Conan Doyle. The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane (adapted for intermediate)

Слова для понимания:

• solution to the mystery -разгадка тайны
• attracted my attention — привлекли мое внимание
• arose in my mind — возникли в моей голове
• building up in my mind —  у меня возникло смутное подозрение (укреплялось)
• save for — кроме
• My mind was uneasy. — На душе у меня было неспокойно.
• beyond your reach — вне досягаемости
• like a flash — подобно вспышке молнии, в моей голове сверкнула мысль
• a dim remembrance — смутное воспоминание
• make sure of it — убедиться в этом

Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane. Part 4 (adapted for intermediate level)

A week passed. No new facts were discovered. His room was secretly searched but without result. Even my imagination couldn’t help in finding any solution to the mystery. And then there came the incident of the dog.

It was my old housekeeper who heard of it first from the village people.

“Sad story this, sir, about Mr. McPherson’s dog,” said she one evening.

The words attracted my attention.

“What has happened to Mr. McPherson’s dog?”

“Dead, sir. Died of grief for its master.”

“Who told you this?”

“Why, sir, everyone is talking of it. It looked terrible, and had eaten nothing for a week. Then today two of the young gentlemen from the Gables found it dead — down on the beach, sir, at the very place where its master met his end.”

“At the very place.” A sudden thought arose in my mind. The  dog should die in the very place! Why should this lonely beach be fatal to it? Was it possible that it also had been sacrificed? Was it possible —? Yes, something was building up in my mind. In a few minutes I was on my way to the Gables, where I found Stackhurst in his study. Immediately he sent for the two students who had found the dog.

“Yes, it lay on the very edge of the pool,” said one of them. “It must have followed the trail of its dead master.”

I saw the faithful little creature, a terrier, on the mat in the hall. The body was stiff and rigid, the eyes glazed. There was agony in every line of it.

I left the Gables and I hurried to the beach. The sun had set and the shadow of the great cliff lay black across the water. The place was deserted and there was no sign of life save for two sea-birds circling and screaming overhead. In the fading light I could make out the little dog’s traces upon the sand round the very rock on which his master’s towel had been laid. For a long time I stood in deep thought while the shadows grew darker around me. My mind was uneasy. It seemed that there was some important thing for which you searched and which you know was there, though it remained beyond your reach. That was how I felt that evening as I stood alone by that place of death. Then at last I turned and walked slowly to my place.

I had just reached the top of the path when it came to me like a flash. I remembered the thing. As you know, my mind is like a box full of packets of all sorts — so many that I have a vague idea of what was there. Now I have had a suspicion. It was monstrous, incredible, and yet it was a possibility. I hurried to my home.

In my house there is a room where I keep my books. I searched it for an hour and at last found a silver volume. I turned up the pages of the chapter of which I had a dim remembrance. It was unbelievable, and yet I had to make sure of it. But it was already late so I decided to wait for tomorrow.