Александр Левкин - Адаптированный текст повести А. К. Дойла «Знак четырех» на английском языке с транскрипцией и видеопрезентацией. Учебное пособие

02_006

«I have come to you, Mr. Holmes,» she said, «because you once enabled my employer, Mrs. Cecil Forrester, to unravel a little domestic complication. She was much impressed by your kindness and skill.»

02_007

«Mrs. Cecil Forrester,» he repeated thoughtfully. «I believe that I was of some slight service to her. The case, however, as I remember it, was a very simple one.»

02_008

«She did not think so. But at least you cannot say the same of mine. I can hardly imagine anything more strange, more utterly inexplicable, than the situation in which I find myself.»

02_009

Holmes rubbed his hands, and his eyes glistened. He leaned forward in his chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut, hawklike features. «State your case,» said he, in brisk, business tones.

02_010

I felt that my position was an embarrassing one. «You will, I am sure, excuse me,» I said, rising from my chair.

02_011

To my surprise, the young lady held up her gloved hand to detain me. «If your friend,» she said, «would be good enough to stop, he might be of inestimable service to me.»

I relapsed into my chair.

02_012

«Briefly,» she continued, «the facts are these. My father was an officer in an Indian regiment who sent me home when I was quite a child. My mother was dead, and I had no relative in England.

02_013

I was placed, however, in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh, and there I remained until I was seventeen years of age. In the year 1878 my father, who was senior captain of his regiment, obtained twelve months’ leave and came home.

02_014

He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe, and directed me to come down at once, giving the Langham Hotel as his address. His message, as I remember, was full of kindness and love.

02_015

On reaching London I drove to the Langham, and was informed that Captain Morstan was staying there, but that he had gone out the night before and had not yet returned. I waited all day without news of him.

02_016

That night, on the advice of the manager of the hotel, I communicated with the police, and next morning we advertised in all the papers. Our inquiries led to no result; and from that day to this no word has ever been heard of my unfortunate father.

02_017

He came home with his heart full of hope, to find some peace, some comfort, and instead – » She put her hand to her throat, and a choking sob cut short the sentence.

02_018

«The date?» asked Holmes, opening his note-book.

«He disappeared upon the 3d of December, 1878, – nearly ten years ago.»

«His luggage?»

02_019

«Remained at the hotel. There was nothing in it to suggest a clue, – some clothes, some books, and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman Islands. He had been one of the officers in charge of the convict-guard there.»

«Had he any friends in town?»

02_020

«Only one that we know of, – Major Sholto, of his own regiment, the 34th Bombay Infantry. The major had retired some little time before, and lived at Upper Norwood. We communicated with him, of course, but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England.»

02_021

«A singular case,» remarked Holmes.

«I have not yet described to you the most singular part.

02_022

About six years ago – to be exact, upon the 4th of May, 1882—an advertisement appeared in the Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan and stating that it would be to her advantage to come forward. There was no name or address appended.

02_023

I had at that time just entered the family of Mrs. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess. By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column. The same day there arrived through the post a small card-board box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl.

02_024

No word of writing was enclosed. Since then every year upon the same date there has always appeared a similar box, containing a similar pearl, without any clue as to the sender. They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare variety and of considerable value.