3) And we can assume that it was a reply written…………… the lady.
4) I think that now I can help you to spend this hour…………… an interesting way.
5) Inspector Martin was filled……… admiration and ready to follow…………… question wherever Holmes led.
6) And I came to an idea that the flags were used to break the sentence up…………… words.
12. Complete the table:
V
In a second Holmes put a pistol to the man’s head[145] and Martin put the handcuffs on. It was all done so quickly that the man was helpless before he knew that he was attacked. He looked at us and started laughing.
“Well, gentlemen, you have caught me this time. I have no choice. But I came here in answer to a letter from Mrs. Hilton Cubitt. Don’t tell me that she is with you! Don’t tell me that she helped to set a trap for me[146]!”
“Mrs. Hilton Cubitt was seriously injured and is dying now.”
“You’re crazy!” he cried, furiosly. “It was he who was hurt, not she! Who could hurt my little Elsie? Yes, I threatened her, God forgive me, but I didn’t touch a hair of her pretty head. Don’t say such things… you! Say that she is not hurt!”
“We found her near her dead husband, and she was terribly wounded.”
He groaned and hid his face in his hands. For five minutes he was silent. Then he raised his face and spoke with cold despair.
“I have nothing to hide from you, gentlemen,” he said. “I shot the man but he also had his shot at me, so it’s not a murder. But if you think that I could hurt that woman, then you don’t know me… and her. I always loved her. No one loved a woman more than I loved her. I had a right to her.[147] Who was this Englishman that came between us? I tell you that I had the first right to her, and that I was here to get her back.”
“She ran away from you when she found out who you are,” said Holmes, severely. “She left America to escape from you, and she married an honourable gentleman in England. You followed and frightened her. You wanted to persuade her to leave the husband whom she loved and respected. She feared and hated you. So you killed Mr. Cubitt and nearly made Mrs. Cubitt to commit suicide.[148] That is what you’ve done, Mr. Abe Slaney, and you will answer for it in the trial.”
“If Elsie dies I don’t care what happens,” said the American. He opened one of his hands and saw a note.
“Look, mister!”, he cried, with suspicion in his eyes, “You’re not trying to cheat me, are you? If the lady is hurt, who wrote this note?” He threw it on the table.
“I wrote it,” said Holmes.
“You? No one except us knew the secret of the dancing men! How could you write it?”
“What one man can invent another can discover,” said Holmes. “A cab is coming to escort you to Norwich, Mr. Slaney. However, you have time to make something useful. Do you know that Mrs. Hilton Cubitt has been accused of the murder of her own husband? And that it was only the knowledge which I had that has saved her from the accusation? The least that you can do for her is to say to the world that she was in no way[149] responsible for his tragic end.”
“I’ll do it,” said the American. “I guess I should tell you the whole truth.”
“It is my duty to warn you that it will be used against you,” cried the inspector.
“I’ll try,” Slaney said. “First of all, you should understand that I have known this lady since she was a child. There were seven of us in a gang in Chicago, and Elsie’s father was the boss. He was a clever man. It was he who invented that writing. Well, Elsie found out who we were and she didn’t like it. She had some honest money and decided to leave the country and go to London. Elsie was engaged to me, and she said that she would marry me if only I had taken another profession. But she didn’t want to marry a cheater.
Only after her marriage to this Englishman I found out where she was. I wrote to her, but didn’t get an answer. After that I came to London and, as letters were useless, I wrote my messages where she could read them.”
“Well, I have been here a month now. I lived in that farm, where I had a room downstairs, and could get in and out every night, and no one could see me. I tried to persuade Elsie to come back. I knew that she read the messages, because once she wrote an answer under one of them. Then I began to threaten her. She sent me a letter then, she asked me to go away and said that it would break her heart if anyone found out something. She said that she would come down when her husband was asleep at three in the morning. She said she would speak with me through the window, if I would go away afterwards and leave her in peace. She came down and brought money with her, she tried to pay me. This made me mad[150], and I caught her arm and tried to pull her through the window. At that moment her husband ran in with the revolver in his hand. Elsie fainted, and we were face to face[151]. I was armed also, and I raised my gun to frighten him and let me get away. But he fired and missed. I shot almost at the same moment, and he fell backwards. I ran across the garden and I heard that someone shut the window. That’s all, gentlemen, every word is truthful. And I heard nothing until that boy came with a note, which made me walk here and give myself into your hands.”
A cab was already here. Two policemen sat inside. Inspector Martin rose and said:
“It is time for us to go.”
“Can I see her?”
“No, she is not ready for this. Mr. Holmes, I’m pleased to work with you. I hope that if I have another important case, I’ll be lucky to meet you again.”
We stood at the window and watched the cab. I turned my back and saw a piece of paper which Slaney had thrown on the table. It was the note which Holmes had written to him.
“See if you can read it, Watson,” he said, with a smile.
There was this little line of dancing men.
“If you use the code which I have explained,” said Holmes, “you will find that it means simply ‘Come here at once’. I was sure that he wouldn’t refuse, because he couldn’t even imagine that someone else except Mrs. Cubitt could write it. So, my dear Watson, finally we’ve managed to use these dancing men for something good, when they have been so often the agents of evil. And I think that I was right, now you can add this curious story to your collection. It’s three-forty, our train is soon. We’ll be back in Baker Street for dinner.”
Only one word of epilogue. The American, Abe Slaney, was sentenced to death[152] at Norwich. But the punishment was changed to hard labour[153], as it was proved that Hilton Cubitt had fired first. As for Mrs. Hilton Cubitt, I only know that she recovered completely, and that she still remains a widow. She has devoted her life to the care of the poor and to the administration of her husband’s estate.
Exercises
1. What did Abe Slaney do after he had been attacked?
1) He started fighting.
2) He started laughing.
3) He started crying.
4) He was so amazed that he couldn’t do anything.
2. Why was Slaney shocked when Holmes told him that Mrs. Cubitt was hurt?
1) He never shot at women.
2) He didn’t want to believe that she could have commited suicide.
3) He loved her.
4) He thought that he missed.
3. Why did he say that he had a right to her?
1) They were married.
2) He was too confident.
3) They were engaged.
4) He usually got everything what he wanted.
4. Why did Elsie run away from Slaney?
1) He threatened her.
2) He hit her.
3) She wanted to be independent.
4) She found out that he was a cheater.
5. Who invented the secret writing with the dancing men?
1) the boss of the gang
2) Elgie
3) Abe Slaney
4) Sherlock Holmes
6. How did Slaney know that Elsie was reading his messages?
1) She washed them out.
2) She left an answer once.
3) She called him.
4) It is not mentioned in the text.
7. Did Slaney want to kill Elsie’s husband?
1) Yes, he did. Mr. Cubitt made him mad.
2) Yes, he did but he couldn’t do it.
3) No, didn’t. He wanted just to frighten him.
4) No, he didn’t but Elsie asked him for it.
8. Why was Abe’s punishment changed?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Choose the right verbs:
She asked me to…………… and said that it…………… her heart if anyone…………… something.
1) went away, would break, found out
2) go away, will break, found out
3) go away, would break, would find out
4) go away, would break, found out
10. Complete the sentences with these words and expressions:
set a trap, in no way, was sentenced, commit, put, made
1) This…………… me mad, and I caught her arm and tried to pull her through the window.
2) Abe Slaney…………… to death at Norwich.
3) So you killed Mr. Cubitt and nearly made Mrs. Cubitt to…………… suicide.
4) The least that you can do for her is to say to the world that she was…………… responsible for his tragic end.
5) Don’t tell me that she helped to…………… for me!
6) In a second Holmes…………… a pistol to the man’s head.
11. Insert the right prepositions:
after, of, out(2), into, with, to(3), in(2)
1) I had a room downstairs and could get……… and……… every night.
2) She has devoted her life……… the care of the poor.
3) Mrs. Hilton Cubitt has been accused……… the murder of her own husband.
4) I heard nothing until that boy came……… a note, which made me walk here and give myself……… your hands.
5) ……… her marriage……… this Englishman I found……… where she was.
6) But I came here……… answer……… a letter from Mrs. Hilton Cubitt.
12. Complete the table:
13. Questions to think about:
1) What helps Sherlock Holmes to solve such difficult riddles?
2) Is Slaney the only man who is guilty in this story?
3) For whom do you feel sorry?
4) What are the starting point, culmination and outcome of this story?
5) Try to reconstruct the alphabet of the dancing men.
Vocabulary
A
ability способность
absent-minded рассеянный
accusation обвинение
accuse обвинять
accustomed привыкший
across через, сквозь
act действовать
active активный
addition дополнение
address обращаться
administration управление
admiration восхищение
adventure приключение
advice совет
advise советовать
afraid испуганный
afterwards позже, потом
again снова
against против
agent посредник
agree соглашаться
ahead заранее
air воздух
allow позволять
almost почти
alone один
already уже
although хотя
always всегда
amazement удивление
amazing удивительный, ошеломляющий
amusement удовольствие, развлечение
analysis анализ, исследование
angry злой, рассерженный
annoy досаждать
another другой
answer ответ, отвечать
anxiety беспокойство
anxious беспокойный
anyway во всяком случае
appeal обращение
appear появляться
appropriate подходящий
arm рука
armchair кресло
armed вооруженный
arrangement расстановка
arrest арестовывать
arrive прибывать
ask спрашивать
asleep спящий
association ассоциация
assume предположить
at last наконец
at least по крайней мере
at once сразу же
attack атаковать
attention внимание
author автор
avoid избегать
B
basis основание
be (was, were) быть, являться
beautiful красивый
become (became, become) становиться
beg умолять
begin (began, begun) начинать
behind позади
believe верить
bell колокольчик, звонок
belong принадлежать
beside рядом
better лучше, сравн. ст. от good
between между
bird птица
blood кровь
body тело
boss босс
both оба
break (broke, broken) ломать
breathe дышать
brew варить
bring (brought, brought) приносить
broad широкий
bullet пуля
burn гореть
business дело, история
busy занятый
buy (bought, bought) покупать
C
cab экипаж
calculation подсчет
call звонить, звать
calm спокойный
can (could) мочь, уметь
cancel отменять
candle свеча
care забота, заботиться
careful осторожный, внимательный
carriage вагон, повозка
case случай, дело
catch (caught, caught) ловить, поймать
centre центр
century век, столетие
certainly конечно, безусловно
chain цепь
chair стул
chalk мел
change менять
cheat обманывать
cheater мошенник
cheek щека
chemical химический
сhequebook чековая книжка
childish детский
choice выбор
choose (chose, chosen) выбирать
church церковь
clever умный
client клиент
close близкий; закрывать
closely близко
clumsy неуклюжий
cold холодный
colleague коллега
collect собирать
collection собрание
come (came, come) приходить
commit совершать
common распространенный
company компания
complete заканчивать, законченный
completely полностью
conceal скрывать
conclusion вывод
condition условие
confess признавать(ся)
confession признание
confident уверенный
confused смущенный
connection связь
contain содержать
continue продолжать
cook кухарка
copy копия, копировать
correct правильный
country страна, сельский
counry-side сельская местность
county графство
couple пара
crazy сумасшедший
crime преступление
criminal преступник
cry крик, кричать, плакать
curious любопытный
curiousity любопытный
D
dancing танцующий
danger опасность
dangerous опасный
dark темный
dead мертвый
deal with (dealt, dealt) иметь дело с кем-либо
dear дорогой (о человеке)
death смерть
decide решать
deep-set глубоко посаженные (глаза)
delight удовольствие
dependent зависимый
depressed подавленный
despair отчаяние
desperately отчаянно
detail деталь, подробность
devote посвящать
die умирать
different разный, другой
difficult сложный
difficulty сложность
dinner обед
direction направление
directly напрямую, откровенно
disappear исчезать
discover открывать, узнавать
discuss обсуждать
distance расстояние
do (did, done) делать
doomed обреченный
doubt сомнение, сомневаться
downstairs вниз по лестнице
draught скзвозняк
draw (drew, drawn) рисовать
drawing рисунок
dressing gown домашний халат
during в течение
duty обязанность
E
easy легкий
effect результат
end конец
engaged помолвленный
enough достаточный
enter входить
epilogue эпилог
equally одинаково
escape сбегать
escort конвой, конвоировать
estate поместье
even даже
every каждый
evidence доказательство, показания
evidently очевидно
evil зло
exact точный
exactly точно
examine изучать, рассматривать
excellent отличный
except кроме
excited взволнованный
excuse извинять
expect ожидать
explain объяснять
eye глаз
F
face лицо
fact факт
faint падать в обморок
fall (fell, fallen) упасть
family семья, род
far далекий, далеко
farm ферма
farmer фермер
fatal смертельный
fault вина, проступок
fear страх, бояться
feel (felt, felt) чувствовать
few несколько
figure фигура, изображение фигуры
fill наполнять
finally наконец-то
find (found, found) находить
find out узнавать, выяснить
finger палец
fire огонь, стрелять из оружия
firing стрельба
first первый
flag флаг
floor пол
flower-bed клумба
fog туман, дымка
fold сгибать
follow следовать
footmark след, отпечаток ноги
forbid запрещать
forget (forgot, forgotten) забывать
form форма
frankly открыто, откровенно
fresh свежий, новый
friend друг
frighten пугать
frightening пугающий
front передний
full полный
funny смешной
furiously яростно
further дальше сравн. ст. от far
G
gang банда
garden сад
gentle нежный
gentleman джентльмен
get (got, got) получать
give (gave, given) давать
glad рад
gleam проблеск
gloomy мрачный
glory слава
go (went, gone) идти
go out выходить куда-либо
god бог
grab хватать
great большой; прекрасный
grow (grew, grown) расти
guess догадываться
guest гость
guilt вина
gun оружие
H
hair волосы, волосок
handcuffs наручники
handsome красивый, статный
happen случаться
happily счастливо
happy счастливый
hard трудный
hardly едва
hate ненавидеть
have (had, had) иметь
head голова
hear (heard, heard) слышать
heart сердце
heavy тяжелый
heavily тяжело
help помогать, помощь
helpless безоружный
here здесь
hide (hid, hidden) прятать(ся)
hole дыра
hold (held, held) держать
honest честный
honour честь
honourable благородный
honoured уважаемый
hooked крючковатый
hope надежда
horrible ужасный
hotel отель, гостиница
hour час
housemaid служанка
however тем не менее, однако
hurry торопиться
hurt (hurt, hurt) ранить
husband муж
I
idea идея
imagine воображать, представлять
immediately немедленно
impatient нетерпеливый
important важный
impossible невозможный
in order to для того, чтобы
incident случай
incomprehensible непостижимый
incredible невероятный
independent самостоятельный
information информация
injury ранение
inside внутри
inscription надпись
instinct инстинкт
interesting интересный
interview беседа
introduce представлять кого-либо
intrusion вторжение, проникновение
invent изобретать
invest вкладывать деньги
investigation исследование
invisible невидимый
J
joker шутник
journey путешествие
just точно, только что, именно, просто
justice правосудие
K
keep (kept, kept) держать, сохранять, удерживать
kill убивать
kind добрый
kitchen кухня
know (knew, known) знать
knowledge знание
L
large огромный
later позже
laugh смеяться
lawn лужайка
lay (laid, laid) класть
lead (led, led) вести
learn узнавать
least наименьшее (превосх. ст. от little)
leave (left, left) покидать, уходить