Приключения Шерлока Холмса

           FromtimetotimeIheardsomevagueaccountofhisdoings: ofhissummonstoOdessainthecaseoftheTrepoffmurder, ofhisclearingupofthesingulartragedyoftheAtkinsonbrothersatTrincomalee, andfinallyofthemissionwhichhehadaccomplishedsodelicatelyandsuccessfullyforthereigningfamilyofHolland. Beyondthesesignsofhisactivity,however, whichImerelysharedwithallthereadersofthedailypress,Iknewlittleofmyformerfriendandcompanion. 

           Onenight—itwasonthetwentiethofMarch,1888 —Iwasreturningfromajourneytoapatient(forIhadnowreturnedtocivilpractice), whenmywayledmethroughBakerStreet. AsIpassedthewell-remembereddoor,whichmustalwaysbeassociatedinmymindwithmywooing, andwiththedarkincidentsoftheStudyinScarlet,IwasseizedwithakeendesiretoseeHolmesagain, andtoknowhowhewasemployinghisextraordinarypowers. Hisroomswerebrilliantlylit,and,evenasIlookedup,Isawhistall, sparefigurepasstwiceinadarksilhouetteagainsttheblind. Hewaspacingtheroomswiftly,eagerly,withhisheadsunkuponhischestandhishandsclaspedbehindhim. Tome,whoknewhiseverymoodandhabit, hisattitudeandmannertoldtheirownstory. Hewasatworkagain.Hehadrisenoutofhisdrug-createddreams andwashotuponthescentofsomenewproblem. Irangthebellandwasshownuptothechamber whichhadformerlybeeninpartmyown. 

           Hismannerwasnoteffusive. Itseldomwas;buthewasglad,Ithink,toseeme. Withhardlyawordspoken,butwithakindlyeye,hewavedmetoanarmchair, threwacrosshiscaseofcigars,andindicatedaspiritcaseandagasogeneinthecorner. Thenhestoodbeforethefireandlookedmeoverinhissingularintrospectivefashion.