30 лучших рассказов британских писателей / 30 Best British Short Stories

Up to that point, he had, indeed, completely forgotten the object of his visit. Now that he remembered the doubtful Dionysius and Baxter’s recommendation he immediately assumed that some mistake had been made. Either Max was not the Wynn Carrados he had been seeking or else the dealer had been misinformed; for although his host was wonderfully expert in the face of his misfortune, it was inconceivable that he could decide the genuineness of a coin without seeing it. The opportunity seemed a good one of getting even with Carrados by taking him at his word.

�Yes,’ he accordingly replied, with crisp deliberation, as he re-crossed the room; �yes, I will, Max. Here is the clue to what seems to be a rather remarkable fraud.’ He put the tetradrachm into his host’s hand. �What do you make of it?’

For a few seconds Carrados handled the piece with the delicate manipulation of his finger-tips while Carlyle looked on with a self-appreciative grin. Then with equal gravity the blind man weighed the coin in the balance of his hand.

�Well?’ demanded the other.

�Of course I have not much to go on, and if I was more fully in your confidence I might come to another conclusion–’

�Yes, yes,’ interposed Carlyle, with amused encouragement.

�Then I should advise you to arrest the parlourmaid, Nina Brun, communicate with the police authorities of Padua for particulars of the career of Helene Brunesi, and suggest to Lord Seastoke that he should return to London to see what further depredations have been made in his cabinet.

Mr. Carlyle’s groping hand sought and found a chair, on to which he dropped blankly. His eyes were unable to detach themselves for a single moment from the very ordinary spectacle of Mr. Carrados’s mildly benevolent face, while the sterilized ghost of his now forgotten amusement still lingered about his features.

�Good heavens!’ he managed to articulate, �how do you know?’

�Isn’t that what you wanted of me?’ asked Carrados suavely.

�Don’t humbug, Max,’ said Carlyle severely. �This is no joke.’ An undefined mistrust of his own powers suddenly possessed him in the presence of this mystery. �How do you come to know of Nina Brun and Lord Seastoke?’

�You are a detective, Louis,’ replied Carrados. �How does one know these things? By using one’s eyes and putting two and two together.