The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 120 The Hound of the Baskervilles (1)
[-]. Mr. Sherlock Holmes
Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who, apart from staying up all night sometimes, was usually very late in the mornings, was sitting at breakfast.Standing on the rug in front of the hearth, I picked up the stick that had been left behind by the guest of the night before.It was a delicate and heavy walking stick with a knob at the top.This kind of wood is produced in Penang Island and is called betel nut wood.Immediately below the top was a broad silver ring, about an inch across."To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from friends of the CCH" is engraved on it, with the date "[-]".It was nothing more than an old-fashioned cane used by private physicians, stately, sturdy, and practical.

"Ah, Watson, what do you think of it?"

Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I thought he hadn't noticed that I was fiddling with my cane.

"How do you know what I'm doing? I think you must have eyes in the back of your head."

"I have, at least, a well-polished silver-plated coffee-pot before my eyes," said he. "But, Watson, tell me, what do you think of our guest's cane? It is a pity that we did not meet I have seen him, and know nothing of his purpose, so this accidental souvenir becomes very important. When you have examined it carefully, describe this man to me."

"I suppose," I said, following my companion's reasoning as much as possible, "that Dr. Mortimer was an accomplished, older , a respected medical professional."

"Good!" said Holmes. "Excellent!"

"I also think it is likely that he was a doctor practicing in the country and that he made most of his visits on foot."

"why?"

"Because this walking stick, although beautiful, has been so badly battered that it is hard to imagine a doctor practicing medicine in the city would still hold it. The thick iron cap on the lower end has also been polished, so obviously It has traveled a lot with its owner."

"Exactly!" said Holmes.

"Also, it says 'Friends of the CCH' on it, and as far as I can guess, it refers to a hunter's order; he may have performed some surgical treatment on members of this local hunter's order, so they sent I thank him with this little gift."

"You have come a long way, Watson," said Holmes, rolling back his chair and lighting a cigarette, "and I cannot fail to say that in your zealous account of my small achievements , you have become accustomed to ignoring your own abilities. Maybe you cannot shine, but you are the light conductor. Some people are not geniuses themselves, but they have the power to inspire geniuses. I admit, dear partner, I can For some small achievements, I would like to thank you.”

He had never spoken so much before, and it cannot be denied that his words gave me great pleasure.For in the past his indifference to my admiration for him and my efforts to make his reasoning known had hurt my pride.But now I can actually master his method, apply it in practice, and get his approval. I feel proud when I think of this.Now he took the cane from my hand, examined it with his eyes for a few minutes, then put down the cigarette with an air of great interest, took the cane to the window, and examined it carefully again with the magnifying glass.

"Simple, but very interesting," he said, sitting down again at the end of his favorite bench. "There is indeed a point or two on the stick that is telling. It gives us a basis for our inferences."

"Is there anything else I'm missing?" I asked, somewhat pompously. "I'm sure I'm not missing something important."

"I am afraid, my dear Watson, that most of your conclusions are wrong! Frankly, when I say you inspire me, I mean that, when I point out your fallacies, I often Leads me to the truth. Not that you're all wrong this time. That man must be a country doctor, and he's often on foot."

"Then my guess is right?"

"It's only to this extent."

"But, that's the whole truth."

"No, no, my dear Watson, not all--by no means all. For example, I would like to suggest that this present for the doctor came not so much from the Hunter's Society as from a hospital." .Because the two prefixes 'CC' are placed before the word 'hospital' (in English, the prefix of the word hospital is also H). Therefore, it is natural to remind people of the word Charing Cross. "

"Maybe you're right."

"Probably so. If we take this as a valid hypothesis, then we have a new basis. From this basis, we can describe the unexpected visitor."

"Okay! Assuming that 'CCH' refers to Cherine Clouse Hospital, what new conclusions can we draw?"

"Is there nothing that can explain the problem? Now that you understand my method, then apply it!"

"I can only think of one obvious conclusion, that the man practiced medicine in the city before going to the country."

"I think we may venture further to speculate, from such a point of view, under what circumstances would such an act of gift-giving be most likely to take place? At what point would his friends unite to show him that they Apparently at the time when Mortimer left the hospital to practice on his own. We know of a gift, and we believe he had been transferred from an urban hospital to practice medicine in the country. We conclude, then, that the gift It was sent at this time, so it’s not outrageous.”

"Of course there is such a possibility."

"Now, you can see that he won't be the chief physician, because that's only possible when a man is already quite well known in London, and such a man doesn't move to the country. So what exactly is he doing? If he works in a hospital and isn't among the chief physicians, he's probably only a resident surgeon or a resident physician—a status slightly above the senior year of medical school. student; and he left five years ago--the date is inscribed on the stick, so that the staid middle-aged doctor you guessed was nonexistent. My dear Watson, but here comes a young man , less than 30 years old, amiable, content with the status quo, so-so, and he also has a beloved dog, which should be bigger than a raccoon dog and smaller than a mastiff."

I laughed suspiciously.Sherlock Holmes leaned back on the bench and breathed small erratic rings of smoke towards the ceiling.

"As for the latter part, I cannot check whether you are correct," I said, "but at least it is not too difficult to find a few features about his age and history." Take a medical handbook from the bookshelf, and turn to the name column.There were several Mortimers in there, but only one could be our visitor.I read this record aloud:

"James Mortimer, R.C.S., R.C.S., Greenpings, Dart Moor, Devonshire. Cherrin Cross Hospital, [-]-[-]. Resident surgeon. Recipient of the Jackson Prize in Comparative Pathology for the article "Is Disease Inherited at Intergenerational Inheritance?" The Lancet) [The Lancet (originally Lance) is a British medical journal which continues to be published today.] "Are We Onward?" (in March [-], " Psychological Acta). Served as medical officer for the parishes of Greenping, Southley, and Takatsuka."

"There is no mention of the local hunters' society, Watson!" said Holmes, with a slight sneer. "As you have said, he is no more than a country doctor. I think my inference is correct. As for the Those adjectives, if I remember correctly, I said 'Affable, Settlement and So-so'. In my experience, in this world only people who are nice receive souvenirs, and only people who don't want fame give up London Going to the country to live in the country, only careless people will wait in your house for an hour without leaving their business cards, but their walking sticks."

"What about the dog?"

"Often he followed his master with the cane in his mouth. Since the cane was so heavy, the dog had to hold it tightly in the middle, so the marks of his teeth were clearly visible on it. From these teeth From the gaps between the marks, I thought the dog's jaw was wider than that of a raccoon, and narrower than that of a mastiff. It could be... well, it must be a curly-haired spaniel."

He stood up, paced up and down the room while talking, and stopped in front of the window sill protruding out of the building.There was such confidence in his tone that I looked up at him in wonder.

"My dear fellow, how can you be so sure of that?"

"The reason is very simple. I have now seen the dog on our gate-steps, and the sound of his master's ringing has been heard. Please hold still, Watson. He is your companion, and your presence is right." I may be of help.

"Watson, this is indeed the most dramatic moment of fate. You can hear the footsteps on the stairs. He is walking into your life; but you don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse. This Jem What would Dr. Sir Mortimer ask of Sherlock Holmes, the expert on crime? Come in!"

The guest's appearance really surprised me, because I expected him to be a typical country doctor, but he was tall and thin, with a long nose like a bird's beak, between sharp gray eyes Protruding, with eyes set very close together, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on the nose, the eyes shine brightly through the lenses.He looked a bit down and out in the usual clothes of the group, for his coat was soiled and his trousers frayed.Although he was still young, his back was already bent, and he leaned his head forward when he walked, with a kind and aristocratic demeanor.As soon as he came in, his eyes fell on the cane Holmes was holding, and he ran over with a cheer. "I'm so glad!" said he. "I'm not sure whether it's been forgotten here, or in the steamship company. I'd rather lose the whole world than this stick."

"I suppose it was a present," said Holmes.

"Yes, sir."

"Is it from Cherrine Cross Hospital?"

"It was a wedding present from two friends there."

"Oh! Good God, how awful!" said Holmes, shaking his head.

Dr. Mortimer blinked in mild surprise through his glasses.

"Why is it bad?"

"Because you've disturbed some of our little theories. You said it was at the wedding, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir, I left the hospital as soon as I got married, and I also gave up becoming a consultant doctor (a consultant doctor has the highest status among doctors, and consultant doctors generally do not engage in medical work, but assist general doctors in diagnosing and treating difficult diseases.) All hope. But it is necessary in order to be able to start a family of one's own."

"Aha! We have not been mistaken at all," said Holmes. "Well, Dr. James Mortimer . . . "

"You call me sir, I'm just a little RCS student."

"And obviously, a close-minded man."

"Just a man who knows a thing or two about science, Mr. Holmes, a man who picks shells on the shores of vast unknown oceans. I think I am speaking to Mr. Sherlock Holmes rather than..."

"No, this is my friend Dr. Watson."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I have heard your name compared to your friend's. I am very interested in you, Mr. Holmes. I did not expect to see such a long head and such deep eye sockets. I You don't mind running your fingers along the crevices of the top of your skull, don't you, sir? A model of your skull would be a shame in any museum of anthropology before we get a real copy of your skull. An excellent specimen. I don't mean to be offensive, but I confess that I am very envious of your skull."

Sherlock Holmes beckoned our stranger to sit down in his chair, and said: "I can see, sir, that you are as eager to think about your profession as I am about mine," said he, "" I can tell from your index finger that you rolled your own cigarettes, so don't hesitate to order one."

The man took out the rolling paper and tobacco, and rolled one skillfully.His long fingers quivered like insect tentacles.

Holmes was calm, and I could tell by the rolling of his eyes that he was interested in our eccentric visitor.

"I think, sir," he said at last, "that your honorable visit last night, and today's visit, is probably not just to study my head?"

"No, sir, no, for all my interest in your skull is not my purpose. I have come to you, Mr. Holmes, because I have suddenly come across a most serious and peculiar problem of which I am aware. I myself lack practical experience, since I am sure you rank second among the best experts in Europe..."

"Well, sir, who is the honored first?" asked Holmes wryly.

"Mr. Bertillon's approach to the case has always had a strong appeal to persons of a strictly scientific mind."

"Then wouldn't it be better for you to consult with him?"

"Sir, I mean, as far as a strictly scientific mind is concerned. But, as far as actual experience of the case is concerned, you are known to be unique. I believe, sir, that I did not inadvertently... "

"Just a little," said Holmes. "I think it would be well, Dr. Mortimer, for you to tell me at once exactly what it is that requires my assistance."

The Scourge of Baskerville

"I have a manuscript in my pocket," said Dr. James Mortimer.

"I saw you as soon as you entered the room," said Holmes.

"It's an old manuscript."

"It's from the early eighteenth century, or it would be a forgery."

"How do you know so well, sir?"

"As you spoke, I saw that the manuscript was showing an inch or two. An expert who cannot date a document to within ten years is a poor expert. Perhaps you have read my The little treatise I wrote on the subject. As far as I can judge, the manuscript was written in [-]."

"The exact date is [-]." Dr. Mortimer took it out of his breast pocket. "This ancestral book was entrusted to me by Sir Charles Baskerville. Three His sudden accident a few months ago caused a great panic in Devonshire. I was his friend as well as his doctor, so to speak. He was a man of strong will, sir, and he was astute and experienced, And he is as practical as I am. He took this document very seriously, and he was already prepared to accept such an ending in his heart, but he did not expect that he actually got such an ending.”

Holmes took the manuscript and laid it flat on his lap.

"Watson, please pay attention to the replacement of long S and short S. I determined the age based on these characteristics."

I leaned over his shoulder and looked at the yellow paper and faded writing."Baskerville Manor" was written on the top, and the number "1742" was scrawled below.

"It looks like a biography."

"By the way, it is a legend circulating in the Baskervilles' house."

"But I think you came to me for something more important right now?"

"It is an immediate matter, a most realistic and urgent matter, and a decision must be made within 24 hours. However, this manuscript is very short and closely related to this matter. With your permission, I will Read it to you."

Holmes leaned back in his chair, put his fingertips together, closed his eyes, and showed an expression of indifference.Mortimer held the manuscript to the light, and read a strange and ancient story in a high-pitched and hoarse voice:

"There are many different stories about the Hound of the Baskervilles, because I believe it happened, so I will write it down. I am a direct descendant of Hugo Baskervilles, and I heard it from my father. Yes, and my father heard it directly from my grandfather. Sons, I hope you believe that the just gods punish the guilty, but forgive no matter how great the sin, if they pray and repent They. After you know this, you don’t need to be afraid because of the bad consequences of your ancestors. You only need to be careful in the future, lest the bad consequences that our family suffered in the past fall on us, the fallen descendants.

(End of this chapter)