locked from inside and the door smashed in, in its locked form. This is apparent from the fact that the lock is twisted and the key is so jammed as a result that it would only be possible to take it out if the lock were to be taken apart.’
Having done with the door, Holmes next approached the bed in which Sergey Sergeyevitch had been strangled and, taking his magnifying glass out of his pocket, he proceeded to examine the bedclothes closely. Knowing my friend as well as I did, I couldn’t help noticing that he looked puzzled as he examined them.
Some minutes later he bent down to the floor and again began to examine something the others had missed. From the barely perceptible nod he gave, he had evidently found something.
We all watched with intense curiosity. From the bed he moved to the window. Here he pottered about for quite a while. It would appear he examined every little bit, even a little spot left by a fly. Gradually his face became more puzzled and more serious. And when Holmes finally moved away from the window, I could see that he was intensely absorbed.
Questions came at him from all sides.
‘Not just yet, not just yet,’ Holmes said absent-mindedly as he turned to his questioners.
‘Surely you don’t intend to keep us in such a state of uncertainty?’ asked Boris Nikolayevitch. ‘We’re all closely connected to each other and to the case.’
‘There are certain matters it is sometimes premature to discuss,’ Holmes answered.
‘But at least can you not point to anything suspicious, which may be a clue?’ the investigator asked impatiently.
‘Yes, there are one or two things,’ said Holmes enigmatically. ‘But, gentlemen, I repeat that, owing to certain considerations, I must refrain from further explanations.’
Everyone shrugged at this reply and a brief look of distrust appeared once again on the faces of the investigator and the police chief.
And so silently and evidently very unhappy with Holmes, everyone returned to the dining-room. The rest of the evening passed in conversation to which neither Holmes nor I paid any attention. After eleven o’clock Holmes asked for us to be assigned a room and we retired.
III
When I awoke the following morning, Holmes wasn’t in the room, although it was still early. As I had expected, he had been up at five, gone off somewhere and only returned at nine. This I found out only later from his own words. When he returned, I was awake.
‘My dear chap, I didn’t want to wake you,’ he said. ‘You were sleeping so soundly and so peacefully, I had no wish to disturb your slumber, but now that you are awake, I must ask you to dress quickly.’
Much as I would have wanted to go on sleeping, I could hardly do so in the face of his demand. I jumped out of bed, washed and we sat down to breakfast which had been sent up to our room.
‘Are we leaving?’ I asked.
‘Not entirely,’ answered Holmes. ‘It is very likely that we’ll have to return, but in the meantime, I’d like to accept the kind invitation extended by Boris Nikolayevitch for us to visit his estate.’
Chatting away, we drank several glasses of tea and when, at last, Boris Nikolayevitch knocked on our door, we were ready to leave.
Boris Nikolayevitch still appeared depressed, but was courteousand attentive. ‘I hope you slept well,’ he said, entering the room.
‘Oh, yes, for which we wish to thank you,’ Sherlock Holmes answered on behalf of both of us.
‘Is there anything else you would like,’ he asked. ‘Perhaps you are used to a hearty breakfast in the morning.’
‘I must confess that ham and eggs wouldn’t go amiss,’ Holmes answered with a smile.
Boris Nikolayevitch Kartzeff was all attentiveness and a few minutes later returned with a servant carrying our breakfast and a bottle of sherry.
Thus fortified, we thanked our cordial host and rose from the table.
‘Do you wish to come with me today,’ asked Kartzeff, ‘or do you wish to rest a
Having done with the door, Holmes next approached the bed in which Sergey Sergeyevitch had been strangled and, taking his magnifying glass out of his pocket, he proceeded to examine the bedclothes closely. Knowing my friend as well as I did, I couldn’t help noticing that he looked puzzled as he examined them.
Some minutes later he bent down to the floor and again began to examine something the others had missed. From the barely perceptible nod he gave, he had evidently found something.
We all watched with intense curiosity. From the bed he moved to the window. Here he pottered about for quite a while. It would appear he examined every little bit, even a little spot left by a fly. Gradually his face became more puzzled and more serious. And when Holmes finally moved away from the window, I could see that he was intensely absorbed.
Questions came at him from all sides.
‘Not just yet, not just yet,’ Holmes said absent-mindedly as he turned to his questioners.
‘Surely you don’t intend to keep us in such a state of uncertainty?’ asked Boris Nikolayevitch. ‘We’re all closely connected to each other and to the case.’
‘There are certain matters it is sometimes premature to discuss,’ Holmes answered.
‘But at least can you not point to anything suspicious, which may be a clue?’ the investigator asked impatiently.
‘Yes, there are one or two things,’ said Holmes enigmatically. ‘But, gentlemen, I repeat that, owing to certain considerations, I must refrain from further explanations.’
Everyone shrugged at this reply and a brief look of distrust appeared once again on the faces of the investigator and the police chief.
And so silently and evidently very unhappy with Holmes, everyone returned to the dining-room. The rest of the evening passed in conversation to which neither Holmes nor I paid any attention. After eleven o’clock Holmes asked for us to be assigned a room and we retired.
III
When I awoke the following morning, Holmes wasn’t in the room, although it was still early. As I had expected, he had been up at five, gone off somewhere and only returned at nine. This I found out only later from his own words. When he returned, I was awake.
‘My dear chap, I didn’t want to wake you,’ he said. ‘You were sleeping so soundly and so peacefully, I had no wish to disturb your slumber, but now that you are awake, I must ask you to dress quickly.’
Much as I would have wanted to go on sleeping, I could hardly do so in the face of his demand. I jumped out of bed, washed and we sat down to breakfast which had been sent up to our room.
‘Are we leaving?’ I asked.
‘Not entirely,’ answered Holmes. ‘It is very likely that we’ll have to return, but in the meantime, I’d like to accept the kind invitation extended by Boris Nikolayevitch for us to visit his estate.’
Chatting away, we drank several glasses of tea and when, at last, Boris Nikolayevitch knocked on our door, we were ready to leave.
Boris Nikolayevitch still appeared depressed, but was courteousand attentive. ‘I hope you slept well,’ he said, entering the room.
‘Oh, yes, for which we wish to thank you,’ Sherlock Holmes answered on behalf of both of us.
‘Is there anything else you would like,’ he asked. ‘Perhaps you are used to a hearty breakfast in the morning.’
‘I must confess that ham and eggs wouldn’t go amiss,’ Holmes answered with a smile.
Boris Nikolayevitch Kartzeff was all attentiveness and a few minutes later returned with a servant carrying our breakfast and a bottle of sherry.
Thus fortified, we thanked our cordial host and rose from the table.
‘Do you wish to come with me today,’ asked Kartzeff, ‘or do you wish to rest a
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