Kitabı oku: «Приключения Шерлока Холмса / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes», sayfa 11

“You are not very vulnerable from above,” Holmes remarked as he looked about him.

“Nor from below,” said Mr. Merryweather, striking his stick on the floor. “Why, it sounds quite hollow!” he remarked, looking up in surprise.

“I must ask you to be a little more quiet!” said Holmes. “Would you sit down on one of those boxes, and be quiet?”

Mr. Merryweather sat down on a box, while Holmes fell on his knees on the floor and, with a lens, began to examine it. A few moments later he sprang to his feet again and put his lens in his pocket.

“We have at least an hour,” he remarked, “for they can hardly do anything until the pawnbroker is in bed. Then they will not lose a minute, for the sooner they do their work the longer time they will have for their escape. We are at present, Doctor, in the cellar of the City branch of one of the biggest London banks. Mr. Merryweather is the director, and he will explain to you why the criminals are interested in this cellar at present.”

“It is our French gold,” whispered the director. “We have had several warnings.”

“Your French gold?”

“Yes. Some months ago we borrowed 30,000 napoleons from the Bank of France. It has become known that the money is still lying in our cellar. The box on which I sit contains 2,000 napoleons. The amount is much larger at present than is usually kept in a single branch office, and the directors have had fears on the matter.”

“And they were right about that,” observed Holmes. “And now it is time to put the screen over the lantern.”

“And sit in the dark?”

“I am afraid so. The enemy is very near and we cannot risk the presence of a light. And, first of all, we must choose our positions. I shall stand behind this box, and you will be behind those. If they fire, Watson, shoot them down.”

I put my revolver on the box behind which I hid. Holmes shot the slide across the front of his lantern and left us in such an absolute darkness as I had never seen before.

“They have one way of escape,” whispered Holmes. “That is back through the house into Saxe-Coburg Square. I hope that you have done what I asked you, Jones?”

“l have an inspector and two officers waiting at the front door.”

“Then we must be silent and wait.”

What a time it seemed! We waited for only an hour and a quarter, but it seemed to me that it was all the night.

Suddenly we saw a light. At first it was only a spark on the floor. Then it became a yellow line, and then a hand appeared; a white hand, which felt about in the centre of the little area of light. With a loud noise, one of the broad, white stones turned over on its side and left a hole. I saw a boyish face, which looked about, and then a man drew himself up into the cellar. In another moment he stood at the side of the hole and was helping his companion, small like himself, with a pale face and very red hair.