Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Five Orange Pips
Hedrankagreatdealofbrandyandsmokedveryheavily,buthewouldseenosocietyanddidnotwantanyfriends,notevenhisownbrother.
"Hedidn’tmindme;infact,hetookafancytome,foratthetimewhenhesawmefirstIwasayoungsteroftwelveorso. Thiswouldbeintheyear1878,afterhehadbeeneightornineyearsinEngland. Hebeggedmyfathertoletmelivewithhimandhewasverykindtomeinhisway. Whenhewassoberheusedtobefondofplayingbackgammonanddraughtswithme,andhewouldmakemehisrepresentativebothwiththeservantsandwiththetradespeople,sothatbythetimethatIwassixteenIwasquitemasterofthehouse. IkeptallthekeysandcouldgowhereIlikedanddowhatIliked,solongasIdidnotdisturbhiminhisprivacy. Therewasonesingularexception,however,forhehadasingleroom,alumber-roomupamongtheattics,whichwasinvariablylocked,andwhichhewouldneverpermiteithermeoranyoneelsetoenter. Withaboy’scuriosityIhavepeepedthroughthekeyhole,butIwasneverabletoseemorethansuchacollectionofoldtrunksandbundlesaswouldbeexpectedinsucharoom.
"Oneday—itwasinMarch,1883—aletterwithaforeignstamplayuponthetableinfrontofthecolonel’splate. Itwasnotacommonthingforhimtoreceiveletters,forhisbillswereallpaidinreadymoney,andhehadnofriendsofanysort. ‘FromIndia!’saidheashetookitup,‘Pondicherrypostmark!Whatcanthisbe?’ Openingithurriedly,outtherejumpedfivelittledriedorangepips,whichpattereddownuponhisplate. Ibegantolaughatthis,butthelaughwasstruckfrommylipsatthesightofhisface. Hisliphadfallen,hiseyeswereprotruding,hisskinthecolourofputty,andheglaredattheenvelopewhichhestillheldinhistremblinghand, ‘K.K.K.!’heshrieked,andthen,‘MyGod,myGod,mysinshaveovertakenme!’
"‘Whatisit,uncle?’Icried.
