Артур Дойл - Приключения Шерлока Холмса / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (сборник)

“If Elsie dies I don’t care what happens,” said the American. He opened one of his hands and saw a note.

“Look, mister!”, he cried, with suspicion in his eyes, “You’re not trying to cheat me, are you? If the lady is hurt, who wrote this note?” He threw it on the table.

“I wrote it,” said Holmes.

“You? No one except us knew the secret of the dancing men! How could you write it?”

“What one man can invent another can discover,” said Holmes. “A cab is coming to escort you to Norwich, Mr. Slaney. However, you have time to make something useful. Do you know that Mrs. Hilton Cubitt has been accused of the murder of her own husband? And that it was only the knowledge which I had that has saved her from the accusation? The least that you can do for her is to say to the world that she was in no way[149] responsible for his tragic end.”

“I’ll do it,” said the American. “I guess I should tell you the whole truth.”

“It is my duty to warn you that it will be used against you,” cried the inspector.

“I’ll try,” Slaney said. “First of all, you should understand that I have known this lady since she was a child. There were seven of us in a gang in Chicago, and Elsie’s father was the boss. He was a clever man. It was he who invented that writing. Well, Elsie found out who we were and she didn’t like it. She had some honest money and decided to leave the country and go to London. Elsie was engaged to me, and she said that she would marry me if only I had taken another profession. But she didn’t want to marry a cheater.

Only after her marriage to this Englishman I found out where she was. I wrote to her, but didn’t get an answer. After that I came to London and, as letters were useless, I wrote my messages where she could read them.”

“Well, I have been here a month now. I lived in that farm, where I had a room downstairs, and could get in and out every night, and no one could see me. I tried to persuade Elsie to come back. I knew that she read the messages, because once she wrote an answer under one of them. Then I began to threaten her. She sent me a letter then, she asked me to go away and said that it would break her heart if anyone found out something. She said that she would come down when her husband was asleep at three in the morning. She said she would speak with me through the window, if I would go away afterwards and leave her in peace. She came down and brought money with her, she tried to pay me. This made me mad[150], and I caught her arm and tried to pull her through the window. At that moment her husband ran in with the revolver in his hand. Elsie fainted, and we were face to face[151]. I was armed also, and I raised my gun to frighten him and let me get away. But he fired and missed. I shot almost at the same moment, and he fell backwards. I ran across the garden and I heard that someone shut the window. That’s all, gentlemen, every word is truthful. And I heard nothing until that boy came with a note, which made me walk here and give myself into your hands.”

A cab was already here. Two policemen sat inside. Inspector Martin rose and said:

“It is time for us to go.”

“Can I see her?”

“No, she is not ready for this. Mr. Holmes, I’m pleased to work with you. I hope that if I have another important case, I’ll be lucky to meet you again.”

We stood at the window and watched the cab. I turned my back and saw a piece of paper which Slaney had thrown on the table. It was the note which Holmes had written to him.

“See if you can read it, Watson,” he said, with a smile.

There was this little line of dancing men.

“If you use the code which I have explained,” said Holmes, “you will find that it means simply ‘Come here at once’. I was sure that he wouldn’t refuse, because he couldn’t even imagine that someone else except Mrs. Cubitt could write it. So, my dear Watson, finally we’ve managed to use these dancing men for something good, when they have been so often the agents of evil. And I think that I was right, now you can add this curious story to your collection. It’s three-forty, our train is soon. We’ll be back in Baker Street for dinner.”

Only one word of epilogue. The American, Abe Slaney, was sentenced to death[152] at Norwich. But the punishment was changed to hard labour[153], as it was proved that Hilton Cubitt had fired first. As for Mrs. Hilton Cubitt, I only know that she recovered completely, and that she still remains a widow. She has devoted her life to the care of the poor and to the administration of her husband’s estate.

Exercises

1. What did Abe Slaney do after he had been attacked?

1) He started fighting.

2) He started laughing.

3) He started crying.

4) He was so amazed that he couldn’t do anything.

2. Why was Slaney shocked when Holmes told him that Mrs. Cubitt was hurt?

1) He never shot at women.

2) He didn’t want to believe that she could have commited suicide.

3) He loved her.

4) He thought that he missed.

3. Why did he say that he had a right to her?

1) They were married.

2) He was too confident.

3) They were engaged.

4) He usually got everything what he wanted.

4. Why did Elsie run away from Slaney?

1) He threatened her.

2) He hit her.

3) She wanted to be independent.

4) She found out that he was a cheater.

5. Who invented the secret writing with the dancing men?

1) the boss of the gang

2) Elgie

3) Abe Slaney

4) Sherlock Holmes

6. How did Slaney know that Elsie was reading his messages?

1) She washed them out.

2) She left an answer once.

3) She called him.

4) It is not mentioned in the text.

7. Did Slaney want to kill Elsie’s husband?

1) Yes, he did. Mr. Cubitt made him mad.

2) Yes, he did but he couldn’t do it.

3) No, didn’t. He wanted just to frighten him.

4) No, he didn’t but Elsie asked him for it.

8. Why was Abe’s punishment changed?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. Choose the right verbs:

She asked me to…………… and said that it…………… her heart if anyone…………… something.

1) went away, would break, found out

2) go away, will break, found out

3) go away, would break, would find out

4) go away, would break, found out

10. Complete the sentences with these words and expressions:

set a trap, in no way, was sentenced, commit, put, made

1) This…………… me mad, and I caught her arm and tried to pull her through the window.

2) Abe Slaney…………… to death at Norwich.

3) So you killed Mr. Cubitt and nearly made Mrs. Cubitt to…………… suicide.

4) The least that you can do for her is to say to the world that she was…………… responsible for his tragic end.

5) Don’t tell me that she helped to…………… for me!

6) In a second Holmes…………… a pistol to the man’s head.

11. Insert the right prepositions:

after, of, out(2), into, with, to(3), in(2)

1) I had a room downstairs and could get……… and……… every night.

2) She has devoted her life……… the care of the poor.

3) Mrs. Hilton Cubitt has been accused……… the murder of her own husband.

4) I heard nothing until that boy came……… a note, which made me walk here and give myself……… your hands.

5) ……… her marriage……… this Englishman I found……… where she was.

6) But I came here……… answer……… a letter from Mrs. Hilton Cubitt.

12. Complete the table:

13. Questions to think about:

1) What helps Sherlock Holmes to solve such difficult riddles?

2) Is Slaney the only man who is guilty in this story?

3) For whom do you feel sorry?

4) What are the starting point, culmination and outcome of this story?

5) Try to reconstruct the alphabet of the dancing men.

Vocabulary

A

ability способность

absent-minded рассеянный

accusation обвинение

accuse обвинять

accustomed привыкший

across через, сквозь

act действовать

active активный

addition дополнение

address обращаться

administration управление

admiration восхищение

adventure приключение

advice совет

advise советовать

afraid испуганный

afterwards позже, потом

again снова

against против

agent посредник

agree соглашаться

ahead заранее

air воздух

allow позволять

almost почти

alone один

already уже

although хотя

always всегда

amazement удивление

amazing удивительный, ошеломляющий

amusement удовольствие, развлечение

analysis анализ, исследование

angry злой, рассерженный

annoy досаждать

another другой

answer ответ, отвечать

anxiety беспокойство

anxious беспокойный

anyway во всяком случае

appeal обращение

appear появляться

appropriate подходящий

arm рука

armchair кресло

armed вооруженный

arrangement расстановка

arrest арестовывать

arrive прибывать

ask спрашивать

asleep спящий

association ассоциация

assume предположить

at last наконец

at least по крайней мере

at once сразу же

attack атаковать

attention внимание

author автор

avoid избегать

B

basis основание

be (was, were) быть, являться

beautiful красивый

become (became, become) становиться

beg умолять

begin (began, begun) начинать

behind позади

believe верить

bell колокольчик, звонок

belong принадлежать

beside рядом

better лучше, сравн. ст. от good

between между

bird птица

blood кровь

body тело

boss босс

both оба

break (broke, broken) ломать

breathe дышать

brew варить

bring (brought, brought) приносить

broad широкий

bullet пуля

burn гореть

business дело, история

busy занятый

buy (bought, bought) покупать

C

cab экипаж

calculation подсчет

call звонить, звать

calm спокойный

can (could) мочь, уметь

cancel отменять

candle свеча

care забота, заботиться

careful осторожный, внимательный

carriage вагон, повозка

case случай, дело

catch (caught, caught) ловить, поймать

centre центр

century век, столетие

certainly конечно, безусловно

chain цепь

chair стул

chalk мел

change менять

cheat обманывать

cheater мошенник

cheek щека

chemical химический

сhequebook чековая книжка

childish детский

choice выбор

choose (chose, chosen) выбирать

church церковь

clever умный

client клиент

close близкий; закрывать