"Doyle, Arthur Conan - Disappearance Of Lady Frances Carfax" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doyle Arthur Conan)

night express."

An hour afterwards, Sherlock Holmes, in his usual garb and style,
was seated in my private room at the hotel. His explanation of
his sudden and opportune appearance was simplicity itself, for,
finding that he could get away from London, he determined to head
me off at the next obvious point of my travels. In the disguise
of a workingman he had sat in the cabaret waiting for my
appearance.

"And a singularly consistent investigation you have made, my dear
Watson," said he. "I cannot at the moment recall any possible
blunder which you have omitted. The total effect of your
proceeding has been to give the alarm everywhere and yet to
discover nothing."

"Perhaps you would have done no better," I answered bitterly.

"There is no 'perhaps' about it. I HAVE done better. Here is
the Hon. Philip Green, who is a fellow-lodger with you in this
hotel, and we may find him the starting-point for a more
successful investigation."

A card had come up on a salver, and it was followed by the same
bearded ruffian who had attacked me in the street. He started
when he saw me.

"What is this, Mr. Holmes?" he asked. "I had your note and I
have come. But what has this man to do with the matter?"

"This is my old friend and associate, Dr. Watson, who is helping
us in this affair."

The stranger held out a huge, sunburned hand, with a few words of
apology.

"I hope I didn't harm you. When you accused me of hurting her I
lost my grip of myself. Indeed, I'm not responsible in these
days. My nerves are like live wires. But this situation is
beyond me. What I want to know, in the first place, Mr. Holmes,
is, how in the world you came to hear of my existence at all."

"I am in touch with Miss Dobney, Lady Frances's governess."

"Old Susan Dobney with the mob cap! I remember her well."

"And she remembers you. It was in the days before--before you
found it better to go to South Africa."

"Ah, I see you know my whole story. I need hide nothing from