Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 1

Chapter 24 Four Signatures 2
"I know the importance of small things in a case. I also have a project on tracking footprints, which talks about the method of preserving footprints with plaster of paris. There is also a small paper here, which shows that occupation can affect the shape of a person's hand. , with illustrations of the hands of slate workers, carpenters, compositors, etc. When encountering the case of an unknown corpse or judging the identity of a criminal, even the smallest things can be useful. They are very useful for detective studies It's very meaningful. Ah, did I bother you when I patronized and talked about my detective studies?"

I replied sincerely, "No, it's not bothering me at all. On the contrary, I am deeply interested in it. I have had the privilege of seeing you solve crimes with these methods, so I think the observation and judgment you just talked about are both It's interconnected to a certain extent."

He lay comfortably on the back of the chair, exhaled a thick blue smoke from his pipe, and then said: "It doesn't matter. Let me give you an example: from observing you, I know that you have been to Vigo this morning." The Mor Street Post Office. But I can tell by deduction that you sent a telegram there."

"Yes, that's right. But I really don't understand. It was a temporary idea I made up this morning. No one told me. How did you know?" I asked him suspiciously.

Seeing the effect of this sentence, he smiled smugly: "This is too simple to explain, but in order to distinguish the line between observation and judgment, it is necessary to explain. There is a small piece of blood on your shoe. Red mud. During this period of time, Wagmore Street is building roads, and the red mud dug out from the ground is piled on the sidewalk. Only by stepping on the red mud can you enter the post office. As far as I know, that kind of red is a special kind of red mud. There is no mud of the same color as it anywhere near. So you went to the post office. This is the result of observation. The rest is deduction."

"Then how did you figure out I sent a telegram?"

"I sat across from you all morning and didn't see you write, and on your desk there was a whole big sheet of stamps and a bundle of postcards. From these facts it follows that you must have sent a telegram to the post office, not Do something else. Eliminate unnecessary factors, and the rest must be facts."

I thought about it with great interest and said: "Indeed. According to you, this is the simplest thing. If I give you an intelligence test that is obviously much more difficult based on your theories, would you Do you think I'm reckless?"

"No, very welcome, so that I won't have to have a second dose of cocaine. I will be happy to study every question you have," replied Holmes.

"I have often heard you say that on every object there is some characteristic of its owner, easily recognizable to those who have been trained in observation, reasoning, judgment, etc. I have a new watch, and now, see Can you find the shadow of its old owner from this watch?"

I handed him the watch, but I couldn't help laughing.I don't think he can find it, so let's take it as a lesson for him to be supercilious.He put the watch on his hand, observed it carefully, looked at the dial, then opened the cover of the watch, carefully inspected the components inside, first with the naked eye, and then with a high-power magnifying glass.I almost laughed out loud when I saw the frustrated look on his face.Finally, he put the watch back on and gave it back to me.

"The watch had a recent smudge wipe that took all the major marks off and found very little," he said.

"Yes, this watch did come into my hands after it was wiped with sludge." I was amused at the fact that he used the sludge as an excuse to cover up his failure and excuse himself.Even if it had been an unwashed watch, Holmes would have found nothing in it to help him infer.

He half-closed his eyes, looked up at the ceiling blankly, and said slowly: "There are not many traces, but I still get something from it, let me tell you first, and you can see if it is accurate. I think your father left you this watch Brother, it will be transferred from your brother to your hands."

"That's right. You know the initials HW are engraved on the back of the watch?"

"Yes, W represents your last name. The engraving on the watch is about the same time as the watch was made. This watch was made about 50 years ago, so it can only be left to you by the previous generation. According to custom. Jewelry Most of the relics are passed down to the eldest son, and the eldest son often takes his father's name. If I remember correctly, your father has passed away for many years, so I conclude that this watch was given to you by your brother."

"Yes, that's all good. Anything else?"

"Your brother was a bohemian. He had a bright future at first, but he passed up time and time again, and though he had occasional fortunes, more often he was poor and died of alcoholism. That's what I said You can see it."

I jumped out of my chair and paced up and down the room excitedly, in agony.

"Holmes, I did not expect you to pull off such a trick. You must have made some inquiries about my unfortunate brother. Now you pretend to have deduced it by some arcane tricks. From this bird All of this can be known on the old watch! To put it bluntly, your words are a bit deceptive."

"Dear Watson," he said kindly, "forgive me. I have been so concerned with theorizing a difficult problem that I have neglected the pain it may cause you. But, I swear, before you express this Before you gave it to me, I really didn't know you had an older brother."

"Then how can you deduce these facts from an old watch so miraculously? Nothing you say is not true."

"Oh, that's lucky. I just mentioned some possibilities. I didn't expect it to be so correct."

"Isn't that what you guessed?"

"No, no. I never resort to conjecture. Conjecture is a very bad habit—it interferes with logical reasoning. You are surprised because you have not followed my train of thought or noticed that you can deduce Those imperceptible details that lead to conclusions. For example: I once said that your brother is a bohemian. If you look at the lower edge of this watch, you will find that there are not only two dents on it, but the entire top of the watch. Numerous scratches, this is due to the habit of putting the watch in the same pocket as hard objects such as coins or keys. How can someone be so careless with a watch worth fifty gold pounds? This watch is already so valuable, it would be unreasonable to say that the heritage is not rich.”

I nodded to show that I understood his reasoning.

In London, every time a pawn shop receives a watch, it must engrave the pawn ticket number inside the watch with the tip of a needle.This is better than a hang tag because it eliminates the danger of getting the numbers wrong.Look with a magnifying glass and there are at least four of these numbers inside.Accordingly, the following conclusions can be drawn.First, your brother is often in short supply.Second, he was in very good condition occasionally, otherwise, how could he have the money to redeem it.Finally, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the inner cover with the keyhole.Around the keyhole are scars, caused by constant friction.When a sober person inserts the key, doesn't he immediately enter?But there is no drunk man's watch that does not leave these marks.He always wound it at night, so it left traces of wrist tremors.Drunkards often have trembling hands. What is so magical and mysterious about it? "

"Once the point is made, the truth will come out," I replied. "I beg your pardon for my rudeness. I should have had greater confidence in your ingenuity. Do you have any case to investigate?"

"It's because I don't have it that I inject cocaine for the thrill. What's the point of not having to think about it all day and do nothing that needs to be done? I just can't live. Come to the window and look at this miserable and A boring world. Just fog, drifting down the street, and past the dun houses. It's so boring. Think, doctor, I have plenty of energy, but no hero. It makes me feel Tired, people live in the world, people in the world are constantly committing crimes, this is very common. Apart from ordinary things, what else is there in this world?"

I was just about to answer his passionate tirade when there was a hasty knock on the door.The landlady came in with a tray in her hand and a business card on it.

She said to Holmes: "A young lady wants to see you."

Holmes picked up his card. "Miss Mary Morstan. The name is not at all familiar. Mrs. Hudson, let her in. Doc, don't go. I want you to stay here."

(End of this chapter)