Все приключения Шерлока Холмса. Сборник. Уровень 2

”

“But my prospects are better,” said the other, warmly. “I shall have my father’s tanning yard[54 - tanning yard – кожевенный завод] and his leather factory. Then I am older, and am higher in the Church.”

“The maiden will decide,” rejoined young Drebber.

“Look here,” said John Ferrier, “when my daughter summons you, you can come, but until then I don’t want to see your faces again.”

The two young Mormons stared at him in amazement.

“There are two ways out of the room,” cried Ferrier; “there is the door, and there is the window.

Which one will you use?”

His brown face looked so savage, that his visitors sprang to their feet and ran away. The old farmer followed them to the door.

“You will pay for this!” Stangerson cried, white with rage. “You go against the Prophet and the Council of Four. You will rue it to the end of your days.”

“The hand of the Lord will be heavy upon you,” cried young Drebber; “He will arise and smite you!”

“Then I’ll start the smiting,” exclaimed Ferrier furiously, and rushed upstairs for his gun.

Lucy seized him by the arm and restrained him. The clatter of horses’ hoofs told him that they were beyond his reach.

“The young rascals!” he exclaimed.

“Father,” she said; “Jefferson will soon be here.”

“Yes. The sooner the better[55 - the sooner the better – чем раньше, тем лучше], for we do not know what their next move may be.”

Ferrier knew that his wealth and position were useless.

He was a brave man, but he trembled. What to do next? He concealed his fears from his daughter, though she saw plainly that he was nervous.

He expected some message or remonstrance from Young, and it came. Next morning he found, to his surprise, a small square of paper just over his chest. On it was printed, in bold letters:

“You have twenty-nine days for amendment, and then…”

How did this warning come into his room? He said nothing to his daughter, and destroyed the paper.

Still more terrible was he next morning. They were having their breakfast when Lucy with a cry of surprise pointed upwards. In the centre of the ceiling was scrawled, with a burned stick, the number 28. To his daughter it was unintelligible, and he did not enlighten her. That night he sat up with his gun and ward. He saw and he heard nothing, and yet in the morning a great 27 was upon the outside of his door.