed some ability during the investigation. " Ich erinnere mich, Wilson, dass Sie unter Ihren Jungs einen Jungen namens Cartwright hatten, der bei den Ermittlungen einige Fähigkeiten zeigte. " Я пригадую, Вілсоне, що серед ваших хлопців був хлопець на ім'я Картрайт, який виявив певні здібності під час розслідування. " "Yes, sir, he is still with us. "Could you ring him up?—thank you! And I should be glad to have change of this five-pound note. " І я був би радий мати здачу з цієї п'ятифунтової банкноти. " A lad of fourteen, with a bright, keen face, had obeyed the summons of the manager. Ein Junge von vierzehn Jahren mit einem hellen, scharfen Gesicht war der Aufforderung des Verwalters gefolgt. Хлопець чотирнадцяти років, з яскравим, живим обличчям, підкорився заклику керівника.

He stood now gazing with great reverence at the famous detective.

"Let me have the Hotel Directory," said Holmes. "Дайте мені довідник готелів", - сказав Холмс. "Thank you! Now, Cartwright, there are the names of twenty-three hotels here, all in the immediate neighbourhood of Charing Cross. Тепер, Картрайт, тут є назви двадцяти трьох готелів, і всі вони знаходяться в безпосередній близькості від Чарінг-Кросу. Do you see? " "Yes, sir. "You will visit each of these in turn. "Yes, sir. "You will begin in each case by giving the outside porter one shilling. "Кожного разу ви почнете з того, що дасте швейцару один шилінг. Here are twenty-three shillings. " "Yes, sir. "You will tell him that you want to see the waste-paper of yesterday. "Ви скажете йому, що хочете побачити вчорашню макулатуру. You will say that an important telegram has miscarried and that you are looking for it. Sie werden sagen, dass ein wichtiges Telegramm fehlgeschlagen ist und dass Sie es suchen. Vous direz qu'un télégramme important a échoué et que vous le cherchez. Ви скажете, що важлива телеграма не прийшла і що ви її шукаєте. You understand? " "Yes, sir. "But what you are really looking for is the centre page of the Times with some holes cut in it with scissors. "Aber was Sie wirklich suchen, ist die Mittelseite der Times, in die Sie mit einer Schere ein paar Löcher geschnitten haben. "Але те, що ви насправді шукаєте, - це центральна сторінка газети "Таймс", на якій ножицями вирізано кілька дірок. Here is a copy of the Times. It is this page. You could easily recognize it, could you not? " "Yes, sir. "In each case the outside porter will send for the hall porter, to whom also you will give a shilling. Here are twenty-three shillings. You will then learn in possibly twenty cases out of the twenty-three that the waste of the day before has been burned or removed. Sie werden dann in vielleicht zwanzig von dreiundzwanzig Fällen erfahren, dass der Abfall vom Vortag verbrannt oder entfernt wurde. Можливо, у двадцяти випадках з двадцяти трьох ви дізнаєтесь, що відходи попереднього дня були спалені або вивезені. In the three other cases you will be shown a heap of paper and you will look for this page of the Times among it. In den drei anderen Fällen wird Ihnen ein Haufen Papier gezeigt, unter dem Sie diese Seite der Times suchen müssen. The odds are enormously against your finding it. Les chances sont énormément contre votre découverte. Шанси на те, що ви його знайдете, надзвичайно низькі. There are ten shillings over in case of emergencies. Let me have a report by wire at Baker Street before evening. Позвольте мне получить отчет по телеграфу на Бейкер-стрит до вечера. Дозвольте мені отримати звіт телеграфом на Бейкер-стріт до вечора. And now, Watson, it only remains for us to find out by wire the identity of the cabman, No. Und jetzt, Watson, bleibt uns nur noch, per Draht die Identität des Taxifahrers Nr. herauszufinden. 2704, and then we will drop into one of the Bond Street picture galleries and fill in the time until we are due at the hotel. " 2704, und dann werden wir in eine der Bond Street Bildergalerien gehen und die Zeit überbrücken, bis wir im Hotel erwartet werden. " 2704, а потім ми заглянемо в одну з картинних галерей на Бонд-стріт і заповнимо час до нашого прибуття в готель. "