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

“Yes, it is very short, but I made a copy of it, and here it is.”

Again he showed a paper. The new dance was in this form:

“Tell me,” said Holmes – and I could see that he was very much excited – “was this an addition to the first, or did it appear separately?”

“It was on a different panel of the door.”

“Excellent! This is very important for us. It fills me with hopes. Now, Mr. Hilton Cubitt, please continue your interesting story.”

“I have nothing more to say, Mr. Holmes, except that I was angry with my wife that night. She held me when I could catch this terrible man. She said that she feared that he could hurt me. For a second an idea came to my mind that perhaps what she really feared was that I could hurt him . I could not doubt that she knew who this man was and what he meant by these strange symbols. But my wife has such a tone in her voice, Mr. Holmes, and a look in her eyes which forbid doubt – I am sure that she told me the truth. That’s it, and now I want your advice, what I should do. My own idea is to ask my farm friends to hide in the garden, and when this man comes again we can give him such a lesson [113]that he will leave us in peace.”

“I fear it will not be enough,” said Holmes. “How long can you stay in London?”

“I must come back today. I can’t leave my wife alone all night. She is very nervous and begged me to come back.”

“I think you are right. But then we could return together in a day or two. Anyway, leave me these papers, and I think that I’ll visit your house soon. And we’ll be able to throw some light on [114]your case.”

Sherlock Holmes looked professionally calm until our visitor had left us. But it was easy for me, who knew him so well, to see that he was very excited. The moment that Hilton Cubitt’s left, my friend rushed to the table, laid out all the pieces of paper containing dancing men in front of him and began examining them.

For two hours I watched him – he was very busy copying dancing men and writing letters, he was so completely occupied with this task that he had evidently forgotten about me. Sometimes he was making progress [115]and whistled or sang something. Sometimes he became puzzled, and could sit for hours looking absent-minded. Finally he jumped up from his chair with a cry of satisfaction, and walked up and down the room rubbing his hands together. Then he wrote a long telegram.

“If my answer to this is right, you will have a very pretty case to your collection, Watson,” he said. “I think that we should go down to Norfolk tomorrow. And we will finally solve this puzzle, which worries our friend so much.”

Of course I was filled with curiosity, but I knew that Holmes liked to make his conclusions at his own time and in his own way. So I waited.

1. When did Mr. Cubitt visit Sherlock Holmes again?

1) The next day

2) A week later

3) A month later

4) Two weeks later

2. Why did Mr. Cubitt look worried and depressed?

1) His wife was very afraid.

2) This business was getting on his nerves.

3) He didn’t like London.

4) Sherlock Holmes couldn’t help him.

3. Why couldn’t Mr. Cubitt just talk to his wife and find out the truth?

1) He was afraid of his wife.

2) He was scary and he didn’t want to scary her off.

3) He had no time for it.

4) He was a clumsy man in these things.

4. What did he find out?

1) He brought some new drawings of dancing men and saw the man who drew them.

2) He caught the joker – it was his stable-boy.

3) He didn’t find out anything.

4) He found out that there were several men who drew these pictures.

5. What was Mrs. Cubitt’s suggestion?

1) To hide and wait

2) To travel in order to avoid this nuisance

3) To sell the house

4) To call the police

6. Why was Mr. Cubitt angry with his wife?

1) She didn’t want to come to bed.

2) She didn’t want to talk to him.

3) She told him that she knew this man.

4) She held him when he could catch this man.

7. What did Sherlock Holmes do when Mr. Cubitt left?

1) He was tired and went to bed.

2) He decided to have dinner and then started working.

3) He started working, he was very busy copying dancing men and writing letters.

4) He solved the riddle very quickly and wrote a long telegram.

8. Why didn’t Sherlock Holmes share his ideas with Dr. Watson?

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

9. Choose the right line:

Sherlock Holmes…………… to the table…………… out all the pieces of paper…………… dancing men in front of him and…………… examining them.

1) was rushing, lay, contained, began

2) rushed, lay, containing, began

3) rushed, laid, containing, began

4) was rushing, laid, containing, beginning

10. Complete the sentences with these words and expressions:

as far as, played such stupid tricks, on my nerves, a lesson, progress, had better

1) When this man comes again we can give him such…………… that he will leave us in peace.

2) I told her frankly that I wished to see who it was who…………… on us.

3) “…………… I understood there were some new incidents.”

4) Sometimes he was making…………… and whistled or sang something.

5) “You…………… stay here, Watson.”

6) “It’s getting……………, this business, Mr. Holmes,” he said.

11. Insert the right prepositions:

out, by, from(3), for, about, in, of(2), with

1) So I got…………… my revolver and I sat up in my room…………… where I could see the lawn and garden.

2) Something was moving…………… the shadow…………… the tool-house.

3) He was so completely occupied…………… this task that he had evidently forgotten…………… me.

4) We didn’t have to wait…………… a long time, because our Norfolk squire came straight…………… the station as fast as he could.

5) It means that we will leave our own house because…………… some jokers?

6) I’m surrounded…………… invisible unknown people, who want something…………… me.

12. Complete the table:

But the answer came only in two days, during which Holmes was very impatient. At every ring at the bell he jumped to his feet. In the evening we received a letter from Hilton Cubitt. He said that all was quiet there, but that morning a long inscription had appeared on the sun-dial. He sent us a copy of it, here it is:

Holmes stood with this piece of paper for some minutes, examining it, and then suddenly he turned to me. His eyes were full with anxiety.