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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - ebook
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Data wydania:
9 marca 2026
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - ebook
Ta książka ma identyczną fabułę jak w oryginale, ale napisaliśmy ją na poziomie B1 (średniozaawansowany) angielskiego. W środku znajdziesz: słowniczek najtrudniejszych słów na marginesie każdej strony, fiszki z najważniejszymi słówkami do nauki na końcu książki. W zbiorze "Przygody Sherlocka Holmesa" genialny detektyw Sherlock Holmes i jego wierny towarzysz, doktor Watson, mierzą się z serią zagadkowych spraw kryminalnych. Każde opowiadanie przedstawia nową intrygę, od szantażu i kradzieży po morderstwa i tajemnicze zniknięcia, które wymagają niezwykłej spostrzegawczości i logicznego myślenia. Holmes, wykorzystując swoją dedukcję i rozległą wiedzę, rozwikłuje skomplikowane łamigłówki, często demaskując sprytnych przestępców lub ratując niewinnych. Fabuła koncentruje się na procesie śledczym i błyskotliwych rozwiązaniach, które zaskakują zarówno czytelnika, jak i samego Watsona.
| Kategoria: | Angielski |
| Język: | Angielski |
| Zabezpieczenie: |
Watermark
|
| ISBN: | 9788397534179 |
| Rozmiar pliku: | 1,5 MB |
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Witaj w książce, która pomoże Ci w nauce języka! Dzięki tej książce, będziesz mógł przyjemnie spędzić czas i jednocześnie (prawie, że przypadkiem) rozwinąć swoje umiejętności językowe.
Zdaniem naukowców czytanie tekstu, który rozumiesz tylko w 90-95% pozwala sie nauczyć najwięcej. Ciekawa historia utrzyma Twoją uwagę i zmotywuje Cię do wymyślania samemu znaczeń słów. W razie, gdyby tej motywacji zabrakło - po dotknięciu jakiegokolwiek słowa zobaczysz popup z jego tłumaczeniem. Popup z tłumaczeniem powinien bez problemu działać na czytnikach Kindle, Kobo oraz iBooks. Jeżeli korzystasz z innego czytnika np. Pocketbook spróbuj w ustawieniach zezwolić na pokazywanie przypisów (footnotes) jako popup. Jeżeli popup nie działa na Twoim czytniku, kliknięcie słowa przekieruje Cię do słowniczka na końcu rozdziału. Mniej to wygodne, ale spełnia swoją funkcję.
Na końcu każdego rozdziału znajduje się przycisk przekierowujący do ćwiczeń słówek z tego rozdziału na naszej stronie www.pentecost.pub. Znajdziesz tam fiszki (online oraz do wydrukowania), dopasowywanie znaczeń i wiele innych! Stale staramy się nad tą częścią pracować, więc jeżeli kiedyć wrócisz do tych samych ćwiczeń to być może znajdziesz tam więcej, ciekawszych zadań.
xoxo, Pentecost!
Następny rozdział →The Red-Headed League
Watson visited his friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. This was in the autumn of last year. Holmes was talking with an old man. He was fat and had bright red hair. Watson said sorry for coming in. He started to leave. Holmes quickly pulled him inside. He closed the door behind him.
Holmes spoke kindly. He said, “You came at the best time, my dear Watson.” Watson said, “I was afraid you were busy.” Holmes replied, “So I am. Very busy.” Watson offered, “Then I can wait in the next room.” Holmes said, “Not at all. This gentleman, Mr. Wilson, has helped me. He was my partner in many cases. I know he will help me in yours too.”
The fat gentleman stood up a little. He nodded hello. He looked at Watson with small, questioning eyes. Holmes sat back in his chair. He put his fingertips together. He did this when he was thinking seriously. Holmes said, “I know, my dear Watson, you like strange things. These are not part of normal life.”
Holmes continued, “Watson likes these cases. He writes about them with excitement. Holmes said Watson sometimes made them sound better.” Watson observed, “Your cases have been very interesting to me.” Holmes said, “I told you before. Life itself is strange. It is much stranger than anything people can imagine.”
Watson said he did not believe this. Holmes replied, “You did not, Doctor. But you must agree with me. Otherwise, I will give you many facts. Then Watson would have to agree.” Holmes then spoke about Mr. Jabez Wilson. “Mr. Wilson has come to me this morning. He has a very strange story. I have heard that strange things often happen with small crimes. Sometimes, it is not even clear if a crime happened.”
Holmes added, “I cannot say if this is a crime yet. But the events are very unusual. Mr. Wilson, please start your story again. My friend Dr. Watson has not heard it. Also, the story is very strange. I want to hear every detail from you. Usually, I hear a little. Then I use my knowledge of other cases. But this case is unique.”
The fat client looked a little proud. He pushed out his chest. He pulled a dirty, wrinkled newspaper from his coat. He looked at the ads. His head was forward. The paper was flat on his knee. Watson tried to guess things about him. He looked at his clothes and how he looked. He tried to do this like Holmes.
Watson did not learn much. The visitor looked like a normal British shopkeeper. He was fat, proud, and slow. He wore loose grey trousers. His black coat was not very clean. It was open in front. He had a dull vest with a heavy chain. A metal piece hung from it. A worn top-hat and a faded brown coat were on a chair. Nothing was special about the man. Only his bright red hair stood out. He looked very upset and unhappy.
Holmes saw Watson looking. He smiled and shook his head. Holmes said, “I can see some things. He has done manual work. He uses snuff. He is a Freemason. He has been in China. He has written a lot lately. I cannot guess anything else.”
Mr. Jabez Wilson jumped in his chair. His finger was on the paper. But he looked at Holmes. He asked, “How did you know all that, Mr. Holmes? How did you know I did manual work? It is very true. I started as a ship’s carpenter.” Holmes replied, “Your hands, sir. Your right hand is bigger than your left. You have worked with it. The muscles are stronger.”
Wilson asked, “What about the snuff and the Freemasonry?” Holmes said, “I will not think you are not smart. I will not tell you how I knew that. Especially since you wear a special pin. This is against your group's rules.” Wilson said, “Ah, I forgot that. But the writing?” Holmes asked, “What else can it be? Your right cuff is shiny for five inches. Your left elbow has a smooth spot. This is where you rest it on a desk.”
Wilson asked, “Well, but China?” Holmes answered, “The fish tattoo above your right wrist. Only people in China do this. I have studied tattoos. I have even written about them. They make fish scales pink. This is special to China. Also, you have a Chinese coin on your watch chain. This makes it even clearer.”
Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed loudly. He said, “Well, I never! I thought you were clever at first. But I see it was simple after all.” Holmes said, “Watson, I think I make a mistake by explaining. Things unknown seem great. My small fame will be lost. This will happen if I explain too much. Can you find the ad, Mr. Wilson?”
Wilson answered, “Yes, I have it now.” He pointed with his thick red finger. It was halfway down the page. “Here it is. This is how it all started. You just read it, sir.” Watson took the paper. He read the ad. It said: “TO THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE: There is a new job open. This is because of Ezekiah Hopkins. He was from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. A member of the League gets four pounds a week. The work is very easy. All red-haired men can apply. They must be healthy. They must be over twenty-one. Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o’clock. Go to Duncan Ross. The office is at 7 Pope’s Court, Fleet Street.”
Watson read the strange ad twice. He said loudly, “What does this mean?” Holmes laughed. He moved in his chair. He did this when he was happy. He said, “It is a little unusual, isn’t it? Now, Mr. Wilson, please start from the beginning. Tell us about yourself. Tell us about your home. Tell us how this ad changed your life. Watson, write down the paper and the date.”
Watson said, “It is The Morning Chronicle. The date is April 27, 1890. That was two months ago.” Holmes said, “Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson?” Jabez Wilson wiped his forehead. He said, “Well, Mr. Holmes, I told you already. I have a small pawn shop. It is in Coburg Square. It is near the City. It is not a big business. Lately, it only gives me enough money to live.”
Wilson continued, “I used to have two helpers. Now I only have one. It would be hard to pay him. But he works for half pay. He wants to learn the business.” Sherlock Holmes asked, “What is this helpful young man’s name?” Wilson said, “His name is Vincent Spaulding. He is not so young. It is hard to tell his age. I would not want a smarter helper, Mr. Holmes. I know he could find a better job. He could earn twice as much. But if he is happy, why should I make him think of leaving?”
Holmes said, “Why indeed? You are lucky to have a worker. He works for less than he should get. This does not happen often now. Your helper seems as strange as your ad.” Mr. Wilson said, “Oh, he has his faults too. He loves taking photos. He takes pictures when he should be studying. Then he goes to the cellar. He develops his photos there. He goes like a rabbit into its hole. This is his main fault. But he is a good worker. He has no bad habits.”
Holmes asked, “He is still with you, I guess?” Wilson replied, “Yes, sir. He and a girl of fourteen. She cooks a little. She keeps the place clean. That is all I have in the house. I am a man whose wife died. I never had children. We live very quietly, sir, the three of us. We have a home. We pay our debts. We do not do much else.”
Wilson continued, “The ad surprised us first. Spaulding came to the office eight weeks ago. He had this very paper in his hand. He said, ‘I wish I had red hair, Mr. Wilson.’ I asked, ‘Why that?’ He said, ‘Here is another job open. It is for the Red-headed Men’s League. It is worth a lot of money. I hear there are more jobs than red-haired men. The people in charge do not know what to do with the money. If my hair would change color, I would have an easy job ready for me.’”
Wilson said, “I asked, ‘Why, what is it then?’ You see, Mr. Holmes, I stay at home a lot. My work comes to me. I often did not leave my house for weeks. So I did not know much about what was happening outside. I was always happy to hear news. He asked with wide eyes, ‘Have you never heard of the League of the Red-headed Men?’ I said, ‘Never.’ He said, ‘Why, I am surprised. You can get one of these jobs yourself.’”
Wilson asked, “And what are they worth?” Spaulding replied, “Oh, only two hundred pounds a year. But the work is easy. It will not stop you from doing other things.” Wilson said, “Well, you can guess that made me listen carefully. My business was not good for some years. Two hundred extra pounds would be very useful. I said, ‘Tell me all about it.’”
Wilson continued, “He showed me the ad. He said, ‘You can see the League has a job open. The address is there. You should ask for details. I think the League was started by a rich American. His name was Ezekiah Hopkins. He was very strange. He had red hair himself. He felt sorry for all red-haired men. So, when he died, he left his money to people he trusted. They must use the money. It was to give easy jobs to red-haired men. I hear it is good pay and little work.’”
Wilson said, “But, I said, ‘Many red-haired men would apply.’ He answered, ‘Not as many as you think. It is only for men in London. They must be adults. This American started in London when he was young. He wanted to help the old city. Also, I hear you cannot apply if your hair is light red. Or dark red. It must be bright, fiery red. Now, if you applied, Mr. Wilson, you would get the job easily. But maybe it would not be worth your trouble. It is only for a few hundred pounds.’”
Wilson told Holmes, “Gentlemen, my hair is a very rich red color. You can see it yourselves. So I thought I had as good a chance as anyone. Vincent Spaulding seemed to know a lot about it. I thought he might be helpful. So I told him to close the shop for the day. I told him to come with me. He was happy to have a day off. So we closed the business. We went to the address in the ad.”
Wilson said, “Mr. Holmes, I never hope to see such a sight again. Every man with red hair came to the city. They came from everywhere to answer the ad. Fleet Street was full of red-haired people. Pope's Court looked like a fruit seller's cart. I did not think there were so many in the whole country. But they all came for that one ad. Many shades of red were there. Some were like straw. Some were like lemon or orange. Others were like brick, dog fur, liver, or clay. But, as Spaulding said, not many had the truly bright, fiery red color.”
Wilson continued, “I saw how many were waiting. I would have given up hope. But Spaulding would not let me. I do not know how he did it. But he pushed and pulled me. He got me through the crowd. He got me right to the steps of the office. People went up the stairs. They hoped for the job. Others came down sadly. We squeezed in. Soon we were in the office.”
Holmes said, “Your experience has been very interesting.” His client paused. He took a big pinch of snuff. This helped him remember. Holmes said, “Please continue your interesting story.” Wilson said, “There was nothing in the office. Only two wooden chairs and a plain wooden table. A small man sat behind it. His head was even redder than mine. He spoke a few words to each person. Then he found something wrong with them. This meant they could not get the job. Getting a job did not seem easy.”
Wilson added, “However, our turn came. The little man liked me much more than the others. He closed the door as we entered. He wanted to talk to us alone. My assistant said, ‘This is Mr. Jabez Wilson. He wants to fill a job in the League.’ The other man answered, ‘And he is perfect for this job. He has everything needed. I have never seen such good hair.’ He stepped back. He tilted his head. He stared at my hair. I felt shy.”
Wilson continued, “Then he came forward quickly. He shook my hand. He congratulated me warmly. He said, ‘It would be wrong to wait. But please forgive me for being careful.’ With that, he grabbed my hair with both hands. He pulled it until I cried out. He said as he let go, ‘You have tears in your eyes. I see that everything is fine. But we have to be careful. We were fooled by wigs twice. Once we were fooled by paint. I could tell you stories about shoe wax. They would make you hate people.’ He went to the window. He shouted loudly through it. He said the job was taken. A sad sound came from below. The people all left. Soon, only my red hair and the manager’s were left.”
Wilson said, “He told me, ‘My name is Mr. Duncan Ross. I get money from the fund. Our kind founder left it. Are you married, Mr. Wilson? Do you have a family?’ I answered that I did not. His face looked sad at once. He said gravely, ‘Dear me! That is very serious indeed! I am sorry to hear you say that. The fund was to help red-haired people. It was also to help them have children. It is very bad that you are not married.’”
Wilson told Holmes, “My face grew long at this. I thought I would not get the job. But he thought for a few minutes. Then he said it would be all right. He said, ‘For another person, this problem could stop you. But we must make an exception for you. Your hair is so good. When can you start your new job?’ I said, ‘Well, it is a bit difficult. I already have a business.’”
Wilson continued, “Vincent Spaulding said, ‘Oh, never mind that, Mr. Wilson! I will take care of your business.’ I asked, ‘What would be the hours?’ He said, ‘Ten to two.’ Now, Mr. Holmes, a pawn shop is busiest in the evening. Especially Thursday and Friday evenings. That is just before pay-day. So it would be good to earn money in the mornings. Besides, I knew my assistant was a good man. He would handle anything that happened. I said, ‘That would suit me very well. And the pay?’ He said, ‘It is four pounds a week.’ I asked, ‘And the work?’ He said, ‘It is very easy.’”
Wilson asked, “What do you call very easy?” Ross replied, “Well, you have to be in the office. Or at least in the building. You must be there the whole time. If you leave, you lose your job forever. The will is very clear about this. You do not follow the rules if you move from the office during that time.” I said, “It is only four hours a day. I would not think of leaving.” Mr. Duncan Ross said, “No excuse will work. Not sickness, not business, nothing else. You must stay there. Or you lose your job.”
Witaj w książce, która pomoże Ci w nauce języka! Dzięki tej książce, będziesz mógł przyjemnie spędzić czas i jednocześnie (prawie, że przypadkiem) rozwinąć swoje umiejętności językowe.
Zdaniem naukowców czytanie tekstu, który rozumiesz tylko w 90-95% pozwala sie nauczyć najwięcej. Ciekawa historia utrzyma Twoją uwagę i zmotywuje Cię do wymyślania samemu znaczeń słów. W razie, gdyby tej motywacji zabrakło - po dotknięciu jakiegokolwiek słowa zobaczysz popup z jego tłumaczeniem. Popup z tłumaczeniem powinien bez problemu działać na czytnikach Kindle, Kobo oraz iBooks. Jeżeli korzystasz z innego czytnika np. Pocketbook spróbuj w ustawieniach zezwolić na pokazywanie przypisów (footnotes) jako popup. Jeżeli popup nie działa na Twoim czytniku, kliknięcie słowa przekieruje Cię do słowniczka na końcu rozdziału. Mniej to wygodne, ale spełnia swoją funkcję.
Na końcu każdego rozdziału znajduje się przycisk przekierowujący do ćwiczeń słówek z tego rozdziału na naszej stronie www.pentecost.pub. Znajdziesz tam fiszki (online oraz do wydrukowania), dopasowywanie znaczeń i wiele innych! Stale staramy się nad tą częścią pracować, więc jeżeli kiedyć wrócisz do tych samych ćwiczeń to być może znajdziesz tam więcej, ciekawszych zadań.
xoxo, Pentecost!
Następny rozdział →The Red-Headed League
Watson visited his friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. This was in the autumn of last year. Holmes was talking with an old man. He was fat and had bright red hair. Watson said sorry for coming in. He started to leave. Holmes quickly pulled him inside. He closed the door behind him.
Holmes spoke kindly. He said, “You came at the best time, my dear Watson.” Watson said, “I was afraid you were busy.” Holmes replied, “So I am. Very busy.” Watson offered, “Then I can wait in the next room.” Holmes said, “Not at all. This gentleman, Mr. Wilson, has helped me. He was my partner in many cases. I know he will help me in yours too.”
The fat gentleman stood up a little. He nodded hello. He looked at Watson with small, questioning eyes. Holmes sat back in his chair. He put his fingertips together. He did this when he was thinking seriously. Holmes said, “I know, my dear Watson, you like strange things. These are not part of normal life.”
Holmes continued, “Watson likes these cases. He writes about them with excitement. Holmes said Watson sometimes made them sound better.” Watson observed, “Your cases have been very interesting to me.” Holmes said, “I told you before. Life itself is strange. It is much stranger than anything people can imagine.”
Watson said he did not believe this. Holmes replied, “You did not, Doctor. But you must agree with me. Otherwise, I will give you many facts. Then Watson would have to agree.” Holmes then spoke about Mr. Jabez Wilson. “Mr. Wilson has come to me this morning. He has a very strange story. I have heard that strange things often happen with small crimes. Sometimes, it is not even clear if a crime happened.”
Holmes added, “I cannot say if this is a crime yet. But the events are very unusual. Mr. Wilson, please start your story again. My friend Dr. Watson has not heard it. Also, the story is very strange. I want to hear every detail from you. Usually, I hear a little. Then I use my knowledge of other cases. But this case is unique.”
The fat client looked a little proud. He pushed out his chest. He pulled a dirty, wrinkled newspaper from his coat. He looked at the ads. His head was forward. The paper was flat on his knee. Watson tried to guess things about him. He looked at his clothes and how he looked. He tried to do this like Holmes.
Watson did not learn much. The visitor looked like a normal British shopkeeper. He was fat, proud, and slow. He wore loose grey trousers. His black coat was not very clean. It was open in front. He had a dull vest with a heavy chain. A metal piece hung from it. A worn top-hat and a faded brown coat were on a chair. Nothing was special about the man. Only his bright red hair stood out. He looked very upset and unhappy.
Holmes saw Watson looking. He smiled and shook his head. Holmes said, “I can see some things. He has done manual work. He uses snuff. He is a Freemason. He has been in China. He has written a lot lately. I cannot guess anything else.”
Mr. Jabez Wilson jumped in his chair. His finger was on the paper. But he looked at Holmes. He asked, “How did you know all that, Mr. Holmes? How did you know I did manual work? It is very true. I started as a ship’s carpenter.” Holmes replied, “Your hands, sir. Your right hand is bigger than your left. You have worked with it. The muscles are stronger.”
Wilson asked, “What about the snuff and the Freemasonry?” Holmes said, “I will not think you are not smart. I will not tell you how I knew that. Especially since you wear a special pin. This is against your group's rules.” Wilson said, “Ah, I forgot that. But the writing?” Holmes asked, “What else can it be? Your right cuff is shiny for five inches. Your left elbow has a smooth spot. This is where you rest it on a desk.”
Wilson asked, “Well, but China?” Holmes answered, “The fish tattoo above your right wrist. Only people in China do this. I have studied tattoos. I have even written about them. They make fish scales pink. This is special to China. Also, you have a Chinese coin on your watch chain. This makes it even clearer.”
Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed loudly. He said, “Well, I never! I thought you were clever at first. But I see it was simple after all.” Holmes said, “Watson, I think I make a mistake by explaining. Things unknown seem great. My small fame will be lost. This will happen if I explain too much. Can you find the ad, Mr. Wilson?”
Wilson answered, “Yes, I have it now.” He pointed with his thick red finger. It was halfway down the page. “Here it is. This is how it all started. You just read it, sir.” Watson took the paper. He read the ad. It said: “TO THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE: There is a new job open. This is because of Ezekiah Hopkins. He was from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. A member of the League gets four pounds a week. The work is very easy. All red-haired men can apply. They must be healthy. They must be over twenty-one. Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o’clock. Go to Duncan Ross. The office is at 7 Pope’s Court, Fleet Street.”
Watson read the strange ad twice. He said loudly, “What does this mean?” Holmes laughed. He moved in his chair. He did this when he was happy. He said, “It is a little unusual, isn’t it? Now, Mr. Wilson, please start from the beginning. Tell us about yourself. Tell us about your home. Tell us how this ad changed your life. Watson, write down the paper and the date.”
Watson said, “It is The Morning Chronicle. The date is April 27, 1890. That was two months ago.” Holmes said, “Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson?” Jabez Wilson wiped his forehead. He said, “Well, Mr. Holmes, I told you already. I have a small pawn shop. It is in Coburg Square. It is near the City. It is not a big business. Lately, it only gives me enough money to live.”
Wilson continued, “I used to have two helpers. Now I only have one. It would be hard to pay him. But he works for half pay. He wants to learn the business.” Sherlock Holmes asked, “What is this helpful young man’s name?” Wilson said, “His name is Vincent Spaulding. He is not so young. It is hard to tell his age. I would not want a smarter helper, Mr. Holmes. I know he could find a better job. He could earn twice as much. But if he is happy, why should I make him think of leaving?”
Holmes said, “Why indeed? You are lucky to have a worker. He works for less than he should get. This does not happen often now. Your helper seems as strange as your ad.” Mr. Wilson said, “Oh, he has his faults too. He loves taking photos. He takes pictures when he should be studying. Then he goes to the cellar. He develops his photos there. He goes like a rabbit into its hole. This is his main fault. But he is a good worker. He has no bad habits.”
Holmes asked, “He is still with you, I guess?” Wilson replied, “Yes, sir. He and a girl of fourteen. She cooks a little. She keeps the place clean. That is all I have in the house. I am a man whose wife died. I never had children. We live very quietly, sir, the three of us. We have a home. We pay our debts. We do not do much else.”
Wilson continued, “The ad surprised us first. Spaulding came to the office eight weeks ago. He had this very paper in his hand. He said, ‘I wish I had red hair, Mr. Wilson.’ I asked, ‘Why that?’ He said, ‘Here is another job open. It is for the Red-headed Men’s League. It is worth a lot of money. I hear there are more jobs than red-haired men. The people in charge do not know what to do with the money. If my hair would change color, I would have an easy job ready for me.’”
Wilson said, “I asked, ‘Why, what is it then?’ You see, Mr. Holmes, I stay at home a lot. My work comes to me. I often did not leave my house for weeks. So I did not know much about what was happening outside. I was always happy to hear news. He asked with wide eyes, ‘Have you never heard of the League of the Red-headed Men?’ I said, ‘Never.’ He said, ‘Why, I am surprised. You can get one of these jobs yourself.’”
Wilson asked, “And what are they worth?” Spaulding replied, “Oh, only two hundred pounds a year. But the work is easy. It will not stop you from doing other things.” Wilson said, “Well, you can guess that made me listen carefully. My business was not good for some years. Two hundred extra pounds would be very useful. I said, ‘Tell me all about it.’”
Wilson continued, “He showed me the ad. He said, ‘You can see the League has a job open. The address is there. You should ask for details. I think the League was started by a rich American. His name was Ezekiah Hopkins. He was very strange. He had red hair himself. He felt sorry for all red-haired men. So, when he died, he left his money to people he trusted. They must use the money. It was to give easy jobs to red-haired men. I hear it is good pay and little work.’”
Wilson said, “But, I said, ‘Many red-haired men would apply.’ He answered, ‘Not as many as you think. It is only for men in London. They must be adults. This American started in London when he was young. He wanted to help the old city. Also, I hear you cannot apply if your hair is light red. Or dark red. It must be bright, fiery red. Now, if you applied, Mr. Wilson, you would get the job easily. But maybe it would not be worth your trouble. It is only for a few hundred pounds.’”
Wilson told Holmes, “Gentlemen, my hair is a very rich red color. You can see it yourselves. So I thought I had as good a chance as anyone. Vincent Spaulding seemed to know a lot about it. I thought he might be helpful. So I told him to close the shop for the day. I told him to come with me. He was happy to have a day off. So we closed the business. We went to the address in the ad.”
Wilson said, “Mr. Holmes, I never hope to see such a sight again. Every man with red hair came to the city. They came from everywhere to answer the ad. Fleet Street was full of red-haired people. Pope's Court looked like a fruit seller's cart. I did not think there were so many in the whole country. But they all came for that one ad. Many shades of red were there. Some were like straw. Some were like lemon or orange. Others were like brick, dog fur, liver, or clay. But, as Spaulding said, not many had the truly bright, fiery red color.”
Wilson continued, “I saw how many were waiting. I would have given up hope. But Spaulding would not let me. I do not know how he did it. But he pushed and pulled me. He got me through the crowd. He got me right to the steps of the office. People went up the stairs. They hoped for the job. Others came down sadly. We squeezed in. Soon we were in the office.”
Holmes said, “Your experience has been very interesting.” His client paused. He took a big pinch of snuff. This helped him remember. Holmes said, “Please continue your interesting story.” Wilson said, “There was nothing in the office. Only two wooden chairs and a plain wooden table. A small man sat behind it. His head was even redder than mine. He spoke a few words to each person. Then he found something wrong with them. This meant they could not get the job. Getting a job did not seem easy.”
Wilson added, “However, our turn came. The little man liked me much more than the others. He closed the door as we entered. He wanted to talk to us alone. My assistant said, ‘This is Mr. Jabez Wilson. He wants to fill a job in the League.’ The other man answered, ‘And he is perfect for this job. He has everything needed. I have never seen such good hair.’ He stepped back. He tilted his head. He stared at my hair. I felt shy.”
Wilson continued, “Then he came forward quickly. He shook my hand. He congratulated me warmly. He said, ‘It would be wrong to wait. But please forgive me for being careful.’ With that, he grabbed my hair with both hands. He pulled it until I cried out. He said as he let go, ‘You have tears in your eyes. I see that everything is fine. But we have to be careful. We were fooled by wigs twice. Once we were fooled by paint. I could tell you stories about shoe wax. They would make you hate people.’ He went to the window. He shouted loudly through it. He said the job was taken. A sad sound came from below. The people all left. Soon, only my red hair and the manager’s were left.”
Wilson said, “He told me, ‘My name is Mr. Duncan Ross. I get money from the fund. Our kind founder left it. Are you married, Mr. Wilson? Do you have a family?’ I answered that I did not. His face looked sad at once. He said gravely, ‘Dear me! That is very serious indeed! I am sorry to hear you say that. The fund was to help red-haired people. It was also to help them have children. It is very bad that you are not married.’”
Wilson told Holmes, “My face grew long at this. I thought I would not get the job. But he thought for a few minutes. Then he said it would be all right. He said, ‘For another person, this problem could stop you. But we must make an exception for you. Your hair is so good. When can you start your new job?’ I said, ‘Well, it is a bit difficult. I already have a business.’”
Wilson continued, “Vincent Spaulding said, ‘Oh, never mind that, Mr. Wilson! I will take care of your business.’ I asked, ‘What would be the hours?’ He said, ‘Ten to two.’ Now, Mr. Holmes, a pawn shop is busiest in the evening. Especially Thursday and Friday evenings. That is just before pay-day. So it would be good to earn money in the mornings. Besides, I knew my assistant was a good man. He would handle anything that happened. I said, ‘That would suit me very well. And the pay?’ He said, ‘It is four pounds a week.’ I asked, ‘And the work?’ He said, ‘It is very easy.’”
Wilson asked, “What do you call very easy?” Ross replied, “Well, you have to be in the office. Or at least in the building. You must be there the whole time. If you leave, you lose your job forever. The will is very clear about this. You do not follow the rules if you move from the office during that time.” I said, “It is only four hours a day. I would not think of leaving.” Mr. Duncan Ross said, “No excuse will work. Not sickness, not business, nothing else. You must stay there. Or you lose your job.”
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