Приключения Шерлока Холмса / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (сборник)
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“I think you will find,” said Sherlock Holmes, “that the play tonight will be more exciting. For you, Mr. Merryweather, the stake will be some 30,000 pounds; and for you, Jones, it will be the man on whom you wish to lay your hands.
“John Clay, the murderer, thief, and forger. He’s a young man, Mr. Merryweather, but he is at the head of his profession, one of the most dangerous in London. He’s a remarkable man. His grandfather was a duke, and he himself has been to Eton [46] and Oxford. His brain is as good as his fingers. I’ve been on his track for years and have never had any evidence against him yet.”
46
Eton –
“I’ve met Mr. John Clay once or twice, and I agree with you that he is at the head of his profession. It is past ten, however, and it is time to start.”
We drove through a labyrinth of streets until we found ourselves in Farrington Street.
“We are close there now,” my friend remarked. “This fellow Merryweather is a bank director, and personally interested in the matter. I wished to have Jones with us also. He is not a bad fellow, though an absolute fool in his profession, but he is as brave as a bulldog.”
We had reached the same crowded street in which we had been in the morning. Mr. Merryweather opened a side door for us. We saw a small corridor, which ended in a very massive iron gate. This also was opened, and we went downstairs to another iron gate. Mr. Merryweather showed us down a dark corridor to a third door, and into a huge cellar with massive boxes.
“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?”
“I 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 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.
Sherlock Holmes sprang out and seized the first man by the collar. The other dived down the hole, and I saw the first man holding a revolver, but Holmes struck the man’s hand, and the revolver fell on the floor.
“It’s no use, John Clay,” said Holmes. “You have no chance at all.”
“So I see,” the other answered. “But I think that my friend is all right.”
“There are three men waiting for him at the door,” said Holmes.
“Oh, indeed! You did your work very thoroughly. I must compliment you.”
“And I you,” Holmes answered. “Your red-headed idea was very new and effective.”
“Do not touch me with your filthy hands,” remarked our prisoner as Jones clicked the handcuffs. “You may not know that I have royal blood in my veins. When you address me, always say ‘sir’ and ‘please.’”
“All right,” said Jones. “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. He bowed to the three of us and walked quietly off.
“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 one of the most dangerous attempts at bank robbery that I have ever heard of.”
“I am repaid by having defeated Mr. John Clay [47] , and by hearing the very remarkable story of the Red-headed League,” said Holmes.
47
I am repaid by having defeated Mr. John Clay – я вознагражден уже тем, что одержал победу над господином Джоном Клеем