Biggs's boy was the first to come round (Биггсов мальчишка был первым, кто подошел). Biggs is our greengrocer (Биггс — наш зеленщик), and his chief talent lies in securing the services of the most abandoned and unprincipled errand-boys (и его главный талант заключается в том, что он прибегает к услугам = нанимает самых распущенных и безнравственных рассыльных; to secure — охранять, обеспечивать; получать, приобретать; abandoned — заброшенный; распутный; несдержанный; errand — поручение; командировка) that civilisation has as yet produced (каких только создала цивилизация; as yet — все еще, пока, до сих пор). If anything more than usually villainous in the boy-line crops up in our neighbourhood (если что-нибудь более отвратительное/гнусное, чем обычно со стороны мальчишек случается по соседству; to crop up — неожиданно обнаруживаться; возникать; line — линия; поведение, образ действия; род деятельности, область интересов), we know that it is Biggs's latest (мы знаем, что это Биггсов последний /рассыльный/). I was told that, at the time of the Great Coram Street murder (мне рассказали, что во время убийства на Грейт-Корам-стрит), it was promptly concluded by our street that Biggs's boy (for that period) was at the bottom of it (/жители/ нашей улицы быстро пришли к заключению, что мальчишка Биггса /на то время = работавший у него тогда/, совершил его; to be at the bottom of it — быть истинной причиной или источником; bottom — дно, основание; суть, причина), and had he not been able, in reply to the severe cross-examination to which he was subjected by No. 19 (и если бы он не сумел в ответ на строгий/суровый перекрестный допрос, которому его подвергли /жильцы дома/ № 19), when he called there for orders the morning after the crime (когда он зашел туда за заказами на следующее утро после преступления) (assisted by No. 21, who happened to be on the step at the time) (им помогали /жильцы дома/ № 21, которые оказались на крыльце в тот момент), to prove a complete alibi (доказать полное алиби), it would have gone hard with him (ему бы пришлось плохо; to go hard with). I didn't know Biggs's boy at that time (я не знал Биггсова мальчишку в то время), but, from what I have seen of them since (но из того, что я узнал о них с тех пор), I should not have attached much importance to that alibi myself (я бы не придал большого значения тому алиби).

errand ['ernd] villainous ['vlns] neighbourhood ['nebhud] alibi ['aelba]

It did look a lot, and Harris and I began to feel rather ashamed of it, though why we should be, I can't see. No cab came by, but the street boys did, and got interested in the show, apparently, and stopped.

Biggs's boy was the first to come round. Biggs is our greengrocer, and his chief talent lies in securing the services of the most abandoned and unprincipled errand-boys that civilisation has as yet produced. If anything more than usually villainous in the boy-line crops up in our neighbourhood, we know that it is Biggs's latest. I was told that, at the time of the Great Coram Street murder, it was promptly concluded by our street that Biggs's boy (for that period) was at the bottom of it, and had he not been able, in reply to the severe cross-examination to which he was subjected by No. 19, when he called there for orders the morning after the crime (assisted by No. 21, who happened to be on the step at the time), to prove a complete alibi, it would have gone hard with him. I didn't know Biggs's boy at that time, but, from what I have seen of them since, I should not have attached much importance to that alibi myself.