Chapter I - The Science of Deduction

deduction - घटाना, घटाव, कटौती, निगमन

Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantel-piece and his hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case. With his long, white, nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle, and rolled back his left shirt-cuff. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy forearm and wrist all dotted and scarred with innumerable puncture-marks.

mantel - अग्निकोष्ठ के ऊपर का ताक

hypodermic - सीरिंज, अधस्चर्मी

syringe - सुई, सिरिंज

neat - स्वच्छ, साफ

morocco - चमड़ा{एक प्रकार}, मोरक्को

adjusted - बराबर करना, अनुकूल बनाना

delicate - स्वादिष्ट, लिहाज रखनेवाला

cuff - आस्तीन की मोहरी

thoughtfully - विचारमग्न ढंग से, सहृदयतापूर्वक

sinewy - सशक्त, स्नायु जैसा

forearm - पहले से तैयार करना, तैयारी करना

wrist - कलाई

dotted - चिन्ह, बनाना, परिवहन विभाग

scarred - छाप, खड़ी चट्टान, निशान

innumerable - असंख्य, अमित

puncture - समाप्त करना, छिद्र, पंचर करना

Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined arm-chair with a long sigh of satisfaction.

thrust - आक्रमण, बल, ठेलना, मुख्य विषय

sharp point - तीखा बिंदु

pressed down - दबा दिया

piston - पिस्टन/मुसली, पिस्टन, मुषली

velvet - मख़मल

arm-chair - (arm-chair) आर्म कुर्सी

sigh - आह भरना

satisfaction - स्पष्टीकरण, पूर्ति, संतोष

Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance, but custom had not reconciled my mind to it. On the contrary, from day to day I had become more irritable at the sight, and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the thought that I had lacked the courage to protest.

witnessed - करना, गवाह, प्रमाण, गवाह होना

reconciled - मिलाना, मेल मिलाप कराना

contrary - प्रतिकूल, उलटा, विपरीत, ज़िद्दी

more irritable - अधिक उदासीन

conscience - विवेक, अन्तरात्मा, ज़मीर

swelled - सुन्दर, बढ़ाना, मोड़ना, उठाना

nightly - रात्रिकालीन, हर रात, हर रात

courage - साहस, हौसला, हिम्मत

Again and again I had registered a vow that I should deliver my soul upon the subject, but there was that in the cool, nonchalant air of my companion which made him the last man with whom one would care to take anything approaching to a liberty.

registered - बताना, प्रकट करना

vow - व्रत

soul - आत्मा, जीवात्मा

nonchalant - उदासीन

companion - साथी

approaching - पद्धति, सन्निकर्ष, समीप आना

liberty - आज़ादी

His great powers, his masterly manner, and the experience which I had had of his many extraordinary qualities, all made me diffident and backward in crossing him.

masterly - मास्टर्ली

extraordinary - असाधारण

diffident - संकोची, अविश्वस्त, संकोचशील

backward - पीछे की ओर का, उल्टा, पिछड़ा हुआ

Yet upon that afternoon, whether it was the Beaune which I had taken with my lunch, or the additional exasperation produced by the extreme deliberation of his manner, I suddenly felt that I could hold out no longer.

additional - अतिरिक्त

exasperation - क्रोध, रोष

deliberation - विचार, विचार विमर्श, सावधानी

"Which is it to-day?" I asked,-"morphine or cocaine?"

morphine - मार्फ़िया

cocaine - कोकीन, कोकेन

He raised his eyes languidly from the old black-letter volume which he had opened. "It is cocaine," he said,-"a seven-per-cent. solution. Would you care to try it?"

languidly - उत्साहहीन तरीके से

volume - आयतन

"No, indeed," I answered, brusquely. "My constitution has not got over the Afghan campaign yet. I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it."

brusquely - रुखाई से, रूखेपन से, रुखाई से

constitution - संविधान, आईन, राज्यांग, दस्तूर

Afghan - अफगान, अफगानी, अफ़्ग़ान

strain - तनना, तानना, खींचना

He smiled at my vehemence. "Perhaps you are right, Watson," he said. "I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one. I find it, however, so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment."

vehemence - प्रचण्डता, प्रचंडता, तीव्रता

physically - शारीरिक रुप से

stimulating - उत्तेजित करना, प्रोत्साहित करना

clarifying - शुद्ध करना, स्पष्टीकरण देना

"But consider!" I said, earnestly. "Count the cost! Your brain may, as you say, be roused and excited, but it is a pathological and morbid process, which involves increased tissue-change and may at last leave a permanent weakness. You know, too, what a black reaction comes upon you. Surely the game is hardly worth the candle.

earnestly - ईमानदारी से, ईमानदारी से

roused - उत्तेजित करना, उत्तेजित, उठाना

pathological - रोगविज्ञान संबंधी, तर्कहीन

morbid - रुग्ण, रोगजन्य, रोगग्रस्त

tissue - ऊतक

permanent - स्थायी, सदा के लिए

weakness - दोष, शौक, असामर्थ्य, निर्बलता

candle - मोमबत्ती, शमा

Why should you, for a mere passing pleasure, risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed? Remember that I speak not only as one comrade to another, but as a medical man to one for whose constitution he is to some extent answerable."

mere - केवल

endowed - दान देना, सहायतार्थ देना

comrade - साथी, कामरेड

extent - विस्तार

answerable - उत्तरदायी, उत्तर के योग्य

He did not seem offended. On the contrary, he put his finger-tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair, like one who has a relish for conversation.

offended - अपराध करना, अपराध करना

finger-tips - (finger-tips) उंगलियों के अंगूठे

leaned - टेक लग्ना, ब्ंजर, सहारे रखना

elbows - चीर कर जाना, कोना, कोहनी

relish - स्वाद, जोश, उत्साह, मजा लेना

"My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.

rebels - राज विरोधी, विद्रोही

stagnation - निश्चलता, निष्क्रियता, गतिहीनता

abstruse - बारीक

cryptogram - स्रोतग्राम

intricate - जटिल, पेचीदा

dispense - देना, दवा तैयार करना

artificial - कृत्रिम, झूठा, बनावटी

stimulants - प्रेरक, उत्तेजक, उत्तेजक पदार्थ

abhor - घृणा करना

dull - सुस्त

existence - अस्तित्व, भाव

crave - के लिये तरसना, याचना करना

exaltation - उमंग, उन्नयन, बुलंदी

That is why I have chosen my own particular profession,-or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world."

"The only unofficial detective?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

unofficial - अनधिकारिक, ग़ैरसरकारी, अशास्कीय

eyebrows - भौंह, भौं

"The only unofficial consulting detective," he answered. "I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection. When Gregson or Lestrade or Athelney Jones are out of their depths-which, by the way, is their normal state-the matter is laid before me. I examine the data, as an expert, and pronounce a specialist's opinion. I claim no credit in such cases. My name figures in no newspaper.

consulting - विचार विमर्श करना, राय लेना

appeal - अपील करना

detection - खोज

depths - गहनता, गहराई, मध्य, गहरापन

The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers, is my highest reward. But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case."

peculiar - अजीब, अजीबो-गरीब

Reward - पारितोषिक

"Yes, indeed," said I, cordially. "I was never so struck by anything in my life. I even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of 'A Study in Scarlet.'"

cordially - अत्यधिक, सभ्यतः, बाशऊर, शालीनतः

struck - बजना, आक्रमण, निकालना

embodied - सम्मिलित करना, साकार करना

brochure - विवरण, ब्रोशर

somewhat - कुछ, किंचित, थोड़ा बहुत, कुछ कुछ

scarlet - क़िरमिज़

He shook his head sadly. "I glanced over it," said he. "Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid."

glanced - चमकना, ग्लांस करना, नजर डालना

honestly - ईमानदारी से

congratulate - बधाई देना

unemotional - भावहीन, अभावात्मक

attempted - प्रयास, प्रयत्न, कोशिश करना

tinge - झलक, भर देना, रंग देना

romanticism - स्वच्छन्दतावाद, रोमांटिसिज़्म

elopement - running away from home with a paramour

proposition - समस्या, वचन, सुझाव

Euclid - Greek mathematician

"But the romance was there," I remonstrated. "I could not tamper with the facts."

romance - प्रेम लीला

remonstrated - विरोध करना, आपत्ति करना, डाँटना

tamper - हस्तक्षेप करना

"Some facts should be suppressed, or at least a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them. The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which I succeeded in unraveling it."

suppressed - रोकना, समाप्त करना

proportion - अंश, अनुपात, समानुपात, भाग

observed - अनुपालन करना, कहना, देखना

deserved - योग्य होना, पात्र होना

Curious - जिज्ञासु

analytical - विश्लेषी

unraveling - असफल होना, सुलझाना, उधड़ना

I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially designed to please him. I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special doings.

criticism - आलोचना

specially - खास तौर पर, विशेष रूप से

confess - मानना, कबूल करना, अंगीकार करना

irritated by - उत्तेजित करने के लिए

egotism - अहंभाव, अहंकार, अहंमन्यता

demand - माँग

pamphlet - पर्चा

devoted - निष्ठावान, समर्पित, वफादार

doings - कार्यकलाप

More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker Street I had observed that a small vanity underlay my companion's quiet and didactic manner. I made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg. I had a Jezail bullet through it some time before, and, though it did not prevent me from walking, it ached wearily at every change of the weather.

Baker - नानबाई

vanity - दिखावा, निरर्थकता, घमण्ड

underlay - निचली चद्दर

didactic - शिक्षात्मक, उपदेशात्मक, उपदेशक

remark - प्रतिक्रिया, ध्यान देना

wounded - घाव, चोट, ज़ख़्मी करना, आघात

Jezail - जेजेल

bullet - गोल सिरे वाला

ached - तरसना, दर्द, तकलीफ़ देना

wearily - तके हुए अंदाज़ में

"My practice has extended recently to the Continent," said Holmes, after a whiLe, filling up his old brier-root pipe. "I was consulted last week by Francois Le Villard, who, as you probably know, has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service.

extended - फैलना, फैलाना, देना, बढ़ाना

brier - कँटीली झाड़ी, कँटीली झाड़ी

root - जड़

consulted - विचार विमर्श करना, राय लेना

le - ली

lately - हाल में, हाल ही में

He has all the Celtic power of quick intuition, but he is deficient in the wide range of exact knowledge which is essential to the higher developments of his art. The case was concerned with a will, and possessed some features of interest. I was able to refer him to two parallel cases, the one at Riga in 1857, and the other at St. Louis in 1871, which have suggested to him the true solution.

Celtic - केल्ट भाषा, केल्ट भाषा

intuition - अन्तर्ज्ञान, अंतर्बोध

deficient - कम, अपूर्ण, न्यून, हीन

concerned - अभिरुचि, दिलचस्पी, संबंध

possessed - आक्रान्त करना, रखना

parallel - समानान्तर

Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my assistance." He tossed over, as he spoke, a crumpled sheet of foreign notepaper. I glanced my eyes down it, catching a profusion of notes of admiration, with stray "magnifiques," "coup-de-maitres," and "tours-de-force," all testifying to the ardent admiration of the Frenchman.

acknowledging - स्वीकार करना, माना जा जाना

assistance - मदद, सहायता, इमदाद

tossed - हिलाना, हिलाना[मिलाना]

crumpled - सिकोड़ना, ध्वस्त होना, गींजना

notepaper - नोटपेपर

profusion - आधिक्य, प्राचुर्य

stray - भ्रमण करना, विषय से हट जाना

coup - आकस्मिक शासन परितर्तन

testifying - सिद्ध करना

ardent - उत्कृष्ट, दक्ष, उत्साही, उत्कट

admiration - तारीफ़, सफत, उपमा

"He speaks as a pupil to his master," said I.

pupil - छात्र

Master - उस्ताद, शिक्षक

"Oh, he rates my assistance too highly," said Sherlock Holmes, lightly. "He has considerable gifts himself. He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. He has the power of observation and that of deduction. He is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come in time. He is now translating my small works into French."

lightly - अकारण, उपेक्षापूर्वक, हलके से

considerable - बहुत अधिक, महत्वपूर्ण, बहुत

possesses - रखना, पर नियंट्रण रखना

power of observation - ध्यान की शक्ति

"Your works?"

"Oh, didn't you know?" he cried, laughing. "Yes, I have been guilty of several monographs. They are all upon technical subjects. Here, for example, is one 'Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccoes.'In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-, cigarette-, and pipe-tobacco, with colored plates illustrating the difference in the ash.

monographs - प्रबंध, एक विषयक लेखन

distinction - प्रतिष्ठा, पार्थक्य, अन्तर

ashes - ऐश वृक्ष, ऐश वृक्ष की लकड़ी

enumerate - गणना करना, सूची बनाना, गिन

cigar - सिगार, चुरुट

tobacco - तम्बाकू

illustrating - व्याख्या करना, स्पष्ट करना

It is a point which is continually turning up in criminal trials, and which is sometimes of supreme importance as a clue. If you can say definitely, for example, that some murder has been done by a man who was smoking an Indian lunkah, it obviously narrows your field of search.

continually - लगातार, निरंतर

trials - पूर्व परीक्षण, परीक्षण, विचार

supreme - सर्वोच्च

Indian - भारतीय, भारत संबंधी

To the trained eye there is as much difference between the black ash of a Trichinopoly and the white fluff of bird's-eye as there is between a cabbage and a potato."

ash - राख

Fluff - नर्म रोयाँ, बिगाड़ देना

cabbage - करमकल्ला, बंदगोभी

"You have an extraordinary genius for minutiae," I remarked.

genius - तेज़ दिमाग वाला

minutiae - बारीकियाँ

remarked - करना, ध्यान, प्रतिक्रिया

"I appreciate their importance. Here is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps, with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses. Here, too, is a curious little work upon the influence of a trade upon the form of the hand, with lithotypes of the hands of slaters, sailors, corkcutters, compositors, weavers, and diamond-polishers.

monograph - प्रबंध, एक विषयक लेखन

tracing - पारदर्शक कागज में नकल उतारना

Footsteps - चरणचिन्ह, पैरों की आहट

remarks - करना, ध्यान, प्रतिक्रिया

plaster - प्लास्टर

preserver - परिरक्षक, संरक्षक

impresses - प्रभावित करना, प्रभाव डालना

slaters - दीमक, काष्ठ यूका

compositors - अक्षर संयोजक

weavers - बया, जुलाहा, बुनकर

polishers - पलिशगर

That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific detective,-especially in cases of unclaimed bodies, or in discovering the antecedents of criminals. But I weary you with my hobby."

unclaimed - जिसका कोई दावेदार न हो

antecedents - पूर्वज, पूर्ववर्ती, पूर्व पद

weary - थकाना, उकता देना, उबाऊ

"Not at all," I answered, earnestly. "It is of the greatest interest to me, especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it. But you spoke just now of observation and deduction. Surely the one to some extent implies the other."

observing - अनुपालन करना, कहना, देखना

practical application - प्रयोगशाला

observation - अवलोकन, प्रेक्षण

implies - समझना, सूचित करना, सूचित करना

"Why, hardly," he answered, leaning back luxuriously in his arm-chair, and sending up thick blue wreaths from his pipe. "For example, observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street Post-Office this morning, but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram."

leaning - प्रवृत्ति, झुकाव

luxuriously - वैभवपूर्वक

wreaths - घेरना, छल्ला, पुष्पहार

dispatched - हराना, प्रेषित करना, भेजना

telegram - तार, टेलीग्राम, टेलिग्राम

"Right!" said I. "Right on both points! But I confess that I don't see how you arrived at it. It was a sudden impulse upon my part, and I have mentioned it to no one."

impulse - आवेग

"It is simplicity itself," he remarked, chuckling at my surprise,-"so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction. Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep.

simplicity - सहजता, सरलता, भोलापन, सादगी

chuckling - हंसना, (chuckle) हंसना

absurdly - बेतुके रूप से, बेतुके रूप से

superfluous - निरर्थक, अतिरिक्त, अनावश्यक

reddish - रक्तिम, कुछ रक्त वर्ण

mould - गढ़ना

adhering - पालन करना, समर्थन करना, पालन

instep - पैर का ऊपरी मध्य भाग

Just opposite the Seymour Street Office they have taken up the pavement and thrown up some earth which lies in such a way that it is difficult to avoid treading in it in entering. The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which is found, as far as I know, nowhere else in the neighborhood. So much is observation. The rest is deduction."

pavement - पटरी, छज्जा, फर्श

treading - ट्रेडिंग, (tread) ट्रेडिंग

tint - हलका रंग

neighborhood - अड़ोस-पड़ोस

"How, then, did you deduce the telegram?"

deduce - अनुमान लगाना, परिणाम निकालना

"Why, of course I knew that you had not written a letter, since I sat opposite to you all morning. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post-cards. What could you go into the post-office for, then, but to send a wire? Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth."

opposite to - विरुद्ध

bundle - गठरी, गड्डी

wire - तार

eliminate - निकालना, हटाना, हटा देना

"In this case it certainly is so," I replied, after a little thought. "The thing, however, is, as you say, of the simplest. Would you think me impertinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test?"

impertinent - धृष्ट, ढीठ, उद्दंडतापूर्ण

severe test - कठोर परीक्षण

"On the contrary," he answered, "it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. I should be delighted to look into any problem which you might submit to me."

dose - खुराक

delighted - हर्षित करना, हर्षोल्लास, खुशी

submit - प्रस्तुत करें

"I have heard you say that it is difficult for a man to have any object in daily use without leaving the impress of his individuality upon it in such a way that a trained observer might read it. Now, I have here a watch which has recently come into my possession. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner?"

impress - प्रभावित करना, प्रभाव डालना

individuality - विशिष्टता, व्यक्तित्व

observer - प्रेक्षक, पर्यवेक्षक, परिदर्शक

kindness - दया, मेहरबानी, दयालुता

I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart, for the test was, as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed. He balanced the watch in his hand, gazed hard at the dial, opened the back, and examined the works, first with his naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens.

Slight - थोड़ा

amusement - मनोरंजन

dogmatic - कट्टर, हठधर्मी, हठी

tone - तान

Occasionally - कभीकभी

assumed - समझना, रूप धारण करना, मानना

gazed - एक्टक देखने ताला, टकटकी

dial - मिलाना

naked - नग्न, नंगा

convex - उत्तल, गुंबद, उन्नतोदर

lens - लेंस

I could hardly keep from smiling at his crestfallen face when he finally snapped the case to and handed it back.

crestfallen - हतोत्साह, हताश/उदास

snapped - प्रेस बटन, टूटना, काट लेना

"There are hardly any data," he remarked. "The watch has been recently cleaned, which robs me of my most suggestive facts."

robs - छीनना, छीन लेना, वंचित करना

suggestive - जताने वाला, जताने वाला

"You are right," I answered. "It was cleaned before being sent to me." In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?

accused - अभियोग लगाना, दोष लगाना

lame - लंगड़ा

impotent - नामर्द, नपुंसक

Excuse - बहाना

failure - असफलता

"Though unsatisfactory, my research has not been entirely barren," he observed, staring up at the ceiling with dreamy, lack-lustre eyes. "Subject to your correction, I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father."

unsatisfactory - असंतोषजनक, असन्तोषजनक, प्रद

entirely - पूरी तरह से, पूरी तरह से

barren - व्यर्थ, बंजर भूमि, फलहीन, बांझ

dreamy - स्वप्निल, अव्यावहारिक

lustre - चमक

correction - संशोधन, शोधन/सुधार/शुद्धि

inherited - पाना

"That you gather, no doubt, from the H. W. upon the back?"

"Quite so. The W. suggests your own name. The date of the watch is nearly fifty years back, and the initials are as old as the watch: so it was made for the last generation. Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to have the same name as the father. Your father has, if I remember right, been dead many years. It has, therefore, been in the hands of your eldest brother."

initials - प्रारंभिक, प्रारम्भिक

jewelry - गहने

Descends - उतरना, उतारना, नीचे उतरना

"Right, so far," said I. "Anything else?"

"He was a man of untidy habits,-very untidy and careless. He was left with good prospects, but he threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I can gather."

untidy - मैला, गन्दा

prospects - दृश्य, खोज़ना, खोज करना, संभावना

threw away - फेंक दिया

occasional - प्रासंगिक, असाम्यिक

intervals - विराम, अंतराल, अन्तराल

prosperity - समृद्धि

I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the room with considerable bitterness in my heart.

limped - लचीला, कठिनाई से आगे बढ पाना

impatiently - अधीरतापूर्वक, अधीरत से

bitterness - तीखापन, कटुता, तीक्ष्णता, शोक

"This is unworthy of you, Holmes," I said. "I could not have believed that you would have descended to this. You have made inquires into the history of my unhappy brother, and you now pretend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful way. You cannot expect me to believe that you have read all this from his old watch! It is unkind, and, to speak plainly, has a touch of charlatanism in it."

unworthy - कुपात्र, अनुचित, अनधिकारी

descended - उतरना, उतारना, नीचे उतरना

inquires - पूछना, पता लगाना, छानबीन करना

fanciful - विलक्षण, मौजी, काल्पनिक

unkind - निर्दयी

plainly - साफ़ तौर पर, साफ़ साफ़

charlatanism - झूठी व्यापार

"My dear doctor," said he, kindly, "pray accept my apologies. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem, I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might be to you. I assure you, however, that I never even knew that you had a brother until you handed me the watch."

apologies - क्षमा प्रार्थना, स्पष्टीकरण

abstract - सारांश, निचोड

assure - निश्चित करना, आश्वासन देना

"Then how in the name of all that is wonderful did you get these facts? They are absolutely correct in every particular."

"Ah, that is good luck. I could only say what was the balance of probability. I did not at all expect to be so accurate."

probability - सम्भाविकी, सम्भावना, सम्भाव्यता

accurate - ठीक, अचूक, सही, एकदम सही

"But it was not mere guess-work?"

"No, no: I never guess. It is a shocking habit,-destructive to the logical faculty. What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. For example, I began by stating that your brother was careless.

shocking - झटका, टक्कर, सदमा पहुँचाना

destructive - हानिकर, हानिकारक, विध्वंशकारी

logical - तार्किक, तर्क संगत

faculty - शक्ति, संकाय, योग्यता, क्षमता

observe - अनुपालन करना, कहना, देखना

inferences - अनुमान, निष्कष

When you observe the lower part of that watch-case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places, but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects, such as coins or keys, in the same pocket. Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats a fifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man.

lower part - निचला भाग

dinted - प्रयत्न, आघात

feat - वीरता का काम

assume - समझना, रूप धारण करना, मानना

guinea - गिनी

Neither is it a very far-fetched inference that a man who inherits one article of such value is pretty well provided for in other respects."

fetched - जाकर लाना, दाम पर बिकना, ले आना

inference - अनुमान, निष्कष

inherits - पाना

I nodded, to show that I followed his reasoning.

nodded - ऊँघना, झूमना, सिर हिलाना, हुक्म

"It is very customary for pawnbrokers in England, when they take a watch, to scratch the number of the ticket with a pin-point upon the inside of the case. It is more handy than a label, as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed. There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this case. Inference,-that your brother was often at low water.

customary - विशिष्ट, हमेशा का, प्रचलित

pawnbrokers - गिरवी दलाल, गिरवी दलाल

scratch - खरोंचना, खरोंच, वापस लेना

handy - आसान

transposed - बदल देना, स्थानांतरित करना

visible - दृश्य, प्रत्यक्ष, उन्मेष

Secondary inference,-that he had occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not have redeemed the pledge. Finally, I ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the key-hole. Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole,-marks where the key has slipped. What sober man's key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see a drunkard's watch without them.

bursts - विस्फोट, कूट कूट कर भर देना

redeemed - पूरा करना, मुक्ति दिलाना

pledge - वचन, वादा करना, वादा करना

scratches - खरोंचना, खरोंच, वापस लेना

slipped - निकालना, गिरना, जाना, उतरना

sober - गंभीर कर देना, गंभीर, सादा

grooves - ग्रूव{नाली जैसा}, ग्रूव बनाना

drunkard - पियक्कड़, शराबी

He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand. Where is the mystery in all this?"

winds - करना, लच्छी बनाना

traces - सुराग, संकेत, अवशेष, कुछ, निशान

unsteady - अनियमित, अस्थिर, चंचल, असंतुलित

"It is as clear as daylight," I answered. "I regret the injustice which I did you. I should have had more faith in your marvellous faculty. May I ask whether you have any professional inquiry on foot at present?"

clear as daylight - सूर्यप्रकाश की तरह स्पष्ट

regret - अफ़सोस

injustice - जफा, अन्याय

Faith - आस्था, धारणा, ईमान, यक़ीन

marvellous - शानदार, चमत्कार, आश्चर्यजनक

inquiry - जाँच, सर्वेक्षण, अन्वेषण

"None. Hence the cocaine. I cannot live without brain-work. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-colored houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?

hence - अतः, इस कारण से

brain-work - (brain-work) मस्तिष्क कार्य

dreary - नीरस, निराशाजनक, मन्द उदास

dismal - निराशाजनक, भयानक, निराशपुर्ण

unprofitable - अलाभप्रद, अलाभकर, ग़ैरफ़ायदेमंद

Fog - कोहरा

swirls - चक्कर, भँवर में बहना, छल्ला

drifts - बहना, ढेर, धारा, अभिप्राय

dun - तकाज़ा करने वाला/तकाज़ा

hopelessly - निराशाजनक ढंग से

prosaic - नीरस, अकल्पनाशील

exert - जोर लगाना, काम में लाना

Crime is commonplace, existence is commonplace, and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth."

commonplace - आम, आम बात, आम बात

I had opened my mouth to reply to this tirade, when with a crisp knock our landlady entered, bearing a card upon the brass salver.

tirade - कड़ी निंदा, विषवमन

crisp - खरा, तीव्र, छल्लेदार

landlady - मकान मालकिन, मालकिन

brass - पीतल

salver - थाली

"A young lady for you, sir," she said, addressing my companion.

"Miss Mary Morstan," he read. "Hum! I have no recollection of the name. Ask the young lady to step up, Mrs. Hudson. Don't go, doctor. I should prefer that you remain."

Mary - मेरी

Hum - गूँज, गुंजन, चहल पहल होना

recollection - स्मरण, स्मरण शक्ति, याद, स्मृति

Chapter II - The Statement of the Case

Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm step and an outward composure of manner. She was a blonde young lady, small, dainty, well gloved, and dressed in the most perfect taste. There was, however, a plainness and simplicity about her costume which bore with it a suggestion of limited means.

firm - स्थिर, दृढ़, अचल

outward - जाता हुआ, बाहरी, बाहर की ओर

composure - आत्मसंयम, धैर्य

dainty - मृदु, स्वादिष्ट वस्तु/प्रसाद

most perfect - सबसे पूर्ण

plainness - अमिश्रितता, स्पष्टता, सादगी

The dress was a sombre grayish beige, untrimmed and unbraided, and she wore a small turban of the same dull hue, relieved only by a suspicion of white feather in the side. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion, but her expression was sweet and amiable, and her large blue eyes were singularly spiritual and sympathetic.

sombre - निराशाजनक, उदास/शोकमग्न

grayish - धुसर सा

beige - बेज, बेझ़

untrimmed - न कटा हुआ, न कटा हुआ

turban - पगड़ी, उश्णीष, दस्तार

hue - विविध रंग

relieved - कम करना, सहायता करना, उठाना

suspicion - खटका, अविश्वास, पुट, शक, संदेह

feather - पंख, पर

regularity - नियमानुकूलता, नियमितता

complexion - वर्ण, स्वरूप

amiable - स्नेही, मिलनसार, कांत

singularly - एकदम ही, विशिष्ट रूप से

spiritual - आध्यात्मिक

sympathetic - कारुणिक, अनुकंपी, सहानुभूतिशील

In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents, I have never looked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature. I could not but observe that as she took the seat which Sherlock Holmes placed for her, her lip trembled, her hand quivered, and she showed every sign of intense inward agitation.

extends - फैलना, फैलाना, देना, बढ़ाना

refined - सुधारना, शुद्ध करना

sensitive - निजी, दिल को छूने वाला, कोमल

trembled - परेशान करना, हिलना, कम्पन

quivered - कंपन, तुणीर, झुरझुरी, तरकश, झपक

intense - अत्यधिक, तीव्र, भावुक, गहन

inward - भीतरी, अन्दरूनी, भीतर की ओर

agitation - उत्तेजना, अकुला, आंदोलन, हिलाना

"I have come to you, Mr. Holmes," she said, "because you once enabled my employer, Mrs. Cecil Forrester, to unravel a little domestic complication. She was much impressed by your kindness and skill."

enabled - प्राप्त करना, अधिकार देना

unravel - असफल होना, सुलझाना, उधड़ना

domestic - घरेलू नौकर, पालतू

complication - जटिलता, परेशानी, उलझन

impressed - प्रभावित करना, प्रभाव डालना

"Mrs. Cecil Forrester," he repeated thoughtfully. "I believe that I was of some slight service to her. The case, however, as I remember it, was a very simple one."

"She did not think so. But at least you cannot say the same of mine. I can hardly imagine anything more strange, more utterly inexplicable, than the situation in which I find myself."

more strange - अधिक अजीब

utterly - नितान्त, पूर्ण रूप से

inexplicable - दुरूह, व्याख्या न करने योग्य

Holmes rubbed his hands, and his eyes glistened. He leaned forward in his chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut, hawklike features. "State your case," said he, in brisk, business tones.

rubbed - बाधा, रगड़ना, मिटाना

glistened - चमकना

concentration - सांद्रता

clear-cut - (clear-cut) स्पष्ट कट

hawklike - बाज जैस्

brisk - फुरतीला

tones - स्वराघात, ध्वनि

I felt that my position was an embarrassing one. "You will, I am sure, excuse me," I said, rising from my chair.

To my surprise, the young lady held up her gloved hand to detain me. "If your friend," she said, "would be good enough to stop, he might be of inestimable service to me."

detain - रोकना, पकड़ना

inestimable - अनमोल, अमूल्य

I relapsed into my chair.

relapsed - पुनः पतन होना, पुनः पतन

"Briefly," she continued, "the facts are these. My father was an officer in an Indian regiment who sent me home when I was quite a child. My mother was dead, and I had no relative in England. I was placed, however, in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh, and there I remained until I was seventeen years of age.

briefly - संक्षेप में, कुछ समय

regiment - बहुसंख्या, रेजिमेंट, पलटन

establishment - स्थान, संस्था, नींव, स्थापना

Edinburgh - एडिनबरा

In the year 1878 my father, who was senior captain of his regiment, obtained twelve months'leave and came home. He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe, and directed me to come down at once, giving the Langham Hotel as his address. His message, as I remember, was full of kindness and love.

senior - वरिष्ठ, ज्येष्ठ, अपर, बड़ा

obtained - पाना, प्राप्त करना, हाशिल करना

On reaching London I drove to the Langham, and was informed that Captain Morstan was staying there, but that he had gone out the night before and had not yet returned. I waited all day without news of him. That night, on the advice of the manager of the hotel, I communicated with the police, and next morning we advertised in all the papers.

informed - बताना, सूचित करना, प्रेरित करना

Our inquiries led to no result; and from that day to this no word has ever been heard of my unfortunate father. He came home with his heart full of hope, to find some peace, some comfort, and instead-" She put her hand to her throat, and a choking sob cut short the sentence.

inquiries - जाँच, सर्वेक्षण, अन्वेषण

unfortunate - दुःखद, दुर्भाग्य, खेदजनक, अभागा

comfort - आराम

choking - चोक, सांस रूकना

sob - कमीना, सिसकते हुए कहना

"The date?" asked Holmes, opening his note-book.

"He disappeared upon the 3d of December, 1878,-nearly ten years ago."

"His luggage?"

luggage - सामान

"Remained at the hotel. There was nothing in it to suggest a clue,-some clothes, some books, and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman Islands. He had been one of the officers in charge of the convict-guard there."

curiosities - असामान्य, जिज्ञासा

convict - अपराधी, अपराधी ठहराना, दोषी

"Had he any friends in town?"

"Only one that we know of,-Major Sholto, of his own regiment, the 34th Bombay Infantry. The major had retired some little time before, and lived at Upper Norwood. We communicated with him, of course, but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England."

Bombay - बम्बई, बंबई

infantry - प्यादा, पदाति, पाजी

"A singular case," remarked Holmes.

singular - एकवचन

"I have not yet described to you the most singular part. About six years ago-to be exact, upon the 4th of May, 1882-an advertisement appeared in the Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan and stating that it would be to her advantage to come forward. There was no name or address appended. I had at that time just entered the family of Mrs. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess.

appended - जोड़ना

capacity - सामर्थ्य, क्षमता

governess - अध्यापिका

By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column. The same day there arrived through the post a small card-board box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl. No word of writing was enclosed. Since then every year upon the same date there has always appeared a similar box, containing a similar pearl, without any clue as to the sender.

advertisement column - विज्ञापन स्तंभ

lustrous - चमकीला, उज्ज्वल, कांतिमान

enclosed - घेरना, बंद करना, बाड़ा लगाना

pearl - मोती, मुक्ता

sender - भेजने वाला, प्रेषक, भेजने वाला

They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare variety and of considerable value. You can see for yourselves that they are very handsome." She opened a flat box as she spoke, and showed me six of the finest pearls that I had ever seen.

handsome - ख़ूबसूरत

pearls - मोती, कृत्रिम मोती, जलज

"Your statement is most interesting," said Sherlock Holmes. "Has anything else occurred to you?"

"Yes, and no later than to-day. That is why I have come to you. This morning I received this letter, which you will perhaps read for yourself."

"Thank you," said Holmes. "The envelope too, please. Postmark, London, S.W. Date, July 7. Hum! Man's thumb-mark on corner,-probably postman. Best quality paper. Envelopes at sixpence a packet. Particular man in his stationery. No address. 'Be at the third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre to-night at seven o'clock. If you are distrustful, bring two friends.

postmark - डाक मोहर

thumb - अंगूठा

postman - डाकिया

envelopes - थैला, लिफ़ाफ़ा, एनवलप, लिफाफा

sixpence - छः पेंस

packet - पैकेट, पुलिंदा, लिफ़ाफ़ा

Stationery - लेखन सामग्री, पत्र लेखन कागज़

pillar - स्तंभ, खंभा

Lyceum - a public hall designed for lectures or concerts

distrustful - अविश्वासी, संकालु

You are a wronged woman, and shall have justice. Do not bring police. If you do, all will be in vain. Your unknown friend.'Well, really, this is a very pretty little mystery. What do you intend to do, Miss Morstan?"

justice - न्याय, इनसाफ़

vain - व्यर्थ, अहंकारी, खोखला, असार

unknown - अनजान

"That is exactly what I want to ask you."

"Then we shall most certainly go. You and I and-yes, why, Dr. Watson is the very man. Your correspondent says two friends. He and I have worked together before."

correspondent - लिखनेवाला, चिट्ठी लिखने वाला

"But would he come?" she asked, with something appealing in her voice and expression.

appealing - आग्रह करना

"I should be proud and happy," said I, fervently, "if I can be of any service."

fervently - उत्सुकता से, उत्कटतापूर्वक

"You are both very kind," she answered. "I have led a retired life, and have no friends whom I could appeal to. If I am here at six it will do, I suppose?"

"You must not be later," said Holmes. "There is one other point, however. Is this handwriting the same as that upon the pearl-box addresses?"

handwriting - हस्तलिपि

"I have them here," she answered, producing half a dozen pieces of paper.

dozen - दर्जन

"You are certainly a model client. You have the correct intuition. Let us see, now." He spread out the papers upon the table, and gave little darting glances from one to the other. "They are disguised hands, except the letter," he said, presently, "but there can be no question as to the authorship. See how the irrepressible Greek e will break out, and see the twirl of the final s.

darting - चुन्नट, (**), बर्छी, झपट्टा

glances - चमकना, ग्लांस करना, नजर डालना

disguised - भेष बदलना, छिपाना, वेष बदलन्

Presently - अभी, शीघ्र ही, संप्रति

authorship - लेखन, लेखक कार्य, कर्तृत्व

irrepressible - अदमनीय

Greek - यूनानी, ग्रीक

twirl - घुमाना, घुमाव, चक्कर खाना, घसीट

They are undoubtedly by the same person. I should not like to suggest false hopes, Miss Morstan, but is there any resemblance between this hand and that of your father?"

Undoubtedly - निश्चित रूप से

resemblance - सादृश्य, समानता

"Nothing could be more unlike."

"I expected to hear you say so. We shall look out for you, then, at six. Pray allow me to keep the papers. I may look into the matter before then. It is only half-past three. Au revoir, then."

au - almost uncirculated

"Au revoir," said our visitor, and, with a bright, kindly glance from one to the other of us, she replaced her pearl-box in her bosom and hurried away. Standing at the window, I watched her walking briskly down the street, until the gray turban and white feather were but a speck in the sombre crowd.

glance - चमकना, ग्लांस करना, नजर डालना

bosom - मन में रखना, छाती

briskly - तेज़ी से, तेज़ी से

Gray - भूरा

speck - धब्बा

"What a very attractive woman!" I exclaimed, turning to my companion.

exclaimed - चिल्लाना, चिल्लाकर कहना

He had lit his pipe again, and was leaning back with drooping eyelids. "Is she?" he said, languidly. "I did not observe."

drooping - झुकना, लटकन, कुम्हलाना

eyelids - पलक, दृष्टिपत, नयन पट

"You really are an automaton,-a calculating-machine!" I cried. "There is something positively inhuman in you at times."

automaton - यंत्र मानव, मशीनी मानव

calculating - निश्चित करना, समझना, गिनती करना

positively - निश्चित रूप से, निश्चित रुप से

inhuman - निर्दय, क्रूर, अमानुषिक

He smiled gently. "It is of the first importance," he said, "not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities. A client is to me a mere unit,-a factor in a problem. The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning.

gently - सावधानी से, शिष्टता से

judgment - विचार, जाँच, समझ, विवेक, अनुमान

biased - पक्षपात, झुकाव, दबाव डालना

emotional - उत्तेजित, भावुक, भावात्मक

antagonistic - विरोधात्मक, प्रतिरोधी

I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellant man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor."

insurance - बीमा, इन्श्योरेंस

repellant - घिनौना, घृणास्पद, निरोधक

acquaintance - ज्ञान, पहचान, परिचित, परिचय

philanthropist - लोकोपकारी, परोपकारी

"In this case, however-"

"I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule. Have you ever had occasion to study character in handwriting? What do you make of this fellow's scribble?"

exceptions - अपवाद

disproves - असत्य प्रमाणित करना

fellow - व्यक्ति

scribble - घसीटना

"It is legible and regular," I answered. "A man of business habits and some force of character."

legible - t-needed i

Holmes shook his head. "Look at his long letters," he said. "They hardly rise above the common herd. That d might be an a, and that l an e. Men of character always differentiate their long letters, however illegibly they may write. There is vacillation in his k's and self-esteem in his capitals. I am going out now. I have some few references to make.

herd - पशुओं का झुण्ड

differentiate - अलग करना, भेद भाव करना

illegibly - अपठनीय ढंग से

vacillation - हिचकिचाहट

self - खुद, ख़ुद, स्वयं, नफ्स

esteem - सम्मान करना, आदर, आदर/सम्मान

Let me recommend this book,-one of the most remarkable ever penned. It is Winwood Reade's 'Martyrdom of Man.'I shall be back in an hour."

remarkable - विलक्षण, विशिष्ट, उल्लेखनीय

penned - लिखा हुआ

martyrdom - शहादत, शहीदी, कुरबानी

I sat in the window with the volume in my hand, but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. My mind ran upon our late visitor,-her smiles, the deep rich tones of her voice, the strange mystery which overhung her life.

thoughts - विचार, मत, इरादा, विचारधारा

daring - साहस, साहसी, शूरवीर, निर्भीक

speculations - सट्टेबाज़ी, विचार, चिंतन

overhung - लटकना, बाहर लटका होना, छज्जा

If she were seventeen at the time of her father's disappearance she must be seven-and-twenty now,-a sweet age, when youth has lost its self-consciousness and become a little sobered by experience. So I sat and mused, until such dangerous thoughts came into my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon pathology.

disappearance - ओझल

consciousness - चेतना

sobered - गंभीर कर देना, गंभीर, सादा

by experience - अनुभव से

mused - विचार करना, प्रेरक शक्ति

plunged - उछाल आना, फँसाना, प्रवेश करना

furiously - in a furious manner, angrily

treatise - प्रबंध

pathology - विकृतिविज्ञान

What was I, an army surgeon with a weak leg and a weaker banking-account, that I should dare to think of such things? She was a unit, a factor,-nothing more. If my future were black, it was better surely to face it like a man than to attempt to brighten it by mere will-o'-the-wisps of the imagination.

surgeon - शल्यचिकित्सक, जर्राह, सर्जन

dare - साहस करना

attempt - कोशिश करना

brighten - प्रसन्न होना, चमकना

wisps - गुच्छा, लट, छरहरा व्यक्ति

imagination - कल्पना, तसव्वुर, तख़य्युल

Chapter III - In Quest of a Solution

quest - तलाश

It was half-past five before Holmes returned. He was bright, eager, and in excellent spirits,-a mood which in his case alternated with fits of the blackest depression.

eager - उत्सुक

alternated - दूसरा, हर दूसरा, एकांतरण करना

depression - मंदी

"There is no great mystery in this matter," he said, taking the cup of tea which I had poured out for him. "The facts appear to admit of only one explanation."

admit of - स्वीकार करना

"What! you have solved it already?"

"Well, that would be too much to say. I have discovered a suggestive fact, that is all. It is, however, VERY suggestive. The details are still to be added. I have just found, on consulting the back files of the Times, that Major Sholto, of Upper Norword, late of the 34th Bombay Infantry, died upon the 28th of April, 1882."

"I may be very obtuse, Holmes, but I fail to see what this suggests."

obtuse - अति, कुंठाग्र, मूर्ख

"No? You surprise me. Look at it in this way, then. Captain Morstan disappears. The only person in London whom he could have visited is Major Sholto. Major Sholto denies having heard that he was in London. Four years later Sholto dies.

denies - प्रतिवाड करना, इन्कार करना

WITHIN A WEEK OF HIS DEATH Captain Morstan's daughter receives a valuable present, which is repeated from year to year, and now culminates in a letter which describes her as a wronged woman. What wrong can it refer to except this deprivation of her father?

culminates - पराकाष्ठा पर पहुँचना

deprivation - अभाव्, अभाव का कष्ट

And why should the presents begin immediately after Sholto's death, unless it is that Sholto's heir knows something of the mystery and desires to make compensation? Have you any alternative theory which will meet the facts?"

heir - वारिस

desires - इच्छा, चाहना, तृष्णा

compensation - मुआवजा, हरजाना, हर्जाना

"But what a strange compensation! And how strangely made! Why, too, should he write a letter now, rather than six years ago? Again, the letter speaks of giving her justice. What justice can she have? It is too much to suppose that her father is still alive. There is no other injustice in her case that you know of."

strangely - अजीब तरह से, असाधारण रूप से

"There are difficulties; there are certainly difficulties," said Sherlock Holmes, pensively. "But our expedition of to-night will solve them all. Ah, here is a four-wheeler, and Miss Morstan is inside. Are you all ready? Then we had better go down, for it is a little past the hour."

pensively - विचारमग्न ढंग से, विषण्णता से

wheeler - साइकिल सवार

I picked up my hat and my heaviest stick, but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket. It was clear that he thought that our night's work might be a serious one.

revolver - चक्र द्वार

drawer - दराज

Miss Morstan was muffled in a dark cloak, and her sensitive face was composed, but pale. She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking, yet her self-control was perfect, and she readily answered the few additional questions which Sherlock Holmes put to her.

muffled - लपेटना, आवाज़ दबाना

cloak - चोग़ा

composed - showing composure

uneasiness - बेचैनी, व्याकुलता, चिन्ता

enterprise - उद्यम

embarking - जाने का साहस करना

self-control - (self-control) स्वयं नियंत्रण

readily - तरन्त ही, सरलता से, सरलता से

"Major Sholto was a very particular friend of papa's," she said. "His letters were full of allusions to the major. He and papa were in command of the troops at the Andaman Islands, so they were thrown a great deal together. By the way, a curious paper was found in papa's desk which no one could understand.

allusions - संकेत, उल्लेख

papa - पिता, पापा

Command - आदेश, आज्ञा, दस्तूर, फ़रमान

troops - दल, स्काउट दल, टुकड़ी

I don't suppose that it is of the slightest importance, but I thought you might care to see it, so I brought it with me. It is here."

slightest - छोटा, तुच्छ, साधारण

Holmes unfolded the paper carefully and smoothed it out upon his knee. He then very methodically examined it all over with his double lens.

unfolded - फैलाना, प्रकट करना, खोलना

methodically - क्रमबद्ध ढंग से

"It is paper of native Indian manufacture," he remarked. "It has at some time been pinned to a board. The diagram upon it appears to be a plan of part of a large building with numerous halls, corridors, and passages. At one point is a small cross done in red ink, and above it is '3.37 from left,'in faded pencil-writing.

manufacture - उत्पादन करना

numerous - बहुत से, बहुत ज्यादा

corridors - सीमांत गलियारा, गलियारा

passages - परिवर्तन, स्वीकृति, किराया

ink - स्याही

faded - सनक

In the left-hand corner is a curious hieroglyphic like four crosses in a line with their arms touching. Beside it is written, in very rough and coarse characters, 'The sign of the four,-Jonathan Small, Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.'No, I confess that I do not see how this bears upon the matter. Yet it is evidently a document of importance.

hieroglyphic - चित्रलिपीय

beside - बग़ल, की बग़ल में

coarse - घटिया, असभ्य, भद्दा, अश्लील

Jonathan - biblical character

Mahomet - महमेद

evidently - स्पष्ट रूप से, स्पष्ट रूप से

It has been kept carefully in a pocket-book; for the one side is as clean as the other."

pocket-book - (pocket-book) पॉकेट बुक

"It was in his pocket-book that we found it."

"Preserve it carefully, then, Miss Morstan, for it may prove to be of use to us. I begin to suspect that this matter may turn out to be much deeper and more subtle than I at first supposed. I must reconsider my ideas." He leaned back in the cab, and I could see by his drawn brow and his vacant eye that he was thinking intently.

preserve - मुरब्बा, सम्भाल कर रखना

suspect - समझना, लगना, क्षतिग्रस्त

subtle - हल्का, जटिल, कुशाग्र, तीक्ष्ण

reconsider - फिर देखना, पुनर्विचार करना

cab - टैक्सी

brow - शिखर, मस्तक, भौंह

vacant - खाली, विचार शून्य, रिक्त

intently - उत्सुकतापूर्वक

Miss Morstan and I chatted in an undertone about our present expedition and its possible outcome, but our companion maintained his impenetrable reserve until the end of our journey.

undertone - हल्का रंग, हलका रंग

outcome - परिणाम, नतीजा, निष्कर्ष

maintained - भरण पोषण करना, मरम्मत करना

impenetrable - अभेद्य, दुर्बोध

reserve - संचय, अलग छोड़ देना, प्रतिबंध

It was a September evening, and not yet seven o'clock, but the day had been a dreary one, and a dense drizzly fog lay low upon the great city. Mud-colored clouds drooped sadly over the muddy streets. Down the Strand the lamps were but misty splotches of diffused light which threw a feeble circular glimmer upon the slimy pavement.

dense - घना

drizzly - बुराईना

drooped - झुकना, लटकन, कुम्हलाना

Muddy - मटमैला, मैला, गंदा करना, दलदली

Strand - बेसवारी

misty - कोहरे से आच्छादित

splotches - धब्बा, घेरा, गन्दा करना/पोतना

diffused - फैला हुआ, व्याप्त होना

feeble - अशक्त, दुर्बल, मामूली, क्षीण

circular - वृत्तीय, वर्तुल, गोल, वृत्ताकार

glimmer - टिमटिमाना

slimy - घृणित, घिनौना, चिपचिपा

The yellow glare from the shop-windows streamed out into the steamy, vaporous air, and threw a murky, shifting radiance across the crowded thoroughfare. There was, to my mind, something eerie and ghost-like in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light,-sad faces and glad, haggard and merry.

glare - तरेरना

shop-windows - (shop-windows) दुकान के खिड़कियाँ

streamed - बहना, वर्ग, प्रवाह, धारा, शाखा

steamy - कामोत्तेजक, भाप से भरा हुआ, गरम

vaporous - वाष्प सदृश

murky - संदेहास्पद, अँधेरा, अँधेरी, गंदा

radiance - ज्योति, gleam

thoroughfare - t-needed i

eerie - भयानक, डरावनी

endless - अनंत, बेहद, निःसीम, अंत हीन

procession - शोभायाट्रा, याट्रा का व्यक्ति

flitted - भाग जाना, मँडराना, इधर उधर उड़ना

haggard - थका-हारा

merry - आनन्दपूर्ण

Like all human kind, they flitted from the gloom into the light, and so back into the gloom once more. I am not subject to impressions, but the dull, heavy evening, with the strange business upon which we were engaged, combined to make me nervous and depressed. I could see from Miss Morstan's manner that she was suffering from the same feeling.

gloom - अंधकार, उदासी, निराशा

depressed - कम करना, घटाना, दबाना

Holmes alone could rise superior to petty influences. He held his open note-book upon his knee, and from time to time he jotted down figures and memoranda in the light of his pocket-lantern.

superior - उत्कृष्ट, अच्छा, श्रेष्ठ, उच्च

petty - लघु, क्रूर, नीच, छोटा मोटा

jotted down - लिख दिया

memoranda - मेमोरांडा

lantern - लालटेन, फ़ानूस, फानूस

At the Lyceum Theatre the crowds were already thick at the side-entrances. In front a continuous stream of hansoms and four-wheelers were rattling up, discharging their cargoes of shirt-fronted men and beshawled, bediamonded women. We had hardly reached the third pillar, which was our rendezvous, before a small, dark, brisk man in the dress of a coachman accosted us.

stream - नदी, रूद

hansoms - बग्घी, घोड़ा गाड़ी

wheelers - साइकिल सवार

rattling - बहुत, अद्भुत, सुखदायी

discharging - गिरना, स्राव, प्रवाह

cargoes - माल, जहाज मे लदा मालअ

rendezvous - पूर्वनिश्चित समय और स्थान पर मिलना

coachman - घोड़ागाड़ी चालक

accosted - टोकना, फँसाना, संबोधन करना

"Are you the parties who come with Miss Morstan?" he asked.

"I am Miss Morstan, and these two gentlemen are my friends," said she.

He bent a pair of wonderfully penetrating and questioning eyes upon us. "You will excuse me, miss," he said with a certain dogged manner, "but I was to ask you to give me your word that neither of your companions is a police-officer."

wonderfully - बहुत अच्छे ढंग से

penetrating - समझना, घुसना, काम करना

Companions - साथी, छोटी पुस्तक, मिट्र

"I give you my word on that," she answered.

He gave a shrill whistle, on which a street Arab led across a four-wheeler and opened the door. The man who had addressed us mounted to the box, while we took our places inside. We had hardly done so before the driver whipped up his horse, and we plunged away at a furious pace through the foggy streets.

shrill - तीखा, तीक्ष्ण, कर्णभेदी

whistle - सीटी

mounted - घोड़ा, आयोजित करना, चढना

whipped - मिठाई, बुरी तरह से पछाड़ देना

furious - उग्र, भीषण, प्रचण्ड, कुपित

pace - कदम

foggy - कोहरेदार, भ्रमपूर्ण, धुँधला

The situation was a curious one. We were driving to an unknown place, on an unknown errand. Yet our invitation was either a complete hoax,-which was an inconceivable hypothesis,-or else we had good reason to think that important issues might hang upon our journey. Miss Morstan's demeanor was as resolute and collected as ever.

errand - दूतकार्य

hoax - घोखेबाज़

inconceivable - अचिन्त्य, कल्पनातीत

hypothesis - अनुमान, परिकल्पना, अवधारणा

demeanor - व्यवहार

resolute - दृढ़, धीर/संकल्पवान

I endeavored to cheer and amuse her by reminiscences of my adventures in Afghanistan; but, to tell the truth, I was myself so excited at our situation and so curious as to our destination that my stories were slightly involved.

endeavored - प्रयास, प्रयत्न, प्रयत्न करना

cheer - हर्ष

amuse - मनोरंजन करना, मन बहलाना

reminiscences - स्मरण, याद करना, समानता, सुध

Afghanistan - id=Q889 ountry

To this day she declares that I told her one moving anecdote as to how a musket looked into my tent at the dead of night, and how I fired a double-barrelled tiger cub at it.

declares - बताना, प्रकट करना, कहना

anecdote - लघुकथा, किस्सा, दंतकथा

musket - बन्दूक, बंदूक

barrelled - पीपा, पीपे मेँ भरना, तेज़ चलाना

tiger - बाघ

cub - सिंह, लोमड़ी आदि पशु का शावक

At first I had some idea as to the direction in which we were driving; but soon, what with our pace, the fog, and my own limited knowledge of London, I lost my bearings, and knew nothing, save that we seemed to be going a very long way. Sherlock Holmes was never at fault, however, and he muttered the names as the cab rattled through squares and in and out by tortuous by-streets.

bearings - आचरण

fault - खोट, दोष

muttered - शिकायत, फुसफुसाहट, बड़बड़ाना

rattled - खनखनाना, घबड़ा देना, खनखनाहट

tortuous - घुमावदार, जटिल, पेचीदा, कुटिल

"Rochester Row," said he. "Now Vincent Square. Now we come out on the Vauxhall Bridge Road. We are making for the Surrey side, apparently. Yes, I thought so. Now we are on the bridge. You can catch glimpses of the river."

Row - झगड़ा

Surrey - सरी

apparently - स्पष्ट रूप से, बिल्कुल

glimpses - झलक, झाँकी

We did indeed get a fleeting view of a stretch of the Thames with the lamps shining upon the broad, silent water; but our cab dashed on, and was soon involved in a labyrinth of streets upon the other side.

fleeting - फुर्तीला, तेज़, नौसेना

stretch - फैलाना, फैल जाना, पंक्ति

Thames - टेम्स

broad - विस्तृत

dashed - मिश्रण, टक्कर, टकराना, झलक

labyrinth - भूलभुलैयाँ

"Wordsworth Road," said my companion. "Priory Road. Lark Hall Lane. Stockwell Place. Robert Street. Cold Harbor Lane. Our quest does not appear to take us to very fashionable regions."

Wordsworth - वर्ड्सवर्थ

Priory - मठ

lark - एक पक्षी, क्रीडा़-कौतक

Robert - given name

harbor - बन्दरगाह

lane - गली, खोरी

We had, indeed, reached a questionable and forbidding neighborhood. Long lines of dull brick houses were only relieved by the coarse glare and tawdry brilliancy of public houses at the corner.

questionable - संदिग्ध, संदेहास्पद, संदेहयुक्त

forbidding - डरावना

brick - ईंट

tawdry - घटिया, सस्ता, भड़कीला

brilliancy - shining quality

Then came rows of two-storied villas each with a fronting of miniature garden, and then again interminable lines of new staring brick buildings,-the monster tentacles which the giant city was throwing out into the country. At last the cab drew up at the third house in a new terrace.

rows - चलाना, झिड़की, पंक्ति, लगातार

villas - देहाती बँगला, गृह

miniature - लघु, लघु चित्र

interminable - अनंतकालीन, अनन्त

buildings - भवन, निर्माण, भवन निर्माण, कोठी

monster - राक्षस, देव, दैत्य, दानव

tentacles - शिकंजा, स्पर्शक, पहुँच

terrace - बरामदा

None of the other houses were inhabited, and that at which we stopped was as dark as its neighbors, save for a single glimmer in the kitchen window. On our knocking, however, the door was instantly thrown open by a Hindoo servant clad in a yellow turban, white loose-fitting clothes, and a yellow sash.

inhabited - निवास करना, बसना, में निवास करना

instantly - तुरंत, तत्काल, शीघ्र

Hindoo - हिंदू

loose - ढीला

sash - दुपट्टा, कमर बन्द

There was something strangely incongruous in this Oriental figure framed in the commonplace door-way of a third-rate suburban dwelling-house.

incongruous - बेतुका, असंगत

Oriental - पूर्वी, पूर्व वासी

Suburban - उबाऊ, संकीर्ण, उपनगर संबंधी

dwelling-house - (dwelling-house) आवासीय घर

"The Sahib awaits you," said he, and even as he spoke there came a high piping voice from some inner room. "Show them in to me, khitmutgar," it cried. "Show them straight in to me."

Sahib - साहिब, साहब

awaits - आसरा देखना, बाट जोहना, शलभ

Chapter IV - The Story of the Bald-Headed Man

bald - गंजा

We followed the Indian down a sordid and common passage, ill lit and worse furnished, until he came to a door upon the right, which he threw open.

sordid - घटिया, अनैतिक, गंदा

passage - गलियारा

furnished - सुस्सजित करना, प्रस्तुत करना

A blaze of yellow light streamed out upon us, and in the centre of the glare there stood a small man with a very high head, a bristle of red hair all round the fringe of it, and a bald, shining scalp which shot out from among it like a mountain-peak from fir-trees.

blaze - आग की ज्वाला

bristle - सूअर का बाल, फटा पड़ना

fringe - किनारा, फुंदना, गौण गतिविधि

scalp - सिर की खाल उतारना

mountain-peak - (mountain-peak) पर्वत शीर्ष

fir-trees - (fir-trees) देवदार

He writhed his hands together as he stood, and his features were in a perpetual jerk, now smiling, now scowling, but never for an instant in repose. Nature had given him a pendulous lip, and a too visible line of yellow and irregular teeth, which he strove feebly to conceal by constantly passing his hand over the lower part of his face.

writhed - कराहना, कसमसाना, तरपना

perpetual - निरन्तर, शाश्वत, चिरस्थायी

jerk - धक्का, झटका, मूर्ख

scowling - क्रोधित होना, (scowl) क्रोधित होना

instant - तुरन्त

repose - आराम

pendulous - लोल, निलंबी

strove - कठोर परिश्रम करना, प्रयास करना

feebly - दुर्बलता से

conceal - छिपाना

constantly - लगातार, सदा

In spite of his obtrusive baldness, he gave the impression of youth. In point of fact he had just turned his thirtieth year.

spite - द्वेष-विद्वेष, मनमुटाव, गांठ

obtrusive - बाधक

baldness - गंजापन

thirtieth - तीसवां

"Your servant, Miss Morstan," he kept repeating, in a thin, high voice. "Your servant, gentlemen. Pray step into my little sanctum. A small place, miss, but furnished to my own liking. An oasis of art in the howling desert of South London."

sanctum - निजी कमरा, परमपावन मन्दिरगर्भ

oasis - नखलिस्तान

howling - ज़बर्दस्त, भीषण, अद्भुत

We were all astonished by the appearance of the apartment into which he invited us. In that sorry house it looked as out of place as a diamond of the first water in a setting of brass. The richest and glossiest of curtains and tapestries draped the walls, looped back here and there to expose some richly-mounted painting or Oriental vase.

astonished - ठगा सा, आश्चर्य होना, चकित करना

glossiest - चमकीला, चिकना, पत्रिका

tapestries - टैपेस्ट्रीदार दीवार चित्र

draped - आच्छादित, वेष्टित

looped - फंदा, परिपथ, फन्दा

expose - दिखाना, विवरण, प्रकट करना

richly - बहुतायत से, पूर्ण रूप से

vase - गुलदान

The carpet was of amber-and-black, so soft and so thick that the foot sank pleasantly into it, as into a bed of moss. Two great tiger-skins thrown athwart it increased the suggestion of Eastern luxury, as did a huge hookah which stood upon a mat in the corner. A lamp in the fashion of a silver dove was hung from an almost invisible golden wire in the centre of the room.

amber - एम्बर

pleasantly - सुखद रूप से, प्रङुल्लतापूर्वक

moss - काई

athwart - across the path of something

hookah - हुक्का

mat - चटाई

dove - फाख्ता, (dive) फाख्ता

invisible - अदृश्य

Golden - महतपूर्ण, अच्छा, शुभ, सोने का

wire in - तार में

As it burned it filled the air with a subtle and aromatic odor.

aromatic - खुशबूदार, ख़ुशबूदार

odor - गंध

"Mr. Thaddeus Sholto," said the little man, still jerking and smiling. "That is my name. You are Miss Morstan, of course. And these gentlemen-"

jerking - झिलमिलाना, (jerk) झिलमिलाना

"This is Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and this is Dr. Watson."

"A doctor, eh?" cried he, much excited. "Have you your stethoscope? Might I ask you-would you have the kindness? I have grave doubts as to my mitral valve, if you would be so very good. The aortic I may rely upon, but I should value your opinion upon the mitral."

eh - used as a tag question

stethoscope - स्टेथोस्कोप, परिश्रावक

grave - कब्र

mitral - pertaining to the mitral valve

valve - वाल्व

aortic - of or concerning the aorta

rely - निर्भर होना, निर्भर करना

I listened to his heart, as requested, but was unable to find anything amiss, save indeed that he was in an ecstasy of fear, for he shivered from head to foot. "It appears to be normal," I said. "You have no cause for uneasiness."

as requested - अनुरोध किया गया

amiss - गलत, गड़बड़

ecstasy - अति आह्लाद, एक्सटेसी, परम आनंद

shivered - कम्पन, कँपकँअपी, काँपना

"You will excuse my anxiety, Miss Morstan," he remarked, airily. "I am a great sufferer, and I have long had suspicions as to that valve. I am delighted to hear that they are unwarranted. Had your father, Miss Morstan, refrained from throwing a strain upon his heart, he might have been alive now."

anxiety - चिंता, परेशानी

airily - लापरवाही से, लापरवाही से

sufferer - पीड़ित

suspicions - खटका, अविश्वास, पुट, शक, संदेह

unwarranted - अनुचित, बेबुनियाद, निराधार

refrained - दूर रहना, आड़ना, स्थायी

I could have struck the man across the face, so hot was I at this callous and off-hand reference to so delicate a matter. Miss Morstan sat down, and her face grew white to the lips. "I knew in my heart that he was dead," said she.

callous - कठोर, संवेदनाहीन

"I can give you every information," said he, "and, what is more, I can do you justice; and I will, too, whatever Brother Bartholomew may say. I am so glad to have your friends here, not only as an escort to you, but also as witnesses to what I am about to do and say. The three of us can show a bold front to Brother Bartholomew. But let us have no outsiders,-no police or officials.

escort - सहचर, मार्गरक्षण करना

witnesses - करना, गवाह, प्रमाण, गवाह होना

bold - दबंग

outsiders - पराया, बाहर का आदमी

We can settle everything satisfactorily among ourselves, without any interference. Nothing would annoy Brother Bartholomew more than any publicity." He sat down upon a low settee and blinked at us inquiringly with his weak, watery blue eyes.

settle - आराम करना

satisfactorily - संतोषजनक ढंग से

interference - बाधा, हस्तक्षेप, व्यतिकरण, पंगा

publicity - प्रख्याति, विज्ञापन, प्रचार

settee - सोफा

blinked at - आँखों से झपकाया

inquiringly - जिज्ञासापूर्वक

watery - आबी

"For my part," said Holmes, "whatever you may choose to say will go no further."

I nodded to show my agreement.

"That is well! That is well!" said he. "May I offer you a glass of Chianti, Miss Morstan? Or of Tokay? I keep no other wines. Shall I open a flask? No? Well, then, I trust that you have no objection to tobacco-smoke, to the mild balsamic odor of the Eastern tobacco. I am a little nervous, and I find my hookah an invaluable sedative.

Chianti - किऐंटी

Tokay - टोके

flask - पतले मुंह की बोतल

trust - विश्वास, भरोसा

objection - आपत्ति

tobacco-smoke - (tobacco-smoke) तम्बाकू धुम्म

balsamic - producing balsam, soothing

invaluable - बहुमूल्य, अमूल्य

sedative - शामक औषधि, शामक, उपशामक

" He applied a taper to the great bowl, and the smoke bubbled merrily through the rose-water. We sat all three in a semicircle, with our heads advanced, and our chins upon our hands, while the strange, jerky little fellow, with his high, shining head, puffed uneasily in the centre.

merrily - बेध्यानी से, प्रसन्नतापूर्वक

semicircle - अर्धवृत्त

chins - बातचित करना, ठुड्डी तक उठाना

jerky - झटके के साथ, झटकेदार

puffed - दुलाई, झोंका, उड़ाना, कश, लच्छा

uneasily - बेचैनी से, बेचैनी से

"When I first determined to make this communication to you," said he, "I might have given you my address, but I feared that you might disregard my request and bring unpleasant people with you. I took the liberty, therefore, of making an appointment in such a way that my man Williams might be able to see you first.

disregard - अनादर, अवहेलना करना, उपेक्षा

Williams - विलियम्स

I have complete confidence in his discretion, and he had orders, if he were dissatisfied, to proceed no further in the matter. You will excuse these precautions, but I am a man of somewhat retiring, and I might even say refined, tastes, and there is nothing more unaesthetic than a policeman. I have a natural shrinking from all forms of rough materialism.

confidence - विश्वास

discretion - विवेक

dissatisfied - असंतुष्ट, असन्तुष्ट, असंतोषी

proceed - आगे आना, आगे बढना, चलना

precautions - गर्भनिरोधक उपाय, एहतियात

shrinking - घटना, पीछे हटना, सिकोड़ना

materialism - भौतिकवाद, जड़वाद

I seldom come in contact with the rough crowd. I live, as you see, with some little atmosphere of elegance around me. I may call myself a patron of the arts. It is my weakness. The landscape is a genuine Corot, and, though a connoisseur might perhaps throw a doubt upon that Salvator Rosa, there cannot be the least question about the Bouguereau. I am partial to the modern French school."

seldom - कभी कभी

elegance - लालित्य, शिष्टता

patron - संरक्षक, दर्शक, ग्राहक

landscape - भूदृश्य, परिदृश्य

genuine - असली, सच्चा, अमिश्रित/वास्तविक

connoisseur - पारखी, गुणज्ञ/परीक्षक

partial - आंशिक, अधूरा

"You will excuse me, Mr. Sholto," said Miss Morstan, "but I am here at your request to learn something which you desire to tell me. It is very late, and I should desire the interview to be as short as possible."

desire - इच्छा, चाह

"At the best it must take some time," he answered; "for we shall certainly have to go to Norwood and see Brother Bartholomew. We shall all go and try if we can get the better of Brother Bartholomew. He is very angry with me for taking the course which has seemed right to me. I had quite high words with him last night. You cannot imagine what a terrible fellow he is when he is angry."

"If we are to go to Norwood it would perhaps be as well to start at once," I ventured to remark.

ventured - जाने का साहस करना

He laughed until his ears were quite red. "That would hardly do," he cried. "I don't know what he would say if I brought you in that sudden way. No, I must prepare you by showing you how we all stand to each other. In the first place, I must tell you that there are several points in the story of which I am myself ignorant. I can only lay the facts before you as far as I know them myself.

ignorant - अनभिज्ञ, अनपढ, अज्ञानि

"My father was, as you may have guessed, Major John Sholto, once of the Indian army. He retired some eleven years ago, and came to live at Pondicherry Lodge in Upper Norwood. He had prospered in India, and brought back with him a considerable sum of money, a large collection of valuable curiosities, and a staff of native servants.

Lodge - रखना, जमा करना, मकान, दायर करना

prospered - संपन्न होना, समृद्ध होना

India - भारत, भारतवर्ष

sum - योग, योगफल, जोड़

With these advantages he bought himself a house, and lived in great luxury. My twin-brother Bartholomew and I were the only children.

twin-brother - (twin-brother) दोस्त भाई

"I very well remember the sensation which was caused by the disappearance of Captain Morstan. We read the details in the papers, and, knowing that he had been a friend of our father's, we discussed the case freely in his presence. He used to join in our speculations as to what could have happened.

sensation - संवेदना, उत्तेजना, जोश, ज्ञान

freely - स्वतंत्रतापूर्वक

presence - मौजूदगी

Never for an instant did we suspect that he had the whole secret hidden in his own breast,-that of all men he alone knew the fate of Arthur Morstan.

breast - स्तन

fate - क़िस्मत, किस्मत, नसीब, तक़दीर

"We did know, however, that some mystery-some positive danger-overhung our father. He was very fearful of going out alone, and he always employed two prize-fighters to act as porters at Pondicherry Lodge. Williams, who drove you to-night, was one of them. He was once light-weight champion of England.

fearful - भयावह, बुरा, डरपोक, डरा हुआ

fighters - योद्धा, लड़ाकू

porters - पोर्टर, द्वारपाल, दरवानअ, क़ुली

Our father would never tell us what it was he feared, but he had a most marked aversion to men with wooden legs. On one occasion he actually fired his revolver at a wooden-legged man, who proved to be a harmless tradesman canvassing for orders. We had to pay a large sum to hush the matter up.

aversion - घृणा

harmless - सुरक्षित, हानि रहित, अहिंस्त्र

tradesman - फेरी वाला, दुकानदार, दस्तकार

canvassing - परखना, पक्ष प्रचार करना

Hush - शान्ति, चुप करना, चुप करना

My brother and I used to think this a mere whim of my father's, but events have since led us to change our opinion.

whim - सनक

"Early in 1882 my father received a letter from India which was a great shock to him. He nearly fainted at the breakfast-table when he opened it, and from that day he sickened to his death. What was in the letter we could never discover, but I could see as he held it that it was short and written in a scrawling hand.

shock - सदमा

fainted - धीमा, हल्की, धीमी, बेहोश होना

sickened - तंग करना, चिढ़ पैदा करना

scrawling - क्रॉलिंग, (scrawl) क्रॉलिंग

He had suffered for years from an enlarged spleen, but he now became rapidly worse, and towards the end of April we were informed that he was beyond all hope, and that he wished to make a last communication to us.

enlarged - विस्तार करना, विस्तार करना

spleen - तिल्ली

rapidly - शीघ्रता से, तेज़ी से

beyond - के बाद, आगे, के अलावा

"When we entered his room he was propped up with pillows and breathing heavily. He besought us to lock the door and to come upon either side of the bed. Then, grasping our hands, he made a remarkable statement to us, in a voice which was broken as much by emotion as by pain. I shall try and give it to you in his own very words.

propped - सहारा, लकडी से बना आधार

pillows - रखना, सहारा देना, तकिया

besought - हाथ जोड़ना

grasping - समझना, पाने का प्रयत्न करना

"'I have only one thing,'he said, 'which weighs upon my mind at this supreme moment. It is my treatment of poor Morstan's orphan. The cursed greed which has been my besetting sin through life has withheld from her the treasure, half at least of which should have been hers. And yet I have made no use of it myself,-so blind and foolish a thing is avarice.

orphan - अनाथ, यतीम, लावारिस

cursed - अभिशप्त, शापित, फ़ालतू का

greed - लालच, (gree)

besetting - घेर लेना

sin - अपराध, पाप, पाप करना

withheld - काटना, रोक कर रखना, रोक रखना

treasure - ख़िज़ाना

blind - अंधा

foolish - मूर्ख

avarice - लालच, लोभ, धनलोलुपता

The mere feeling of possession has been so dear to me that I could not bear to share it with another. See that chaplet dipped with pearls beside the quinine-bottle. Even that I could not bear to part with, although I had got it out with the design of sending it to her. You, my sons, will give her a fair share of the Agra treasure. But send her nothing-not even the chaplet-until I am gone.

chaplet - पुष्पहार, पुष्पमाला

dipped - झुकाना, कम करना, निकालना, गिरना

quinine - कुनैन

After all, men have been as bad as this and have recovered.

recovered - अच्छा हो जाना, ठीक होना

"'I will tell you how Morstan died,'he continued. 'He had suffered for years from a weak heart, but he concealed it from every one. I alone knew it. When in India, he and I, through a remarkable chain of circumstances, came into possession of a considerable treasure. I brought it over to England, and on the night of Morstan's arrival he came straight over here to claim his share.

concealed - छिपाना

circumstances - दशा/अवस्था, स्थिति, परिस्थिति

He walked over from the station, and was admitted by my faithful Lal Chowdar, who is now dead. Morstan and I had a difference of opinion as to the division of the treasure, and we came to heated words.

faithful - निष्ठावान, वफ़ादार

Division - विभाजन

Morstan had sprung out of his chair in a paroxysm of anger, when he suddenly pressed his hand to his side, his face turned a dusky hue, and he fell backwards, cutting his head against the corner of the treasure-chest. When I stooped over him I found, to my horror, that he was dead.

paroxysm - आवेग

anger - क्रोध, ग़ुस्सा

dusky - मटमैला, श्यामल

stooped - झुक कर खड़ा होना, झुकना

"'For a long time I sat half distracted, wondering what I should do. My first impulse was, of course, to call for assistance; but I could not but recognize that there was every chance that I would be accused of his murder. His death at the moment of a quarrel, and the gash in his head, would be black against me.

distracted - ध्यान भंग करना

quarrel - झगड़ा, असहमति

gash - गहरा घाव

Again, an official inquiry could not be made without bringing out some facts about the treasure, which I was particularly anxious to keep secret. He had told me that no soul upon earth knew where he had gone. There seemed to be no necessity why any soul ever should know.

bringing out - उतारना

anxious - चिन्ताजनक, उत्सुक, चिन्तित

keep secret - रहने के लिए गुप्त

necessity - ज़रूरत, आवश्यकता

"'I was still pondering over the matter, when, looking up, I saw my servant, Lal Chowdar, in the doorway. He stole in and bolted the door behind him. "Do not fear, Sahib," he said. "No one need know that you have killed him. Let us hide him away, and who is the wiser?" "I did not kill him," said I. Lal Chowdar shook his head and smiled. "I heard it all, Sahib," said he.

pondering - विचार करना

doorway - द्वार, दरवाजा

bolted - चौंक कर भाग जाना, भाग जाना, ठीक

wiser - बुद्धिमान, सूचना देना, विद्वान

"I heard you quarrel, and I heard the blow. But my lips are sealed. All are asleep in the house. Let us put him away together." That was enough to decide me. If my own servant could not believe my innocence, how could I hope to make it good before twelve foolish tradesmen in a jury-box?

sealed - मुद्रांकित करना, छाप

innocence - निष्कलुष, निर्मलता, निष्कपटता

tradesmen - फेरी वाला, दुकानदार, दस्तकार

jury - ज्यूरी

Lal Chowdar and I disposed of the body that night, and within a few days the London papers were full of the mysterious disappearance of Captain Morstan. You will see from what I say that I can hardly be blamed in the matter. My fault lies in the fact that we concealed not only the body, but also the treasure, and that I have clung to Morstan's share as well as to my own.

disposed - सजाना, ठीक रखना, ठिकाने लगाना

mysterious - रहस्यपूर्ण, गूढ

blamed - आरोप, दोष, दोष लगाना

clung - चिपक जाना, टिके रहना

I wish you, therefore, to make restitution. Put your ears down to my mouth. The treasure is hidden in-'At this instant a horrible change came over his expression; his eyes stared wildly, his jaw dropped, and he yelled, in a voice which I can never forget, 'Keep him out! For Christ's sake keep him out!'We both stared round at the window behind us upon which his gaze was fixed.

restitution - लौटाना, क्षतिपूर्ति, वापसी

wildly - शिष्टाचारहीनतः, अशिष्टतः

jaw - जबड़ा

yelled - चीखना, चिल्लाना, चिल्लाहट, चीख

Christ - ईसा, ईसा मसीह, ईसा मसीह

sake - के लिये

gaze - एक्टक देखने ताला, टकटकी

A face was looking in at us out of the darkness. We could see the whitening of the nose where it was pressed against the glass. It was a bearded, hairy face, with wild cruel eyes and an expression of concentrated malevolence. My brother and I rushed towards the window, but the man was gone. When we returned to my father his head had dropped and his pulse had ceased to beat.

darkness - अंधेरा, अन्धेरा

whitening - सफ़ेद करना, श्वेतक

bearded - खुलेआम विरोध करना, दाढी नोचना

hairy - डरवना, कठिन, घनेबालोंवाला

malevolence - द्वेष

rushed - सोने की खानो के नए क्षेट्रों में प्रवास

pulse - नब्ज, नाड़ी

ceased - बन्द करना, बन्द करना

"We searched the garden that night, but found no sign of the intruder, save that just under the window a single footmark was visible in the flower-bed. But for that one trace, we might have thought that our imaginations had conjured up that wild, fierce face. We soon, however, had another and a more striking proof that there were secret agencies at work all round us.

intruder - घुसपैठिया

footmark - फुटमार्क

trace - निशान

imaginations - भावना, कल्पना, उपाय कुशलता, मन

conjured up - उत्पन्न किया

fierce - भारी, घमासान, उत्तेजित, तीव्र

more striking - अधिक आकर्षक

Proof - प्रमाण, सबूत

agencies - माध्यम, संस्था

The window of my father's room was found open in the morning, his cupboards and boxes had been rifled, and upon his chest was fixed a torn piece of paper, with the words 'The sign of the four'scrawled across it. What the phrase meant, or who our secret visitor may have been, we never knew.

rifled - एक प्रकार की बन्दूक, तलाशी लेना

scrawled - घसीटा लिखाई, घसीट कर लिखना

As far as we can judge, none of my father's property had been actually stolen, though everything had been turned out. My brother and I naturally associated this peculiar incident with the fear which haunted my father during his life; but it is still a complete mystery to us."

associated - मिलना, मिलाना, सहयोगी

incident - घटना

haunted - याद आना, भूत बन कर घूमना, अड्डा

The little man stopped to relight his hookah and puffed thoughtfully for a few moments. We had all sat absorbed, listening to his extraordinary narrative. At the short account of her father's death Miss Morstan had turned deadly white, and for a moment I feared that she was about to faint.

relight - पुनर्जलित करें

absorbed - कम करना, अवशोषण करना

deadly - अत्यधिक, घातक, अत्यन्त, बहुत ही

faint - अस्पष्ट

She rallied however, on drinking a glass of water which I quietly poured out for her from a Venetian carafe upon the side-table. Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair with an abstracted expression and the lids drawn low over his glittering eyes. As I glanced at him I could not but think how on that very day he had complained bitterly of the commonplaceness of life.

rallied - सुधार, रैली

venetian - वेनिस का, वेनिसवासी

carafe - गिलास, कांच का गिलास

side-table - (side-table) साइड टेबल

abstracted - निकालना, निकाल देना

lids - रोकना, ढक्कन, रूकावट, आच्छद

glittering - शानदार, चमकीला, उज्ज्वल

bitterly - अधिक, बहुत ज़्यादा, कस के

commonplaceness - आमतौर परताप

Here at least was a problem which would tax his sagacity to the utmost. Mr. Thaddeus Sholto looked from one to the other of us with an obvious pride at the effect which his story had produced, and then continued between the puffs of his overgrown pipe.

sagacity - विचक्षणता, बुध्दिमत्ता

utmost - अत्यधिक, अंतिम

pride - आरोह, ऊंचाई, ऐंठ

puffs - दुलाई, झोंका, उड़ाना, कश, लच्छा

overgrown - आच्छादित, अधिक बढा हुआ

"My brother and I," said he, "were, as you may imagine, much excited as to the treasure which my father had spoken of. For weeks and for months we dug and delved in every part of the garden, without discovering its whereabouts. It was maddening to think that the hiding-place was on his very lips at the moment that he died.

dug - थन, (dig)

delved - गहन शोध करना, गहन शोध करना

whereabouts - ठिकाना, अता पता

maddening - क्रुद्ध होना[करना]

We could judge the splendor of the missing riches by the chaplet which he had taken out. Over this chaplet my brother Bartholomew and I had some little discussion. The pearls were evidently of great value, and he was averse to part with them, for, between friends, my brother was himself a little inclined to my father's fault.

splendor - भव्यता, दीप्ति, शान शौकत

averse - अनिच्छुक, अनिच्छुक९, असम्मत

inclined - प्रोत्साहित करना

He thought, too, that if we parted with the chaplet it might give rise to gossip and finally bring us into trouble. It was all that I could do to persuade him to let me find out Miss Morstan's address and send her a detached pearl at fixed intervals, so that at least she might never feel destitute."

gossip - गप-शप, अफ़वाह

detached - भेज देना, काटना, अलग होना

destitute - निस्सहाय, से रहित

"It was a kindly thought," said our companion, earnestly. "It was extremely good of you."

The little man waved his hand deprecatingly. "We were your trustees," he said. "That was the view which I took of it, though Brother Bartholomew could not altogether see it in that light. We had plenty of money ourselves. I desired no more. Besides, it would have been such bad taste to have treated a young lady in so scurvy a fashion. 'Le mauvais gout mene au crime.

trustees - समिति, न्यासी, ट्रस्टी

altogether - पूर्णतया, सब मिलाकर, कुल मिलाकर

desired - इच्छा, चाहना, तृष्णा

besides - पास, अलग, समीप, की तुलना में

scurvy - अधम, नीचतापूर्ण, नीच, स्कर्वी

gout - थक्का, गठिया

mene - मेने

'The French have a very neat way of putting these things. Our difference of opinion on this subject went so far that I thought it best to set up rooms for myself: so I left Pondicherry Lodge, taking the old khitmutgar and Williams with me. Yesterday, however, I learn that an event of extreme importance has occurred. The treasure has been discovered.

I instantly communicated with Miss Morstan, and it only remains for us to drive out to Norwood and demand our share. I explained my views last night to Brother Bartholomew: so we shall be expected, if not welcome, visitors."

Mr. Thaddeus Sholto ceased, and sat twitching on his luxurious settee. We all remained silent, with our thoughts upon the new development which the mysterious business had taken. Holmes was the first to spring to his feet.

twitching - फड़कन, (twitch)

luxurious - शानदार, आरामदेह, भव्य

mysterious business - रहस्यमय व्यवसाय

"You have done well, sir, from first to last," said he. "It is possible that we may be able to make you some small return by throwing some light upon that which is still dark to you. But, as Miss Morstan remarked just now, it is late, and we had best put the matter through without delay."

is late - देर हो गई है

delay - देरी करना

Our new acquaintance very deliberately coiled up the tube of his hookah, and produced from behind a curtain a very long befrogged topcoat with Astrakhan collar and cuffs.

deliberately - जानबूझकर, जान बूझ कर, जानबूझ कर

coiled - मोड़ना, लपेटना, काँयल

topcoat - रंग की आखिरी परत, ओवर कोट

astrakhan - अस्त्राख़ान, अस्त्राखान

collar - कॉलर, गरेबान, गला

cuffs - तमाचा मारना, थप्पड़ मारना

This he buttoned tightly up, in spite of the extreme closeness of the night, and finished his attire by putting on a rabbit-skin cap with hanging lappets which covered the ears, so that no part of him was visible save his mobile and peaky face. "My health is somewhat fragile," he remarked, as he led the way down the passage. "I am compelled to be a valetudinarian."

tightly - ठसाठस, कस कर, कस कर

closeness - निकटता, नज़दीकी

attire - पोशाक, आभूषण पहनना, कपडे

rabbit-skin - (rabbit-skin) खरगोश का त्वचा

lappets - गलचर्म

peaky - बीमारी, फीका

fragile - नाज़ुक

compelled - मजबूर, जबरदस्ती कराना

valetudinarian - बीमार

Our cab was awaiting us outside, and our programme was evidently prearranged, for the driver started off at once at a rapid pace. Thaddeus Sholto talked incessantly, in a voice which rose high above the rattle of the wheels.

awaiting - आसरा देखना, बाट जोहना, शलभ

prearranged - पूर्वायोजित करना

rapid - द्रुतगामी, त्वरित, तत्काल

incessantly - लगातार

rattle - खड़खड़ाना

"Bartholomew is a clever fellow," said he. "How do you think he found out where the treasure was? He had come to the conclusion that it was somewhere indoors: so he worked out all the cubic space of the house, and made measurements everywhere, so that not one inch should be unaccounted for.

cubic - त्रिभुज

measurements - नाप, लम्बाई, मापन

inch - एक फुट का 12 वां भाग, इंच

unaccounted - न समझाया जा सकने योग्य

Among other things, he found that the height of the building was seventy-four feet, but on adding together the heights of all the separate rooms, and making every allowance for the space between, which he ascertained by borings, he could not bring the total to more than seventy feet. There were four feet unaccounted for. These could only be at the top of the building.

allowance - छूट, भत्ता, वृति

ascertained - पता लगाना, सुनिश्चित करना

He knocked a hole, therefore, in the lath-and-plaster ceiling of the highest room, and there, sure enough, he came upon another little garret above it, which had been sealed up and was known to no one. In the centre stood the treasure-chest, resting upon two rafters. He lowered it through the hole, and there it lies. He computes the value of the jewels at not less than half a million sterling."

lath - a thin, narrow strip

garret - अटारी, दुछत्ती

sealed up - बंद कर दिया

resting upon - पर आधारित

rafters - कड़ी, बेड़े से यात्रा करने वाला

lowered - छोटा, कम करना, गिरना, घटाना

computes - गणना करना, परिकलन करना

jewels - बहुमूल्य वस्तु

sterling - खरा, शानदार, उत्कृष्ट, विशुद्ध

At the mention of this gigantic sum we all stared at one another open-eyed. Miss Morstan, could we secure her rights, would change from a needy governess to the richest heiress in England. Surely it was the place of a loyal friend to rejoice at such news; yet I am ashamed to say that selfishness took me by the soul, and that my heart turned as heavy as lead within me.

gigantic - बहुत बड़ा

secure - प्राप्त करना, निश्चित, सुरक्षित

needy - निर्धन, ज़रूरतमंद आदमी

heiress - उत्तराधिकारिणी

loyal - निष्ठावान, वफादार, वफ़ादार

rejoice - आनन्दित होना

ashamed - लज्जित, शर्मिन्दा

selfishness - स्वार्थ, स्वार्थपरता

I stammered out some few halting words of congratulation, and then sat downcast, with my head drooped, deaf to the babble of our new acquaintance.

stammered - हकलाहट, हकलाना, तोतलाना

halting - हिचकिचाता हुआ

congratulation - बधाई, बधाई सूचक वाक्य

downcast - उदास, अवनत

deaf - बहरा

babble - बकना

He was clearly a confirmed hypochondriac, and I was dreamily conscious that he was pouring forth interminable trains of symptoms, and imploring information as to the composition and action of innumerable quack nostrums, some of which he bore about in a leather case in his pocket. I trust that he may not remember any of the answers which I gave him that night.

hypochondriac - रोगभ्रमी

dreamily - स्वप्निल ढंग से, स्वप्न जैसा

conscious - सतर्क, जागरूक, साभिप्राय, चेतन

forth - आगे

imploring - प्रार्थना करना

composition - बनावट, लेखन, संरचना, समझौता

quack - बतख की बोली

nostrums - रामबाण दवा, नीम हकीम की दवा

Holmes declares that he overheard me caution him against the great danger of taking more than two drops of castor oil, while I recommended strychnine in large doses as a sedative. However that may be, I was certainly relieved when our cab pulled up with a jerk and the coachman sprang down to open the door.

overheard - संयोग से सुन लेना

caution - सावधानी

castor oil - कास्टर तेल

strychnine - स्ट्रिक्नीन, कुचला सत्, कुचला सत

doses - डस, डिस्क ऑपरेटिंग सिस्टम

"This, Miss Morstan, is Pondicherry Lodge," said Mr. Thaddeus Sholto, as he handed her out.

Chapter V - The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge

tragedy - ट्रजेडी

It was nearly eleven o'clock when we reached this final stage of our night's adventures. We had left the damp fog of the great city behind us, and the night was fairly fine. A warm wind blew from the westward, and heavy clouds moved slowly across the sky, with half a moon peeping occasionally through the rifts.

final stage - अंतिम चरण

damp - कम करना, गीला, नमी, नम करना

wind - हवा

westward - पश्चिम, पश्चिम की ओर

peeping - झलक, झाँकी, झांकना, दिखाई पड़ना

rifts - अनबन, दरार

It was clear enough to see for some distance, but Thaddeus Sholto took down one of the side-lamps from the carriage to give us a better light upon our way.

carriage - गाड़ी

Pondicherry Lodge stood in its own grounds, and was girt round with a very high stone wall topped with broken glass. A single narrow iron-clamped door formed the only means of entrance. On this our guide knocked with a peculiar postman-like rat-tat.

girt - कर्ण, (gird) कर्ण

clamped - जकड़ना, शिकंजा, कीलक

rat - चूहा

tat - सुरुचिहीनता

"Who is there?" cried a gruff voice from within.

gruff - कड़ा, रूखे आचरण वाला

"It is I, McMurdo. You surely know my knock by this time."

There was a grumbling sound and a clanking and jarring of keys. The door swung heavily back, and a short, deep-chested man stood in the opening, with the yellow light of the lantern shining upon his protruded face and twinkling distrustful eyes.

grumbling - गड़गड़ाहट, (grumble)

clanking - खनखनाहट

jarring - That jars (clashes or disagrees)

swung - परिवर्तन, लटकना, बदलना, घूमना

chested - चेस्टेड

protruded - बाहर निकला हुआ होना

twinkling - पलक झपकते ही, पल भर में

"That you, Mr. Thaddeus? But who are the others? I had no orders about them from the master."

"No, McMurdo? You surprise me! I told my brother last night that I should bring some friends."

"He ain't been out o'his room to-day, Mr. Thaddeus, and I have no orders. You know very well that I must stick to regulations. I can let you in, but your friends must just stop where they are."

ain - département

regulations - नियम, अधिनियम, नियन्त्रण

This was an unexpected obstacle. Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in a perplexed and helpless manner. "This is too bad of you, McMurdo!" he said. "If I guarantee them, that is enough for you. There is the young lady, too. She cannot wait on the public road at this hour."

unexpected - अविचारित, अनिवार्य, अप्रत्याशित

obstacle - बाधा, रुकावट

perplexed - हैरान करना, व्याकुल करना

helpless - लाचार, बेबस, विवश

guarantee - गारंटी

public road - सार्वजनिक रोड

"Very sorry, Mr. Thaddeus," said the porter, inexorably. "Folk may be friends o'yours, and yet no friends o'the master's. He pays me well to do my duty, and my duty I'll do. I don't know none o'your friends."

inexorably - कठोरता से, अनवरत रूप से

"Oh, yes you do, McMurdo," cried Sherlock Holmes, genially. "I don't think you can have forgotten me. Don't you remember the amateur who fought three rounds with you at Alison's rooms on the night of your benefit four years back?"

genially - मिलनसारिता से, मिलनसारिता से

amateur - शौकिया, अव्यवसायी

"Not Mr. Sherlock Holmes!" roared the prize-fighter. "God's truth! how could I have mistook you? If instead o'standin'there so quiet you had just stepped up and given me that cross-hit of yours under the jaw, I'd ha'known you without a question. Ah, you're one that has wasted your gifts, you have! You might have aimed high, if you had joined the fancy."

roared - गरजना, चिल्लाना, शोरगुल

fighter - योद्धा, लड़ाकू

ha - एच ए, ओह!, एच ए, हा

aimed high - उच्च उद्देश्य किया

"You see, Watson, if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to me," said Holmes, laughing. "Our friend won't keep us out in the cold now, I am sure."

"In you come, sir, in you come,-you and your friends," he answered. "Very sorry, Mr. Thaddeus, but orders are very strict. Had to be certain of your friends before I let them in."

strict - सख़्त

Inside, a gravel path wound through desolate grounds to a huge clump of a house, square and prosaic, all plunged in shadow save where a moonbeam struck one corner and glimmered in a garret window. The vast size of the building, with its gloom and its deathly silence, struck a chill to the heart. Even Thaddeus Sholto seemed ill at ease, and the lantern quivered and rattled in his hand.

gravel path - ग्रेवल पाथ

wound - घाव, चोट, ज़ख़्मी करना, आघात

desolate - सुनसान, निर्जन, वीरान

clump - गुच्छा, भीड़ लगाना, लौंदा

shadow - परछाई, छाया, साया, tछाँव

moonbeam - चंद्रकिरण

glimmered - चमक, झलक, टिमटिमाना, टिमटिमाहट

vast - बृहत, बहु, विशाल, बहुत बड़ा

deathly silence - मृत्युदीप चुप्पी

chill - ठंड

ease - शांत करना, आराम, हल्का करना

"I cannot understand it," he said. "There must be some mistake. I distinctly told Bartholomew that we should be here, and yet there is no light in his window. I do not know what to make of it."

distinctly - in a distinct manner

"Does he always guard the premises in this way?" asked Holmes.

premises - प्रतिज्ञा, आधार वाक्य

"Yes; he has followed my father's custom. He was the favorite son, you know, and I sometimes think that my father may have told him more than he ever told me. That is Bartholomew's window up there where the moonshine strikes. It is quite bright, but there is no light from within, I think."

Moonshine - बकवास

strikes - बजना, आक्रमण, निकालना

"None," said Holmes. "But I see the glint of a light in that little window beside the door."

glint - चमक, चमकना, झलकना

"Ah, that is the housekeeper's room. That is where old Mrs. Bernstone sits. She can tell us all about it. But perhaps you would not mind waiting here for a minute or two, for if we all go in together and she has no word of our coming she may be alarmed. But hush! what is that?"

housekeeper - गृहप्रबंधक, गृहा प्रबंधक

be alarmed - चिंता करना

He held up the lantern, and his hand shook until the circles of light flickered and wavered all round us. Miss Morstan seized my wrist, and we all stood with thumping hearts, straining our ears. From the great black house there sounded through the silent night the saddest and most pitiful of sounds,-the shrill, broken whimpering of a frightened woman.

flickered - झलक, टिमटिमाना, चमकना, झलकना

wavered - हिचकिचाना, डगमगाना, हिचकिचाहट

seized - समझना, झपट लेना, पकड़ना

thumping - धमाके की आवाज़ करना, थपथपाना

straining - श्रमसाध्य, (strain)

pitiful - दयनीय, दीन

whimpering - विलंबित, (whimper) विलंबित

"It is Mrs. Bernstone," said Sholto. "She is the only woman in the house. Wait here. I shall be back in a moment." He hurried for the door, and knocked in his peculiar way. We could see a tall old woman admit him, and sway with pleasure at the very sight of him.

sway - आधिपत्य, प्रभाव, प्रभावित करना

"Oh, Mr. Thaddeus, sir, I am so glad you have come! I am so glad you have come, Mr. Thaddeus, sir!" We heard her reiterated rejoicings until the door was closed and her voice died away into a muffled monotone.

reiterated - दोहराना, बार बार कहना

rejoicings - हर्षोल्लास, विजयोल्लसित

monotone - एक रस, एक तान, एक रस

Our guide had left us the lantern. Holmes swung it slowly round, and peered keenly at the house, and at the great rubbish-heaps which cumbered the grounds. Miss Morstan and I stood together, and her hand was in mine.

peered - देखना, ताकना, जोड़, सामंत

keenly - उत्सुकता से

heaps - ढेर लगना, ढेर लगना, ढेर लगाना

stood together - साथ में खड़े हुए

A wondrous subtle thing is love, for here were we two who had never seen each other before that day, between whom no word or even look of affection had ever passed, and yet now in an hour of trouble our hands instinctively sought for each other.

wondrous - आश्चर्यजनक रूप से, आश्चर्यजनक

affection - स्नेह, प्यार

instinctively - सहज रूप से, सहज बोध से

sought - कोशिश करना, की कोशिश करना

I have marvelled at it since, but at the time it seemed the most natural thing that I should go out to her so, and, as she has often told me, there was in her also the instinct to turn to me for comfort and protection. So we stood hand in hand, like two children, and there was peace in our hearts for all the dark things that surrounded us.

marvelled - आश्चर्य, चमत्कार, अचंभित होना

most natural - सबसे प्राकृतिक

instinct - फ़ितरत, वृत्ति, सलीक़ा

protection - संरक्षण, हिमायत, हिफ़ाज़त

surrounded - किनारा, भरा होना, चारों ओर होना

"What a strange place!" she said, looking round.

"It looks as though all the moles in England had been let loose in it. I have seen something of the sort on the side of a hill near Ballarat, where the prospectors had been at work."

moles - तिल, जासूस, मोल, छंछूदर, छुछुंदर

prospectors - पूर्वेक्षक

"And from the same cause," said Holmes. "These are the traces of the treasure-seekers. You must remember that they were six years looking for it. No wonder that the grounds look like a gravel-pit."

seekers - खोज करने वाला, जिज्ञासु

gravel-pit - (gravel-pit) बजरी खाना

At that moment the door of the house burst open, and Thaddeus Sholto came running out, with his hands thrown forward and terror in his eyes.

burst open - फुसफुसाओ

terror - दहशत, वहशत, सहम

"There is something amiss with Bartholomew!" he cried. "I am frightened! My nerves cannot stand it." He was, indeed, half blubbering with fear, and his twitching feeble face peeping out from the great Astrakhan collar had the helpless appealing expression of a terrified child.

nerves - बल, नस, शक्ति, रोग, साहस

blubbering - तिमिवसा, बिलखना

terrified - डराना, डरना

"Come into the house," said Holmes, in his crisp, firm way.

"Yes, do!" pleaded Thaddeus Sholto. "I really do not feel equal to giving directions."

pleaded - वकालत करना, समर्थन में बोलना

We all followed him into the housekeeper's room, which stood upon the left-hand side of the passage. The old woman was pacing up and down with a scared look and restless picking fingers, but the sight of Miss Morstan appeared to have a soothing effect upon her.

pacing - की अनुमति से, कदम, प्रगति, गति

restless - बेचैन, चिंतित, चंचल, व्याकुल

soothing - आरामदेह

"God bless your sweet calm face!" she cried, with an hysterical sob. "It does me good to see you. Oh, but I have been sorely tried this day!"

bless - आशीर्वाद देना

hysterical - मज़ेदार, उन्मत्त

sorely - बहुत ज़्यादा, गम्भीर रूप से

Our companion patted her thin, work-worn hand, and murmured some few words of kindly womanly comfort which brought the color back into the others bloodless cheeks.

patted - थपथपाना, पोंछना, उपयुक्त, सतही

murmured - बड़बड़ाना, सरसराहट, बड़बड़ाहट

womanly - नारी सुलभ

bloodless - कठोर, रूखा, सूखा हुआ

cheeks - घमंडी, गाल, जबड़ा, गुस्ताख

"Master has locked himself in and will not answer me," she explained. "All day I have waited to hear from him, for he often likes to be alone; but an hour ago I feared that something was amiss, so I went up and peeped through the key-hole. You must go up, Mr. Thaddeus,-you must go up and look for yourself. I have seen Mr.

peeped - झलक, झाँकी, झांकना, दिखाई पड़ना

Bartholomew Sholto in joy and in sorrow for ten long years, but I never saw him with such a face on him as that."

joy - आनन्द

sorrow - दुःख, उदासी, शोक, ग़म

Sherlock Holmes took the lamp and led the way, for Thaddeus Sholto's teeth were chattering in his head. So shaken was he that I had to pass my hand under his arm as we went up the stairs, for his knees were trembling under him.

chattering - बातचीत, (chatter) बातचीत

trembling - कंपन

Twice as we ascended Holmes whipped his lens out of his pocket and carefully examined marks which appeared to me to be mere shapeless smudges of dust upon the cocoa-nut matting which served as a stair-carpet. He walked slowly from step to step, holding the lamp, and shooting keen glances to right and left. Miss Morstan had remained behind with the frightened housekeeper.

ascended - चढना, बढना/चढ़ना, उपर उठना

shapeless - आकारहीन, भद्दा, बेडौल

smudges - फैल जाना, दाग, गंदा करना, धब्बा

cocoa - कोको

matting - चटाई बनाने का सामान

The third flight of stairs ended in a straight passage of some length, with a great picture in Indian tapestry upon the right of it and three doors upon the left. Holmes advanced along it in the same slow and methodical way, while we kept close at his heels, with our long black shadows streaming backwards down the corridor. The third door was that which we were seeking.

tapestry - टैपेस्ट्रीदार दीवार चित्र

methodical - सुव्यवस्थित, व्यवस्थित/तरीके का

heels - एड़ी, कमीना आदमी, पिछला भाग

shadows - सितारा मछली, सूट्र, शरण, झलक

streaming - निरंतर आता हुआ

corridor - बरामदा, गलियारा

seeking - कोशिश करना, की कोशिश करना

Holmes knocked without receiving any answer, and then tried to turn the handle and force it open. It was locked on the inside, however, and by a broad and powerful bolt, as we could see when we set our lamp up against it. The key being turned, however, the hole was not entirely closed. Sherlock Holmes bent down to it, and instantly rose again with a sharp intaking of the breath.

handle - मूठ

bolt - चटखनी

"There is something devilish in this, Watson," said he, more moved than I had ever before seen him. "What do you make of it?"

devilish - सरारती, क्रूर, पैशाचिक

What do you make of it? - आप इससे क्या निष्कर्ष लेते हैं?

I stooped to the hole, and recoiled in horror. Moonlight was streaming into the room, and it was bright with a vague and shifty radiance. Looking straight at me, and suspended, as it were, in the air, for all beneath was in shadow, there hung a face,-the very face of our companion Thaddeus.

recoiled - पीछे हटना, ठिठकना, घबरा जाना

moonlight - चन्द्रिका, महताब

vague - अज्ञात, हल्का, अनिश्चित

shifty - धूर्त, बहानेबाज़/धूर्त

suspended - लटकाना, स्थगित करना

beneath - नीचे की और, के योग्य, के नीचे

There was the same high, shining head, the same circular bristle of red hair, the same bloodless countenance. The features were set, however, in a horrible smile, a fixed and unnatural grin, which in that still and moonlit room was more jarring to the nerves than any scowl or contortion.

countenance - समर्थन, मुखाकृति, अनुमोदन करना

unnatural - अस्वाभाविक, कृत्रिम, बनावटी

grin - दांत दिखाते हुए मुस्कुराना

moonlit - चाँदनी, (moonlight), चन्द्रिका

scowl - त्योरी चढ़ाना, नाक-भौं चढ़ाना

contortion - बल, शरीर की ऐंठन, ऐंठन

So like was the face to that of our little friend that I looked round at him to make sure that he was indeed with us. Then I recalled to mind that he had mentioned to us that his brother and he were twins.

recalled - स्मरण, वापस लेना, वापस बुलाना

"This is terrible!" I said to Holmes. "What is to be done?"

"The door must come down," he answered, and, springing against it, he put all his weight upon the lock. It creaked and groaned, but did not yield. Together we flung ourselves upon it once more, and this time it gave way with a sudden snap, and we found ourselves within Bartholomew Sholto's chamber.

creaked - चरचराना, चरचराहट

groaned - कराहना, आह

yield - समर्पित करना, समर्पण करना

flung - डालना, धक्का देना

snap - प्रेस बटन, टूटना, काट लेना

chamber - सभा, सदन, कमरा, कचहरी, कोठरी

It appeared to have been fitted up as a chemical laboratory. A double line of glass-stoppered bottles was drawn up upon the wall opposite the door, and the table was littered over with Bunsen burners, test-tubes, and retorts. In the corners stood carboys of acid in wicker baskets.

stoppered - प्रभावशाली प्रदर्शन, बंद करना

littered - गंदगी, बिखेरना, पालकी

Bunsen burners - बन्सन बर्नर

test-tubes - (test-tubes) टेस्ट ट्यूब्स

retorts - प्रत्युत्तर देना, प्रत्युतर

acid - अम्ल

wicker - खपच्ची, लचीली टहनी

baskets - अंक, डलिया, टोकरी

One of these appeared to leak or to have been broken, for a stream of dark-colored liquid had trickled out from it, and the air was heavy with a peculiarly pungent, tar-like odor. A set of steps stood at one side of the room, in the midst of a litter of lath and plaster, and above them there was an opening in the ceiling large enough for a man to pass through.

leak - बूँद बूँद गिरना, रहस्योद्घाटन

trickled - टपकाना, टपकना, रिसाव

peculiarly - अजीब तरह से, विशेष रुप से

pungent - तीखा, तीक्ष्ण, कषाय, कसैला, तीता

tar - तारकोल

midst - बीच

litter - गंदगी, बिखेरना, पालकी

At the foot of the steps a long coil of rope was thrown carelessly together.

coil - लपेटना

carelessly - लापरवाही से, असावधानतः

By the table, in a wooden arm-chair, the master of the house was seated all in a heap, with his head sunk upon his left shoulder, and that ghastly, inscrutable smile upon his face. He was stiff and cold, and had clearly been dead many hours. It seemed to me that not only his features but all his limbs were twisted and turned in the most fantastic fashion.

heap - ढेर

ghastly - विवर्ण, विकट, भयंकर, बेकार, खराब

inscrutable - रहस्यमय, गूढ

stiff - कठोर, कठिन, रूखा, हठीला, सख्त

limbs - शरारती, शाखा, अंग, पंखुड़ी, छोर

twisted - झटका, मुड़ जाना, मोड़ना, घुमाव

most fantastic - सबसे अद्भुत

By his hand upon the table there lay a peculiar instrument,-a brown, close-grained stick, with a stone head like a hammer, rudely lashed on with coarse twine. Beside it was a torn sheet of note-paper with some words scrawled upon it. Holmes glanced at it, and then handed it to me.

hammer - हथौड़ा, (ham)

rudely - शिष्टाचारहीनतः, अशिष्टापूर्वक

lashed - टकराना, घूमना, फटकारना, बरौनी

twine - सुतली

note-paper - (note-paper) नोट पेपर

"You see," he said, with a significant raising of the eyebrows.

significant - महत्त्वपूर्ण, महत्वपूर्ण

In the light of the lantern I read, with a thrill of horror, "The sign of the four."

thrill - रोमांचित करना

"In God's name, what does it all mean?" I asked.

"It means murder," said he, stooping over the dead man. "Ah, I expected it. Look here!" He pointed to what looked like a long, dark thorn stuck in the skin just above the ear.

stooping - झुक कर खड़ा होना, झुकना

thorn - काँटा

"It looks like a thorn," said I.

"It is a thorn. You may pick it out. But be careful, for it is poisoned."

I took it up between my finger and thumb. It came away from the skin so readily that hardly any mark was left behind. One tiny speck of blood showed where the puncture had been.

"This is all an insoluble mystery to me," said I. "It grows darker instead of clearer."

insoluble - समाधानहीन, अघुलनशील

"On the contrary," he answered, "it clears every instant. I only require a few missing links to have an entirely connected case."

We had almost forgotten our companion's presence since we entered the chamber. He was still standing in the door-way, the very picture of terror, wringing his hands and moaning to himself. Suddenly, however, he broke out into a sharp, querulous cry.

wringing - करना, (wring) करना

moaning - कराहना, शिकायत करना, शोक करना

querulous - शिकायती, झगड़ालू

"The treasure is gone!" he said. "They have robbed him of the treasure! There is the hole through which we lowered it. I helped him to do it! I was the last person who saw him! I left him here last night, and I heard him lock the door as I came down-stairs."

robbed - छीनना, छीन लेना, वंचित करना

"What time was that?"

"It was ten o'clock. And now he is dead, and the police will be called in, and I shall be suspected of having had a hand in it. Oh, yes, I am sure I shall. But you don't think so, gentlemen? Surely you don't think that it was I? Is it likely that I would have brought you here if it were I? Oh, dear! oh, dear! I know that I shall go mad!

suspected - समझना, लगना, क्षतिग्रस्त

go mad - पागल हो जाओ

" He jerked his arms and stamped his feet in a kind of convulsive frenzy.

jerked - झटकना, झटका, मूर्ख

convulsive - झटकेधर

frenzy - पागलपन, उन्माद

"You have no reason for fear, Mr. Sholto," said Holmes, kindly, putting his hand upon his shoulder. "Take my advice, and drive down to the station to report this matter to the police. Offer to assist them in every way. We shall wait here until your return."

The little man obeyed in a half-stupefied fashion, and we heard him stumbling down the stairs in the dark.

obeyed - पालन करना, निभाना, कहना मानना

stupefied - मंदबुद्धि कर देना, हैरान करना

stumbling - गिरना, ठोकर, भूल करना

Chapter VI - Sherlock Holmes Gives a Demonstration

demonstration - निरूपण

"Now, Watson," said Holmes, rubbing his hands, "we have half an hour to ourselves. Let us make good use of it. My case is, as I have told you, almost complete; but we must not err on the side of over-confidence. Simple as the case seems now, there may be something deeper underlying it."

rubbing - रबिंग, (rub), रगड़ना

err - गलती करना

underlying - आधार होना, वस्तविक कारण होना

"Simple!" I ejaculated.

"Surely," said he, with something of the air of a clinical professor expounding to his class. "Just sit in the corner there, that your footprints may not complicate matters. Now to work! In the first place, how did these folk come, and how did they go? The door has not been opened since last night. How of the window?

clinical - भावशून्य, सादगी, नैदानिक

expounding - व्याख्या करना, समझाना

footprints - पैर का चिह्न, पदचिन्ह

complicate - उलझाना, जटिल बनाना, जटिल बनाना

" He carried the lamp across to it, muttering his observations aloud the while, but addressing them to himself rather than to me. "Window is snibbed on the inner side. Framework is solid. No hinges at the side. Let us open it. No water-pipe near. Roof quite out of reach. Yet a man has mounted by the window. It rained a little last night. Here is the print of a foot in mould upon the sill.

muttering - बड़बड़ाहट, (mutter) बड़बड़ाहट

observations - विचार, कथन, देखरेख, निरख/अवलोकन

aloud - उच्च स्वर में, ज़ोर से

framework - रूपरेखा, संरचना, प्राधारिक

hinges - कब्जे पर लगाना, कब्जा

sill - देहली, दहलीज

And here is a circular muddy mark, and here again upon the floor, and here again by the table. See here, Watson! This is really a very pretty demonstration."

I looked at the round, well-defined muddy discs. "This is not a footmark," said I.

discs - मण्डल, चक्रिका, चकती, डिस्क

"It is something much more valuable to us. It is the impression of a wooden stump. You see here on the sill is the boot-mark, a heavy boot with the broad metal heel, and beside it is the mark of the timber-toe."

stump - ठूँठ, पैर घसीट कर चलना, मंच

heel - एड़ी

timber - इमारती लकडी़

"It is the wooden-legged man."

"Quite so. But there has been some one else,-a very able and efficient ally. Could you scale that wall, doctor?"

efficient - प्रभावशाली, दक्ष, कुशल, सक्षम

ally - गठबंधन करना

scale - छिलका

I looked out of the open window. The moon still shone brightly on that angle of the house. We were a good sixty feet from the ground, and, look where I would, I could see no foothold, nor as much as a crevice in the brick-work.

brightly - उल्लसित हो कर, उल्लसित हो कर

angle - कोण

foothold - पाँव रखने की जगह

crevice - दरार

"It is absolutely impossible," I answered.

"Without aid it is so. But suppose you had a friend up here who lowered you this good stout rope which I see in the corner, securing one end of it to this great hook in the wall. Then, I think, if you were an active man, You might swarm up, wooden leg and all.

aid - मदद

stout - हट्टा-कट्टा

securing - प्राप्त करना, निश्चित, सुरक्षित

Hook - अंकुश, आंकड़ा, हुक

swarm - समूह, झुण्ड, भीड़

You would depart, of course, in the same fashion, and your ally would draw up the rope, untie it from the hook, shut the window, snib it on the inside, and get away in the way that he originally came. As a minor point it may be noted," he continued, fingering the rope, "that our wooden-legged friend, though a fair climber, was not a professional sailor. His hands were far from horny.

depart - रवाना

Untie - खोलना, खोल/उतार, बंधन खोलना

snib - स्निब

minor - लघु, अवयस्क, गौण, नाबालिग

climber - बेल

horny - कामोत्तेजित, उत्तेजित

My lens discloses more than one blood-mark, especially towards the end of the rope, from which I gather that he slipped down with such velocity that he took the skin off his hand."

discloses - बताना, दिखाना, प्रकट करना

velocity - वेग

"This is all very well," said I, "but the thing becomes more unintelligible than ever. How about this mysterious ally? How came he into the room?"

unintelligible - अस्पष्ट, अबोधगम्य

"Yes, the ally!" repeated Holmes, pensively. "There are features of interest about this ally. He lifts the case from the regions of the commonplace. I fancy that this ally breaks fresh ground in the annals of crime in this country,-though parallel cases suggest themselves from India, and, if my memory serves me, from Senegambia."

annals - इतिहास

"How came he, then?" I reiterated. "The door is locked, the window is inaccessible. Was it through the chimney?"

inaccessible - अगम्य, अवघट

chimney - चिमनी, धुआँकश

"The grate is much too small," he answered. "I had already considered that possibility."

grate - झंझरी

"How then?" I persisted.

persisted - डटे रहना, बना रहना, डटे रहना

"You will not apply my precept," he said, shaking his head. "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, HOWEVER IMPROBABLE, must be the truth? We know that he did not come through the door, the window, or the chimney. We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room, as there is no concealment possible. Whence, then, did he come?"

precept - वचन, रस्म, नियम, निर्देश

eliminated - निकालना, हटाना, हटा देना

improbable - विचित्र, असंभाव्य, असम्भाव्य

concealment - छिपनाआ, छिपाव

whence - कहाँ से

"He came through the hole in the roof," I cried.

"Of course he did. He must have done so. If you will have the kindness to hold the lamp for me, we shall now extend our researches to the room above,-the secret room in which the treasure was found."

extend - फैलना, फैलाना, देना, बढ़ाना

He mounted the steps, and, seizing a rafter with either hand, he swung himself up into the garret. Then, lying on his face, he reached down for the lamp and held it while I followed him.

seizing - लेने, (seize) लेने

rafter - कड़ी

The chamber in which we found ourselves was about ten feet one way and six the other. The floor was formed by the rafters, with thin lath-and-plaster between, so that in walking one had to step from beam to beam. The roof ran up to an apex, and was evidently the inner shell of the true roof of the house.

beam - किरण

apex - शिखर, सबसे ऊँची बिन्दु

There was no furniture of any sort, and the accumulated dust of years lay thick upon the floor.

accumulated - ढेर लगना, जमा करना, जमा होना

"Here you are, you see," said Sherlock Holmes, putting his hand against the sloping wall. "This is a trap-door which leads out on to the roof. I can press it back, and here is the roof itself, sloping at a gentle angle. This, then, is the way by which Number One entered. Let us see if we can find any other traces of his individuality."

sloping - बहना, छलकना, गंदला पानी

trap-door - (trap-door) ट्रैप द्वार

He held down the lamp to the floor, and as he did so I saw for the second time that night a startled, surprised look come over his face. For myself, as I followed his gaze my skin was cold under my clothes. The floor was covered thickly with the prints of a naked foot,-clear, well defined, perfectly formed, but scarce half the size of those of an ordinary man.

startled - चकित, चौंक जाना, चौंकाना

thickly - लगातार, सघनतापूर्वक

scarce - दुर्लभ, मुश्किल से, अपर्याप्त

"Holmes," I said, in a whisper, "a child has done the horrid thing."

whisper - फुसफुसाना

horrid - भयंकर, जघन्य

He had recovered his self-possession in an instant. "I was staggered for the moment," he said, "but the thing is quite natural. My memory failed me, or I should have been able to foretell it. There is nothing more to be learned here. Let us go down."

staggered - विचलित करना, लड़खड़ा कर चलना

foretell - भविष्यवाणी करना

"What is your theory, then, as to those footmarks?" I asked, eagerly, when we had regained the lower room once more.

footmarks - चरणचिन्ह

eagerly - व्यग्रता से

regained - पुनः प्राप्त करना

"My dear Watson, try a little analysis yourself," said he, with a touch of impatience. "You know my methods. Apply them, and it will be instructive to compare results."

Impatience - अधैर्यता, अधीरता, असहिष्णुता

instructive - शिक्षाप्रद

"I cannot conceive anything which will cover the facts," I answered.

conceive - कल्पना करना, अनुमान होना

"It will be clear enough to you soon," he said, in an off-hand way. "I think that there is nothing else of importance here, but I will look." He whipped out his lens and a tape measure, and hurried about the room on his knees, measuring, comparing, examining, with his long thin nose only a few inches from the planks, and his beady eyes gleaming and deep-set like those of a bird.

tape measure - नाप करने का माप

inches - सरकना, इंचअ, बाल बाल, बाल बाल

planks - मुद्दा, तख्ता, पटकना

beady - छोटी और चमकीली

gleaming - having a bright sheen

So swift, silent, and furtive were his movements, like those of a trained blood-hound picking out a scent, that I could not but think what a terrible criminal he would have made had he turned his energy and sagacity against the law, instead of exerting them in its defense. As he hunted about, he kept muttering to himself, and finally he broke out into a loud crow of delight.

swift - द्रुतगामी, तुरन्त

furtive - गुप्त, रहस्यमय, ढका छुपा

hound - शिकारी कुत्ता

picking out - चुनाव

scent - गंध

exerting - जोर लगाना, काम में लाना

defense - बचाव, रक्षा

crow - कौआ, काक, काग

delight - ख़ुश, आनंद

"We are certainly in luck," said he. "We ought to have very little trouble now. Number One has had the misfortune to tread in the creosote. You can see the outline of the edge of his small foot here at the side of this evil-smelling mess. The carboy has been cracked, You see, and the stuff has leaked out."

misfortune - दुर्भाग्य, बदकिस्मती, अवदशा

tread in - पार करना

creosote - भूरे रंग का तेल जो लकड़ीको सुरक्षित रखता है

outline - रूपरेखा, दर्शाना, खाका, सारांश

evil - दुष्ट, बुरा, पापी

carboy - कारबॉय

cracked - करना, पता लगाना, मौका, आकाल

leaked out - निकल गया

"What then?" I asked.

"Why, we have got him, that's all," said he. "I know a dog that would follow that scent to the world's end. If a pack can track a trailed herring across a shire, how far can a specially-trained hound follow so pungent a smell as this? It sounds like a sum in the rule of three. The answer should give us the-But halloo! here are the accredited representatives of the law."

trailed - पीछे होना, हारना, चरण, निशानी

herring - हिलसा मछली, हेरिंग

shire - काउंटी शायर, शायर घोड़ा, शायर

Halloo - हैलो

accredited - प्रमाणित करना, श्रेय देना

representatives - नमूना, नमूने के तौर पर

Heavy steps and the clamor of loud voices were audible from below, and the hall door shut with a loud crash.

clamor - great outcry or vociferation

audible - कर्णगोचर, श्रव्य

crash - धमाका

"Before they come," said Holmes, "just put your hand here on this poor fellow's arm, and here on his leg. What do you feel?"

"The muscles are as hard as a board," I answered.

"Quite so. They are in a state of extreme contraction, far exceeding the usual rigor mortis. Coupled with this distortion of the face, this Hippocratic smile, or 'risus sardonicus,'as the old writers called it, what conclusion would it suggest to your mind?"

contraction - संक्षेपण, संकुचन, सिकुड़न

exceeding - अधिक होना, पार कर जाना

rigor mortis - रीगर मोर्टिस

distortion - टेढ़ापन/कुरूपता/विकृति

risus - राइसस

"Death from some powerful vegetable alkaloid," I answered,-"some strychnine-like substance which would produce tetanus."

alkaloid - क्षारोद

tetanus - धनुस्तंभ

"That was the idea which occurred to me the instant I saw the drawn muscles of the face. On getting into the room I at once looked for the means by which the poison had entered the system. As you saw, I discovered a thorn which had been driven or shot with no great force into the scalp.

You observe that the part struck was that which would be turned towards the hole in the ceiling if the man were erect in his chair. Now examine the thorn."

erect - बनाना, खडा़ करना

I took it up gingerly and held it in the light of the lantern. It was long, sharp, and black, with a glazed look near the point as though some gummy substance had dried upon it. The blunt end had been trimmed and rounded off with a knife.

gingerly - डरते डरते, सावधानी से/आराम से

glazed - मिश्रण, चमकाना

gummy - चिपचिपा, गोंद जेसा, गोंद जेसा

blunt - कुंद

trimmed - काटना, सजाना, छँटाई, छाँटना

rounded off - गुणवत्ता बढ़ाया

"Is that an English thorn?" he asked.

"No, it certainly is not."

"With all these data you should be able to draw some just inference. But here are the regulars: so the auxiliary forces may beat a retreat."

Auxiliary - सहायक

retreat - पुन: सीखना

As he spoke, the steps which had been coming nearer sounded loudly on the passage, and a very stout, portly man in a gray suit strode heavily into the room. He was red-faced, burly and plethoric, with a pair of very small twinkling eyes which looked keenly out from between swollen and puffy pouches. He was closely followed by an inspector in uniform, and by the still palpitating Thaddeus Sholto.

portly - मोटा, स्थूलकाय/मोटा, स्थूलकाय

strode - प्रगति, लम्बे डग भरना

burly - स्थूल

swollen - सुन्दर, बढ़ाना, मोड़ना, उठाना

puffy - हाँफ़ता हुआ, उभरा हुआ, सूजा हुआ

pouches - थैला, बंद स्थान, धानी, थैली

closely - ध्यानपूर्वक, घनिष्ठ रूप से

inspector - निरीक्षक, इंस्पेक्टर

palpitating - धडकना, धड़कना, फड़कना

"Here's a business!" he cried, in a muffled, husky voice. "Here's a pretty business! But who are all these? Why, the house seems to be as full as a rabbit-warren!"

husky - भर्रायी हुई आवाज

rabbit-warren - (rabbit-warren) खरगोश का गेहूं

"I think you must recollect me, Mr. Athelney Jones," said Holmes, quietly.

recollect - याद करना, मन लगाना, होश में आना

"Why, of course I do!" he wheezed. "It's Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the theorist. Remember you! I'll never forget how you lectured us all on causes and inferences and effects in the Bishopgate jewel case. It's true you set us on the right track; but you'll own now that it was more by good luck than good guidance."

wheezed - चाल, जोर जोर से साँस लेना

theorist - सिद्धांतकार

jewel case - ज्वेल केस

guidance - नेतृत्व, मार्गदर्शन

"It was a piece of very simple reasoning."

"Oh, come, now, come! Never be ashamed to own up. But what is all this? Bad business! Bad business! Stern facts here,-no room for theories. How lucky that I happened to be out at Norwood over another case! I was at the station when the message arrived. What d'you think the man died of?"

stern - कड़ा, कठोर, सख्त

"Oh, this is hardly a case for me to theorize over," said Holmes, dryly.

theorize - अनुमान लगाना

dryly - in a dry manner

"No, no. Still, we can't deny that you hit the nail on the head sometimes. Dear me! Door locked, I understand. Jewels worth half a million missing. How was the window?"

deny - अस्वीकार करना

nail on - Nail नेल पर

Dear me - अह मुझे

"Fastened; but there are steps on the sill."

"Well, well, if it was fastened the steps could have nothing to do with the matter. That's common sense. Man might have died in a fit; but then the jewels are missing. Ha! I have a theory. These flashes come upon me at times.-Just step outside, sergeant, and you, Mr. Sholto. Your friend can remain.-What do you think of this, Holmes? Sholto was, on his own confession, with his brother last night.

flashes - दिखाना, चमकाना, चमक, झलक

sergeant - सार्जण्ट, हवलदार olice, सारजंट

confession - इक़रार, इकरार

The brother died in a fit, on which Sholto walked off with the treasure. How's that?"

"On which the dead man very considerately got up and locked the door on the inside."

considerately - ध्यान रखते हुए

"Hum! There's a flaw there. Let us apply common sense to the matter. This Thaddeus Sholto WAS with his brother; there WAS a quarrel; so much we know. The brother is dead and the jewels are gone. So much also we know. No one saw the brother from the time Thaddeus left him. His bed had not been slept in. Thaddeus is evidently in a most disturbed state of mind. His appearance is-well, not attractive.

flaw - दोष, त्रुटि, कमजोरी

disturbed - परेशान करना, बाधा डालना

You see that I am weaving my web round Thaddeus. The net begins to close upon him."

weaving - process of making woven material

"You are not quite in possession of the facts yet," said Holmes. "This splinter of wood, which I have every reason to believe to be poisoned, was in the man's scalp where you still see the mark; this card, inscribed as you see it, was on the table; and beside it lay this rather curious stone-headed instrument. How does all that fit into your theory?"

splinter - छिपटी, चिरना, अलग हो जाना

inscribed - छापना, उत्किर्ण करना

"Confirms it in every respect," said the fat detective, pompously. "House is full of Indian curiosities. Thaddeus brought this up, and if this splinter be poisonous Thaddeus may as well have made murderous use of it as any other man. The card is some hocus-pocus,-a blind, as like as not. The only question is, how did he depart? Ah, of course, here is a hole in the roof.

pompously - आडम्बर से, आडंबरपूर्ण ढंग से

murderous - हिंस्र

hocus - होकस

" With great activity, considering his bulk, he sprang up the steps and squeezed through into the garret, and immediately afterwards we heard his exulting voice proclaiming that he had found the trap-door.

bulk - शरीर, रेशेदार तत्व, दिखना

sprang up - उठ गया

squeezed through - द्वारा दबाया

afterwards - बाद में, बाद में

exulting - उल्लसित होना, बहुत प्रसन्न होना

proclaiming - प्रमाणित करना, प्रशंसा करना

trap - घात

"He can find something," remarked Holmes, shrugging his shoulders. "He has occasional glimmerings of reason. Il n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que ceux qui ont de l'esprit!"

shrugging - कंधे उचकाना, कंधे उचकाना

glimmerings - झलक, मन्द प्रकाश

pas - पास, (PA) पास

sots - पियक्कड़, शराबी

Si - एस आई, एस आई, (Sus)

incommodes - कष्ट देना

esprit - spirit, enthusiasm, wit

"You see!" said Athelney Jones, reappearing down the steps again. "Facts are better than mere theories, after all. My view of the case is confirmed. There is a trap-door communicating with the roof, and it is partly open."

reappearing - फिर से वापस आना, दुबारा दिखना

partly - कुछ हद तक, कुछ कुछ

"It was I who opened it."

"Oh, indeed! You did notice it, then?" He seemed a little crestfallen at the discovery. "Well, whoever noticed it, it shows how our gentleman got away. Inspector!"

Whoever - कौन, जो कोई, जो कोई

"Yes, sir," from the passage.

"Ask Mr. Sholto to step this way.-Mr. Sholto, it is my duty to inform you that anything which you may say will be used against you. I arrest you in the queen's name as being concerned in the death of your brother."

inform - सूचना देना, सूचित करना

"There, now! didn't I tell you!" cried the poor little man, throwing out his hands, and looking from one to the other of us.

didn't I - मैं नहीं किया

"Don't trouble yourself about it, Mr. Sholto," said Holmes. "I think that I can engage to clear you of the charge."

engage - नियुक्त करना, आकर्षित करना

"Don't promise too much, Mr. Theorist,-don't promise too much!" snapped the detective. "You may find it a harder matter than you think."

"Not only will I clear him, Mr. Jones, but I will make you a free present of the name and description of one of the two people who were in this room last night. His name, I have every reason to believe, is Jonathan Small. He is a poorly-educated man, small, active, with his right leg off, and wearing a wooden stump which is worn away upon the inner side.

poorly - अस्वस्थ, लस्टमपस्टम

His left boot has a coarse, square-toed sole, with an iron band round the heel. He is a middle-aged man, much sunburned, and has been a convict. These few indications may be of some assistance to you, coupled with the fact that there is a good deal of skin missing from the palm of his hand. The other man-"

sole - तलवा, तली

sunburned - धूप की झुलसन, धूप की झुलसन

indications - संकेत, लक्षण, सुझाव, चिह्न

palm - हथेली

"Ah! the other man-?" asked Athelney Jones, in a sneering voice, but impressed none the less, as I could easily see, by the precision of the other's manner.

sneering - उपेक्षापूर्ण

precision - यथार्थता, सूक्ष्मतामापी

"Is a rather curious person," said Sherlock Holmes, turning upon his heel. "I hope before very long to be able to introduce you to the pair of them.-A word with you, Watson."

He led me out to the head of the stair. "This unexpected occurrence," he said, "has caused us rather to lose sight of the original purpose of our journey."

Occurrence - घटना, उपस्थिति

"I have just been thinking so," I answered. "It is not right that Miss Morstan should remain in this stricken house."

stricken - पीड़ित, दुःखी, व्यथित

"No. You must escort her home. She lives with Mrs. Cecil Forrester, in Lower Camberwell: so it is not very far. I will wait for you here if you will drive out again. Or perhaps you are too tired?"

"By no means. I don't think I could rest until I know more of this fantastic business. I have seen something of the rough side of life, but I give you my word that this quick succession of strange surprises to-night has shaken my nerve completely. I should like, however, to see the matter through with you, now that I have got so far."

succession - उत्तराधिकार, सिलसिला, ताँता

nerve - नस, तंत्रिका

"Your presence will be of great service to me," he answered. "We shall work the case out independently, and leave this fellow Jones to exult over any mare's-nest which he may choose to construct. When you have dropped Miss Morstan I wish you to go on to No. 3 Pinchin Lane, down near the water's edge at Lambeth. The third house on the right-hand side is a bird-stuffer's: Sherman is the name.

independently - अलग अलग, स्वतंत्र रूप से

exult - उल्लसित होना, बहुत प्रसन्न होना

mare - घोड़ी, गधी

nest - घोंसला

construct - बनाना, रचना, खींचना

stuffer - भरनेवाला

You will see a weasel holding a young rabbit in the window. Knock old Sherman up, and tell him, with my compliments, that I want Toby at once. You will bring Toby back in the cab with you."

weasel - रासू

rabbit - खरगोश

compliments - प्रशंसा, प्रशंसा करना

"A dog, I suppose."

"Yes,-a queer mongrel, with a most amazing power of scent. I would rather have Toby's help than that of the whole detective force of London."

queer - अजीब, अनोखा, बेढंग

mongrel - दोगला कुत्ता, दोगला कुत्ता

"I shall bring him, then," said I. "It is one now. I ought to be back before three, if I can get a fresh horse."

"And I," said Holmes, "shall see what I can learn from Mrs. Bernstone, and from the Indian servant, who, Mr. Thaddeus tell me, sleeps in the next garret. Then I shall study the great Jones's methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasms. 'Wir sind gewohnt das die Menschen verhoehnen was sie nicht verstehen.'Goethe is always pithy."

sarcasms - व्यंग्योक्ति, व्यंग्य

sind - सिंद

Goethe - surname

pithy - सारगर्भित

Chapter VII - The Episode of the Barrel

barrel - पीपा

The police had brought a cab with them, and in this I escorted Miss Morstan back to her home. After the angelic fashion of women, she had borne trouble with a calm face as long as there was some one weaker than herself to support, and I had found her bright and placid by the side of the frightened housekeeper.

escorted - सहचर, मार्गरक्षण करना

placid - शांत, सौम्य

In the cab, however, she first turned faint, and then burst into a passion of weeping,-so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night. She has told me since that she thought me cold and distant upon that journey. She little guessed the struggle within my breast, or the effort of self-restraint which held me back.

burst - फूटना

weeping - अश्रुपूर्ण, रोता हुआ, लटकता हुआ

distant - दूर

Struggle - संघर्ष, लड़ाई

restraint - संयम, अवरोध, रोक, प्रतिबंध

My sympathies and my love went out to her, even as my hand had in the garden. I felt that years of the conventionalities of life could not teach me to know her sweet, brave nature as had this one day of strange experiences. Yet there were two thoughts which sealed the words of affection upon my lips. She was weak and helpless, shaken in mind and nerve.

sympathies - संवेदना, सहमति, सहानुभूति

It was to take her at a disadvantage to obtrude love upon her at such a time. Worse still, she was rich. If Holmes's researches were successful, she would be an heiress. Was it fair, was it honorable, that a half-pay surgeon should take such advantage of an intimacy which chance had brought about? Might she not look upon me as a mere vulgar fortune-seeker?

obtrude - थोपना, दखल देना, दखल देना

honorable - माननीय, सम्मान योग्य, इज्जतदार

intimacy - अंतरंगता

vulgar - वल्गर, अश्लील

Fortune - संयोग, सौभाग्य, भाग्य, सफलता

seeker - खोज करने वाला, जिज्ञासु

I could not bear to risk that such a thought should cross her mind. This Agra treasure intervened like an impassable barrier between us.

intervened - हस्तक्षेप करना, बीच मेँ आना

impassable - अगम्य, अपारणीय, दुर्गम

barrier - बाधा, रुकावट

It was nearly two o'clock when we reached Mrs. Cecil Forrester's. The servants had retired hours ago, but Mrs. Forrester had been so interested by the strange message which Miss Morstan had received that she had sat up in the hope of her return.

She opened the door herself, a middle-aged, graceful woman, and it gave me joy to see how tenderly her arm stole round the other's waist and how motherly was the voice in which she greeted her. She was clearly no mere paid dependant, but an honored friend. I was introduced, and Mrs. Forrester earnestly begged me to step in and tell her our adventures.

graceful - शिष्ट, सुन्दर, अच्छी तरह, मनोहर

tenderly - प्रेम से, कोमलता से

waist - कमर

motherly - माँ जैसा, माँ जैसा, मातृ सुल्भ

dependant - निर्भर, आश्रित

honored - उपाधि, गौरव, सम्मान

begged - विनती करना, प्रार्थना करना

I explained, however, the importance of my errand, and promised faithfully to call and report any progress which we might make with the case. As we drove away I stole a glance back, and I still seem to see that little group on the step, the two graceful, clinging figures, the half-opened door, the hall light shining through stained glass, the barometer, and the bright stair-rods.

faithfully - विश्वसनीय, ईमानदारी से

clinging - चिपक जाना, टिके रहना

shining through - प्रकाश से दृश्य

stained - अभिरंजन करना, धब्बा, गन्दा होना

barometer - बैरोमीटर

rods - दण्ड, दंड, जाति, बेंत, प्रभुत्व

It was soothing to catch even that passing glimpse of a tranquil English home in the midst of the wild, dark business which had absorbed us.

Glimpse - झलक, झाँकी

tranquil - शांत, प्रशान्त, प्रशांत, असंभ्रम

And the more I thought of what had happened, the wilder and darker it grew. I reviewed the whole extraordinary sequence of events as I rattled on through the silent gas-lit streets. There was the original problem: that at least was pretty clear now. The death of Captain Morstan, the sending of the pearls, the advertisement, the letter,-we had had light upon all those events.

sequence - दृश्य, क्रम, अनुक्रम, प्रक्रम

They had only led us, however, to a deeper and far more tragic mystery.

more tragic - अधिक दुःखद

The Indian treasure, the curious plan found among Morstan's baggage, the strange scene at Major Sholto's death, the rediscovery of the treasure immediately followed by the murder of the discoverer, the very singular accompaniments to the crime, the footsteps, the remarkable weapons, the words upon the card, corresponding with those upon Captain Morstan's chart,-here was indeed a labyrinth in which a man less singularly endowed than my fellow-lodger might well despair of ever finding the clue.

baggage - यात्री का सामान, सामान

rediscovery - पुनः प्राप्ति

Discoverer - खोजकर्ता

accompaniments - साथ, संगत, {संगीत संबंधी)संगत

corresponding - एकमत होना, मेल खाना, मेल खाना

lodger - आवासी

despair - निराशा, मायूसी

Pinchin Lane was a row of shabby two-storied brick houses in the lower quarter of Lambeth. I had to knock for some time at No. 3 before I could make my impression. At last, however, there was the glint of a candle behind the blind, and a face looked out at the upper window.

shabby - अनुचित, जीर्ण शीर्ण

"Go on, you drunken vagabone," said the face. "If you kick up any more row I'll open the kennels and let out forty-three dogs upon you."

drunken - नशे में धुत्त, नशे में धुत्त

kennels - कुत्ता घर, व्यावसायिक कुत्ताघर

"If you'll let one out it's just what I have come for," said I.

"Go on!" yelled the voice. "So help me gracious, I have a wiper in the bag, an'I'll drop it on your 'ead if you don't Hook it."

gracious - आरामदेह, रमणीय, दयालु, दयामय

wiper - वात परिरक्षी पोछक, पोंछा

Hook it - इसे हुक करो

"But I want a dog," I cried.

"I won't be argued with!" shouted Mr. Sherman. "Now stand clear, for when I say 'three,'down goes the wiper."

"Mr. Sherlock Holmes-" I began, but the words had a most magical effect, for the window instantly slammed down, and within a minute the door was unbarred and open. Mr. Sherman was a lanky, lean old man, with stooping shoulders, a stringy neck, and blue-tinted glasses.

magical - शानदार, जादुई, मायिक

slammed - ज़ोर से बंद हो जाना

unbarred - प्रतिबन्ध हटाना, आड़ हटाना

lanky - लंबा पतला, लंबा, ताँतिया

lean - झुकना

stooping - अवनयन

stringy - रेशेदार, डोरेदार, सूतदार

tinted - , हलका रंग, खिजाब, रंगत

"A friend of Mr. Sherlock is always welcome," said he. "Step in, sir. Keep clear of the badger; for he bites. Ah, naughty, naughty, would you take a nip at the gentleman?" This to a stoat which thrust its wicked head and red eyes between the bars of its cage. "Don't mind that, sir: it's only a slow-worm. It hain't got no fangs, so I gives it the run o'the room, for it keeps the beetles down.

badger - बिज्जू, बिज्जू का चमड़ा

naughty - शरारती, दुष्ट, अश्लील

nip - चिकोटी काटना

stoat - एक प्रकार का पशु

wicked - दुष्ट, (wick) दुष्ट

cage - क़फ़स, पिंजड़ा, कफस, पिंजरा

worm - कीड़ा, पोका

fangs - भेदक दाँत, दाँत{विषैला}, दंत मूल

beetles - भृंग, मोगरी

You must not mind my bein'just a little short wi'you at first, for I'm guyed at by the children, and there's many a one just comes down this lane to knock me up. What was it that Mr. Sherlock Holmes wanted, sir?"

"He wanted a dog of yours."

"Ah! that would be Toby."

"Yes, Toby was the name."

"Toby lives at No. 7 on the left here." He moved slowly forward with his candle among the queer animal family which he had gathered round him. In the uncertain, shadowy light I could see dimly that there were glancing, glimmering eyes peeping down at us from every cranny and corner.

uncertain - अविश्वसनीय, अनिश्चित, अस्थिर

shadowy - अस्पष्ट, छाया सा, रहस्यपूर्ण

dimly - अस्पष्टतः, संदिग्धतः

glancing - झलकना, (glance) झलकना

glimmering - झलक

cranny - दरार/छेद

Even the rafters above our heads were lined by solemn fowls, who lazily shifted their weight from one leg to the other as our voices disturbed their slumbers.

solemn - शान्त, पवित्र, समारोही, गंभीर

fowls - चिड़ियों का शिकार करना

lazily - निरुद्योग रह कर, आलस्यपूर्वक

slumbers - सोना, अल्पनिद्रा, नींद

Toby proved to be an ugly, long-haired, lop-eared creature, half spaniel and half lurcher, brown-and-white in color, with a very clumsy waddling gait. It accepted after some hesitation a lump of sugar which the old naturalist handed to me, and, having thus sealed an alliance, it followed me to the cab, and made no difficulties about accompanying me.

haired - एक विशेष प्रकार के बाल

lop - काटना

creature - जंतु, प्राणी, जानवर, मख़्लूक़

spaniel - स्पेनियल, स्पेनियल कुत्ता

lurcher - लर्चर

clumsy - bedhanga, adaksha

waddling - डगमगाते हुए चलना, डगमगाती चाल

gait - चाल

hesitation - हिचक, हिचकिचाहट, हिचकीचाहट

lump - ढेला, ढेर, मूर्ख, गोला, सूजन

naturalist - पदार्थविज्ञानी, प्रकृतिविज्ञानी

thus - इस प्रकार

alliance - समझौता, मैत्रीपूर्ण संबंध

accompanying - साथ देना, साथ साथ होना

It had just struck three on the Palace clock when I found myself back once more at Pondicherry Lodge. The ex-prize-fighter McMurdo had, I found, been arrested as an accessory, and both he and Mr. Sholto had been marched off to the station. Two constables guarded the narrow gate, but they allowed me to pass with the dog on my mentioning the detective's name.

ex - भूरपूर्व

accessory - उपसाधन

constables - चौकीदार/कान्स्टेबुल, कंस्टेबल

Holmes was standing on the door-step, with his hands in his pockets, smoking his pipe.

"Ah, you have him there!" said he. "Good dog, then! Atheney Jones has gone. We have had an immense display of energy since you left. He has arrested not only friend Thaddeus, but the gatekeeper, the housekeeper, and the Indian servant. We have the place to ourselves, but for a sergeant up-stairs. Leave the dog here, and come up."

immense - असीम, अमित, विपल, विशाल

display - बताना, प्रदर्शन, दिखाना

gatekeeper - द्वारपाल, दौवारिक

We tied Toby to the hall table, and reascended the stairs. The room was as he had left it, save that a sheet had been draped over the central figure. A weary-looking police-sergeant reclined in the corner.

draped - लटकाना, सजाना, पर्दा, ओढ़ना

reclined - झुकना

"Lend me your bull's-eye, sergeant," said my companion. "Now tie this bit of card round my neck, so as to hang it in front of me. Thank you. Now I must kick off my boots and stockings.-Just you carry them down with you, Watson. I am going to do a little climbing. And dip my handkerchief into the creasote. That will do. Now come up into the garret with me for a moment."

Bull - सांड़

stockings - लंबा मोजा, संग्रहण, मोजा

dip - डुबाना

handkerchief - रूमाल

We clambered up through the hole. Holmes turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the dust.

clambered - हाथ पैर के बल कठिनाई से चढ़ना

"I wish you particularly to notice these footmarks," he said. "Do you observe anything noteworthy about them?"

noteworthy - उल्लेखनीय, विचारणीय

"They belong," I said, "to a child or a small woman."

"Apart from their size, though. Is there nothing else?"

"They appear to be much as other footmarks."

"Not at all. Look here! This is the print of a right foot in the dust. Now I make one with my naked foot beside it. What is the chief difference?"

chief - चीफ, प्रधान, श्रेष्ठ, मुख्य

"Your toes are all cramped together. The other print has each toe distinctly divided."

cramped - ऐंठन या मरोड़ की पीड़ा देना, ऐंठन

"Quite so. That is the point. Bear that in mind. Now, would you kindly step over to that flap-window and smell the edge of the wood-work? I shall stay here, as I have this handkerchief in my hand."

flap - फ्लैप

I did as he directed, and was instantly conscious of a strong tarry smell.

tarry - रुका रहना, ठहरना, कोलतारी

"That is where he put his foot in getting out. If YOU can trace him, I should think that Toby will have no difficulty. Now run down-stairs, loose the dog, and look out for Blondin."

By the time that I got out into the grounds Sherlock Holmes was on the roof, and I could see him like an enormous glow-worm crawling very slowly along the ridge. I lost sight of him behind a stack of chimneys, but he presently reappeared, and then vanished once more upon the opposite side. When I made my way round there I found him seated at one of the corner eaves.

glow - चमकना

crawling - क्रॉलिंग, (crawl) क्रॉलिंग

ridge - ऊपर उठाना, ढालू टीला{ या पहाड़ी}

stack - धुआँरा

chimneys - चिमनी, चूल्हा, बर्फ़ का कटाव

reappeared - फिर से वापस आना, दुबारा दिखना

vanished - ओझल हो जाना, समाप्त हो जाना

eaves - ओरी

"That you, Watson?" he cried.

"Yes."

"This is the place. What is that black thing down there?"

"A water-barrel."

"Top on it?"

"Yes."

"No sign of a ladder?"

ladder - सीढ़ी

"No."

"Confound the fellow! It's a most break-neck place. I ought to be able to come down where he could climb up. The water-pipe feels pretty firm. Here goes, anyhow."

Confound - पराजित करना, गलत साबित करना

anyhow - किसी भी तरह, फिर भी

There was a scuffling of feet, and the lantern began to come steadily down the side of the wall. Then with a light spring he came on to the barrel, and from there to the earth.

scuffling - सरसराहट, (scuffle) सरसराहट

steadily - निरंतर, स्थिरतापूर्वक

"It was easy to follow him," he said, drawing on his stockings and boots. "Tiles were loosened the whole way along, and in his hurry he had dropped this. It confirms my diagnosis, as you doctors express it."

tiles - खपरैल से ढक, खपरैल, टाइल लगाना

loosened - ढीला करना

diagnosis - निदान

The object which he held up to me was a small pocket or pouch woven out of colored grasses and with a few tawdry beads strung round it. In shape and size it was not unlike a cigarette-case. Inside were half a dozen spines of dark wood, sharp at one end and rounded at the other, like that which had struck Bartholomew Sholto.

pouch - थैला, बंद स्थान, धानी, थैली

woven - बुना हुआ

beads - मोती, गुटका{माला का दाना}, मणिका

cigarette-case - (cigarette-case) सिगरेट केस

spines - मेरुदण्ड, रीढ़, रीढ की हड्ड़ीई

"They are hellish things," said he. "Look out that you don't prick yourself. I'm delighted to have them, for the chances are that they are all he has. There is the less fear of you or me finding one in our skin before long. I would sooner face a Martini bullet, myself. Are you game for a six-mile trudge, Watson?"

hellish - नर्क के समान, नारकीय

prick - छेदना, चुभाना

Martini - मार्टिनी, एक प्रकार की शराब

trudge - पैर घसीट कर चलना, थकाऊ भ्रमण

"Certainly," I answered.

"Your leg will stand it?"

"Oh, yes."

"Here you are, doggy! Good old Toby! Smell it, Toby, smell it!" He pushed the creasote handkerchief under the dog's nose, while the creature stood with its fluffy legs separated, and with a most comical cock to its head, like a connoisseur sniffing the bouquet of a famous vintage.

doggy - कुत्ता

fluffy - मुलायम, फूला हुआ, नरम

comical - हास्यास्पद, ठठोलिया

cock - मुर्गा

sniffing - स्निफिंग, (sniff) स्निफिंग

bouquet - गुलदस्ता

vintage - विशिष्ट, पुराना, श्रेष्ठ

Holmes then threw the handkerchief to a distance, fastened a stout cord to the mongrel's collar, and led him to the foot of the water-barrel. The creature instantly broke into a succession of high, tremulous yelps, and, with his nose on the ground, and his tail in the air, pattered off upon the trail at a pace which strained his leash and kept us at the top of our speed.

cord - डोरी, बिजली का तार

tremulous - काँपता हुआ

yelps - चीखना, तीखी आवाज़ में भौंकना

pattered - बड़बड़ाहट, पटपटाहट, पटपटाना

trail - पीछे होना, हारना, चरण, निशानी

strained - थकाना, गाना, मोच

leash - पट्टा, पेटी, कमरबंद

The east had been gradually whitening, and we could now see some distance in the cold gray light. The square, massive house, with its black, empty windows and high, bare walls, towered up, sad and forlorn, behind us. Our course led right across the grounds, in and out among the trenches and pits with which they were scarred and intersected.

gradually - धीरे धीरे, अल्पाशः

massive - भारी, भीमकाय, विशाल

bare - अनावृत

forlorn - अकेला, क्षीण, परित्यक्त

trenches - समुद्री खाई, गड्ढा

pits - गड्ढा, दाग बनाना, बीज निकालना

intersected - परस्पर काटना, एक दूसरे को काटना

The whole place, with its scattered dirt-heaps and ill-grown shrubs, had a blighted, ill-omened look which harmonized with the black tragedy which hung over it.

scattered - फैलाव, छितराव, तितर बितर करना

shrubs - झाड़ी

blighted - विनाश करना, अभिशाप

omened - पूर्वसूचना, संभावना, शगुन चिह्न

harmonized - साथ जाना, मेल खाना, सुसंगत होना

On reaching the boundary wall Toby ran along, whining eagerly, underneath its shadow, and stopped finally in a corner screened by a young beech. Where the two walls joined, several bricks had been loosened, and the crevices left were worn down and rounded upon the lower side, as though they had frequently been used as a ladder.

boundary - सीमा, बाउन्डरी, सीमा/घेरा/मेढ़

whining - शिकायती, (whin)

underneath - नीचे

beech - बीचवृक्ष्

bricks - इष्टिका, खिलौना, मदत करने वाला

crevices - दरार

Holmes clambered up, and, taking the dog from me, he dropped it over upon the other side.

"There's the print of wooden-leg's hand," he remarked, as I mounted up beside him. "You see the slight smudge of blood upon the white plaster. What a lucky thing it is that we have had no very heavy rain since yesterday! The scent will lie upon the road in spite of their eight-and-twenty hours'start."

smudge - धब्बा

I confess that I had my doubts myself when I reflected upon the great traffic which had passed along the London road in the interval. My fears were soon appeased, however. Toby never hesitated or swerved, but waddled on in his peculiar rolling fashion. Clearly, the pungent smell of the creasote rose high above all other contending scents.

interval - विराम, अंतराल, अन्तराल

appeased - शांत करना, संतुष्ट करना

hesitated - हिचकिचाना, संकोच करना

swerved - विचलन, झटके से मोड़ना

waddled - डगमगाते हुए चलना, डगमगाती चाल

contending - प्रतिस्पर्धा, (contend) प्रतिस्पर्धा

scents - अतर, भाँप लेना, इत्र्

"Do not imagine," said Holmes, "that I depend for my success in this case upon the mere chance of one of these fellows having put his foot in the chemical. I have knowledge now which would enable me to trace them in many different ways. This, however, is the readiest and, since fortune has put it into our hands, I should be culpable if I neglected it.

fellows - सभासद, व्यक्ति, आदमी, सहचर

enable - सक्रिय करना, चालू करना

culpable - दोषी, आपराधिक

neglected - उपेक्षा करना, लापरवाही, उपेक्षा

It has, however, prevented the case from becoming the pretty little intellectual problem which it at one time promised to be. There might have been some credit to be gained out of it, but for this too palpable clue."

intellectual - बुद्धिजीवी व्यक्ति, दिमागी

Gained - पाना, प्राप्त करना, मिलना

palpable - स्पर्शग्राह्य

"There is credit, and to spare," said I. "I assure you, Holmes, that I marvel at the means by which you obtain your results in this case, even more than I did in the Jefferson Hope Murder. The thing seems to me to be deeper and more inexplicable. How, for example, could you describe with such confidence the wooden-legged man?"

spare - किसी के बिना काम चलनाना

marvel - आश्चर्य, चमत्कार, अचंभित होना

obtain - प्राप्त करना, पाना

more inexplicable - अधिक अनिश्चित

"Pshaw, my dear boy! it was simplicity itself. I don't wish to be theatrical. It is all patent and above-board. Two officers who are in command of a convict-guard learn an important secret as to buried treasure. A map is drawn for them by an Englishman named Jonathan Small. You remember that we saw the name upon the chart in Captain Morstan's possession.

Pshaw - indicating disapproval

theatrical - नाटकीय, नाटक संबंधी

patent - पेटेंट, एकस्व, सुन्दर तरीका

Englishman - अंग्रेज़

He had signed it in behalf of himself and his associates,-the sign of the four, as he somewhat dramatically called it. Aided by this chart, the officers-or one of them-gets the treasure and brings it to England, leaving, we will suppose, some condition under which he received it unfulfilled. Now, then, why did not Jonathan Small get the treasure himself? The answer is obvious.

behalf - हेतु

associates - मिलना, मिलाना, सहयोगी

dramatically - नाटकीय ढंग से

aided - सहायता, मदद, मदद करना, साधन

unfulfilled - असंतुष्ट, अतृप्त

The chart is dated at a time when Morstan was brought into close association with convicts. Jonathan Small did not get the treasure because he and his associates were themselves convicts and could not get away."

Association - संबंध, संघ, समिति, संस्था

convicts - अपराधी, अपराधी ठहराना, दोषी

"But that is mere speculation," said I.

speculation - सट्टेबाज़ी, विचार, चिंतन

"It is more than that. It is the only hypothesis which covers the facts. Let us see how it fits in with the sequel. Major Sholto remains at peace for some years, happy in the possession of his treasure. Then he receives a letter from India which gives him a great fright. What was that?"

sequel - परिणाम, शेष, उत्तर कथा

fright - भय

"A letter to say that the men whom he had wronged had been set free."

"Or had escaped. That is much more likely, for he would have known what their term of imprisonment was. It would not have been a surprise to him. What does he do then? He guards himself against a wooden-legged man,-a white man, mark you, for he mistakes a white tradesman for him, and actually fires a pistol at him. Now, only one white man's name is on the chart.

imprisonment - अवरोधन, कारावास, क़ैद

pistol - बंदूक, तमंचा, पिस्तौल

The others are Hindoos or Mohammedans. There is no other white man. Therefore we may say with confidence that the wooden-legged man is identical with Jonathan Small. Does the reasoning strike you as being faulty?"

identical - जैसा, वैसा ही, बिलकुल् वही

strike - हड़ताल

faulty - गलत, अशुद्ध, खराब

"No: it is clear and concise."

concise - संक्षिप्त

"Well, now, let us put ourselves in the place of Jonathan Small. Let us look at it from his point of view. He comes to England with the double idea of regaining what he would consider to be his rights and of having his revenge upon the man who had wronged him. He found out where Sholto lived, and very possibly he established communications with some one inside the house.

Regaining - पुनः प्राप्त करना

revenge - बदला, इंतक़ाम r=intaqām

established - प्रमाणित करना, स्थापित करना

There is this butler, Lal Rao, whom we have not seen. Mrs. Bernstone gives him far from a good character. Small could not find out, however, where the treasure was hid, for no one ever knew, save the major and one faithful servant who had died. Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his death-bed.

butler - ख़ानसामा, ख़ानसामाँ

In a frenzy lest the secret of the treasure die with him, he runs the gauntlet of the guards, makes his way to the dying man's window, and is only deterred from entering by the presence of his two sons.

gauntlet - लोहे का दस्ताना

dying - मरणकालीन, (dye)

deterred - रोकना, डरा कर रोकना

Mad with hate, however, against the dead man, he enters the room that night, searches his private papers in the hope of discovering some memorandum relating to the treasure, and finally leaves a momento of his visit in the short inscription upon the card.

memorandum - याददाश्त

momento - मोमेंटो

inscription - शिलालेख

He had doubtless planned beforehand that should he slay the major he would leave some such record upon the body as a sign that it was not a common murder, but, from the point of view of the four associates, something in the nature of an act of justice. Whimsical and bizarre conceits of this kind are common enough in the annals of crime, and usually afford valuable indications as to the criminal.

doubtless - असंदिग्ध, नीस्संदेह, निसन्देह

beforehand - पहले से, पहले ही, पहले से ही

slay - मार डालना, वध करना

whimsical - अस्थिर, तरंगी, सनकी, मौजी

bizarre - अनोखा, विचित्र, अजीब

conceits - घमण्ड, हास्योक्ति, गुमान

Do you follow all this?"

"Very clearly."

"Now, what could Jonathan Small do? He could only continue to keep a secret watch upon the efforts made to find the treasure. Possibly he leaves England and only comes back at intervals. Then comes the discovery of the garret, and he is instantly informed of it. We again trace the presence of some confederate in the household.

Confederate - साथी, सह अपराधी

household - परिवार

Jonathan, with his wooden leg, is utterly unable to reach the lofty room of Bartholomew Sholto. He takes with him, however, a rather curious associate, who gets over this difficulty, but dips his naked foot into creasote, whence comes Toby, and a six-mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo Achillis."

lofty - उत्कृष्ट, उदात्त, अहंकारी

associate - मिलना, मिलाना, सहयोगी

gets over - समाप्त हो जाता है

dips - झुकाना, कम करना, निकालना, गिरना

limp - लचीला, शक्तिहीन

"But it was the associate, and not Jonathan, who committed the crime."

"Quite so. And rather to Jonathan's disgust, to judge by the way he stamped about when he got into the room. He bore no grudge against Bartholomew Sholto, and would have preferred if he could have been simply bound and gagged. He did not wish to put his head in a halter.

disgust - गुस्सा, घृणा करना, घृणा

grudge - डाह

bound - सीमित, सीमित करना, सीमित करना

gagged - परिहास करना, प्रतिबंध

halter - घोड़े की लगाम, (halt) घोड़े की लगाम

There was no help for it, however: the savage instincts of his companion had broken out, and the poison had done its work: so Jonathan Small left his record, lowered the treasure-box to the ground, and followed it himself. That was the train of events as far as I can decipher them.

savage - असभ्य, दुष्ट, तीव्र, काटना

instincts - प्रकृति, प्रवृति, सुझ भुज

broken out - टूट आउट

decipher - अर्थ निकालना, अर्थ निकालना

Of course as to his personal appearance he must be middle-aged, and must be sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the Andamans. His height is readily calculated from the length of his stride, and we know that he was bearded. His hairiness was the one point which impressed itself upon Thaddeus Sholto when he saw him at the window. I don't know that there is anything else."

calculated - निश्चित करना, समझना, गिनती करना

stride - लम्बे डग मारना

hairiness - रोमिलता

"The associate?"

"Ah, well, there is no great mystery in that. But you will know all about it soon enough. How sweet the morning air is! See how that one little cloud floats like a pink feather from some gigantic flamingo. Now the red rim of the sun pushes itself over the London cloud-bank. It shines on a good many folk, but on none, I dare bet, who are on a stranger errand than you and I.

floats - धारा के साथ बहना, प्रवहमान रहना

flamingo - दरियाई तोता, बगहंस, राजहंस

rim - किनारा, बाढ़

bet - दांव लगाना

How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of nature! Are you well up in your Jean Paul?"

feel with - में साथ महसूस करें

strivings - प्रयास

elemental - मौलिक, तात्विक

Paul - the Apostle, male given name

"Fairly so. I worked back to him through Carlyle."

"That was like following the brook to the parent lake. He makes one curious but profound remark. It is that the chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness. It argues, you see, a power of comparison and of appreciation which is in itself a proof of nobility. There is much food for thought in Richter. You have not a pistol, have you?"

brook - छोटी नदी

profound - गहन, गहरा, पारंगत, अथाह, गाढ़ा

greatness - विशालता, महत्ता, ऊँचाई, बड़प्पन

perception - अवबोधन, अभिज्ञता, अनुभूति

smallness - छोटापन

appreciation - समालोचना, वृद्धि, आभार, सराहना

nobility - मर्यादा, उदारता, उत्कृष्टता

"I have my stick."

"It is just possible that we may need something of the sort if we get to their lair. Jonathan I shall leave to you, but if the other turns nasty I shall shoot him dead." He took out his revolver as he spoke, and, having loaded two of the chambers, he put it back into the right-hand pocket of his jacket.

lair - मांद, छिपने की जगह

nasty - मैला, भारी, कठोर, ज़बरदस्त

loaded - भारी, मिश्रण, भरना

chambers - सभा, सदन, कमरा, कचहरी, कोठरी

We had during this time been following the guidance of Toby down the half-rural villa-lined roads which lead to the metropolis. Now, however, we were beginning to come among continuous streets, where laborers and dockmen were already astir, and slatternly women were taking down shutters and brushing door-steps.

rural - देहाती, ग्रामीण, ग्राम्य, गॉव

villa - विला

metropolis - महानगर, महनगरि, महानगरी, राजधानी

laborers - मजदूर

astir - उत्तेजित, जागा हुआ, खलबली

slatternly - फूहड़

taking down - नीचे ले जाना

shutters - झिलमिली, किवाड़, कपाट बंद करना

At the square-topped corner public houses business was just beginning, and rough-looking men were emerging, rubbing their sleeves across their beards after their morning wet.

emerging - प्रकट होना, निकलना

sleeves - आवरण, बाँह/आस्तीन, आवरण नली

beards - खुलेआम विरोध करना, दाढी नोचना

Strange dogs sauntered up and stared wonderingly at us as we passed, but our inimitable Toby looked neither to the right nor to the left, but trotted onwards with his nose to the ground and an occasional eager whine which spoke of a hot scent.

sauntered - चहलकदमी, चहलना

wonderingly - प्रश्नात्मक ढंग से

inimitable - अनोखा, अनुपम, अननुकरणीय

trotted - चलना, दौड़, दुलकी चलाना

onwards - आगे, आगे बढता हुआ, बढ़ते हुए

whine - कराहना, रिरियाहट, कर्णभेदी आवाज

We had traversed Streatham, Brixton, Camberwell, and now found ourselves in Kennington Lane, having borne away through the side-streets to the east of the Oval. The men whom we pursued seemed to have taken a curiously zigzag road, with the idea probably of escaping observation. They had never kept to the main road if a parallel side-street would serve their turn.

traversed - तय करना, पार करना, फैला होना

side-streets - (side-streets) साइड स्ट्रीट्स

oval - अंडाकार

pursued - पाने की कोशिश करना, लगे रहना

curiously - अजीब से

zigzag - घुमावदार, सर्पिल गति से चलना

At the foot of Kennington Lane they had edged away to the left through Bond Street and Miles Street. Where the latter street turns into Knight's Place, Toby ceased to advance, but began to run backwards and forwards with one ear cocked and the other drooping, the very picture of canine indecision.

bond - बन्धन

latter - अनुवर्ती, दूसरा

Knight - योद्धा, सामन्त

advance - बयाना देना

cocked - शंकु आकार में भूसे का ढेर लगाना

canine - श्वानीय

indecision - अनिश्चय, हिचकिचाहट

Then he waddled round in circles, looking up to us from time to time, as if to ask for sympathy in his embarrassment.

sympathy - संवेदना, सहमति, सहानुभूति

embarrassment - शर्म, शर्मिंदगी

"What the deuce is the matter with the dog?" growled Holmes. "They surely would not take a cab, or go off in a balloon."

deuce - {टेनिस के खेल में}बराबरी के अंक

growled - गड़गड़ाहट, भुनभुनाना, गुर्राना

balloon - ग़ुब्बारा, बेलून, बैलून

"Perhaps they stood here for some time," I suggested.

"Ah! it's all right. He's off again," said my companion, in a tone of relief.

relief - राहत

He was indeed off, for after sniffing round again he suddenly made up his mind, and darted away with an energy and determination such as he had not yet shown. The scent appeared to be much hotter than before, for he had not even to put his nose on the ground, but tugged at his leash and tried to break into a run.

darted - चुन्नट, (**), बर्छी, झपट्टा

determination - निर्णायक, विचार, इरादा

tugged - सितारा मछली, कर्षण नौका

I cold see by the gleam in Holmes's eyes that he thought we were nearing the end of our journey.

gleam - किरण डालना

Our course now ran down Nine Elms until we came to Broderick and Nelson's large timber-yard, just past the White Eagle tavern. Here the dog, frantic with excitement, turned down through the side-gate into the enclosure, where the sawyers were already at work.

elms - चिराबेल

eagle - गरुड, चील, उक़ाब, उकाब

tavern - सराय, शराबखाना, पथिकाश्रम

frantic - उत्तेजित, व्यग्र

enclosure - अंतःक्षेत्र, घेरा, घेराव

On the dog raced through sawdust and shavings, down an alley, round a passage, between two wood-piles, and finally, with a triumphant yelp, sprang upon a large barrel which still stood upon the hand-trolley on which it had been brought. With lolling tongue and blinking eyes, Toby stood upon the cask, looking from one to the other of us for some sign of appreciation.

sawdust - बुरादा, चूरा

shavings - कतरन/छीलन, छिलन

alley - पगडण्डी

piles - ढेर लगना, बहुत सारा, समूह, ढेर

triumphant - प्रफुल्लित, विजयोल्लसित, विजयी

yelp - चीखना, चीकना

trolley - पहियेदार मेज़, ठेला, ट्रली

lolling - लटकना

blinking - टिमटिमाना, आँख झपकना, पलक झपकना

cask - पीपा, पीपाआ

The staves of the barrel and the wheels of the trolley were smeared with a dark liquid, and the whole air was heavy with the smell of creasote.

staves - पटरा लगाना, डंडा, सूराख करना

smeared - मैला करना, दाग, गंदा करना

Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each other, and then burst simultaneously into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

blankly - भावशून्य दृष्टि से

simultaneously - एक साथ

uncontrollable - अदम्य, असहनीय, अनियंत्रणीय

Chapter VIII - The Baker Street Irregulars

"What now?" I asked. "Toby has lost his character for infallibility."

infallibility - अमोघत्व

"He acted according to his lights," said Holmes, lifting him down from the barrel and walking him out of the timber-yard. "If you consider how much creasote is carted about London in one day, it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed. It is much used now, especially for the seasoning of wood. Poor Toby is not to blame."

carted - पहियेदार मेज़, ठेला

blame - दोष लगाना

"We must get on the main scent again, I suppose."

"Yes. And, fortunately, we have no distance to go. Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knight's Place was that there were two different trails running in opposite directions. We took the wrong one. It only remains to follow the other."

puzzled - समस्या, हैरान करना, पहेली

trails - पीछे होना, हारना, चरण, निशानी

There was no difficulty about this. On leading Toby to the place where he had committed his fault, he cast about in a wide circle and finally dashed off in a fresh direction.

cast - ढालना, डालना

"We must take care that he does not now bring us to the place where the creasote-barrel came from," I observed.

"I had thought of that. But you notice that he keeps on the pavement, whereas the barrel passed down the roadway. No, we are on the true scent now."

whereas - जबकि, चूँकि, क्योंकि[प्रतिकूलता]

roadway - सड़क मार्ग, सड़क मार्ग

It tended down towards the river-side, running through Belmont Place and Prince's Street. At the end of Broad Street it ran right down to the water's edge, where there was a small wooden wharf. Toby led us to the very edge of this, and there stood whining, looking out on the dark current beyond.

wharf - घाट, जेटी

"We are out of luck," said Holmes. "They have taken to a boat here." Several small punts and skiffs were lying about in the water and on the edge of the wharf. We took Toby round to each in turn, but, though he sniffed earnestly, he made no sign.

punts - ऐर्लैण्ड की मुद्रा, डोंगी, पंट

skiffs - डोंगी, नाव

sniffed - नाक सुड़कना, भनक, गंध, सिसकी

Close to the rude landing-stage was a small brick house, with a wooden placard slung out through the second window. "Mordecai Smith" was printed across it in large letters, and, underneath, "Boats to hire by the hour or day." A second inscription above the door informed us that a steam launch was kept,-a statement which was confirmed by a great pile of coke upon the jetty.

landing-stage - (landing-stage) लैंडिंग स्टेज

placard - प्लैकर्ड

slung - लटकाना, लटकन, गुलेल

Smith - लोहार r=lohār

steam - टीम

launch - जलावतरण

pile - ढेर

coke - कोक

jetty - छज्जा

Sherlock Holmes looked slowly round, and his face assumed an ominous expression.

ominous - अनिष्टसूचक, अपशगुन, अशुभसूचक

"This looks bad," said he. "These fellows are sharper than I expected. They seem to have covered their tracks. There has, I fear, been preconcerted management here."

He was approaching the door of the house, when it opened, and a little, curly-headed lad of six came running out, followed by a stoutish, red-faced woman with a large sponge in her hand.

lad - बालक, लड़का

sponge - स्पंज

"You come back and be washed, Jack," she shouted. "Come back, you young imp; for if your father comes home and finds you like that, he'll let us hear of it."

Jack - जैक

imp - छोटा प्रेत या पिशाच

"Dear little chap!" said Holmes, strategically. "What a rosy-cheeked young rascal! Now, Jack, is there anything you would like?"

chap - लड़का

strategically - युक्तिपूर्वक

rosy - उज्ज्वल, गुलाबी, सुहाना

cheeked - घमंडी, गाल, जबड़ा, गुस्ताख

rascal - दुष्ट

The youth pondered for a moment. "I'd like a shillin'," said he.

pondered - विचार करना

"Nothing you would like better?"

"I'd like two shillin'better," the prodigy answered, after some thought.

prodigy - पूर्वसूचना, चमत्कार

"Here you are, then! Catch!-A fine child, Mrs. Smith!"

"Lor'bless you, sir, he is that, and forward. He gets a'most too much for me to manage, 'specially when my man is away days at a time."

"Away, is he?" said Holmes, in a disappointed voice. "I am sorry for that, for I wanted to speak to Mr. Smith."

"He's been away since yesterday mornin', sir, and, truth to tell, I am beginnin'to feel frightened about him. But if it was about a boat, sir, maybe I could serve as well."

"I wanted to hire his steam launch."

Steam - भाप, वाष्प

"Why, bless you, sir, it is in the steam launch that he has gone. That's what puzzles me; for I know there ain't more coals in her than would take her to about Woolwich and back. If he'd been away in the barge I'd ha'thought nothin'; for many a time a job has taken him as far as Gravesend, and then if there was much doin'there he might ha'stayed over. But what good is a steam launch without coals?

puzzles - समस्या, हैरान करना, पहेली

Barge - बजरा

"

"He might have bought some at a wharf down the river."

"He might, sir, but it weren't his way. Many a time I've heard him call out at the prices they charge for a few odd bags. Besides, I don't like that wooden-legged man, wi'his ugly face and outlandish talk. What did he want always knockin'about here for?"

outlandish - बेतुका, विचित्र

"A wooden-legged man?" said Holmes, with bland surprise.

bland - बेमजा

"Yes, sir, a brown, monkey-faced chap that's called more'n once for my old man. It was him that roused him up yesternight, and, what's more, my man knew he was comin', for he had steam up in the launch. I tell you straight, sir, I don't feel easy in my mind about it."

yesternight - कल रात

"But, my dear Mrs. Smith," said Holmes, shrugging his shoulders, "You are frightening yourself about nothing. How could you possibly tell that it was the wooden-legged man who came in the night? I don't quite understand how you can be so sure."

"His voice, sir. I knew his voice, which is kind o'thick and foggy. He tapped at the winder,-about three it would be. 'Show a leg, matey,'says he: 'time to turn out guard.'My old man woke up Jim,-that's my eldest,-and away they went, without so much as a word to me. I could hear the wooden leg clackin'on the stones."

tapped - खटखटाना, निकालना, क्षार निकालना

winder - चाबी घुमाने वाला, घुमाने वाला

matey - मित्रवत्, दोस्त, मित्रवत

"And was this wooden-legged man alone?"

"Couldn't say, I am sure, sir. I didn't hear no one else."

"I am sorry, Mrs. Smith, for I wanted a steam launch, and I have heard good reports of the-Let me see, what is her name?"

"The Aurora, sir."

aurora - atmospheric phenomenon

"Ah! She's not that old green launch with a yellow line, very broad in the beam?"

"No, indeed. She's as trim a little thing as any on the river. She's been fresh painted, black with two red streaks."

trim - काटना, सजाना, छँटाई, छाँटना

streaks - वर्णरेखा, चमक, दौर, प्रवृत्ति

"Thanks. I hope that you will hear soon from Mr. Smith. I am going down the river; and if I should see anything of the Aurora I shall let him know that you are uneasy. A black funnel, you say?"

uneasy - व्याकुल

funnel - फनल

"No, sir. Black with a white band."

"Ah, of course. It was the sides which were black. Good-morning, Mrs. Smith.-There is a boatman here with a wherry, Watson. We shall take it and cross the river.

boatman - नाविक, नाव चलाने वाला

wherry - व्हेरी नौका

"The main thing with people of that sort," said Holmes, as we sat in the sheets of the wherry, "is never to let them think that their information can be of the slightest importance to you. If you do, they will instantly shut up like an oyster. If you listen to them under protest, as it were, you are very likely to get what you want."

oyster - सीप, शुक्ति

"Our course now seems pretty clear," said I.

"What would you do, then?"

"I would engage a launch and go down the river on the track of the Aurora."

"My dear fellow, it would be a colossal task. She may have touched at any wharf on either side of the stream between here and Greenwich. Below the bridge there is a perfect labyrinth of landing-places for miles. It would take you days and days to exhaust them, if you set about it alone."

colossal - विशाल, बहुत बड़ा/बहुत भारी

Greenwich - east London town

exhaust - थकाना, खींच लेना

"Employ the police, then."

"No. I shall probably call Athelney Jones in at the last moment. He is not a bad fellow, and I should not like to do anything which would injure him professionally. But I have a fancy for working it out myself, now that we have gone so far."

professionally - व्यावसायिक ढंग से, दक्षतापूर्वक

"Could we advertise, then, asking for information from wharfingers?"

wharfingers - घाटवाल

"Worse and worse! Our men would know that the chase was hot at their heels, and they would be off out of the country. As it is, they are likely enough to leave, but as long as they think they are perfectly safe they will be in no hurry.

chase - पीछा करना

Jones's energy will be of use to us there, for his view of the case is sure to push itself into the daily press, and the runaways will think that every one is off on the wrong scent."

daily press - दैनिक प्रेस

runaways - बेलगाम, आसान सी जीत

"What are we to do, then?" I asked, as we landed near Millbank Penitentiary.

penitentiary - दण्डात्मक, बंदीगृह, सुधारात्मक

"Take this hansom, drive home, have some breakfast, and get an hour's sleep. It is quite on the cards that we may be afoot to-night again. Stop at a telegraph-office, cabby! We will keep Toby, for he may be of use to us yet."

Hansom - बग्घी, घोड़ा गाड़ी

afoot - गतिमान, ज़ारी

telegraph-office - (telegraph-office) टेलीग्राफ कार्यालय

cabby - टैक्सी ड्राइवर

We pulled up at the Great Peter Street post-office, and Holmes despatched his wire. "Whom do you think that is to?" he asked, as we resumed our journey.

Peter - पीटर

resumed - फिर आरम्भ करना, सार

"I am sure I don't know."

"You remember the Baker Street division of the detective police force whom I employed in the Jefferson Hope case?"

"Well," said I, laughing.

"This is just the case where they might be invaluable. If they fail, I have other resources; but I shall try them first. That wire was to my dirty little lieutenant, Wiggins, and I expect that he and his gang will be with us before we have finished our breakfast."

lieutenant - सहायक, लेफ्टिनेंट

gang - गिरोह

It was between eight and nine o'clock now, and I was conscious of a strong reaction after the successive excitements of the night. I was limp and weary, befogged in mind and fatigued in body. I had not the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion on, nor could I look at the matter as a mere abstract intellectual problem.

successive - एक के बाद एक आने वाला, लगातार

fatigued - थकाना, थकान, थकावट, थकन

enthusiasm - जोश, उत्साह

As far as the death of Bartholomew Sholto went, I had heard little good of him, and could feel no intense antipathy to his murderers. The treasure, however, was a different matter. That, or part of it, belonged rightfully to Miss Morstan. While there was a chance of recovering it I was ready to devote my life to the one object.

antipathy - चिढ़, विद्वेष, वैरभाव

murderers - हत्यारा, खूनी

rightfully - हिसाब से

recovering - अच्छा हो जाना, ठीक होना

devote - समर्पित होना, समर्पित करना

True, if I found it it would probably put her forever beyond my reach. Yet it would be a petty and selfish love which would be influenced by such a thought as that. If Holmes could work to find the criminals, I had a tenfold stronger reason to urge me on to find the treasure.

Selfish - स्वार्थी, मतलबी

tenfold - दसगुना, दहचंद

urge - उत्तेजित करना, उकसाना

A bath at Baker Street and a complete change freshened me up wonderfully. When I came down to our room I found the breakfast laid and Homes pouring out the coffee.

freshened - मदिरा को पतला करना, तेज़ होना

"Here it is," said he, laughing, and pointing to an open newspaper. "The energetic Jones and the ubiquitous reporter have fixed it up between them. But you have had enough of the case. Better have your ham and eggs first."

energetic - बल, चुस्त, ओजस्वी, कर्मठ, तेजस

ubiquitous - सर्वव्यापी

Ham - सूअर का पुठ्ठा

I took the paper from him and read the short notice, which was headed "Mysterious Business at Upper Norwood."

"About twelve o'clock last night," said the Standard, "Mr. Bartholomew Sholto, of Pondicherry Lodge, Upper Norwood, was found dead in his room under circumstances which point to foul play. As far as we can learn, no actual traces of violence were found upon Mr. Sholto's person, but a valuable collection of Indian gems which the deceased gentleman had inherited from his father has been carried off.

foul - बदबूदार

actual - वास्तविक, सही, चालू, प्रचलित

violence - हिंसा

gems - लाखों में एक, अमूल्य

deceased - मृत्यु, स्वर्गवास होना, मर जाना

carried off - उठाया गया

The discovery was first made by Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who had called at the house with Mr. Thaddeus Sholto, brother of the deceased. By a singular piece of good fortune, Mr. Athelney Jones, the well-known member of the detective police force, happened to be at the Norwood Police Station, and was on the ground within half an hour of the first alarm.

His trained and experienced faculties were at once directed towards the detection of the criminals, with the gratifying result that the brother, Thaddeus Sholto, has already been arrested, together with the housekeeper, Mrs. Bernstone, an Indian butler named Lal Rao, and a porter, or gatekeeper, named McMurdo.

faculties - शक्ति, संकाय, योग्यता, क्षमता

gratifying - पूरा करना, प्रसन्न होना

It is quite certain that the thief or thieves were well acquainted with the house, for Mr.

acquainted - परिचित करना, अवगत कराना

Jones's well-known technical knowledge and his powers of minute observation have enabled him to prove conclusively that the miscreants could not have entered by the door or by the window, but must have made their way across the roof of the building, and so through a trap-door into a room which communicated with that in which the body was found.

conclusively - निश्चयात्मक रूप से

miscreants - बदमाश, पाखंडी

This fact, which has been very clearly made out, proves conclusively that it was no mere haphazard burglary. The prompt and energetic action of the officers of the law shows the great advantage of the presence on such occasions of a single vigorous and masterful mind.

haphazard - लापरवाह, अव्यवस्थित, ऊटपटांग

burglary - चोरी

prompt - सितारा मछली, तुरंत, उकसाना

vigorous - सशक्त, प्रबल, ओजपूर्ण, ओजस्वी

masterful - कुशल

We cannot but think that it supplies an argument to those who would wish to see our detectives more decentralized, and so brought into closer and more effective touch with the cases which it is their duty to investigate."

decentralized - विकेंद्रित करना

"Isn't it gorgeous!" said Holmes, grinning over his coffee-cup. "What do you think of it?"

gorgeous - सुन्दर, सुहावना, भड़कीला, मनमोहक

grinning - ठहाका लगाना, मुस्कराहट

"I think that we have had a close shave ourselves of being arrested for the crime."

"So do I. I wouldn't answer for our safety now, if he should happen to have another of his attacks of energy."

At this moment there was a loud ring at the bell, and I could hear Mrs. Hudson, our landlady, raising her voice in a wail of expostulation and dismay.

ring - अंगूठी

wail - विलाप करना

expostulation - उलाहना

dismay - निराश करना, निराशा, त्रस्त

"By heaven, Holmes," I said, half rising, "I believe that they are really after us."

Heaven - आकाश

"No, it's not quite so bad as that. It is the unofficial force,-the Baker Street irregulars."

As he spoke, there came a swift pattering of naked feet upon the stairs, a clatter of high voices, and in rushed a dozen dirty and ragged little street-Arabs. There was some show of discipline among them, despite their tumultuous entry, for they instantly drew up in line and stood facing us with expectant faces.

pattering - बड़बड़ाहट, पटपटाहट, पटपटाना

clatter - खड़खड़ की आवाज़ करना, खड़खड़ाहट

ragged - विषम, अपरिष्कृत, क्लांत, फटीचर

discipline - अनुशासन

tumultuous - अशांत

expectant - आशान्वित, गर्भवती

One of their number, taller and older than the others, stood forward with an air of lounging superiority which was very funny in such a disreputable little scarecrow.

lounging - आराम करना, (lounge) आराम करना

superiority - वरिष्टता, उत्कृष्टता, श्रेष्ठता

disreputable - अशोभनीय, बदनाम, अपमान/लज्जाजनक

Scarecrow - बिजूखा, काकभगौड़ा

"Got your message, sir," said he, "and brought 'em on sharp. Three bob and a tanner for tickets."

Bob - ऊपर नीचे करना

tanner - चर्मशोधक, टैनर, (tan)

"Here you are," said Holmes, producing some silver. "In future they can report to you, Wiggins, and you to me. I cannot have the house invaded in this way. However, it is just as well that you should all hear the instructions. I want to find the whereabouts of a steam launch called the Aurora, owner Mordecai Smith, black with two red streaks, funnel black with a white band.

invaded - आक्रमण करना, चढाई करना

She is down the river somewhere. I want one boy to be at Mordecai Smith's landing-stage opposite Millbank to say if the boat comes back. You must divide it out among yourselves, and do both banks thoroughly. Let me know the moment you have news. Is that all clear?"

thoroughly - पूर्ण, अच्छी तरह से

"Yes, guv'nor," said Wiggins.

guv - form of address

"The old scale of pay, and a guinea to the boy who finds the boat. Here's a day in advance. Now off you go!" He handed them a shilling each, and away they buzzed down the stairs, and I saw them a moment later streaming down the street.

shilling - 1971 तक ब्रिटेन में प्रचलित एक सिक्का, (shill) 1971 तक ब्रिटेन में प्रचलित एक सिक्का

buzzed - गूँज, मार्ग में बाधा डालना

"If the launch is above water they will find her," said Holmes, as he rose from the table and lit his pipe. "They can go everywhere, see everything, overhear every one. I expect to hear before evening that they have spotted her. In the mean while, we can do nothing but await results. We cannot pick up the broken trail until we find either the Aurora or Mr. Mordecai Smith."

overhear - संयोग से सुन लेना

await - इंतज़ार करना r=intazār karnā

"Toby could eat these scraps, I dare say. Are you going to bed, Holmes?"

scraps - झगड़ा, निकाल देना, रद्दी

"No: I am not tired. I have a curious constitution. I never remember feeling tired by work, though idleness exhausts me completely. I am going to smoke and to think over this queer business to which my fair client has introduced us. If ever man had an easy task, this of ours ought to be. Wooden-legged men are not so common, but the other man must, I should think, be absolutely unique."

idleness - आलस्य, अलकस

exhausts - थकाना, खींच लेना

think over - विचार करना

unique - अनोखा, अद्वितीय, अपूर्व

"That other man again!"

"I have no wish to make a mystery of him,-to you, anyway. But you must have formed your own opinion. Now, do consider the data. Diminutive footmarks, toes never fettered by boots, naked feet, stone-headed wooden mace, great agility, small poisoned darts. What do you make of all this?"

diminutive - छोटा, अल्पार्थी, छोटा सा

fettered - बंधन, बंधन बाँधना, बेड़ी, बेडी

mace - गदा

agility - फुर्ती

darts - चुन्नट, (**), बर्छी, झपट्टा

"A savage!" I exclaimed. "Perhaps one of those Indians who were the associates of Jonathan Small."

Indians - भारतीय, भारत संबंधी

"Hardly that," said he. "When first I saw signs of strange weapons I was inclined to think so; but the remarkable character of the footmarks caused me to reconsider my views. Some of the inhabitants of the Indian Peninsula are small men, but none could have left such marks as that. The Hindoo proper has long and thin feet.

inhabitants - निवासी

Peninsula - प्रायद्वीप

The sandal-wearing Mohammedan has the great toe well separated from the others, because the thong is commonly passed between. These little darts, too, could only be shot in one way. They are from a blow-pipe. Now, then, where are we to find our savage?"

sandal - चप्पल

Mohammedan - मुहम्मदी, महम्मदा, महमदी

thong - चमड़े की पट्टी

commonly - अक्सर, सामान्यतः, साधारणतः

"South American," I hazarded.

hazarded - खतरे में डालना

He stretched his hand up, and took down a bulky volume from the shelf. "This is the first volume of a gazetteer which is now being published. It may be looked upon as the very latest authority. What have we here? 'Andaman Islands, situated 340 miles to the north of Sumatra, in the Bay of Bengal.'Hum! hum! What's all this?

stretched - फैलाना, फैल जाना, पंक्ति

bulky - भारी भरकम, बड़ा/2.स्थूल

Gazetteer - नामसूची

situated - रखना, जमा कर रखना, स्थित होना

Sumatra - the largest island of Indonesia

bay - खाड़ी

Bengal - बंगाल, वंग, बंग, वङ्ग

Moist climate, coral reefs, sharks, Port Blair, convict-barracks, Rutland Island, cottonwoods-Ah, here we are. 'The aborigines of the Andaman Islands may perhaps claim the distinction of being the smallest race upon this earth, though some anthropologists prefer the Bushmen of Africa, the Digger Indians of America, and the Terra del Fuegians.

moist - नम

coral - मूंगा, मूँगा, प्रवाल

reefs - पाल समेटना

sharks - शार्क का शिकार करना, धूर्त

Barracks - बैरक, (barrack) बैरक

aborigines - मूल निवासी, ऑस्ट्रेलियाई आदिवासी

anthropologists - मानवविज्ञानी

Bushmen - बुशमैन, ऑस्ट्रेलियाई बुशमैन

Africa - अफ़्रीका, कालद्वीप

digger - खनक

terra - टेरा

Del - abbreviation on the delete key on a keyboard

The average height is rather below four feet, although many full-grown adults may be found who are very much smaller than this. They are a fierce, morose, and intractable people, though capable of forming most devoted friendships when their confidence has once been gained.'Mark that, Watson. Now, then, listen to this.

morose - चिड़ पिड़ा/रूखा, चिड़चिड़ा

intractable - प्रचण्ड, हठी

capable - सक्षम

most devoted - सबसे आसन्न

'They are naturally hideous, having large, misshapen heads, small, fierce eyes, and distorted features. Their feet and hands, however, are remarkably small. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree.

hideous - डरावना, वीभत्स

misshapen - विकृत, गलत आकार वाली, अवरूप

distorted - तोड़ मरोड़ करना, रूप बिगाड़ना

remarkably - उल्लेखनीयता से

They have always been a terror to shipwrecked crews, braining the survivors with their stone-headed clubs, or shooting them with their poisoned arrows. These massacres are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast.'Nice, amiable people, Watson! If this fellow had been left to his own unaided devices this affair might have taken an even more ghastly turn.

shipwrecked - टूटे हुए जहाज़ का, टूट जाना

crews - कर्मी दल, कर्मी दल, समूह

survivors - उत्तरजीवी

arrows - तीर, शर, ` > चिह्न, तीर/बाण/शर

massacres - नरसंहार, हत्याकाण्ड

invariably - सर्वदा, निरपवाद रूप से

cannibal - आदमखोर, मानवभक्षी, नरभक्षी

feast - भोज

unaided - सहायता रहित, बिना सहायता के

affair - घटना, समस्या, झगड़ा, वस्तु

I fancy that, even as it is, Jonathan Small would give a good deal not to have employed him."

"But how came he to have so singular a companion?"

"Ah, that is more than I can tell. Since, however, we had already determined that Small had come from the Andamans, it is not so very wonderful that this islander should be with him. No doubt we shall know all about it in time. Look here, Watson; you look regularly done. Lie down there on the sofa, and see if I can put you to sleep."

Islander - द्वीप वासी, द्वीपवासी

sofa - सोफ़ा, सोफा

He took up his violin from the corner, and as I stretched myself out he began to play some low, dreamy, melodious air,-his own, no doubt, for he had a remarkable gift for improvisation. I have a vague remembrance of his gaunt limbs, his earnest face, and the rise and fall of his bow.

violin - वायलिन, बेला, सारंगी

melodious - मधुर, सुरीली, सुरीला

improvisation - अप्रस्तुत या आशु रचना

remembrance - स्मरण, निशानी

gaunt - भूखा रहकर दुबला होना

bow - झुकना, झुकाना

Then I seemed to be floated peacefully away upon a soft sea of sound, until I found myself in dream-land, with the sweet face of Mary Morstan looking down upon me.

floated - धारा के साथ बहना, प्रवहमान रहना

peacefully - शांतिपूर्वक, शांति से

Chapter IX - A Break in the Chain

It was late in the afternoon before I woke, strengthened and refreshed. Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left him, save that he had laid aside his violin and was deep in a book. He looked across at me, as I stirred, and I noticed that his face was dark and troubled.

strengthened - शक्ति बढ़ना, मजबूत करना

refreshed - फिर से भरना, ताजा करना

aside - अलग, छोड़कर, एक किनारे

stirred - चलाना, उत्तेजित करना, मिलाना

"You have slept soundly," he said. "I feared that our talk would wake you."

soundly - अच्छी तरह, मजबूत ढंग से

"I heard nothing," I answered. "Have you had fresh news, then?"

"Unfortunately, no. I confess that I am surprised and disappointed. I expected something definite by this time. Wiggins has just been up to report. He says that no trace can be found of the launch. It is a provoking check, for every hour is of importance."

provoking - उत्तेजित करना, उत्पन्न करना

"Can I do anything? I am perfectly fresh now, and quite ready for another night's outing."

"No, we can do nothing. We can only wait. If we go ourselves, the message might come in our absence, and delay be caused. You can do what you will, but I must remain on guard."

absence - अनुपस्थिति

"Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs. Cecil Forrester. She asked me to, yesterday."

"On Mrs. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes, with the twinkle of a smile in his eyes.

Twinkle - चमक, जोश, टिमटिमाना, चमकना

"Well, of course Miss Morstan too. They were anxious to hear what happened."

"I would not tell them too much," said Holmes. "Women are never to be entirely trusted,-not the best of them."

trusted - आशा करना, सहारा, ईमानदारी से

I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment. "I shall be back in an hour or two," I remarked.

pause - रुकना, ठहरना

atrocious - घटिया, नृशंस, भद्दा, पाशविक

sentiment - भावना, विचार, मनोभाव, भावुकता

"All right! Good luck! But, I say, if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby, for I don't think it is at all likely that we shall have any use for him now."

I took our mongrel accordingly, and left him, together with a half-sovereign, at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane. At Camberwell I found Miss Morstan a little weary after her night's adventures, but very eager to hear the news. Mrs. Forrester, too, was full of curiosity. I told them all that we had done, suppressing, however, the more dreadful parts of the tragedy.

accordingly - फलस्वरूप, परिस्थिति के अनुसार

sovereign - स्वायत्त, सार्वभौम

curiosity - जिज्ञासा

suppressing - रोकना, समाप्त करना

more dreadful - और भयानक

Thus, although I spoke of Mr. Sholto's death, I said nothing of the exact manner and method of it. With all my omissions, however, there was enough to startle and amaze them.

omissions - न लिया जाना, चूक, लोप

startle - चकित, चौंक जाना, चौंकाना

amaze - चकित कर देना

"It is a romance!" cried Mrs. Forrester. "An injured lady, half a million in treasure, a black cannibal, and a wooden-legged ruffian. They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl."

ruffian - बदमाश, गुंडा, गुण्डा

conventional - पारम्परिक, परमाणु रहित

Dragon - एक मिथकीय पशु

earl - अर्ल

"And two knight-errants to the rescue," added Miss Morstan, with a bright glance at me.

errants - बेवफ़ा, गुमराह

rescue - बचाना

"Why, Mary, your fortune depends upon the issue of this search. I don't think that you are nearly excited enough. Just imagine what it must be to be so rich, and to have the world at your feet!"

It sent a little thrill of joy to my heart to notice that she showed no sign of elation at the prospect. On the contrary, she gave a toss of her proud head, as though the matter were one in which she took small interest.

elation - प्रफुल्लता

prospect - दृश्य, खोज़ना, खोज करना, संभावना

toss - टॉस

"It is for Mr. Thaddeus Sholto that I am anxious," she said. "Nothing else is of any consequence; but I think that he has behaved most kindly and honorably throughout. It is our duty to clear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge."

honorably - प्रतिष्ठापूर्ण ढंग से

dreadful - भद्दा, शोचनीय, डरावना, विकट

unfounded - बेबुनियाद, निराधार

It was evening before I left Camberwell, and quite dark by the time I reached home. My companion's book and pipe lay by his chair, but he had disappeared. I looked about in the hope of seeing a note, but there was none.

lay by - रख दें

"I suppose that Mr. Sherlock Holmes has gone out," I said to Mrs. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds.

blinds - गुप्त, झिलमिली, अविवेचित, बहाना

"No, sir. He has gone to his room, sir. Do you know, sir," sinking her voice into an impressive whisper, "I am afraid for his health?"

"Why so, Mrs. Hudson?"

"Well, he's that strange, sir. After you was gone he walked and he walked, up and down, and up and down, until I was weary of the sound of his footstep. Then I heard him talking to himself and muttering, and every time the bell rang out he came on the stairhead, with 'What is that, Mrs. Hudson?'And now he has slammed off to his room, but I can hear him walking away the same as ever.

footstep - चरणचिन्ह, पैरों की आहट

stairhead - स्टेयरहेड

I hope he's not going to be ill, sir. I ventured to say something to him about cooling medicine, but he turned on me, sir, with such a look that I don't know how ever I got out of the room."

"I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy, Mrs. Hudson," I answered. "I have seen him like this before. He has some small matter upon his mind which makes him restless.

" I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady, but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread, and knew how his keen spirit was chafing against this involuntary inaction.

worthy - योग्य, ईमानदार, उपयुक्त, लायक

tread - परचलना

chafing - बजाना, चिढ़ होना, रगड़, खीझ

involuntary - अनिच्छा से होने वाला, अस्वैच्छिक

inaction - निष्क्रियता, अकर्म, अकार्य

At breakfast-time he looked worn and haggard, with a little fleck of feverish color upon either cheek.

fleck - धब्बे डालना, कण, चित्ती, धब्बा

feverish - उत्तेजित, ज्वरजन्य

cheek - गाल

"You are knocking yourself up, old man," I remarked. "I heard you marching about in the night."

"No, I could not sleep," he answered. "This infernal problem is consuming me. It is too much to be balked by so petty an obstacle, when all else had been overcome. I know the men, the launch, everything; and yet I can get no news. I have set other agencies at work, and used every means at my disposal. The whole river has been searched on either side, but there is no news, nor has Mrs.

infernal - खिझाने वाला, नारकीय

balked - ठिठकना, बाधा डालना

overcome - हराना, पराजित करना

disposal - निष्कासन, छुटकारा, बिक्री

Smith heard of her husband. I shall come to the conclusion soon that they have scuttled the craft. But there are objections to that."

scuttled - विफल कर देना, भाग जाना

craft - धूर्तता, नौका, चालाकी, बना होना

objections - विरोध, आपत्ति, एतराज़, आक्षेप

"Or that Mrs. Smith has put us on a wrong scent."

"No, I think that may be dismissed. I had inquiries made, and there is a launch of that description."

dismissed - अस्वीकार करना, निकाल देना

"Could it have gone up the river?"

"I have considered that possibility too, and there is a search-party who will work up as far as Richmond. If no news comes to-day, I shall start off myself to-morrow, and go for the men rather than the boat. But surely, surely, we shall hear something."

search-party - (search-party) खोज दल

Richmond - रिच्ह्मंड

morrow - अगला दिन, कल/अगला दिन

We did not, however. Not a word came to us either from Wiggins or from the other agencies. There were articles in most of the papers upon the Norwood tragedy. They all appeared to be rather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto. No fresh details were to be found, however, in any of them, save that an inquest was to be held upon the following day.

hostile - शत्रुतापूर्ण, शत्रु का, विरोधी

inquest - किसी की मृत्यु के कारणों की न्यायिक जाच

I walked over to Camberwell in the evening to report our ill success to the ladies, and on my return I found Holmes dejected and somewhat morose. He would hardly reply to my questions, and busied himself all evening in an abstruse chemical analysis which involved much heating of retorts and distilling of vapors, ending at last in a smell which fairly drove me out of the apartment.

dejected - मुरझाया, उदास, म्लान, कुम्हलाया

distilling - द्रव्यविद्यालय, (distil) द्रव्यविद्यालय

vapors - विषाद

Up to the small hours of the morning I could hear the clinking of his test-tubes which told me that he was still engaged in his malodorous experiment.

clinking - जेल, झनझनाहट, झनझनाना

malodorous - बदबूदार

In the early dawn I woke with a start, and was surprised to find him standing by my bedside, clad in a rude sailor dress with a pea-jacket, and a coarse red scarf round his neck.

dawn - उषा, ऊषा, प्रभात, तड़का

bedside - शय्या पार्श्व

pea - मटर

scarf - स्कार्फ

"I am off down the river, Watson," said he. "I have been turning it over in my mind, and I can see only one way out of it. It is worth trying, at all events."

"Surely I can come with you, then?" said I.

"No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here as my representative. I am loath to go, for it is quite on the cards that some message may come during the day, though Wiggins was despondent about it last night. I want you to open all notes and telegrams, and to act on your own judgment if any news should come. Can I rely upon you?"

representative - प्रतिनिधि, नुमाइंदा

loath - अनिच्छुक

despondent - निराश, आशाहीन

Telegrams - तार, तार का समाचार

"Most certainly."

"I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me, for I can hardly tell yet where I may find myself. If I am in luck, however, I may not be gone so very long. I shall have news of some sort or other before I get back."

I had heard nothing of him by breakfast-time. On opening the Standard, however, I found that there was a fresh allusion to the business. "With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy," it remarked, "we have reason to believe that the matter promises to be even more complex and mysterious than was originally supposed. Fresh evidence has shown that it is quite impossible that Mr.

allusion - संकेत, उल्लेख

Thaddeus Sholto could have been in any way concerned in the matter. He and the housekeeper, Mrs. Bernstone, were both released yesterday evening. It is believed, however, that the police have a clue as to the real culprits, and that it is being prosecuted by Mr. Athelney Jones, of Scotland Yard, with all his well-known energy and sagacity. Further arrests may be expected at any moment."

culprits - अपराधी, दोषी

prosecuted - अभियोग लगाना, मुकदमा चलाना

Scotland - स्कौटलैंड

"That is satisfactory so far as it goes," thought I. "Friend Sholto is safe, at any rate. I wonder what the fresh clue may be; though it seems to be a stereotyped form whenever the police have made a blunder."

satisfactory - संतोषप्रद, सन्तोषजनक, संतोषजनक

stereotyped - रूढिवादी, रूढिबद्ध धारणा

blunder - चूक/भारी भूल

I tossed the paper down upon the table, but at that moment my eye caught an advertisement in the agony column. It ran in this way:

agony - व्यथा, कष्ट

"Lost.-Whereas Mordecai Smith, boatman, and his son, Jim, left Smith's Wharf at or about three o'clock last Tuesday morning in the steam launch Aurora, black with two red stripes, funnel black with a white band, the sum of five pounds will be paid to any one who can give information to Mrs.

stripes - धारी, फीता, तबका, फ़ीती

Smith, at Smith's Wharf, or at 221b Baker Street, as to the whereabouts of the said Mordecai Smith and the launch Aurora."

This was clearly Holmes's doing. The Baker street address was enough to prove that. It struck me as rather ingenious, because it might be read by the fugitives without their seeing in it more than the natural anxiety of a wife for her missing husband.

street address - सड़क पता

ingenious - शानदार, प्रवीण, विदग्ध

fugitives - भगोड़ा, तड़ीपार, क्षणभंगुर

It was a long day. Every time that a knock came to the door, or a sharp step passed in the street, I imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an answer to his advertisement. I tried to read, but my thoughts would wander off to our strange quest and to the ill-assorted and villainous pair whom we were pursuing. Could there be, I wondered, some radical flaw in my companion's reasoning.

wander - भटकना, घूमना

assorted - छाँटना

villainous - दुष्ट, उपद्रवी

pursuing - पीछे चलना, (pursue) पीछे चलना

radical - उग्रवादी, चरमपंथी, अतिवादी

Might he be suffering from some huge self-deception? Was it not possible that his nimble and speculative mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty premises? I had never known him to be wrong; and yet the keenest reasoner may occasionally be deceived.

deception - धोखा, छल

nimble - फुर्तीला, चंचल, कुशाग्रआ

speculative - सितारा मछली, कल्पित

reasoner - विचारक

be deceived - भ्रमित होना

He was likely, I thought, to fall into error through the over-refinement of his logic,-his preference for a subtle and bizarre explanation when a plainer and more commonplace one lay ready to his hand. Yet, on the other hand, I had myself seen the evidence, and I had heard the reasons for his deductions.

refinement - सुधार, सुसंस्कृति

logic - तर्क-शास्त्र, गणितीय तर्क, तर्क

preference - प्राथमिकता, पसंद, वरीयता, अधिमान

plainer - सरल, समतल, सीधा, साधारण, सहज

deductions - घटाना, घटाव, कटौती, निगमन

When I looked back on the long chain of curious circumstances, many of them trivial in themselves, but all tending in the same direction, I could not disguise from myself that even if Holmes's explanation were incorrect the true theory must be equally outre and startling.

trivial - तुच्छ, साधारण, नगण्य, मामूली

disguise - भेष बदलना, छिपाना, वेष बदलन्

incorrect - अनुचित, गलत, अशुद्ध

outre - विचित्र

startling - चौंका देने वाला, आश्चर्यजनक

At three o'clock in the afternoon there was a loud peal at the bell, an authoritative voice in the hall, and, to my surprise, no less a person than Mr. Athelney Jones was shown up to me. Very different was he, however, from the brusque and masterful professor of common sense who had taken over the case so confidently at Upper Norwood.

peal - घंटियों के बजने की आवाज

authoritative - बाइख़्तियार, प्रामाणिक

brusque - अशिष्ट, रूखा, अशिष्ट/रूखा

confidently - विश्वास सहित

His expression was downcast, and his bearing meek and even apologetic.

meek - दब्बू, विनम्र, डरपोक

apologetic - शर्मिंदा, क्षमायाचक

"Good-day, sir; good-day," said he. "Mr. Sherlock Holmes is out, I understand."

"Yes, and I cannot be sure when he will be back. But perhaps you would care to wait. Take that chair and try one of these cigars."

cigars - चुरुट/सिगार, सिगार, चुरूट

"Thank you; I don't mind if I do," said he, mopping his face with a red bandanna handkerchief.

I don't mind - मुझे बिल्कुल मतलब नहीं है

mopping - मप, पुचारा, पोछा, पोछना

bandanna - रंग बिरंगा रूमाल

"And a whiskey-and-soda?"

whiskey - व्हिस्की, विलायती पानी, मदिरा

soda - सोडा पानी, सोडावाटर

"Well, half a glass. It is very hot for the time of year; and I have had a good deal to worry and try me. You know my theory about this Norwood case?"

"I remember that you expressed one."

"Well, I have been obliged to reconsider it. I had my net drawn tightly round Mr. Sholto, sir, when pop he went through a hole in the middle of it. He was able to prove an alibi which could not be shaken. From the time that he left his brother's room he was never out of sight of some one or other. So it could not be he who climbed over roofs and through trap-doors.

obliged - नैतिक नियमों से मज़बूर करना

alibi - बहाना, अन्यत्रता, execuse

It's a very dark case, and my professional credit is at stake. I should be very glad of a little assistance."

stake - दाँव पर लगाना, सहारा देना

"We all need help sometimes," said I.

"Your friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes is a wonderful man, sir," said he, in a husky and confidential voice. "He's a man who is not to be beat. I have known that young man go into a good many cases, but I never saw the case yet that he could not throw a light upon.

confidential - गोपनीय

He is irregular in his methods, and a little quick perhaps in jumping at theories, but, on the whole, I think he would have made a most promising officer, and I don't care who knows it. I have had a wire from him this morning, by which I understand that he has got some clue to this Sholto business. Here is the message."

He took the telegram out of his pocket, and handed it to me. It was dated from Poplar at twelve o'clock. "Go to Baker Street at once," it said. "If I have not returned, wait for me. I am close on the track of the Sholto gang. You can come with us to-night if you want to be in at the finish."

poplar - चिनार

"This sounds well. He has evidently picked up the scent again," said I.

"Ah, then he has been at fault too," exclaimed Jones, with evident satisfaction. "Even the best of us are thrown off sometimes. Of course this may prove to be a false alarm; but it is my duty as an officer of the law to allow no chance to slip. But there is some one at the door. Perhaps this is he."

evident - प्रकट, स्पष्ट, प्रत्यक्ष

slip - फिसल जाना

A heavy step was heard ascending the stair, with a great wheezing and rattling as from a man who was sorely put to it for breath. Once or twice he stopped, as though the climb were too much for him, but at last he made his way to our door and entered. His appearance corresponded to the sounds which we had heard.

ascending - चढना, बढना/चढ़ना, उपर उठना

wheezing - घरघराता, (wheeze)

corresponded - एकमत होना, मेल खाना, मेल खाना

He was an aged man, clad in seafaring garb, with an old pea-jacket buttoned up to his throat. His back was bowed, his knees were shaky, and his breathing was painfully asthmatic. As he leaned upon a thick oaken cudgel his shoulders heaved in the effort to draw the air into his lungs.

seafaring - समुद्री कार्य, समुद्री यत्रा

garb - पोशाक

buttoned up - बटन किया हुआ

bowed - झुकाना, सिर झुकाना, गलही

shaky - अस्थिर, डाँवाँडोल, काँपता हुआ

painfully - अप्रीतिकर ढंग से, कष्टपूर्वक

asthmatic - दमारोगी

oaken - बलूती

Cudgel - लाठी

heaved - उठाना, उबकाई, उबकाई आना, लहराना

lungs - फेफड़ा, श्वासी, फेपड़ा

He had a colored scarf round his chin, and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen dark eyes, overhung by bushy white brows, and long gray side-whiskers. Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty.

chin - ठुड्डी

bushy - घना, झाड़ीदार

brows - आँखें, (brow) आँखें

whiskers - गलमुच्छा, मूँछ

respectable - प्रणम्य, नमनीय, आदरणीय

mariner - नाविक, (marine), मैरीन

"What is it, my man?" I asked.

He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age.

"Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?" said he.

"No; but I am acting for him. You can tell me any message you have for him."

"It was to him himself I was to tell it," said he.

"But I tell you that I am acting for him. Was it about Mordecai Smith's boat?"

"Yes. I knows well where it is. An'I knows where the men he is after are. An'I knows where the treasure is. I knows all about it."

"Then tell me, and I shall let him know."

"It was to him I was to tell it," he repeated, with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man.

petulant - बदमिजाज़, चिडचिडा

obstinacy - ज़िद

"Well, you must wait for him."

"No, no; I ain't goin'to lose a whole day to please no one. If Mr. Holmes ain't here, then Mr. Holmes must find it all out for himself. I don't care about the look of either of you, and I won't tell a word."

He shuffled towards the door, but Athelney Jones got in front of him.

shuffled - पैर घसीट कर चलना, रगड़ना/घसीटना

"Wait a bit, my friend," said he. "You have important information, and you must not walk off. We shall keep you, whether you like or not, until our friend returns."

The old man made a little run towards the door, but, as Athelney Jones put his broad back up against it, he recognized the uselessness of resistance.

Uselessness - निरर्थकता, अनुपयोगिता

resistance - विरोध, प्रतिरोध, मुक़ाबला

"Pretty sort o'treatment this!" he cried, stamping his stick. "I come here to see a gentleman, and you two, who I never saw in my life, seize me and treat me in this fashion!"

seize - समझना, झपट लेना, पकड़ना

"You will be none the worse," I said. "We shall recompense you for the loss of your time. Sit over here on the sofa, and you will not have long to wait."

recompense - इनाम, पुरस्कार, क्षतिपूर्ति

He came across sullenly enough, and seated himself with his face resting on his hands. Jones and I resumed our cigars and our talk. Suddenly, however, Holmes's voice broke in upon us.

sullenly - मुँह फुलाए

"I think that you might offer me a cigar too," he said.

We both started in our chairs. There was Holmes sitting close to us with an air of quiet amusement.

"Holmes!" I exclaimed. "You here! But where is the old man?"

"Here is the old man," said he, holding out a heap of white hair. "Here he is,-wig, whiskers, eyebrows, and all. I thought my disguise was pretty good, but I hardly expected that it would stand that test."

wig - उपकेश, विग

"Ah, You rogue!" cried Jones, highly delighted. "You would have made an actor, and a rare one. You had the proper workhouse cough, and those weak legs of yours are worth ten pound a week. I thought I knew the glint of your eye, though. You didn't get away from us so easily, You see."

rogue - दुष्ट

workhouse - दरिद्रालय

cough - खांसना

"I have been working in that get-up all day," said he, lighting his cigar. "You see, a good many of the criminal classes begin to know me,-especially since our friend here took to publishing some of my cases: so I can only go on the war-path under some simple disguise like this. You got my wire?"

"Yes; that was what brought me here."

"How has your case prospered?"

"It has all come to nothing. I have had to release two of my prisoners, and there is no evidence against the other two."

"Never mind. We shall give you two others in the place of them. But you must put yourself under my orders. You are welcome to all the official credit, but you must act on the line that I point out. Is that agreed?"

"Entirely, if you will help me to the men."

"Well, then, in the first place I shall want a fast police-boat-a steam launch-to be at the Westminster Stairs at seven o'clock."

"That is easily managed. There is always one about there; but I can step across the road and telephone to make sure."

"Then I shall want two stanch men, in case of resistance."

stanch - रोकना

"There will be two or three in the boat. What else?"

"When we secure the men we shall get the treasure. I think that it would be a pleasure to my friend here to take the box round to the young lady to whom half of it rightfully belongs. Let her be the first to open it.-Eh, Watson?"

"It would be a great pleasure to me."

"Rather an irregular proceeding," said Jones, shaking his head. "However, the whole thing is irregular, and I suppose we must wink at it. The treasure must afterwards be handed over to the authorities until after the official investigation."

proceeding - law: act of one who proceeds

wink at - मुंह में झप्पा लगाना

investigation - अनुसन्धान, जाँच, अन्वेषण

"Certainly. That is easily managed. One other point. I should much like to have a few details about this matter from the lips of Jonathan Small himself. You know I like to work the detail of my cases out. There is no objection to my having an unofficial interview with him, either here in my rooms or elsewhere, as long as he is efficiently guarded?"

elsewhere - और कहीं, अन्यत्र, अनत

efficiently - निपूणता से, निपूणता से

"Well, you are master of the situation. I have had no proof yet of the existence of this Jonathan Small. However, if you can catch him I don't see how I can refuse you an interview with him."

refuse - अस्वीकार करना

"That is understood, then?"

"Perfectly. Is there anything else?"

"Only that I insist upon your dining with us. It will be ready in half an hour. I have oysters and a brace of grouse, with something a little choice in white wines.-Watson, you have never yet recognized my merits as a housekeeper."

insist - अड़े रहना, जोर डालना, दृढ़ रहना

dining - हो हल्ला, शोरगुल, शोरगुल करना

Oysters - सीप, शुक्ति

brace - तैयार करना, तैयार करना, पट्टी

grouse - एक प्रकार का पक्षी

merits - विशेषता, योग्यता, सराहना

Chapter X - The End of the Islander

Our meal was a merry one. Holmes could talk exceedingly well when he chose, and that night he did choose. He appeared to be in a state of nervous exaltation. I have never known him so brilliant.

exceedingly - अत्यन्त, बहुत सा

He spoke on a quick succession of subjects,-on miracle-plays, on medieval pottery, on Stradivarius violins, on the Buddhism of Ceylon, and on the war-ships of the future,-handling each as though he had made a special study of it. His bright humor marked the reaction from his black depression of the preceding days.

miracle - चमत्कार, कौतुक, कमाल

medieval - मध्यकालीन, मध्ययुगीन

pottery - मिट्टी के बर्तनों

Stradivarius - stringed instrument built by members of the Stradivari family

violins - सारंगी, बेला

Buddhism - बौद्ध धर्म

Ceylon - सेलोन, सिंहल

handling - चलाना, उठाना धरना, प्रबंधन

humor - हास्यवृत्ति

preceding - आगे करना, आगे करना

Athelney Jones proved to be a sociable soul in his hours of relaxation, and faced his dinner with the air of a bon vivant. For myself, I felt elated at the thought that we were nearing the end of our task, and I caught something of Holmes's gaiety. None of us alluded during dinner to the cause which had brought us together.

sociable - सामाजिक, मिलनसार, समाजशील

relaxation - मनोरंजन, तनाव मुक्ति, विश्राम

elated - प्रफुल्लित करना[होना]

gaiety - हर्षोल्लास का वातावरण, प्रसन्नता

alluded - संकेत करना, ज़िक्र करना

When the cloth was cleared, Holmes glanced at his watch, and filled up three glasses with port. "One bumper," said he, "to the success of our little expedition. And now it is high time we were off. Have you a pistol, Watson?"

bumper - बम्पर

"I have my old service-revolver in my desk."

service-revolver - (service-revolver) सर्विस रेवोल्वर

"You had best take it, then. It is well to be prepared. I see that the cab is at the door. I ordered it for half-past six."

It was a little past seven before we reached the Westminster wharf, and found our launch awaiting us. Holmes eyed it critically.

critically - in a critical manner

"Is there anything to mark it as a police-boat?"

"Yes,-that green lamp at the side."

"Then take it off."

The small change was made, we stepped on board, and the ropes were cast off. Jones, Holmes, and I sat in the stern. There was one man at the rudder, one to tend the engines, and two burly police-inspectors forward.

small change - छोटी बदलाव

rudder - अरित्र, पतवार, (rud)

inspectors - निरीक्षक, इंस्पेक्टर

"Where to?" asked Jones.

"To the Tower. Tell them to stop opposite Jacobson's Yard."

Our craft was evidently a very fast one. We shot past the long lines of loaded barges as though they were stationary. Holmes smiled with satisfaction as we overhauled a river steamer and left her behind us.

barges - जबरदस्ती घुसना, बजरा

stationary - स्थिर, अपरिवर्तित, अचल

overhauled - पूरी जाँच करके मरम्मत करना

steamer - स्टीमर

"We ought to be able to catch anything on the river," he said.

"Well, hardly that. But there are not many launches to beat us."

launches - प्रारंभ करना, छोडना, आरम्भ करना

"We shall have to catch the Aurora, and she has a name for being a clipper. I will tell you how the land lies, Watson. You recollect how annoyed I was at being balked by so small a thing?"

clipper - कतरनी, पोत, कैंची

"Yes."

"Well, I gave my mind a thorough rest by plunging into a chemical analysis. One of our greatest statesmen has said that a change of work is the best rest. So it is. When I had succeeded in dissolving the hydrocarbon which I was at work at, I came back to our problem of the Sholtos, and thought the whole matter out again. My boys had been up the river and down the river without result.

thorough - पूर्ण, पूरा, संपूर्ण, तफ़सीली

plunging - डूबना, (plunge) डूबना

statesmen - राजनेता, राजनीति विशारद

dissolving - विलुप्त होना, (dissolve) विलुप्त होना

hydrocarbon - उदप्रांगार

The launch was not at any landing-stage or wharf, nor had it returned. Yet it could hardly have been scuttled to hide their traces,-though that always remained as a possible hypothesis if all else failed. I knew this man Small had a certain degree of low cunning, but I did not think him capable of anything in the nature of delicate finesse. That is usually a product of higher education.

cunning - चालाक

finesse - कौशल, कुशलतापूर्वक करना

I then reflected that since he had certainly been in London some time-as we had evidence that he maintained a continual watch over Pondicherry Lodge-he could hardly leave at a moment's notice, but would need some little time, if it were only a day, to arrange his affairs. That was the balance of probability, at any rate."

continual - बार बार होने वाला, अविरत

at a moment's notice - एक क्षण की सूचना पर

affairs - घटना, समस्या, झगड़ा, वस्तु

"It seems to me to be a little weak," said I. "It is more probable that he had arranged his affairs before ever he set out upon his expedition."

more probable - अधिक संभावित

"No, I hardly think so. This lair of his would be too valuable a retreat in case of need for him to give it up until he was sure that he could do without it. But a second consideration struck me. Jonathan Small must have felt that the peculiar appearance of his companion, however much he may have top-coated him, would give rise to gossip, and possibly be associated with this Norwood tragedy.

consideration - ध्यान, विचार, मुआवजा, कारण

He was quite sharp enough to see that. They had started from their head-quarters under cover of darkness, and he would wish to get back before it was broad light. Now, it was past three o'clock, according to Mrs. Smith, when they got the boat. It would be quite bright, and people would be about in an hour or so. Therefore, I argued, they did not go very far.

They paid Smith well to hold his tongue, reserved his launch for the final escape, and hurried to their lodgings with the treasure-box.

reserved - संचय, अलग छोड़ देना, प्रतिबंध

lodgings - आवास, किराये का कमरा, निवास

In a couple of nights, when they had time to see what view the papers took, and whether there was any suspicion, they would make their way under cover of darkness to some ship at Gravesend or in the Downs, where no doubt they had already arranged for passages to America or the Colonies."

colonies - बस्ती, उपनगर, उपनिवेश

"But the launch? They could not have taken that to their lodgings."

"Quite so. I argued that the launch must be no great way off, in spite of its invisibility. I then put myself in the place of Small, and looked at it as a man of his capacity would. He would probably consider that to send back the launch or to keep it at a wharf would make pursuit easy if the police did happen to get on his track.

invisibility - अदृश्यता

send back - वापस भेजें

pursuit - पीछा, धंधा, शौक, तलाश, अनुधावन

How, then, could he conceal the launch and yet have her at hand when wanted? I wondered what I should do myself if I were in his shoes. I could only think of one way of doing it. I might land the launch over to some boat-builder or repairer, with directions to make a trifling change in her.

builder - निर्माता, राजगीर, बिल्डर

repairer - मिस्त्री, मरम्मत करने वाला

trifling - तुच्छ, छोटी, (trifle) तुच्छ

She would then be removed to his shed or yard, and so be effectually concealed, while at the same time I could have her at a few hours'notice."

shed - शाला, घर

effectually - प्रभावोत्पादक ढंग से

"That seems simple enough."

"It is just these very simple things which are extremely liable to be overlooked. However, I determined to act on the idea. I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river.

liable - उत्तरदायी, उत्तरदायित्व, आदी

overlooked - के उपर से दिखना, अन्देकी करना

seaman - नाविक

Rig - उपकरण से लेस करना

inquired - पूछना, पता लगाना, छानबीन करना

I drew blank at fifteen, but at the sixteenth-Jacobson's-I learned that the Aurora had been handed over to them two days ago by a wooden-legged man, with some trivial directions as to her rudder. 'There ain't naught amiss with her rudder,'said the foreman. 'There she lies, with the red streaks.'At that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith, the missing owner?

Sixteenth - सोलहवाँ भाग, सोलहवाँ

naught - कुछ नहीं, शूऩ्य़

foreman - ज्यूरीप्रमुख

He was rather the worse for liquor. I should not, of course, have known him, but he bellowed out his name and the name of his launch. 'I want her to-night at eight o'clock,'said he,-'eight o'clock sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept waiting.'They had evidently paid him well, for he was very flush of money, chucking shillings about to the men.

liquor - दारू

bellowed - जोर से चिल्लाना

flush - लालिमा, आवेग

chucking - निकाल देना, चक

shillings - ब्रिटिष का सिक्का, शिलिंग

I followed him some distance, but he subsided into an ale-house: so I went back to the yard, and, happening to pick up one of my boys on the way, I stationed him as a sentry over the launch. He is to stand at water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start. We shall be lying off in the stream, and it will be a strange thing if we do not take men, treasure, and all."

subsided - घटना, शांत होना, बैठ जाना

ale - शराब{जौ की बनी}, मद्य, एल

sentry - संतरी

"You have planned it all very neatly, whether they are the right men or not," said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard, and arrested them when they came down."

neatly - स्वच्छतापूर्वक/सफाई से

"Which would have been never. This man Small is a pretty shrewd fellow. He would send a scout on ahead, and if anything made him suspicious lie snug for another week."

shrewd - समझदार, धूर्त, चतुर

scout - जासूस

suspicious - संदेहशील, सन्देह जनक

snug - आरामदेह, चुस्त, आरामदायक

"But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith, and so been led to their hiding-place," said I.

"In that case I should have wasted my day. I think that it is a hundred to one against Smith knowing where they live. As long as he has liquor and good pay, why should he ask questions? They send him messages what to do. No, I thought over every possible course, and this is the best."

While this conversation had been proceeding, we had been shooting the long series of bridges which span the Thames. As we passed the City the last rays of the sun were gilding the cross upon the summit of St. Paul's. It was twilight before we reached the Tower.

span - पाट

rays - किरण, शंकुश, ऋषभ, अर्ध रेखा

gilding - पदार्थ जिससे कलई की जाती है, (gild) पदार्थ जिससे कलई की जाती है

summit - शिखर

twilight - सांझ, शफक

"That is Jacobson's Yard," said Holmes, pointing to a bristle of masts and rigging on the Surrey side. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters." He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore. "I see my sentry at his post," he remarked, "but no sign of a handkerchief."

masts - मस्तूल, खम्भा, एरियल

rigging - जहाज़ की रस्सी, मस्तूल

cruise - समुद्र विहार करना

lighters - लाइटर, हल्की नाव

shore - किनारा, तीर

"Suppose we go down-stream a short way and lie in wait for them," said Jones, eagerly. We were all eager by this time, even the policemen and stokers, who had a very vague idea of what was going forward.

stokers - कोयला झोंकने वाला, स्टोकर

"We have no right to take anything for granted," Holmes answered. "It is certainly ten to one that they go down-stream, but we cannot be certain. From this point we can see the entrance of the yard, and they can hardly see us. It will be a clear night and plenty of light. We must stay where we are. See how the folk swarm over yonder in the gaslight."

granted - स्वीकार करना, देना, अनुदान

yonder - परे का, परे, सामने वाला, उस ओर

gaslight - गैस का प्रकाशअ, गैस का प्रकाशअ

"They are coming from work in the yard."

"Dirty-looking rascals, but I suppose every one has some little immortal spark concealed about him. You would not think it, to look at them. There is no a priori probability about it. A strange enigma is man!"

rascals - शरारती, दुष्ट, कमीना

immortal - अमर

spark - चिंगारी

enigma - पहेली, मुअम्मा, राज़

"Some one calls him a soul concealed in an animal," I suggested.

"Winwood Reade is good upon the subject," said Holmes. "He remarks that, while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. You can, for example, never foretell what any one man will do, but you can say with precision what an average number will be up to. Individuals vary, but percentages remain constant. So says the statistician.

puzzle - पहेली, रहस्य, राज़, भेद

aggregate - कुल, संग्रह करना, कुल योग

mathematical - गणित सम्बन्धी, गणित का

certainty - यक़ीन, निश्चय

vary - बदलना, , भिन्न होना

constant - स्थिरांक

statistician - सांख्यिकीविद, सांख्य शास्त्री

But do I see a handkerchief? Surely there is a white flutter over yonder."

flutter - उत्तेजना, घबराहट, उतार चढाव

"Yes, it is your boy," I cried. "I can see him plainly."

"And there is the Aurora," exclaimed Holmes, "and going like the devil! Full speed ahead, engineer. Make after that launch with the yellow light. By heaven, I shall never forgive myself if she proves to have the heels of us!"

devil - शैतान, दानव, राक्षस, देव

forgive - माफ़ करना, क्षमा करना

She had slipped unseen through the yard-entrance and passed behind two or three small craft, so that she had fairly got her speed up before we saw her. Now she was flying down the stream, near in to the shore, going at a tremendous rate. Jones looked gravely at her and shook his head.

unseen - अनदेखा, चुपके से, अलक्षित

tremendous - बहुत अच्छा, ज़बर्दस्त, असीम

gravely - गंभीर भाव से, गंभीर भाव से

"She is very fast," he said. "I doubt if we shall catch her."

"We MUST catch her!" cried Holmes, between his teeth. "Heap it on, stokers! Make her do all she can! If we burn the boat we must have them!"

We were fairly after her now. The furnaces roared, and the powerful engines whizzed and clanked, like a great metallic heart. Her sharp, steep prow cut through the river-water and sent two rolling waves to right and to left of us. With every throb of the engines we sprang and quivered like a living thing. One great yellow lantern in our bows threw a long, flickering funnel of light in front of us.

furnaces - भट्टी

whizzed - सनसनाहट, प्रवीण, सनसनाना

clanked - खनखनाना, झनझनाहट, झनझनाना

metallic - धातु जैसा, धातु का

steep - दुरारोह, अतिप्रवण, खड़ा

prow - मन्दान

throb - धक धक करने वाला दर्द

bows - तोपरे, (bow) तोपरे

flickering - झलक, टिमटिमाना, चमकना, झलकना

Right ahead a dark blur upon the water showed where the Aurora lay, and the swirl of white foam behind her spoke of the pace at which she was going. We flashed past barges, steamers, merchant-vessels, in and out, behind this one and round the other. Voices hailed us out of the darkness, but still the Aurora thundered on, and still we followed close upon her track.

blur - धब्बा, विकृत करना, धुंधला करना

swirl - चक्कर, भँवर में बहना, छल्ला

foam - झाग, कोप, फेन

flashed - दिखाना, चमकाना, चमक, झलक

steamers - स्टीमर

merchant-vessels - वेदीय नौकायन

hailed - ओलावृष्टि, बुलाना

thundered - ज़ोर से धमाकाना, गरजना

"Pile it on, men, pile it on!" cried Holmes, looking down into the engine-room, while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager, aquiline face. "Get every pound of steam you can."

engine-room - (engine-room) इंजन कमरा

"I think we gain a little," said Jones, with his eyes on the Aurora.

gain - प्राप्त होना

"I am sure of it," said I. "We shall be up with her in a very few minutes."

At that moment, however, as our evil fate would have it, a tug with three barges in tow blundered in between us. It was only by putting our helm hard down that we avoided a collision, and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards. She was still, however, well in view, and the murky uncertain twilight was setting into a clear starlit night.

tug - सितारा मछली, कर्षण नौका

tow - रस्सी से खींच

blundered - चूक/भारी भूल

helm - पतवार

collision - टक्कर

recover - पुन्राप्त करना

starlit - तारामय/तारों की रोशनी से चमकता हुआ

Our boilers were strained to their utmost, and the frail shell vibrated and creaked with the fierce energy which was driving us along. We had shot through the Pool, past the West India Docks, down the long Deptford Reach, and up again after rounding the Isle of Dogs. The dull blur in front of us resolved itself now clearly enough into the dainty Aurora.

boilers - बयलर, वाष्‍पयँत्र, देगची, भट्टी

frail - कमजोर

vibrated - हिचकिचाना, कम्पायमान होना

docks - काटना, कठघरा, काट लेना

Isle - टापू

resolved - निश्चय करना, समाधान करना

Jones turned our search-light upon her, so that we could plainly see the figures upon her deck. One man sat by the stern, with something black between his knees over which he stooped. Beside him lay a dark mass which looked like a Newfoundland dog. The boy held the tiller, while against the red glare of the furnace I could see old Smith, stripped to the waist, and shovelling coals for dear life.

deck - डेक

mass - परिमाण

Newfoundland - Island off the coast of Eastern Canada

tiller - हत्था

furnace - भट्टी

stripped - पोशाक, निकाल देना, पट्टी

shovelling - खुदाई, (shovel), बेलचा

They may have had some doubt at first as to whether we were really pursuing them, but now as we followed every winding and turning which they took there could no longer be any question about it. At Greenwich we were about three hundred paces behind them. At Blackwall we could not have been more than two hundred and fifty.

winding - घुमावदार, घुमाव, चक्कर

paces - की अनुमति से, कदम, प्रगति, गति

I have coursed many creatures in many countries during my checkered career, but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as this mad, flying man-hunt down the Thames. Steadily we drew in upon them, yard by yard. In the silence of the night we could hear the panting and clanking of their machinery.

creatures - व्यक्ति, शराब, आदमी, कठपुतली

checkered - जाँचकर्ता, पड़तालकर्ता

silence - ख़ामोशी, चुप्पी, मौनता

the panting - झलकना

machinery - मशीनरी

The man in the stern still crouched upon the deck, and his arms were moving as though he were busy, while every now and then he would look up and measure with a glance the distance which still separated us. Nearer we came and nearer. Jones yelled to them to stop. We were not more than four boat's lengths behind them, both boats flying at a tremendous pace.

crouched - दुबकना, दुबकने की मुद्रा

deck - डेक

It was a clear reach of the river, with Barking Level upon one side and the melancholy Plumstead Marshes upon the other. At our hail the man in the stern sprang up from the deck and shook his two clinched fists at us, cursing the while in a high, cracked voice.

barking - गरजना, चिल्लाना, भूँकना

melancholy - निराशाजनक, उदासी की अवस्था

marshes - दलदल, दल दल

hail - नमस्ते

clinched - तय करना, तय करना

fists - मुट्ठी, मुठ्ठी

cursing - शिकायत, (curs) शिकायत

He was a good-sized, powerful man, and as he stood poising himself with legs astride I could see that from the thigh downwards there was but a wooden stump upon the right side. At the sound of his strident, angry cries there was movement in the huddled bundle upon the deck.

poising - तैयार करना, रुकना, संतुलित करना

astride - दोनो तरफ, आर पार

thigh - जांघ, रान

downwards - नीचे की ओर, नीचे की ओर का

strident - कर्कश, तीक्ष्ण, , पक्का

huddled - सलाह मशविरा, झुंड, सिमट जाना

It straightened itself into a little black man-the smallest I have ever seen-with a great, misshapen head and a shock of tangled, dishevelled hair. Holmes had already drawn his revolver, and I whipped out mine at the sight of this savage, distorted creature.

straightened - ठीक करना, सीधा करना

tangled - उलझाना, उलझा देना, उलझ जाना

dishevelled - अस्त व्यस्त करना

He was wrapped in some sort of dark ulster or blanket, which left only his face exposed; but that face was enough to give a man a sleepless night. Never have I seen features so deeply marked with all bestiality and cruelty. His small eyes glowed and burned with a sombre light, and his thick lips were writhed back from his teeth, which grinned and chattered at us with a half animal fury.

wrapped - समाप्त करना, गाउन, लपेटना

ulster - अल्स्टर, एक लम्बा ढीला चोगा

blanket - कम्बल

exposed - दिखाना, विवरण, प्रकट करना

sleepless - निद्रारहित

deeply - बहुत अधिक, बहुत अधिक, बहुत ही

bestiality - पाशविकता

cruelty - क्रूरता

glowed - चमकना, गरम करना, रंगना, लाली

thick lips - मोटे होंठ

grinned - ठहाका लगाना, मुस्कराहट

chattered - बकबक करना, गप्प लगाना, बकबक

fury - प्रचण्डता, कोप, प्रकोप

"Fire if he raises his hand," said Holmes, quietly. We were within a boat's-length by this time, and almost within touch of our quarry. I can see the two of them now as they stood, the white man with his legs far apart, shrieking out curses, and the unhallowed dwarf with his hideous face, and his strong yellow teeth gnashing at us in the light of our lantern.

quarry - पत्थर की खान, शिकार

shrieking - चीत्कार, (shriek)

curses - निकाल देना, बहिष्कृत करना

unhallowed - दूषित करना, अपवित्र करना

dwarf - बौना

It was well that we had so clear a view of him. Even as we looked he plucked out from under his covering a short, round piece of wood, like a school-ruler, and clapped it to his lips. Our pistols rang out together. He whirled round, threw up his arms, and with a kind of choking cough fell sideways into the stream.

plucked - बचाना, साहस, साहसअ, ओचना, नोचना

ruler - पैमाना

clapped - ताली बजाना

pistols - पिस्तौल, पिस्तौल/तमंचा

whirled - घुमाव, चक्कर, घूमना

choking cough - अल्प श्वास

sideways - की तरफ़, तीरछा होकर, एक तरफ़ से

I caught one glimpse of his venomous, menacing eyes amid the white swirl of the waters. At the same moment the wooden-legged man threw himself upon the rudder and put it hard down, so that his boat made straight in for the southern bank, while we shot past her stern, only clearing her by a few feet. We were round after her in an instant, but she was already nearly at the bank.

venomous - कटु, तीखा, विद्वेषपूर्ण, विषैला

menacing - हानिकारक, धमकी

amid - बीच में ही

It was a wild and desolate place, where the moon glimmered upon a wide expanse of marsh-land, with pools of stagnant water and beds of decaying vegetation. The launch with a dull thud ran up upon the mud-bank, with her bow in the air and her stern flush with the water. The fugitive sprang out, but his stump instantly sank its whole length into the sodden soil. In vain he struggled and writhed.

expanse - फैलाव

Marsh - दलदल, दल दल

stagnant - निष्क्रिय, निश्चल, गतिहीन

decaying - खराब करना, ख़राब होना, विकार

vegetation - वनस्पति, वनस्पति प्रवर्धन

thud - धमाके की आवाज़ करना, धमाका

fugitive - भगोड़ा, भग्गू

sodden - पूरी तरह से भीगा हुआ

struggled - आगे बढना, मुश्किल, प्रयत्न

Not one step could he possibly take either forwards or backwards. He yelled in impotent rage, and kicked frantically into the mud with his other foot, but his struggles only bored his wooden pin the deeper into the sticky bank.

rage - ज़ोर से चलना, रोष व्यक्त करना

frantically - पागलपन से, व्यग्रतापूर्वक

struggles - आगे बढना, मुश्किल, प्रयत्न

sticky - कठिन, कंजूस, चिपचिपा

When we brought our launch alongside he was so firmly anchored that it was only by throwing the end of a rope over his shoulders that we were able to haul him out, and to drag him, like some evil fish, over our side. The two Smiths, father and son, sat sullenly in their launch, but came aboard meekly enough when commanded. The Aurora herself we hauled off and made fast to our stern.

alongside - के निकट, के पास, के निकट

firmly - मज़बूती से, मज़बूती से

anchored - सहारा देना, समाचार उद्घोषक

drag - बलपूर्वक घसीटना, खींचना

smiths - धातु कर्मकार, धातु कर्मकार

aboard - अबौड

meekly - चुपचाप, दब्बूपन से

commanded - पाना, प्राप्त करना, देना, संकेत

hauled - ढोना

A solid iron chest of Indian workmanship stood upon the deck. This, there could be no question, was the same that had contained the ill-omened treasure of the Sholtos. There was no key, but it was of considerable weight, so we transferred it carefully to our own little cabin.

workmanship - कार्यकुशलता, कारीगरी

transferred - सौंपना, स्थानान्तरित करना

cabin - कोठरी, कक्ष, झोंपड़ी

As we steamed slowly up-stream again, we flashed our search-light in every direction, but there was no sign of the Islander. Somewhere in the dark ooze at the bottom of the Thames lie the bones of that strange visitor to our shores.

steamed - भाप शक्ति से याट्रा करना

ooze - चूना, धीरे धीरे बहना

shores - किनारा, टेक लगाना, उठाना

"See here," said Holmes, pointing to the wooden hatchway. "We were hardly quick enough with our pistols." There, sure enough, just behind where we had been standing, stuck one of those murderous darts which we knew so well. It must have whizzed between us at the instant that we fired.

hatchway - फलका मुख

whizzed - प्रवीण, घरघराने लगना

Holmes smiled at it and shrugged his shoulders in his easy fashion, but I confess that it turned me sick to think of the horrible death which had passed so close to us that night.

shrugged - कंधे उचकाना, कंधे उचकाना

Chapter XI - The Great Agra Treasure

Our captive sat in the cabin opposite to the iron box which he had done so much and waited so long to gain. He was a sunburned, reckless-eyed fellow, with a net-work of lines and wrinkles all over his mahogany features, which told of a hard, open-air life. There was a singular prominence about his bearded chin which marked a man who was not to be easily turned from his purpose.

captive - बंदी, असीर

reckless - लापरवाह, असावधान, अविचारी

wrinkles - सिकोड़ना, छोटी मोटी समस्या

mahogany - महोगनी

open-air - (open-air) आउटडोर स्पेस

prominence - उभार, प्रख्याति, प्रमुखता

His age may have been fifty or thereabouts, for his black, curly hair was thickly shot with gray. His face in repose was not an unpleasing one, though his heavy brows and aggressive chin gave him, as I had lately seen, a terrible expression when moved to anger.

thereabouts - [उसके] आस पास, उसी के आस पास

unpleasing - अशालीन

aggressive - उग्र, तेज़ी से फैलनेवाला

He sat now with his handcuffed hands upon his lap, and his head sunk upon his breast, while he looked with his keen, twinkling eyes at the box which had been the cause of his ill-doings. It seemed to me that there was more sorrow than anger in his rigid and contained countenance. Once he looked up at me with a gleam of something like humor in his eyes.

handcuffed - हथकड़ी लगाना, हथकड़ी लगाना

lap - चपड़-पचड़ पीना, गटागट पी जाना

rigid - कठोर, सख्त, कड़ा

"Well, Jonathan Small," said Holmes, lighting a cigar, "I am sorry that it has come to this."

"And so am I, sir," he answered, frankly. "I don't believe that I can swing over the job. I give you my word on the book that I never raised hand against Mr. Sholto. It was that little hell-hound Tonga who shot one of his cursed darts into him. I had no part in it, sir. I was as grieved as if it had been my blood-relation.

frankly - ईमानदारी से, ईमानदारी से

swing - परिवर्तन, लटकना, बदलना, घूमना

hell - नरक

Tonga - टोंगा

grieved - शोका मनाना, दुःखित होना

blood-relation - (blood-relation) रक्त संबंध

I welted the little devil with the slack end of the rope for it, but it was done, and I could not undo it again."

welted - गोट, धारी, चाबुक मारना

Slack - ढीला

undo - खोलना

"Have a cigar," said Holmes; "and you had best take a pull out of my flask, for you are very wet. How could you expect so small and weak a man as this black fellow to overpower Mr. Sholto and hold him while you were climbing the rope?"

overpower - पराजित करना, वश में करना

"You seem to know as much about it as if you were there, sir. The truth is that I hoped to find the room clear. I knew the habits of the house pretty well, and it was the time when Mr. Sholto usually went down to his supper. I shall make no secret of the business. The best defence that I can make is just the simple truth.

supper - रात्रि भोजन

defence - रक्षा

Now, if it had been the old major I would have swung for him with a light heart. I would have thought no more of knifing him than of smoking this cigar. But it's cursed hard that I should be lagged over this young Sholto, with whom I had no quarrel whatever."

lagged - अंतराल, बिलम्ब, पिछड़ जाना

"You are under the charge of Mr. Athelney Jones, of Scotland Yard. He is going to bring you up to my rooms, and I shall ask you for a true account of the matter. You must make a clean breast of it, for if you do I hope that I may be of use to you. I think I can prove that the poison acts so quickly that the man was dead before ever you reached the room."

"That he was, sir. I never got such a turn in my life as when I saw him grinning at me with his head on his shoulder as I climbed through the window. It fairly shook me, sir. I'd have half killed Tonga for it if he had not scrambled off.

grinning at - हँसते हुए

scrambled - छीना झपटी, गड़बड़ा देना

That was how he came to leave his club, and some of his darts too, as he tells me, which I dare say helped to put you on our track; though how you kept on it is more than I can tell. I don't feel no malice against you for it.

malice - द्वेष, दुर्भावना, जलन, असूया

But it does seem a queer thing," he added, with a bitter smile, "that I who have a fair claim to nigh upon half a million of money should spend the first half of my life building a breakwater in the Andamans, and am like to spend the other half digging drains at Dartmoor.

Bitter - कड़ुवा

nigh - लगभग, पास

breakwater - तरंग रोध

digging - खोदन, (dig) खोदन

drains - बहना, नाली, खाली करना

It was an evil day for me when first I clapped eyes upon the merchant Achmet and had to do with the Agra treasure, which never brought anything but a curse yet upon the man who owned it. To him it brought murder, to Major Sholto it brought fear and guilt, to me it has meant slavery for life."

merchant - व्यापारी, सौदागर

curse - शाप देना

guilt - अपराध बोध

slavery - दासता, गुलामगिरी, गुलामी

At this moment Athelney Jones thrust his broad face and heavy shoulders into the tiny cabin. "Quite a family party," he remarked. "I think I shall have a pull at that flask, Holmes. Well, I think we may all congratulate each other. Pity we didn't take the other alive; but there was no choice. I say, Holmes, you must confess that you cut it rather fine. It was all we could do to overhaul her."

pity - दया, खैद का विषय, स्नेह, लज्जा

overhaul - पूरी जाँच करके मरम्मत करना

"All is well that ends well," said Holmes. "But I certainly did not know that the Aurora was such a clipper."

"Smith says she is one of the fastest launches on the river, and that if he had had another man to help him with the engines we should never have caught her. He swears he knew nothing of this Norwood business."

swears - गाली देना, कसम खाना, वचन देना

"Neither he did," cried our prisoner,-"not a word. I chose his launch because I heard that she was a flier. We told him nothing, but we paid him well, and he was to get something handsome if we reached our vessel, the Esmeralda, at Gravesend, outward bound for the Brazils."

vessel - जहाज़

Brazils - त्रिकोणफल, ब्राज़ील

"Well, if he has done no wrong we shall see that no wrong comes to him. If we are pretty quick in catching our men, we are not so quick in condemning them." It was amusing to notice how the consequential Jones was already beginning to give himself airs on the strength of the capture.

condemning - घोषित करना, दोष लगाना

amusing - मनोरंजक, विनोदी/मनोरंजक

consequential - फल स्वरूप

capture - आकर्षित करना, पकड़, बन्दी

From the slight smile which played over Sherlock Holmes's face, I could see that the speech had not been lost upon him.

"We will be at Vauxhall Bridge presently," said Jones, "and shall land you, Dr. Watson, with the treasure-box. I need hardly tell you that I am taking a very grave responsibility upon myself in doing this. It is most irregular; but of course an agreement is an agreement. I must, however, as a matter of duty, send an inspector with you, since you have so valuable a charge. You will drive, no doubt?

most irregular - अत्यधिक अनियमित

"

"Yes, I shall drive."

"It is a pity there is no key, that we may make an inventory first. You will have to break it open. Where is the key, my man?"

inventory - सामान, सूची, विस्तृत सूची

"At the bottom of the river," said Small, shortly.

shortly - कुछ समय, रुखाई से, शीघ्र

"Hum! There was no use your giving this unnecessary trouble. We have had work enough already through you. However, doctor, I need not warn you to be careful. Bring the box back with you to the Baker Street rooms. You will find us there, on our way to the station."

They landed me at Vauxhall, with my heavy iron box, and with a bluff, genial inspector as my companion. A quarter of an hour's drive brought us to Mrs. Cecil Forrester's. The servant seemed surprised at so late a visitor. Mrs. Cecil Forrester was out for the evening, she explained, and likely to be very late.

bluff - बेतकल्लुफ

genial - प्रसन्नचित

quarter of an hour's - पांच मिनट का

Miss Morstan, however, was in the drawing-room: so to the drawing-room I went, box in hand, leaving the obliging inspector in the cab.

obliging - नैतिक नियमों से मज़बूर करना

She was seated by the open window, dressed in some sort of white diaphanous material, with a little touch of scarlet at the neck and waist. The soft light of a shaded lamp fell upon her as she leaned back in the basket chair, playing over her sweet, grave face, and tinting with a dull, metallic sparkle the rich coils of her luxuriant hair.

diaphanous - पारदर्शी

shaded - आच्छादित, रेखाच्छादित

basket - टोकरी

tinting - टिंटिंग, (tint) टिंटिंग

sparkle - झिलमिलाना

Coils - मोड़ना, लपेटना, काँयल

luxuriant - समृद्ध, प्रचुर

One white arm and hand drooped over the side of the chair, and her whole pose and figure spoke of an absorbing melancholy. At the sound of my foot-fall she sprang to her feet, however, and a bright flush of surprise and of pleasure colored her pale cheeks.

pose - मुद्रा

absorbing - कम करना, अवशोषण करना

"I heard a cab drive up," she said. "I thought that Mrs. Forrester had come back very early, but I never dreamed that it might be you. What news have you brought me?"

"I have brought something better than news," said I, putting down the box upon the table and speaking jovially and boisterously, though my heart was heavy within me. "I have brought you something which is worth all the news in the world. I have brought you a fortune."

jovially - प्रसन्नतापूर्वक

boisterously - जोशपूर्ण ढंग से

She glanced at the iron box. "Is that the treasure, then?" she asked, coolly enough.

coolly - शान्ति से, उदासीनतापूर्वक

"Yes, this is the great Agra treasure. Half of it is yours and half is Thaddeus Sholto's. You will have a couple of hundred thousand each. Think of that! An annuity of ten thousand pounds. There will be few richer young ladies in England. Is it not glorious?"

annuity - सितारा मछली

glorious - शानदार, सुहावना, तेजस्वी

I think that I must have been rather overacting my delight, and that she detected a hollow ring in my congratulations, for I saw her eyebrows rise a little, and she glanced at me curiously.

overacting - अत्यभिनय करना

detected - पता लगाना, पता लगाना, पकड़ना

hollow - खोखला

congratulations - बधाई, बधाई सूचक वाक्य

"If I have it," said she, "I owe it to you."

owe - चाहना, देनदार होना

"No, no," I answered, "not to me, but to my friend Sherlock Holmes. With all the will in the world, I could never have followed up a clue which has taxed even his analytical genius. As it was, we very nearly lost it at the last moment."

"Pray sit down and tell me all about it, Dr. Watson," said she.

I narrated briefly what had occurred since I had seen her last,-Holmes's new method of search, the discovery of the Aurora, the appearance of Athelney Jones, our expedition in the evening, and the wild chase down the Thames. She listened with parted lips and shining eyes to my recital of our adventures.

Narrated - बयान करना, सुनाना, आख्यान करना

recital - कहानी, पाठ, प्रस्तुति, गायन

When I spoke of the dart which had so narrowly missed us, she turned so white that I feared that she was about to faint.

dart - भाला, बल्लम

narrowly - बारीकी से, ज़रा सा, ज़रा सा

"It is nothing," she said, as I hastened to pour her out some water. "I am all right again. It was a shock to me to hear that I had placed my friends in such horrible peril."

hastened to - तेजी से चला गया

peril - खतरनाक स्थिति, संकट, खतरा

"That is all over," I answered. "It was nothing. I will tell you no more gloomy details. Let us turn to something brighter. There is the treasure. What could be brighter than that? I got leave to bring it with me, thinking that it would interest you to be the first to see it."

more gloomy - अधिक उदासीन

"It would be of the greatest interest to me," she said. There was no eagerness in her voice, however. It had struck her, doubtless, that it might seem ungracious upon her part to be indifferent to a prize which had cost so much to win.

eagerness - उत्सुकता, औत्सुक्य, तत्परता

ungracious - असभ्य, अशिष्ट, अभद्र

indifferent - घटिया, तुच्छ, साधारण, उदासीन

"What a pretty box!" she said, stooping over it. "This is Indian work, I suppose?"

"Yes; it is Benares metal-work."

"And so heavy!" she exclaimed, trying to raise it. "The box alone must be of some value. Where is the key?"

"Small threw it into the Thames," I answered. "I must borrow Mrs. Forrester's poker." There was in the front a thick and broad hasp, wrought in the image of a sitting Buddha. Under this I thrust the end of the poker and twisted it outward as a lever. The hasp sprang open with a loud snap. With trembling fingers I flung back the lid. We both stood gazing in astonishment. The box was empty!

Buddha - बुद्ध

poker - कुरेदनी

lever - उत्तेजक

hasp - कुण्डी

lid - ढक्कन

gazing - एक्टक देखने ताला, टकटकी

astonishment - आश्चर्य, अचरज

No wonder that it was heavy. The iron-work was two-thirds of an inch thick all round. It was massive, well made, and solid, like a chest constructed to carry things of great price, but not one shred or crumb of metal or jewelry lay within it. It was absolutely and completely empty.

constructed - बनाना, रचना, खींचना

shred - धज्जी

crumb - कमीना आदमी, कण, कमीना आदमी

"The treasure is lost," said Miss Morstan, calmly.

calmly - शांतिपूर्वक, शान्ती से

As I listened to the words and realized what they meant, a great shadow seemed to pass from my soul. I did not know how this Agra treasure had weighed me down, until now that it was finally removed. It was selfish, no doubt, disloyal, wrong, but I could realize nothing save that the golden barrier was gone from between us. "Thank God!" I ejaculated from my very heart.

disloyal - विश्वासघाती, निष्ठाहीन

She looked at me with a quick, questioning smile. "Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because you are within my reach again," I said, taking her hand. She did not withdraw it. "Because I love you, Mary, as truly as ever a man loved a woman. Because this treasure, these riches, sealed my lips. Now that they are gone I can tell you how I love you. That is why I said, 'Thank God.'"

withdraw - हटाना

truly - वास्तव, =वास्तव में

"Then I say, 'Thank God,'too," she whispered, as I drew her to my side. Whoever had lost a treasure, I knew that night that I had gained one.

whispered - काना फूसी, कानाफूसी, सरसराहट

Chapter XII - The Strange Story of Jonathan Small

A very patient man was that inspector in the cab, for it was a weary time before I rejoined him. His face clouded over when I showed him the empty box.

rejoined - प्रत्युत्तर देना, फिर मिलाना

"There goes the reward!" said he, gloomily. "Where there is no money there is no pay. This night's work would have been worth a tenner each to Sam Brown and me if the treasure had been there."

gloomily - उदास हो कर, उदास हो कर

Sam - surface-to-air missile

"Mr. Thaddeus Sholto is a rich man," I said. "He will see that you are rewarded, treasure or no."

rewarded - पुरस्कार, पुरस्कृत करना

The inspector shook his head despondently, however. "It's a bad job," he repeated; "and so Mr. Athelney Jones will think."

despondently - निराशापूर्वक

bad job - खराब काम

His forecast proved to be correct, for the detective looked blank enough when I got to Baker Street and showed him the empty box. They had only just arrived, Holmes, the prisoner, and he, for they had changed their plans so far as to report themselves at a station upon the way.

forecast - पूर्वानुमान

My companion lounged in his arm-chair with his usual listless expression, while Small sat stolidly opposite to him with his wooden leg cocked over his sound one. As I exhibited the empty box he leaned back in his chair and laughed aloud.

lounged - बैठक, सुस्ताना, लॉंज

listless - निऊत्साहित, निरुत्साहित

stolidly - भावहीन ढंग से

exhibited - प्रदर्शन, प्रदर्शन करना, दिखाना

"This is your doing, Small," said Athelney Jones, angrily.

angrily - क्रोध से, गुस्से में

"Yes, I have put it away where you shall never lay hand upon it," he cried, exultantly. "It is my treasure; and if I can't have the loot I'll take darned good care that no one else does. I tell you that no living man has any right to it, unless it is three men who are in the Andaman convict-barracks and myself. I know now that I cannot have the use of it, and I know that they cannot.

exultantly - उल्लसित हो कर, उल्लसित हो कर

loot - लूट

darned - दार्न्ड, (darn) दार्न्ड

I have acted all through for them as much as for myself. It's been the sign of four with us always. Well I know that they would have had me do just what I have done, and throw the treasure into the Thames rather than let it go to kith or kin of Sholto or of Morstan. It was not to make them rich that we did for Achmet. You'll find the treasure where the key is, and where little Tonga is.

kith - परिचित

kin - संबंधी

When I saw that your launch must catch us, I put the loot away in a safe place. There are no rupees for you this journey."

rupees - रूपया, रुपया

"You are deceiving us, Small," said Athelney Jones, sternly. "If you had wished to throw the treasure into the Thames it would have been easier for you to have thrown box and all."

deceiving - धोखा, धोखा देना

sternly - कठोरतापूर्वक

"Easier for me to throw, and easier for you to recover," he answered, with a shrewd, sidelong look. "The man that was clever enough to hunt me down is clever enough to pick an iron box from the bottom of a river. Now that they are scattered over five miles or so, it may be a harder job. It went to my heart to do it, though. I was half mad when you came up with us.

sidelong - तिरछी नज़र से, तिरछ्

However, there's no good grieving over it. I've had ups in my life, and I've had downs, but I've learned not to cry over spilled milk."

grieving - शोका मनाना, दुःखित होना

spilled - छलकना, फैल जाना, गिर जाना

"This is a very serious matter, Small," said the detective. "If you had helped justice, instead of thwarting it in this way, you would have had a better chance at your trial."

thwarting - विरोध करना, (thwart) विरोध करना

trial - योग्यता की परीक्षा

"Justice!" snarled the ex-convict. "A pretty justice! Whose loot is this, if it is not ours? Where is the justice that I should give it up to those who have never earned it? Look how I have earned it!

snarled - कर्कश स्वर में बोलना, जाम, उलझन

Twenty long years in that fever-ridden swamp, all day at work under the mangrove-tree, all night chained up in the filthy convict-huts, bitten by mosquitoes, racked with ague, bullied by every cursed black-faced policeman who loved to take it out of a white man.

fever - बुख़ार, ज्वर

swamp - दलदल

mangrove - आम्रकुंज, मैनग्रोव

chained up - बाधित

filthy - अश्लील, बहुत ही, मलिन

huts - झोपड़ी, झोंपड़ी.छोटा घर, मड़ई

mosquitoes - मच्छर

racked - होना, ऐंठना, यातना चक्र

ague - intermittent fever

bullied - धमकाना, शानदार, धौंस देना

That was how I earned the Agra treasure; and you talk to me of justice because I cannot bear to feel that I have paid this price only that another may enjoy it! I would rather swing a score of times, or have one of Tonga's darts in my hide, than live in a convict's cell and feel that another man is at his ease in a palace with the money that should be mine.

cell - कैदखाने इत्यादि की छोटी कोठरी

" Small had dropped his mask of stoicism, and all this came out in a wild whirl of words, while his eyes blazed, and the handcuffs clanked together with the impassioned movement of his hands.

mask - मुखावरण, आवरण

stoicism - आत्मसंयम, सहनशीलता, स्टोइकवाद

whirl - घुमाव, चक्कर, घूमना

blazed - चमक, लौ, चिन्ह, चमकना, जलना

handcuffs - हथकड़ी लगाना, हथकड़ी लगाना

impassioned - जोशीला, आवेगपूर्ण

I could understand, as I saw the fury and the passion of the man, that it was no groundless or unnatural terror which had possessed Major Sholto when he first learned that the injured convict was upon his track.

groundless - baseless

possessed - रखना, पर नियंट्रण रखना

"You forget that we know nothing of all this," said Holmes quietly. "We have not heard your story, and we cannot tell how far justice may originally have been on your side."

"Well, sir, you have been very fair-spoken to me, though I can see that I have you to thank that I have these bracelets upon my wrists. Still, I bear no grudge for that. It is all fair and above-board. If you want to hear my story I have no wish to hold it back. What I say to you is God's truth, every word of it.

bracelets - कंगन, पौंहची, कंकण, ब्रेसलिट

wrists - कलाई, पहुँचा

Thank you; you can put the glass beside me here, and I'll put my lips to it if I am dry.

"I am a Worcestershire man myself,-born near Pershore. I dare say you would find a heap of Smalls living there now if you were to look. I have often thought of taking a look round there, but the truth is that I was never much of a credit to the family, and I doubt if they would be so very glad to see me.

look round - घुमाओ

They were all steady, chapel-going folk, small farmers, well known and respected over the country-side, while I was always a bit of a rover. At last, however, when I was about eighteen, I gave them no more trouble, for I got into a mess over a girl, and could only get out of it again by taking the queen's shilling and joining the 3d Buffs, which was just starting for India.

steady - दृढ़

chapel - चैपल, नमाज़गाह slam

farmers - कृषि, किसान, काश्तकार

Rover - घूमने वाला, घुमक्कड़

Buffs - पांडु, पांडु चर्म, बादामी

"I wasn't destined to do much soldiering, however. I had just got past the goose-step, and learned to handle my musket, when I was fool enough to go swimming in the Ganges. Luckily for me, my company sergeant, John Holder, was in the water at the same time, and he was one of the finest swimmers in the service.

destined - निर्धारित, नियतवाला

goose - हंस

fool - मूर्ख

Ganges - गंगा

luckily - भाग्य से, सौभाग्यवश

holder - धारक, होल्डर

swimmers - तैराक

A crocodile took me, just as I was half-way across, and nipped off my right leg as clean as a surgeon could have done it, just above the knee. What with the shock and the loss of blood, I fainted, and should have drowned if Holder had not caught hold of me and paddled for the bank.

crocodile - मगर, घड़ियाल, मगरमच्छ

nipped - चुटकी, जल्दी करना, काटना

drowned - डुबा कर मारना, जलमग्न कर देना

paddled - नाव चलाना, नाव चलाना

I was five months in hospital over it, and when at last I was able to limp out of it with this timber toe strapped to my stump I found myself invalided out of the army and unfitted for any active occupation.

strapped - पट्टी, पट्टा

invalided - अशक्त व्यक्ति, रोगी

unfitted - अनुपयुक्त, अस्वस्थ, अयोग्य

occupation - अधिभोग

"I was, as you can imagine, pretty down on my luck at this time, for I was a useless cripple though not yet in my twentieth year. However, my misfortune soon proved to be a blessing in disguise. A man named Abelwhite, who had come out there as an indigo-planter, wanted an overseer to look after his coolies and keep them up to their work.

useless - बेकार

cripple - अपाहिज करना, लंगड़ा मनुष्य

blessing - आशीर्वाद, (bless)

indigo - नील

planter - प्लैंटर

overseer - पर्यवेक्षक, सर्वेक्षक, निरीक्षक

coolies - कुली मज़दूर, कुली

He happened to be a friend of our colonel's, who had taken an interest in me since the accident. To make a long story short, the colonel recommended me strongly for the post and, as the work was mostly to be done on horseback, my leg was no great obstacle, for I had enough knee left to keep good grip on the saddle.

Colonel - कर्नल

horseback - घोड़े का, घोड़े की पीठ

grip - पकड़ना

saddle - काठी, जीन, चारजामा पल्याण

What I had to do was to ride over the plantation, to keep an eye on the men as they worked, and to report the idlers. The pay was fair, I had comfortable quarters, and altogether I was content to spend the remainder of my life in indigo-planting. Mr.

plantation - बाग़ान ea, वृक्षारोपण

idlers - कामचोर

content - सन्तुष्ट

remainder - बाक़ी, बाकी

Abelwhite was a kind man, and he would often drop into my little shanty and smoke a pipe with me, for white folk out there feel their hearts warm to each other as they never do here at home.

shanty - झोंपडी़

"Well, I was never in luck's way long. Suddenly, without a note of warning, the great mutiny broke upon us. One month India lay as still and peaceful, to all appearance, as Surrey or Kent; the next there were two hundred thousand black devils let loose, and the country was a perfect hell. Of course you know all about it, gentlemen,-a deal more than I do, very like, since reading is not in my line.

mutiny - विद्रोह करना, बगावत करना, गदर

Kent - the English maritime county

devils - शरारती, दुष्ट, व्यक्ति

I only know what I saw with my own eyes. Our plantation was at a place called Muttra, near the border of the Northwest Provinces. Night after night the whole sky was alight with the burning bungalows, and day after day we had small companies of Europeans passing through our estate with their wives and children, on their way to Agra, where were the nearest troops. Mr.

northwest - उत्तर पश्चिम की दिशा

provinces - प्रदेश, कार्यक्षेत्र

alight - नीचे आना

bungalows - कोठी, बंगला/कोठी/घर, बंगला

estate - स्टेट, एस्टेट, संपत्ति, जायदाद

Abelwhite was an obstinate man. He had it in his head that the affair had been exaggerated, and that it would blow over as suddenly as it had sprung up. There he sat on his veranda, drinking whiskey-pegs and smoking cheroots, while the country was in a blaze about him. Of course we stuck by him, I and Dawson, who, with his wife, used to do the book-work and the managing.

obstinate - ज़िद्दी, हठी, अक्खड़

exaggerated - बढा चढा कर कहना, बढ़ा चढ़ाकर कहना

veranda - बरामदा, बरण्डा

pegs - दर्शाना, स्थिर रखना, खूँटा

Well, one fine day the crash came. I had been away on a distant plantation, and was riding slowly home in the evening, when my eye fell upon something all huddled together at the bottom of a steep nullah. I rode down to see what it was, and the cold struck through my heart when I found it was Dawson's wife, all cut into ribbons, and half eaten by jackals and native dogs.

nullah - नुल्ला

ribbons - पट्टी, फीता

jackals - सियार

A little further up the road Dawson himself was lying on his face, quite dead, with an empty revolver in his hand and four Sepoys lying across each other in front of him. I reined up my horse, wondering which way I should turn, but at that moment I saw thick smoke curling up from Abelwhite's bungalow and the flames beginning to burst through the roof.

reined - लगाम देना, लगाम, लगाम खींचना

curling up - घुमना

bungalow - बँगला, बंगला

flames - प्रेमिका, चमकना, आग की ज्वाला

I knew then that I could do my employer no good, but would only throw my own life away if I meddled in the matter. From where I stood I could see hundreds of the black fiends, with their red coats still on their backs, dancing and howling round the burning house.

meddled - काम में हस्तक्षेप करना

fiends - शैतान, दुष्ट व्यक्ति, राक्षस

Some of them pointed at me, and a couple of bullets sang past my head; so I broke away across the paddy-fields, and found myself late at night safe within the walls at Agra.

bullets - बड़ा निशान, गोली, इक्का

broke away - अलग हट गया

paddy-fields - धान के खेत

"As it proved, however, there was no great safety there, either. The whole country was up like a swarm of bees. Wherever the English could collect in little bands they held just the ground that their guns commanded. Everywhere else they were helpless fugitives.

wherever - कहीं भी, जिधर, जब जब, जहाँ कहीं

It was a fight of the millions against the hundreds; and the cruellest part of it was that these men that we fought against, foot, horse, and gunners, were our own picked troops, whom we had taught and trained, handling our own weapons, and blowing our own bugle-calls. At Agra there were the 3d Bengal Fusiliers, some Sikhs, two troops of horse, and a battery of artillery.

gunners - बंदूकची, गोलन्दाज, तोपची सैनिक

bugle - बिगुल

Sikhs - सिक्ख

Artillery - तोपख़ाना, आर्टिलरी

A volunteer corps of clerks and merchants had been formed, and this I joined, wooden leg and all. We went out to meet the rebels at Shahgunge early in July, and we beat them back for a time, but our powder gave out, and we had to fall back upon the city.

corps - सेना की पलटन, (corp) सेना की पलटन

clerks - पादरी, विद्वान, पेशकार, अधिकारी

merchants - व्यापारी, सौदागर, पणिता

Nothing but the worst news came to us from every side,-which is not to be wondered at, for if you look at the map you will see that we were right in the heart of it. Lucknow is rather better than a hundred miles to the east, and Cawnpore about as far to the south. From every point on the compass there was nothing but torture and murder and outrage.

compass - कम्पास, कुतुबनुमा

torture - यंत्रणा

outrage - नाराज़ होना, बहुत खराब बात

"The city of Agra is a great place, swarming with fanatics and fierce devil-worshippers of all sorts. Our handful of men were lost among the narrow, winding streets. Our leader moved across the river, therefore, and took up his position in the old fort at Agra. I don't know if any of you gentlemen have ever read or heard anything of that old fort.

swarming - गर्मी, (swarm) गर्मी

fanatics - कट्टर, कट्टरपंथी, उन्मादी

worshippers - अंधभक्त, पूजा करने वाला

handful - मुट्ठी भर, मुट्ठी भर, अंजलि भर

fort - क़िला, कोट

It is a very queer place,-the queerest that ever I was in, and I have been in some rum corners, too. First of all, it is enormous in size. I should think that the enclosure must be acres and acres. There is a modern part, which took all our garrison, women, children, stores, and everything else, with plenty of room over.

queerest - समलैंगिक पुरुष, समलैंगिक

rum - शराब

acres - 4840 वर्ग गज भूमि, एकड़, एकर

garrison - सैन्य दुर्ग, रक्षा करना

But the modern part is nothing like the size of the old quarter, where nobody goes, and which is given over to the scorpions and the centipedes. It is all full of great deserted halls, and winding passages, and long corridors twisting in and out, so that it is easy enough for folk to get lost in it.

scorpions - वृश्चिक राशि में उत्पन्न व्यक्ति

centipedes - कनखजूरा, शतपाद

twisting - घुमावदार, छटपटाता हुआ

For this reason it was seldom that any one went into it, though now and again a party with torches might go exploring.

torches - टर्च, धमनदीप, जला देना

"The river washes along the front of the old fort, and so protects it, but on the sides and behind there are many doors, and these had to be guarded, of course, in the old quarter as well as in that which was actually held by our troops. We were short-handed, with hardly men enough to man the angles of the building and to serve the guns.

angles - दृष्टिकोण, कोण, कोना

It was impossible for us, therefore, to station a strong guard at every one of the innumerable gates. What we did was to organize a central guard-house in the middle of the fort, and to leave each gate under the charge of one white man and two or three natives. I was selected to take charge during certain hours of the night of a small isolated door upon the southwest side of the building.

guard-house - (guard-house) गार्ड हाउस

selected - विशिष्ट, चुनना, चुनना/छाँटना

isolated - , समाधान करना, अलग रखना

southwest - नैऋत्य

Two Sikh troopers were placed under my command, and I was instructed if anything went wrong to fire my musket, when I might rely upon help coming at once from the central guard.

Sikh - सिख, नानकपंथी, नानकशाही, सरदार

troopers - घुड़सवार सिपाही, सवार

instructed - बताना, उपदेश देना, सूचित करना

As the guard was a good two hundred paces away, however, and as the space between was cut up into a labyrinth of passages and corridors, I had great doubts as to whether they could arrive in time to be of any use in case of an actual attack.

"Well, I was pretty proud at having this small command given me, since I was a raw recruit, and a game-legged one at that. For two nights I kept the watch with my Punjaubees. They were tall, fierce-looking chaps, Mahomet Singh and Abdullah Khan by name, both old fighting-men who had borne arms against us at Chilian-wallah. They could talk English pretty well, but I could get little out of them.

raw recruit - कच्चा भर्ता

chaps - फटाव, दरार, आदमी, गाल, जबड़ा

wallah - वाल्लाह

They preferred to stand together and jabber all night in their queer Sikh lingo. For myself, I used to stand outside the gate-way, looking down on the broad, winding river and on the twinkling lights of the great city.

stand together - साथ में खड़े रहो

jabber - बकबक करना

lingo - भाषा, शब्दावली

The beating of drums, the rattle of tomtoms, and the yells and howls of the rebels, drunk with opium and with bang, were enough to remind us all night of our dangerous neighbors across the stream. Every two hours the officer of the night used to come round to all the posts, to make sure that all was well.

yells - चीखना, चिल्लाना, चिल्लाहट, चीख

howls - चिल्लाना, चिल्लाहट

opium - अफ़ीम, अहिफेन, अफेन

bang - धमाकेदार आघात

"The third night of my watch was dark and dirty, with a small, driving rain. It was dreary work standing in the gate-way hour after hour in such weather. I tried again and again to make my Sikhs talk, but without much success. At two in the morning the rounds passed, and broke for a moment the weariness of the night.

weariness - थकान, थकावट

Finding that my companions would not be led into conversation, I took out my pipe, and laid down my musket to strike the match. In an instant the two Sikhs were upon me. One of them snatched my firelock up and levelled it at my head, while the other held a great knife to my throat and swore between his teeth that he would plunge it into me if I moved a step.

snatched - अंश, लेना, हटा लेना, छीनना

firelock - फायरलॉक

swore - गाली देना, कसम खाना, वचन देना

plunge - खुद को गहरे पानी इत्यादि में गिराना

"My first thought was that these fellows were in league with the rebels, and that this was the beginning of an assault. If our door were in the hands of the Sepoys the place must fall, and the women and children be treated as they were in Cawnpore.

League - संघ

assault - आक्रमण

Maybe you gentlemen think that I am just making out a case for myself, but I give you my word that when I thought of that, though I felt the point of the knife at my throat, I opened my mouth with the intention of giving a scream, if it was my last one, which might alarm the main guard.

scream - चीखना, चिल्लाना

The man who held me seemed to know my thoughts; for, even as I braced myself to it, he whispered, 'Don't make a noise. The fort is safe enough. There are no rebel dogs on this side of the river.'There was the ring of truth in what he said, and I knew that if I raised my voice I was a dead man. I could read it in the fellow's brown eyes.

braced - तैयार करना, तैयार करना, पट्टी

rebel - विद