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“But the window was shut and locked…”
“The woman’s first instinct would be to shut and lock the window. But… what is this?”
It was a lady’s hand-bag which lay on the table, a little hand-bag of crocodile-skin and silver. Holmes opened it. There were twenty fifty-pound notes of the Bank of England, held together by an india-rubber band [132] .
“It will be necessary in the trial,” said Holmes and gave the bag to the inspector. “Now let us concentrate on this third bullet. It was certainly fired from the inside of the room. I’d like to see Mrs. King, the cook, again… You said, Mrs. King, that you woke up because of a loud explosion. When you said that, did you mean that it was louder than the second one?”
132
twenty fifty-pound notes of the Bank of England, held together by an india-rubber band – двадцать пятидесятифунтовых кредитных билетов, перевязанных резиновой тесемкой
“Well, sir, it is hard to say, because the moment before I was sleeping. But yes, it was very loud.”
“Don’t you think that it was two shots fired almost at the same time?”
“I am not sure, sir.”
“I believe it was. Inspector Martin, I think we’ve learned everything from this room. If you don’t mind, we shall see what fresh evidence are there in the garden.”
There was a flower-bed just under the window and we were very much surprised when we saw that it was in a mess [133] . There were a lot of footmarks on it. Large feet of a man with long, sharp toes. Holmes started looking for something, like a retriever for a wounded bird. Then he cried with satisfaction and picked up a little bullet.
133
to be in a mess – быть в беспорядке
“I thought so,” he said, “I think, Inspector Martin, that our case is almost complete.”
Exercises
1. Was Holmes happy to receive a letter and a telegram?
1) Yes, he was. He wanted to finish the case as fast as he could.
2) Yes, he was. He needed good news.
3) No, he wasn’t. He was worried when he received them.
4) No, he wasn’t. He didn’t want to work.
2. Why did Holmes decide to visit the Cubitts at once?
1) He wanted to talk with Mrs. Cubitt.
2) He was tired with Baker Street.
3) He solved the riddle and wanted to explain everything to Mr. Cubitt.
4) He wanted to know some details for his investigation.
3. How did Holmes feel when he found out what had happened?
1) He was worried and nervous and couldn’t work.
2) He was very gloomy and decided to come back home.
3) He was ready to devote his life to this case, he wanted to take revenge.
4) He started crying.
4. What were Mrs. King and Saunders sure of?
1) That Mrs. Cubitt killed her husband.
2) That the window was shut.
3) That there were only two shots.
4) That the cubitts were not united.
5. How did Holmes explain that the window was shut?
1) The smell of the powder didn’t spread through the house.
2) The man’s first instinct would be to shut and lock the window.
3) The woman’s first instinct would be to shut and lock the window.
4) The criminal was very careful.
6. What was in the lady’s hand-bag?
1) A letter with the dancing men
2) A gun
3) A ticket to America
4) Twenty fifty-pound notes of the bank of England
7. Where did Holmes find the third bullet?
1) In the window-frame
2) In the garden
3) On the floor
4) In the lady’s hand-bag
8. Describe Inspector Martin:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Choose the right verbs:
Together they…………… to the room – the door…………… open and a candle…………… on the table.
1) were coming, was, burned
2) come, was, was burning
3) were coming, was, was burning
4) came, was, was burning
10. Complete the sentences with these words and expressions:
the alarm, the talk of, in a mess, what’s the matter, time, pay attention
1) It would take some…………… before she could speak.
2) I must tell the facts and I must follow them to the strange chain of events which some day will be…………… the whole England.