"Yuri Olesha. The three fat men (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора The circle of attackers fell away.
"Oh!" the crowd gasped. And only one voice asked: "But why are you black?" "Ask Doctor Caspar Arnery!" The Negro smiled as he said this and pointed to the doctor. "Of course it's him!" "Tibul!" "Hooray! Tibul is alive! Tibul is with us!" ''Long live...." But the words ended abruptly. Something unexpected and unpleasant had happened. There was confusion at the back. People scattered in all directions. "Quiet! Be quiet!" "Run, Tibul, run for it!" Three men on horseback, followed by a carriage, appeared on the square. It was Count Bonaventura, Captain of the Palace Guards, accompanied by two of his men. A Palace official rode inside the carriage. On his lap he was holding the broken doll that belonged to Tutti the Heir. The doll was sadly leaning its lovely curly head on his shoulder. They were looking for Doctor Caspar Arnery. "It's the Guards!" someone shouted. Several persons climbed over a nearby fence. The black carriage came to a stop. The horses tossed their heads, making the harness jingle and flash. The wind fluttered through the The riders pulled up beside the carriage. Captain Bonaventura had a terrible voice. If the sound of the violin gave you a toothache, his voice made you feel a tooth had been knocked out. He rose up in his stirrups and roared: "Where does Doctor Caspar Arnery live?" He was pulling at the reins. He wore a pair of coarse leather gloves with flaring cuffs. His question hit an old woman like a bolt of lightning. She waved her hand frantically in various directions. "Where does he live?!" the captain repeated. Now his voice sounded as if it could knock out not one but every tooth in a person's mouth. "Here I am. Who wants to see me?" The crowd parted. Doctor Caspar approached the carriage with small steps. "Are you Doctor Caspar Arnery?" "I am." The door of the carriage opened. "Get in! You'll be taken to your house and told what to do." A footman jumped off the backboard and gave the doctor a hand in. The carriage door banged shut behind him. The procession started off, raising a cloud of dust. In another moment they had all disappeared round a corner. Neither Captain Bonaventura nor his men noticed Tibul the Acrobat in |
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