“You are perfectly correct,” said she. “I started from home before six, and came in by the first train to Waterloo [6] . Sir, I can stand this strain no longer [7] ; I shall go mad if it continues. I have heard of you, Mr. Holmes; I have heard of you from Mrs. Farintosh, whom you helped. It was from her that I had your address. Oh, sir, do you not think that you could help me, too? At present I cannot reward you, but in a month or six weeks I shall be married and shall have my own income, and then you will not find me ungrateful.”

Holmes turned to his desk and took a small book, which he consulted.

“Farintosh,” said he. “Ah yes, I recall the case. I think it was before your time, Watson. I can only say, madam, that I shall be happy to investigate your case as I did for your friend. As to reward, my profession is its own reward; but you can pay me at the time which suits you best. And now I ask you to tell us everything that may help us in to form an opinion upon the matter.”

“Alas!” said our visitor, “the horror of my situation lies in the fact that my fears are so vague, that even the man who cares for me looks upon all that I tell him as the fancies of a nervous woman. He does not say so, but I can read it in his eyes.”

“I am all attention, madam.”

1. Answer the questions:

1. When did Sherlock Holmes investigate the case of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran?

2. Where did Sherlock Holmes live? Who did he share the rooms with?

3. Why did Sherlock Holmes wake up Dr.Watson very early one morning?

4. What did the client look like?

5. How did Sherlock Holmes surprise their visitor?

6. How did he learn all the information about the client?

7. Who did the client learn about the detective from?

8. Why did the client come to Holmes for help?

9. What did she tell Holmes about her financial position?

Think and say

1. What do you think is the role of Dr.Watson in Sherlock Holmes’ investigations?

2. What does Holmes’ behaviour at the beginning of the story tell us about his character?

2. Find the following words and phrases in the text and reproduce situations from the text with them. Give Russian equivalents.

1. rather… than

would rather do smth than do smth else

2. to occur

It occurred to smb

3. to share a room / flat

4. as a rule

5. to call on smb

6. to accompany smb to some place

7. to investigate a case

8. to care for smb / smth

3. Paraphrase the underlined parts of the sentences so as to use the words and phrases above.

1. Sherlock Holmes usually allowed Dr. Watson to follow his investigations.

2. Sherlock Holmes looked into a lot of tragic events.

3. When my friend told me she felt nervous before her first concert I offered to go there with her.

4. The two sisters lived in the same room.

5. Anne’s grandmother lived next door and the girl often visited her after classes.

6. Sherlock Holmes preferred doing nothing to investigating common cases.

7. I don’t really think that he loves anyone but himself.

8. I don’t know when the accident happened.

9. When Dr. Watson was woken up very early in the morning, he had an idea that the house was on fire.

10. The teacher said he would prefer teaching bright students for a small pay to teaching stupid students for a higher pay.

4. Complete the sentences with the words and phrases above in the correct form.

1. Emily… an office with eight other people. She says it’s very noisy there…

2. When Anne arrived at the hospital she said she’d….. a ward with some other patients… have a private ward. It was the first time she was in hospital and she wanted to have somebody to talk to.

3. If you’re afraid to go to the doctor, I can… you there.

4. Sherlock Holmes… a lot of… together with Dr. Watson and Police Inspector Lestrade.