Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 1

Chapter 76 Adventure History 36
"A man who loves art for art's sake," said Holmes, putting down the advertisement in The Telegraph, "generally derives his greatest enjoyment from the most common, the most commonplace, the most insignificant expression, and I am very fond of it." It is my pleasure to tell you, Watson, that you have been earnestly recording the case, with occasional embellishments, and have grasped this truth in the whole process. And, it may be said with certainty, that the truth itself has been enhanced by your performance. You note What you focus on is not the detection of those famous cases that I have handled, but the ordinary and trivial cases. Your focus is not on the detection of those major cases and the sensational trials, but on the description of the case itself .Those cases may be very trivial. But it is the cases in which they give full play to the faculties of reasoning and synthesis that I have included in my special field of study."

I smiled and said, "However, I can't deny that I used sensational techniques in recording the case."

"Perhaps you are at fault," he said, picking up the red-hot slag with the pokers, and lighting the long cherrywood pipe which he often used in place of the clay pipe, when debating rather than thinking—"Your The mistake may be that you want to write each case vividly, in terms of recording in vivid language instead of being limited to rigorous reasoning about the causal relationship of things, and the really noteworthy feature is this causal relationship. "

"I consider myself to have been very fair to you in this respect," I said dryly, for I had observed on many occasions the selfishness of Holmes' character which was an important factor in my friend's eccentricity. , and I'm very disgusted by this.

"No, I'm not selfish or conceited," he retorted, "I'm asking for my specialty to be done justice because it's my own. Crime is everywhere, but logic is hard to come by. So , you should focus on logical reasoning rather than the case itself, but you have reduced what should be taught to storytelling."

It was a cold early spring morning, and we were chatting face to face after breakfast in the old house on Baker Street, leaning against the roaring fire.A thick fog hung between the rows of dun-coloured houses; the windows across the street were a gloomy, shapeless blur in the dark yellow swirls.Our gas lamps were therefore still burning, and shone on the white tablecloths, and the polished china and metal, for our dishes had not been removed.Sherlock Holmes did not speak much all morning, but was absorbed in leafing through the advertisement columns of the newspaper, and then obviously gave up, so he vented his dissatisfaction on the shortcomings of my literary description.

"At the same time," he said, after a short pause, "no one will accuse you of scaremongering, because a large proportion of cases like this are not criminal in the legal sense. You should try to avoid sensationalism." , but I am more worried that your description is too complicated."

"I think you've got a point," I said, "but I'm doing it in a new and interesting way."

"Pah, my friend, the public is not good at observing and analyzing, and they can't tell a man is a weaver from his teeth, or a man from his fingers. Typesetting worker. And your description is indeed too complicated. After the era of big cases is over, I can't blame you. A person, even a criminal, is no longer adventurous and innovative. I seems to have degenerated to the point where I'm just dealing with people looking for lost pens or advising boarding school girls. Anyway, I think my career has gone down the drain and there's no way to get it back. Look at this Is that a sign of my failings?" He threw me a crumpled letter from Montag Place the night before, which read:

Dear Mr. Holmes:

I am anxious to discuss with you whether I should accept the invitation to be your governess.If it is convenient, I will visit at ten thirty tomorrow morning.

Your faithful Violet?hunter

"Do you know her?" asked Holmes.

"do not know."

"It's exactly 10:30."

"Yes, I'm sure she was ringing the bell."

"This may be more interesting than you think. Remember the sapphire incident? It was just a passing interest that turned into a serious investigation. It may be the same this time."

"Well, I hope so! Our doubts will be settled in a moment, and our client has come in, if I am not mistaken."

Before the words were finished, a young lady had already entered the room.Although she was dressed plainly but neatly, she looked lively and intelligent; she had freckles on her face like the pattern on a bird's egg; The kind of woman who has to rely on self-struggle for everything.

My companion stood up and greeted her.

She said, "I think you will forgive me for bothering you, because I have encountered a strange thing, but I can't ask my parents or other elders for help, I think you will help me enthusiastically, I think You will tell me what to do now?"

"Miss Hunter, please sit down, I am very willing to help you."

It could be seen that Holmes had a good impression of his new client's speech and demeanor. He looked at her, then sat down in silence, lowered his eyelids, and put his fingertips together, and began to listen to her account of the incident.

"I was a governess at the home of Colonel Spence Munro for five years," she said, "but the Colonel moved to Halifax two months ago and his family moved there, I lost my job because of it. I tried to look for a job in the newspapers, but I failed, and by this time, my savings were almost exhausted, and I had nowhere to go."

"I go to Westaway Agency every week to see if there is any suitable work for me. It is a very famous agency for governesses. The founder of this employment agency is Westaway, but at this time The manager is a lady named Stoper. She receives job-seekers one by one in her small office. The job-seekers wait in the front reception room and are led one by one into Stoper's office. Is there a job suitable for them.

"When I went last week, they ushered me into the small office as usual. I found Miss Stoper greeting guests. Beside her sat a man of unusual stoutness. He had a big smile and a double chin. folded several layers at the throat; a pair of spectacles on the bridge of the nose, looking eagerly at every woman who entered the room. As soon as I walked in, he jumped up from his chair and turned to Miss Stoper. .

"'That's her,' said he. 'I think she's just the right one. Great! Great!' He seemed very enthusiastic, and rubbed his hands together in a very gracious way. It looked very comfortable. , love to watch.

"'Sit down here, miss,' said he.

"'Thank you, sir.'

"'Are you looking for work, miss?' he asked.

"'Yes, sir.'

"'Going to be a governess?'

"'Yes, sir.'

"'How much salary are you asking for?'

"'I was four pounds a month when I was at Colonel Spence Munro's,'

"'Ouch, tsk! That's harsh,' he cried, waving his hands in what seemed to be a great deal of emotion. How could anyone pay such a low salary to such an attractive and learned lady?'

"'Sir, I may not be as learned as you say,' I said, 'I only know a little French, German, music and art...'

"'Tut, tut!' he exclaimed, 'these are not the main thing, the key is whether you have the manners and demeanor that an educated woman should have. If you don't, then you are not qualified to educate a future perhaps A child who will become the pillar of the country; but, if you have, why would anyone wrong you to accept a salary of less than three figures? Miss, my salary here starts from a hundred pounds a year.'

"You know, Mr. Holmes, that such treatment would seem incredible to a penniless man like me. But the gentleman immediately opened the purse, and drew out a bill.

"'Besides, it is my custom to pay the ladies half their salaries first,' and his smile was too pleasant, and his eyes were but two shining slits in the wrinkled white face, 'So that they can pay for the travel, buy some clothes and so on.'

"I've never met such a thoughtful person. I was still in debt to the small trader, so the advance payment would have helped me a lot. But the whole process, I always felt a bit small Naturally, so I want to know more about the situation before deciding.

At this time, Holmes lit his pipe, took a puff, and continued to listen to the young lady quietly.

"'So, sir, can you tell me where I live?'

"'Copper Beech, Hampshire, five miles from Winchester.'

"'And what shall I do, sir?'

"'A cute little rascal who just turned six, and if you saw him kill a cockroach with a slipper, smack! smack! Before you can blink, three are out, you'd love him.' He As he talked, his eyes became confused with laughter again.

"I was a little taken aback by the kid's playfulness, but his dad's laugh made me think maybe he was joking.

"'So, sir, the care of a child is my only job?'

"'No, no, my lady,' cried he, 'it is your business to obey any orders from my wife, which are, of course, those which a lady is bound to obey. You see there is no difficulty in that, is there? ?'

"'I would love to be useful to you.'

"'That's great, let's talk about clothes first, for example, we all like fashion, if we asked you to wear something for you, you wouldn't object, would you?'

"'No!' I said, somewhat taken aback by his words.

"'You wouldn't be offended if you were told to sit here, or there, would you?'

"'Oh, no.'

"'So, before you get home, cut your hair short?'

"I could hardly believe my ears, Mr. Holmes, as you see, my hair is so thick and peculiarly chestnut-coloured that I never dreamed that I would cut it off.

"'I'm afraid it's impossible,' I said. As I said this, I noticed a shadow pass over his face.

"'But I suppose it might be necessary,' said he, 'that my wife has a little habit of that. You don't mean to cut your hair, then?

"'Yes, sir, I really cannot promise you,' I answered with great determination.

"'Well, well, that's out of the question, but you're a good fit in every way. Then, Miss Stoper, I'd like to see some other young ladies.'

"While we were talking, the manager had been sorting out her papers without saying a word to either of us; but now she gave me a look of exasperation that made me wonder My refusal to apply for the position cost her a considerable commission.

"'And do you want your name to remain on the register?' she asked me.

"'Of course if you like, Miss Stoper.'

"'Ah! Actually, what's the use of registering now that you've turned down such an excellent opportunity,' she said sharply. 'Do you expect us to do our best to find other such opportunities for you? Good-bye, Miss Hunter. .'"

She reached out and rang the bell, and a servant came in and led me out.

(End of this chapter)