Kitabı oku: «Приключения Шерлока Холмса / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes», sayfa 9
“Why did you strike the ground?”
“My dear doctor, this is a time for action, not for talk. We are spies in an enemy’s country. We know something of Saxe-Coburg Square. Let us now see some other places.”
The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the corner from Saxe-Coburg Square was a great contrast to it. It was one of the main arteries with busy traffic. It was difficult to realize as we looked at the line of fine shops and business offices that they were really on the other side of the quiet square which we had just left.
“Let me see,” said Holmes, standing at the corner and glancing along the street, “I should like to remember the order of the houses here. There is Mortimer’s, the tobacconist, the little newspaper shop, the Coburg branch ofthe City and Suburban Bank16, the Vegetarian Restaurant. And now, Doctor, we’ve done our work.
“Do you want to go home?”
“Yes.”
“And I have some business to do which will take some hours. This business at Coburg Square is serious.”
“Why serious?”
“A crime is being prepared. I believe that we shall be in time to stop it. I shall want your help tonight.”
“At what time?”
“At ten. There may be some danger, so put your army revolver in your pocket.” And he disappeared in the crowd.
I must say I always felt stupid when I was with Sherlock Holmes. I had heard what he had heard, I had seen what he had seen, and yet from his words it was evident that he saw clearly not only what had happened but what was going to happen, while to me the whole business was still a mystery. As I drove home to my house in Kensington I thought over it. Where were we going, and what were we to do? I had the hint from Holmes that this pawnbroker’s assistant was a criminal. But I could not think what he was up to and then decided that the night would bring an explanation.
