Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Red-headed League
"YouwillrememberthatIremarkedtheotherday,justbeforewewentintotheverysimpleproblempresentedbyMissMarySutherland,thatforstrangeeffectsandextraordinarycombinationswemustgotolifeitself,whichisalwaysfarmoredaringthananyeffortoftheimagination."
"ApropositionwhichItookthelibertyofdoubting."
"Youdid,Doctor,butnonethelessyoumustcomeroundtomyview,forotherwiseIshallkeeponpilingfactuponfactonyouuntilyourreasonbreaksdownunderthemandacknowledgesmetoberight. Now,Mr.JabezWilsonherehasbeengoodenoughtocalluponmethismorning,andtobeginanarrativewhichpromisestobeoneofthemostsingularwhichIhavelistenedtoforsometime. Youhaveheardmeremarkthatthestrangestandmostuniquethingsareveryoftenconnectednotwiththelargerbutwiththesmallercrimes,andoccasionally,indeed,wherethereisroomfordoubtwhetheranypositivecrimehasbeencommitted. AsfarasIhavehearditisimpossibleformetosaywhetherthepresentcaseisaninstanceofcrimeornot,butthecourseofeventsiscertainlyamongthemostsingularthatIhaveeverlistenedto. Perhaps,Mr.Wilson,youwouldhavethegreatkindnesstorecommenceyournarrative. IaskyounotmerelybecausemyfriendDr.Watsonhasnotheardtheopeningpartbutalsobecausethepeculiarnatureofthestorymakesmeanxioustohaveeverypossibledetailfromyourlips. Asarule,whenIhaveheardsomeslightindicationofthecourseofevents,Iamabletoguidemyselfbythethousandsofothersimilarcaseswhichoccurtomymemory. InthepresentinstanceIamforcedtoadmitthatthefactsare,tothebestofmybelief,unique."
