Sherlock Holmes 1º parte

apte r one

A w i l d , excited yoiuigf m a n BEFORE READING

1 Write sentences describing these people from The Norwood

Mystery.

x

ife i n London is not what it was,' said Sherlock Holmes to Dr Watson. They were sitting at the breakfast table

in their Baker Street rooms one m o r n i n g i n the summer of l 894. Holmes was smoking a cigarette and Watson was reading the newspaper. 'True, Holmes,' said the doctor. 'For most people Ufe is much better now.' 'But for me, Watson, life is not so interesting,' explained llolmes. T loved to read the newspaper, hoping to íind some ncws of an interesting crime for me to i n v e s t í g a t e or a a Sherlock Holmes

b Doctor Watson

c John McFarlane

d Inspector Lestrade

dangerous criminal for me to catch. Where are all those clever crimináis these days?' He smiled sadly. 'Sometimes I don't understand you, Holmes,' said Watson. 'I like living a quiet life myself.' llolmes did not reply, but opened his newspaper i n a lazy way and started to read. Suddenly they heard a loud k n o c k al the street door downstairs. They heard the knock again

e

Mrs McFarlane

f

Sergeant Judd

g Mrs Lexington

h Joñas Oldacre

2 Which of these things do you think you will read about? Tick two boxes. a •

Sherlock Holmes tries to find the murderer of Mrs McFarlane.

b •

Joñas Oldacre marries Mrs McFarlane.

c •

Inspector Lestrade arrests John McFarlane for murder.

d •

Mrs Lexington asks Sherlock Holmes for help.

e •

Sherlock Holmes saves an innocent man.

f

•

g •

Sergeant Judd is a criminal. Dr Watson investigates a murder without Holmes.

investígate to find out about something criminal a person who does something that is against the law sadly in an unhappy way knock the noise when someone hits a door

1

and again. Mrs Hudson, the housekeeper, ran to open the door and a wild, excited young man fell into the hall. He pushed the poor housekeeper out of his way and r a n up the stairs.

The young man looked at Watson, then at Holmes, and

pólice are sure that I am the m a n who killed

be angry. I feel so afraid, M r Holmes.' Holmes asked the young m a n to come into the room and told h i m to sit down. 'Have a cigarette,' he said, 'and tell us w h o you are and why you have come here.' The m a n took a cigarette from the box on the table, and

will kill my poor oíd mother, M r Holmes, it w i l l kill her.' smoking

his

still shaking

cigarette.

Watson

was

a

good-looking

and long hair, but he looked very afraid. He was about twenty seven years oíd and Watson

And?' asked Holmes.

con Id see that he carne from

'And,' replied McFarlane, starting to shake again, 'T am in

B good family. 'If the pólice are following

want to arrest me and send me to prison. A n d I have done

you,'

said

Holmes,

nothing, M r Holmes, nothing.'

musí

work

quickly.

'Interesting,' said Holmes, 'very interesting. Don't you agree, Watson?'

hall a room in the middle of a house from which you can go to all the other rooms

and wanted to know more.

t r o u b l e difficulty

to arrest you? What have y o u done?'

Watson saw that his friend was excited by this mystery, 'Mr McFarlane,' Holmes went on, 'why do the pólice w a n t 'Nothing. I told you, I've done nothing. But they t h i n k that 1 murdered a man called J o ñ a s Oldacre, a builder w h o Uves - who lived - i n south London, at Norwood.' Holmes l i t another cigarette. T'm very sorry to hear this, Mr McFarlane. Please tell us your story.'

and

looked at h i m i n an interested way. McFarlane

McFarlane,

«

J

McFarlane was

and spoke.

terrible trouble. You must help me, M r Holmes. The pólice

builder a man who makes houses

and are waiting to arrest me. This news

young man w i t h bright blue eyes

ñ o r Watson knew the ñ a m e .

ir

h i m . They've followed me here from the station

Watson lit it for h i m . After some minutes he stopped shaking 'My ñ a m e is John McFarlane,' he began. Neither Holmes

mystery something that you cannot explain easily

the murder of J o ñ a s Oldacre. I'11 read it to you. Terrible crime at Norwood. Murder of well-known builder. The

T m sorry, M r Holmes, I ' m sorry,' he said. 'Please don't

a r r e s t to take a person to prison

Tt's here,' he said, ' i n today's newspaper. The story of

'Who are you, sir?' asked Watson. And what do you want?' started to explain.

housekeeper a woman who looks after a person's house

McFarlane saw Watson's newspaper on the breakfast table and opened it.

please

.molher cigarette.

'we Mr

have

£

:

Watson, could you take the newspaper and read us the story?'

'This is very interesting,' he said at last. 'Can I ask, M r McFarlane, why the pólice have not already arrested you?

Watson opened the newspaper and started to read.

I understand from the newspaper that they are sure you

Sherlock Holmes listened carefully, his eyes closed, as

murdered M r Oldacre.'

Watson read the story from the m o r n i n g newspaper.

' I live at Torrington Lodge, Blackheath, w i t h my mother and father, M r Holmes, but last night, after my business

Murder of well-known builder

timberyard a place where wood is kept fíre brigade if your house is on fire, you cali the fire brigade put o u t to stop something burning safe a very strong box that people put money and other expensive things in bloodstains marks made by blood walking stick a stick to help you walk motive the reason for a erime

Late last night, or early this morning, a terrible crime took place at Norwood in south London. Mr Joñas Oldacre has lived at Norwood and has worked there as a builder for many years. He is fifty-two years oíd, unmarried, and he lives in Deep Dene House on the Sydenham Road. The people of Norwood know Mr Oldacre as an unusual man. He does not often leave his house, but his business has made him very rich. There is a small timber yard behind his house and last night, at about midnight, a man who was out walking saw that some of the wood there was on fire. He immediately called the fire brigade, who arrived soon after. The wood was very dry and burned quickly, so it was impossible to put out the fire. T h e fire brigade were surprised when Mr Oldacre did not come out of the house, and two of their officers went inside to look for him. But Mr Oldacre was not in the house. In the bedroom the two men

found an open safe, which was empty. There were papers on the floor and bloodstains on the walls. T h e men also found a bloodstained walking stick in the room. This stick belongs to Mr John McFarlane, who visited Mr Oldacre at his home yesterday evening. The pólice are sure that they know the motive for the crime and are looking for Mr McFarlane. They will arrest him when they find him. At Norwood, pólice now say that Mr Oldacre's bedroom windows on the ground floor of the house were open. They have found some burnt remains, possibly of a body, in the fire in the timber yard. The pólice think that there has been a murder. They say that the criminal killed the builder in his bedroom, then pulled his dead body into the garden and burned it in the timber yard. Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard is the policeman who is investigating this most terrible crime.

with Mr Oldacre, I stayed in a hotel at Norwood and went to work from there this m o r n i n g . I knew nothing about this crime u n t i l I was on the train, when I read the story i n the newspaper. I understood immediately that I was i n terrible trouble, so when my train arrived at the station I r a n to Baker Street to see you, M r Holmes, and to tell you that I am not a criminal. I did not murder M r Joñas Oldacre. The pólice, I ' m sure, were waiting for me at work and also at my father's house at Blackheath. A man followed me here from the station and—' Suddenly there

was another

knock at

the street door. Then they heard men on the stairs, and Inspector Lestrade entered

the r o o m w i t h two

other policemen. Are you M r John McFarlane?' be asked. The young man stood up, his face white. 'I am,' he said. Lestrade gave h i m a long look. 'John McFarlane, I am arresting you for the murder OÍ Mr j o ñ a s

Oldacre,

the

builder, of Norwood, south l iondon.'

remains what is left

4

'i

h apter two

when I read that he wanted to leave everything to me! M r

M c F a r lanes story

M

surprise very lunny. He laughed and told me that he was

'Mr Holmes, help me, please.'

unmarricd and had no children. He knew my mother and lo make my way i n the world because I was their son. I

McFarlane's story.'

clidn't know w h a t to say, but I thanked h i m w a r m l y and

'But it w o n ' t be true.'

house al Norwood yesterday evening because he had more papers there that I needed to see. I didn't w a n t to go, but

at last. 'You ve often helped us, M r Holmes. But I must

I had to. "You must promise not to tell your mother or

stay w i t h M r McFarlane and I w i l l listen very carefully to

father a b ó u t this," he said. " I t must be a wonderful surprise

everything that he says. You have half an hour,' he went

for them." I promised h i m that I would say nothing, but I

on, looking at his watch.

didn't understand w h y i t was so important to h i m . '

'You can thank M r Holmes,' replied Lestrade, sitting down 'First,' McFarlane began his story, ' I k n o w n o t h i n g about Mr J o ñ a s Oldacre, only his ñ a m e . M y parents met h i m many years ago and they were friends for a long time. But M r

copy to write something again

8

blue piece of paper. ' M r Oldacre then asked me to go to his

Lestrade thought for a long time. A l l right,' he agreed

opposite the young man.

will the paper that you write and sign, which says how you want to divide your money between people in your family when you die

linished the w i l l . Here it is.' McFarlane showed Holmes a

'Please, Inspector,' said Watson.

'Thank you, Inspector,' said McFarlane.

astonished very surprised

father when he was a y o u n g m a n and wanted to help me

you can give us-half an hour? F m interested to hear M r

'And F m sure it w i l l be a very good story,' replied Lestrade.

lawyer someone who works to help people with the law

grey eyes. When I looked at h i m , I saw that he found my

cFarlane put his head i n his hands and sat down.

Holmes turned to Lestrade. 'Inspector,' he said, 'perhaps

the City a part of London with a lot of banks and offices

Oldacre was a strange little m a n w i t h very white hair and

Oldacre moved to Norwood, I understand, and after that they never saw h i m . So I was very surprised when he walked into my office at three o'clock yesterday afternoon. I work in the City of London as a lawyer. W h e n he told me why he wanted to see me, I was astonished.' Here he stopped and looked first at Holmes, then at Lestrade. 'Go on,' said Lestrade at last. 'He had some papers i n his hand, these papers.' McFarlane took t h e m out of his pocket and put them on the table. '"This is my will," he said. 'Tve w r i t t e n i t myself. But you are a lawyer. Please copy it for me. I w i l l wait." I agreed to do this. I started to copy the w i l l but was very surprised

T took the t r a i n to Norwood and arrived there at about

McFarlane stood up and the two policemen took h i m

nine o'clock. I t was difficult to find M r Oldacre's house on

down the stairs and out into Baker Street. Lestrade stayed

the Sydenham Road and i t was nine-thirty w h e n I at last

in the r o o m w i t h Holmes and Watson. Holmes looked at

knocked on the door of Deep Dene House.'

McFarlane's papers, w h i c h were still on the table.

'Stop,' said Holmes. ' W h o opened the door to you?' 'It was M r Oldacre's housekeeper,' McFarlane replied. 'A woman of about iifty-five years.' And

she told M r Oldacre that you were there?' Holmes

'I've no idea,' Watson replied.

the d i n i n g room, where M r Oldacre was waiting for me. We

'Is this important, M r Holmes?' asked Lestrade.

ate a light meal of sandwiches and fruit, then M r Oldacre

'Possibly,' said Holmes. ' M r Oldacre wrote his w i l l on a

took me to his bedroom. There was a safe i n the c ó r n e r of

train. We can read everything that he wrote w h e n the train

the room, and M r Oldacre opened i t and took out a lot of

was at a station, but it's impossible to read w h a t he wrote

papers. We looked at them together and didn't finish until

when the train was moving. M r Oldacre spent the journey

about half past eleven. M r Oldacre said that we mustn't

w r i t i n g his w i l l , so his train was

wake up the housekeeper, so I left the house by the French

express,

Windows i n the bedroom, w h i c h were open. I couldn't find

belween Norwood and London Bridge.'

my walking stick, but M r Oldacre said that he would give i t

which

stopped

only

Lestrade, 'but I have a murderer

he said. When I left, M r Oldacre was i n his bedroom and

lo see. I must go. Goodbye, M r

the safe was open. His papers were on the table. It was too

I lolines. Dr Watson.'

so I went to a hotel called the Anerley A r m s i n Norwood and spent the night there. I knew nothing more about M r Oldacre u n t i l I read the story i n the newspaper this morning. A n d everything that Tve told you is true.' Lestrade looked at Holmes. Ariy more questions?' 'Possibly,' said Holmes. 'But íirst I must go to Blackheath.' 'You mean Norwood,' said Lestrade. 'Perhaps,' replied Holmes w i t h

a strange smile. The

Inspector didn't understand, but said nothing. 'Mr McFarlane?' said one of the other policemen, who was waiting at the door. 'Come w i t h us, please.'

an

once

'Very interesting, M r Holmes,' said

back to me next time. " I hope you w i l l come back often,"

late for me to go back to my father's house at Blackheath,

10

Watson agreed that it was impossible to read. A n d w h y is that?' asked Holmes.

'That's right,' McFarlane agreed. 'She then took me into

French Windows álass doors

read i n some places, but very difficult to read in others. A n d here it's impossible. Can you read this, Watson?'

went on.

dining r o o m the room in a house where people eat

'Interesting,' he said. ' M r Oldacre's w r i t i n g is very easy to

'(íoodbye,

Inspector,'

I lolmes w i t h a smile.

said

/

¿2

hapter

three

When Sherlock Holmes needed to think, he liked to walk,

A visit t o Blackkeatk

and this m o r n i n g he decided to walk all the way from Baker Street to London Bridge. His long legs moved quickly as he crossed the city. A lot of people stopped to look at the tall

I ^ ell me, Holmes,' said Watson when they were alone

stupid not clever

JL

again, 'why is it important that M r Oldacre wrote

his w i l l on the train?'

:¡¡L

detective as he made his way to the station, but Holmes didn't see them. He was t h i n k i n g about John McFarlane and lonas Oldacre, and asking himself if McFarlane was

Holmes lit a cigarette. 'Because it means he wrote i t

a murderer. He really didn't t h i n k so, but he knew that it

yesterday on his journey to see M r McFarlane. I t h i n k

would be difficult to convince Inspector Lestrade of Scotland

it's very strange that he worked on these important

Yard. To Lestrade, McFarlane was the murderer of J o ñ a s

papers on the t r a i n . Perhaps they weren't

Oldacre. He had a good motive and he spent the evening

so

important for h i m . '

al the builder's house.

'What are you thinking, Holmes?' asked Watson.

llolmes arrived at London Bridge station and found that he

Tm

not yet sure w h a t has happened

here, Watson,' Holmes replied, 'but give me time, give me time. Now I must leave you

had to wait twenty minutes

for the next t r a i n to

Blackheath. He bought the late m o r n i n g newspaper and read: Norwood Murder. Man Arrested.

Holmes didn't read

the story, but looked at the end: Says Inspector

Lestrade:

and go to Blackheath. I need, I

I think we have our man.' Holmes bought a ticket and got

think, to speak to M r McFarlane's