The Red-Headed League by Arthur Conan Doyle (9)

At first it was but a lurid spark upon the stone pavement. Then it lengthened out until it became a yellow line, and then, without any warning or sound, a gash seemed to open and a hand appeared; a white, almost womanly hand, which felt about in the centre of the little area of light. For a minute or more the hand, with its writhing fingers, protruded out of the floor. Then it was withdrawn as suddenly as it appeared, and all was dark again save the single lurid spark which marked a chink between the stones.

Its disappearance, however, was but momentary. With a rending, tearing sound, one of the broad, white stones turned over upon its side and left a square, gaping hole, through which streamed the light of a lantern. Over the edge there peeped a clean-cut, boyish face, which looked keenly about it, and then, with a hand on either side of the aperture, drew itself shoulder-high and waist-high, until one knee rested upon the edge. In another instant he stood at the side of the hole and was hauling after him a companion, lithe and small like himself, with a pale face and a shock of very red hair.

"It's all clear," he whispered. "Have you the chisel and the bags? Great Scott! Jump, Archie, jump, and I'll swing for it!"

Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by the collar. The other dived down the hole, and I heard the sound of rending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts. The light flashed upon the barrel of a revolver, but Holmes's hunting crop came down on the man's wrist, and the pistol clinked upon the stone floor.

"It's no use, John Clay," said Holmes blandly. "You have no chance at all."

"So I see," the other answered with the utmost coolness. "I fancy that my pal is all right, though I see you have got his coat-tails."

"There are three men waiting for him at the door," said Holmes.

"Oh, indeed! You seem to have done the thing very completely. I must compliment you."

"And I you," Holmes answered. "Your red-headed idea was very new and effective."

"You'll see your pal again presently," said Jones. "He's quicker at climbing down holes than I am. Just hold out while I fix the derbies."

"I beg that you will not touch me with your filthy hands," remarked our prisoner as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists. "You may not be aware that I have royal blood in my veins. Have the goodness, also, when you address me always to say 'sir' and 'please.'"

"All right," said Jones with a stare and a snigger. "Well, would you please, sir, march upstairs, where we can get a cab to carry your Highness to the police-station?"

"That is better," said John Clay serenely. He made a sweeping bow to the three of us and walked quietly off in the custody of the detective.

"Really, Mr. Holmes," said Mr. Merryweather as we followed them from the cellar, "I do not know how the bank can thank you or repay you. There is no doubt that you have detected and defeated in the most complete manner one of the most determined attempts at bank robbery that have ever come within my experience."

"I have had one or two little scores of my own to settle with Mr. John Clay," said Holmes. "I have been at some small expense over this matter, which I shall expect the bank to refund, but beyond that I am amply repaid by having had an experience which is in many ways unique, and by hearing the very remarkable narrative of the Red-headed League."

To be concluded...

The Red-Headed Leaguetby Arthur Conan Doyle (9) (с подсказками)

Союз рыжих. Артур Конан Дойл

At first it was but a lurid ['lu(q)rId] (яркая) spark [spRk] (искра) upon the stone pavement ['peIvmqnt] (полу). Then it lengthened ['leNT(q)nd] out (удлинилась) until it became a yellow line, and then, without any warning (предупреждения) or sound, a gash [gxS] (отверстие) seemed to open and a hand appeared; a white, almost womanly ['wumqnlI] (женственная) hand, which felt about in the centre of the little area of light. For a minute or more the hand, with its writhing ['raIDIN] (движущимися) fingers, protruded [prq'trHdId] (высунулась) out of the floor. Then it was withdrawn as suddenly as it appeared, and all was dark again save (кроме) the single lurid ['lu(q)rId] (яркой) spark [spRk] (искры) which marked a chink [CINk] (щель) between the stones.

Its disappearance ["dIsq'pIqrqns] (исчезновение), however, was but momentary ['mqumqntqrI] (кратковременным). With a rending ['rendIN], tearing ['teqrIN] sound (с резким скрипом), one of the broad, white stones turned over upon its side and left a square [skweq] (квадратную), gaping ['geIpIN] (зияющую) hole, through which streamed [strJmd] (хлынул) the light of a lantern ['lxntqn] (фонаря). Over the edge there peeped [pJpt] (появилось) a clean-cut ["klJn-'kAt] (neat and smart in appearance), boyish ['bOIIS] (мальчишеское) face, which looked keenly ['kJnli] (зорко) about it, and then, with a hand on either side of the aperture ['xpqCq] (отверстия), drew itself shoulder-high ['Squldq-haI] (до уровня плеч) and waist-high [weIst-haI] (до уровня талии), until one knee rested (уперлось) upon the edge. In another instant ['Instqnt] (мгновение) he stood at the side of the hole and was hauling ['hLlIN] (помогал влезть) after him a companion, lithe [laID] (гибкий) and small like himself, with a pale [peIl] (бледным) face and a shock [SPk] (копной) of very red hair.

"It's all clear," he whispered ['wIspqd] (прошептал). "Have you the chisel ['CIzl] (стамеска) and the bags? Great Scott (черт)! Jump, Archie, jump, and I'll swing [swIN] (возьму на себя) for it!"

Sherlock Holmes had sprung [sprAN] out (выскочил) and seized [sJzd] (схватил) the intruder [In'trHdq] (незваного гостя) by the collar ['kPlq] (воротник). The other dived [daIvd] (нырнул) down the hole, and I heard the sound of rending ['rendIN] (рвущейся) cloth [klPT] (ткани) as Jones clutched [klACt] (вцепился) at his skirts [skE:ts] (зд. одежду). The light flashed [flxSt] (блеснул) upon the barrel ['bxrql] (стволе) of a revolver [rI'vPlvq], but Holmes's hunting ['hAntIN] crop [krPp] (охотничий хлыст) came down on the man's wrist [rIst] (запястье), and the pistol ['pIstl] clinked [klINkt] (со звоном упал) upon the stone floor.

"It's no use (бесполезно), John Clay," said Holmes blandly ['blxndli] (мягко). "You have no chance at all."

"So I see," the other answered with the utmost ['Atmqust] (совершенным) coolness ['ku:lnIs] (спокойствием). "I fancy ['fxnsI] (полагаю) that my pal [pxl] (приятель) is all right, though I see you have got his coat-tails ['kqut-teIlz] (фалду пиджака)."

"There are three men waiting for him at the door," said Holmes.

"Oh [qu], indeed! You seem to have done the thing very completely. I must compliment ['kPmplImqnt] (поздравить) you."

"And I you," Holmes answered. "Your red-headed idea was very new and effective."

"You'll see your pal [pxl] (приятеля) again presently ['prezqntli] (вскоре)," said Jones. "He's quicker at climbing down holes than I am. Just hold out (дайте ваши руки) while I fix the derbies ['dE:biz] ()."

"I beg [beg] (прошу) that you will not touch me with your filthy ['fIlTi] (грязными) hands," remarked [rI'mRkt] (сказал) our prisoner as the handcuffs ['hxndkAfs] (наручники) clattered ['klxtqd] (защелкнулись) upon his wrists [rIsts] (запястьях). "You may not be aware (возможно, вы не знаете) that I have royal blood in my veins [veInz] (венах). Have the goodness ['gudnIs] (любезность), also, when you address me always to say 'sir' and 'please.'"

"All right," said Jones with a stare [steq] (пристальным взглядом) and a snigger ['snIgq] (смешком). "Well, would you please, sir, march [mRC] (поднимитесь) upstairs ['Ap'steqz] (наверх), where we can get a cab to carry your Highness ['haInIs] (светлость) to the police-station [pq'lJs-"steIS(q)n] (полицейский участок)?"

"That is better," said John Clay serenely [sI'rJnli] (спокойно). He made a sweeping ['swJpIN] (зд. величавый) bow [bau] (поклон) to the three of us and walked quietly ['kwaIqtli] (спокойно) off in the custody ['kAstqdI] (охраной) of the detective [dI'tektIv].

"Really, Mr. Holmes," said Mr. Merryweather as we followed them from the cellar ['selq] (подвала), "I do not know how the bank can thank you or repay [rJ'peI] (вознаградить) you. There is no doubt that you have detected [dI'tektId] (обнаружили) and defeated [dI'fJtId] (победили) in the most complete manner one of the most determined attempts (решительных попыток) at bank robbery ['rPbqrI] (ограбления) that have ever come within my experience."

"I have had one or two little scores (счеты) of my own to settle with Mr. John Clay," said Holmes. "I have been at some small expense over this matter, which I shall expect the bank to refund [rI'fAnd] (возместит), but beyond that I am amply ['xmplI] (более чем достаточно) repaid [rI'peId] (вознагражден) by having had an experience which is in many ways unique [jV'nJk] (уникальное), and by hearing the very remarkable [rI'mRkqbl] (замечательную) narrative ['nxrqtIv] (повесть) of the Red-headed League."

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Алексей Винидиктов
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