Find and read aloud the sentences which explain

1) what Mr. Holder did before going to sleep;

2) whom he saw in his study about two o'clock in the morning;

3) Mary's behaviour when she saw the coronet in his uncle's hands.

4. Answer the questions:

1) What did Arthur ask his father about in the evening?

2) Why was Mr. Holder angry with Arthur?

3) Whom did Mr. Holder see at the window of the hall?

4) Why was he awakened about two o'clock in the morning?

5) What did Mr. Holder see in his study when he heard footsteps quite near?

6) Why did Arthur turn pale at his father's cry?

7) How did Mary behave herself when she saw the coronet?

8) Did Arthur say anything to the police when he was arrested?

9) Did the police search outside the house and examine the garden?

10) Did Holmes believe that it was Arthur who took the stones from the coronet?

5. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1) Arthur asked his father to give him some mo­ney.

2) Mr. Holder did not refuse to help his son with the money.

3) At two o'clock in the morning Mr. Holder was awakened by a sound in the house.

4) To his terror Mr. Holder saw that all the be­ryls in the coronet were missing.

5) When the police inspector came, Arthur was arrested.

6) Mr. Holder did not think that Arthur could steal the stones.

6. Discuss the following:

1) The banker was sure that his son Arthur took the beryls from the coronet. Why did he think so? Prove his position with the facts.

2) Sherlock Holmes thought that Arthur was in­nocent. What reasons did he have to come to such a conclusion?

7. Act the dialogues:

a) between Mr. Holder and Arthur in the study at two o'clock in the morning;

b) between Holmes and Mr. Holder.

8. Tell the story on the part of: a) Mr. Holder;
b) Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 3

Iagreed instantly, for I was always ready to ac­company my friend. To say the truth¹the case seemed quite clear to me, I was sure that the bank­er's son had stolen the stones.

Holmes was silent all the way and I saw that he was deep in thought².

After a short railway journey and a very short walk, we came to Fairbank³, the house of Mr. Hold­er. It was a large square building standing back a little⁴ from the road. In front of it there was a lawn. Holmes left us at the door and slowly walked all round the house. He was absent for such a long time that Mr. Holder and I went into the dining-room and waited for him there. We were sitting by the fire when the door opened and a young girl came in. She was very pale and her eyes were red and swollen. She went straight to her uncle.

"Have you given orders to set Arthur free⁵?" she said in a low voice.

"No, no, my dear. The matter must be cleared up first."

"But I am sure that he is innocent!"

"Why is he silent, then?"

"Perhaps he was angry because you suspected him."

"But I saw him with the coronet in his hand."

"Oh, but he only wanted to look at it. He is inno­cent! It is so terrible that our dear Arthur is in pris­on!" she said and burst into tears⁶.

"The stones must be found, Mary! I have brought a gentleman from London to help us," her uncle said. "He is round the house now⁷."

"What for?" she asked, drying her tears.

The banker had no time to answer, for at that moment Holmes came into the room.

"I hope, sir, you will prove that my cousin Arthur is innocent?" the young girl cried, turning to my friend.

"I hope so too," Holmes answered quietly, kno­cking the snow from his boots. "I think that I am speaking to Miss Mary Holder. May I ask you a ques­tion or two?"

"Certainly, sir, if I can help you."

"Did you hear anything yourself last night⁸?"

"Nothing, until my uncle began to speak loudly."

"Did you close the windows and the doors that evening yourself?"

"I always do so."

"Were they closed this morning?"

"They were."

"Do you think that the maid Lucy Parr heard your uncle's words about the coronet and that she went out to the gate to tell someone about it?"

"All those theories are quite useless," the bank­er interrupted. "I tell you that I saw Arthur with the coronet in his hands!"

"Wait a little, Mr. Holder," Holmes said dryly. "Did this girl return by the back door?"

"Yes, I saw her when she came in," said Mary, "I saw the man with whom she had spoken, too. I know him, his name is Francis Prosper⁹."

"He stood to the left of the door and he is a man with a wooden leg," said Holmes quietly.

The young girl looked at Holmes with fear in her eyes, but she tried to smile.

"You are a magician," she said, "how do you know that?"

Sherlock Holmes did not smile in return¹⁰.

"Now I must go upstairs, but first I'll take a look at the lower windows," he said, going to the large window which looked from the hall on to the sta­ble lane¹¹. He opened it and examined the sill with his magnifying glass. Then he went to the bank­er's study.

"How was the bureau opened?" he asked. "Here is¹² the key," said the banker. "It is the key of an old cupboard. I found it on the table later."

Sherlock Holmes took the key and opened the bureau.

"It is a noiseless lock, that's why¹³ you did not hear anything at night," he said. "Let's have a look at the coronet."

He took it out of the case and put it upon the table. One corner holding three stones was torn away.

"Now, Mr. Holder," Holmes said, pointing to the coronet, "here is another corner like the one ¹⁴ which has been lost. I beg you to break it off."

The banker was shocked.

"Oh, Mr. Holmes, I cannot do that," he cried.

"Then I shall try to do it." Holmes took the coro­net in his hands and tried to bend the corner and then to break it off, but without result.

"No, I can do nothing with it, though my fingers are very strong," he said. "It will take me much time to break it¹⁵. And if I do break it¹⁶, there will be a noise like a pistol shot. But you did not hear any noise in the night, Mr. Holder."

"I thought I heard¹⁷ that somebody was closing a window, but there was no other noise," the banker answered.

"And what is your opinion, Miss Holder?" asked Holmes turning to the young girl.

"I must confess that I cannot understand any­thing in this case," she answered.

"One more question, Mr. Holder," said Holmes. "Was your son without his shoes when you saw him?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Thank you. Now I shall continue my work out­side. I hope we shall soon be able to clear this mat­ter up."

Holmes went out alone and was absent for an hour or more. When he returned at last his boots were again covered with snow.

"I think that I have seen all that there is to see¹⁸," he said, "and I shall return home."

"But the stones, Mr. Holmes! Where are they?"

"I cannot tell you that."

"Oh, what shall I tell my client!" the poor banker cried in despair. "I am lost! ¹⁹ And my son? What about him?"

"If you come to London tomorrow morning be­tween nine and ten I shall try to make everything clear. Good-bye. It is possible that I shall come here again before evening."

I saw that my friend had already come to some conclusion in the case. I tried to speak to him about it on our way back²⁰, but he changed the conver­sation. At home Holmes went straight to his room. A few minutes later he came into the dining-room dressed as a loafer.

"I think that this will do²¹," he said looking into the mirror above the fireplace. "I am sorry, but you cannot go with me, Watson. I hope to be back in a few hours." He took a sandwich from the table and left the room.

Notes

¹ to say the truth — no правде говоря

² was deep in thought — погружен в размышления

³ Fairbank — название дома

⁴ standing back a little — стоящий немного поодаль

⁵ to set... free — освободить

⁶ burst into tears — расплакалась

⁷ He is round the house now. — Он сейчас обходит дом вокруг.

⁸ last night — вчера вечером

⁹ Francis Prosper

¹⁰ in return — в ответ

¹¹which looked from the hall on to the stable lane —которое выходило из холла на дорожку, веду­щую к конюшне

¹² here is — вот

¹³ that's why — вот почему

¹⁴ like the one — такой же, как тот

¹⁵ It will take me much time to break it. — Мне потребуется много времени на то, чтобы сломать его (зубец).

¹⁶ and if I do break it — а если я его и сломаю (глагол do в данном случае служит для усиления пред­положения)

¹⁷ I thought I heard — мне послышалось

¹⁸ all that there is to see — все, что можно увидеть

¹⁹ I am lost! — Я погиб!

²⁰ on my way back — на обратном пути

²¹ this will do – это подойдет

^! EXERCISES

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and expressions:

сопровождать кого-л.; освободить кого-л.; по­дозревать кого-л.; бесполезный; сухо; поднять­ся наверх; бесшумный замок; давайте посмот­рим на...; признать; прояснить дело; в отчаянии; на обратном пути; вернуться через несколько часов

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words
and expressions in the text. Use some of them in
the sentences of your own:

instantly; to say the truth; to be deep in thought; to sit by the fire; to burst into tears; to dry tears; to go out of the gate; to look at smb. with fear in the eyes; to examine smth.; to break smth. off; to come to some conclusion; to dress as a loafer; to leave the room

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16