The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 176 The Last Greeting (19)
"Your house is a mile from the vicar's house. You walk the mile fast. You wear these ribbed tennis shoes you are wearing now. You walk through the vicarage garden and the hedge beside it, Came to the window of Tregennis' residence. It was already dawn, but there was no movement in the house. You took out the small stones in your pocket and threw them on the window sill."

Standale stood up abruptly.

"You are like a devil!" he cried.

Holmes laughed at the compliment. "Before Tregennis reached the window, you threw two or three handfuls of pebbles. You told him to come downstairs. He dressed hastily, and went down to the living room. You climbed in through the window. You We met for a short time. When we met, you walked up and down the house. Later, you went out, closed the window, stood outside on the grass, smoked a cigar, and watched the situation inside the house, and waited until Tregennis died. Yes, you are back the way you came. Now, Dr. Sterndale, how do you justify your behavior? What is the purpose? If you lie or talk nonsense, I promise, this matter will be It will never be mine."

Our guest paled at these words.He sat thinking for a while, covering his face with his hands.On a sudden impulse, he took out a photo from his breast pocket and placed it on the stone table in front of us.

"Everything I do is because of her," he said.

It was a bust photograph of the face of a very beautiful woman.Holmes bent over the photograph.

"Brenda Tregennis," he said.

"Yes, Brenda Tregennis," repeated the guest, "I have loved her all these years, and she has loved me. That is the secret of my seclusion in Cornish. Seclusion is to be close to Someone I love. I can't marry her because I have a wife. My wife left me for many years, but under English law, I can't divorce my wife. Brenda and I have both waited many years. Now, this is us The result of waiting." His huge body trembled with a painful whimper.He squeezed his throat with one hand, and trying to control himself, he went on:

"The pastor knows our secret. He will tell you that she is an angel. So I came back when I received the telegram from the pastor. When I learned that my loved one had suffered such a misfortune, Luggage and Africa were very kind to me. It is nothing to say. When I return, Mr. Holmes, you have all my whereabouts."

"Go on," my friend said.

Dr. Sterndale took a paper packet from his pocket and put it on the table.The words "Radix pedis diaboli" were written on the paper, with a poisonous sign stamped underneath.He pushed the paper bag over to me. "I know you are a doctor, sir. Have you heard of this preparation?"

"'Devil's Foot'! No, never heard of it."

"It cannot be blamed on your expertise," he said, "there is only one specimen in the laboratory in Buda, there is no other specimen in Europe, and it has not been recorded in pharmaceutical or drug literature. It looks like a A foot, like a human foot and like a sheep's foot, was given this interesting name by a missionary who studied medicinal materials. It was used by witch doctors in some parts of West Africa as a poison for the death penalty, and it was kept strictly secret. Under special circumstances, I got this rare specimen in the Ubangui area." He said, and opened the paper bag, revealing a pile of snuff-like yellow-brown medicinal powder.

"What else, sir?" asked Holmes gravely.

"Mr. Holmes, I will tell the truth of the situation. You have already understood it. It is obvious that I have a stake in the matter and should let you know all the circumstances. I have already spoken about my relationship with the Tregennis family. For their sake. My younger sister, I get along with their brothers on friendly terms. Because of money, there were conflicts in the family, and Mortimer was alienated from everyone. It is said that we have reconciled again, and my relationship with him is like the relationship between me and his other brothers .He is very deep, insidious and cunning. There are several things that make me suspicious of him, but I have no reason to quarrel with him.

"One day two weeks ago, he came to my house. I showed him some African curios. I also showed him this powder and told him about its miraculous effects. I told him that this How drugs stimulate the centers of the brain that govern the emotion of fear, and how some unfortunate people in Africa were driven mad or killed when they were persecuted by the capital punishments of tribal priests. I Also told him that European scientists couldn't analyze the reason. I don't know how he took it because I didn't leave the room. But I'm sure he took it secretly when I bent over to open the cabinet and look through things. Some devil's feet. I clearly remember that he asked me several times about the dosage and the time to produce the effect. But it never occurred to me that he had a conspiracy in asking.

"I didn't think about it either. I didn't think of it until I got a telegram from the vicar at Plymouth. The bastard thought I'd been out to sea long ago and wouldn't know the news, he thought I'd be in Africa as soon as I got to Africa I haven't heard from you for several years. But I'll be back right away. As soon as I heard the details, I knew he must have used my poison. I found you and hoped you could give me another explanation. But, this is impossible. I'm sure Mortimer Tregennis was the murderer; I'm sure he murdered. If the family were mad, he'd be the sole custodian of the common property. He'd made two mad with the devil's foot Brother, killed his sister, Brenda, the one I love the most. He committed a crime, how should he be punished?

"Should I rely on the law? What about the evidence? I know it's true, but can I convince a jury of fellow countrymen to believe such a grotesque story? Maybe, maybe not. But I can't fail, I To take revenge. As I told you, Mr. Holmes, I have not been under the law for the greater part of my life, and I have considered myself to be the law. And now I am. I have resolved to let him suffer what he himself inflicts on others. Otherwise, I shall Do justice myself. There is no one in England who values ​​my life less than I at this moment.

"Now I've told you all, and you can fill in the rest. As you said, I had a restless night and was out early in the morning. I guess I had a hard time waking him up. , so I grabbed some small stones from the pile of stones to throw at his window, as you said. He went downstairs and let me climb in through the living room window. In his presence, I exposed I told him that I came to him to perform the duties of judge and executioner. The bastard fell on the chair. When he saw me with a pistol, he was so frightened that his legs gave up. I clicked Turned on the light, sprinkled the powder. Then went out and stood by the window, and if he tried to run away, I shot him. He was dead in 5 minutes. God! He died! But I don't regret it at all , for he suffered as my innocent sweetheart suffered. This is my story, Mr. Holmes. If you love a woman, you may do the same. Anyway, what you plan to do with it will be How to deal with it, I will let you deal with it. As I said, no one is less afraid of death than me."

Holmes sat for a while in silence.

"What are you going to do?" he asked finally.

"I wanted to settle down in central Africa, and I'm only halfway there."

"Go on with your unfinished work," said Holmes. "At least I will not interfere with your work."

Dr. Sterndale stood up, bowed solemnly with his burly body, and left the gazebo.Holmes lit his pipe, and handed me the tobacco pouch.

"Non-poisonous smoke is a change and a pleasure," said he. "I think you will agree, Watson, that we are not involved in this case. Our investigation is independent, and so is our conduct. You will not Are you going to report this person?"

"Of course not," I replied.

"I have never been in love, Watson. But if I were, and if this happened to my loved one, I might do what our lawless lion-hunter did. Who knows? I shall spare you, Watson, the very obvious, so as not to confuse your thoughts. The pebbles on the window-sill are of course the starting point of the investigation. The pebbles in the vicar's garden stand out, and they obviously do not belong there. When I noticed Dr. Sterndale and his residence, I realized that these stones were the same as those in his house. The lamp was still lit during the day and the powder on the lampshade were two very obvious links in a clue. Now, my dear Watson, I think we may forget the matter, and return with a clear conscience to the roots of the Chaldean words, which certainly lead to the Cornish branch of the great Celtic dialect. "

final compliments
Closing Speech by Sherlock Holmes

It's nine o'clock in the evening on August [-]nd, and it's the scariest August ever.The sun had set, but a blood-red scar remained, like a gaping wound hanging in the far west.The sky is full of stars, and under the sky, the lights of the ships are shining on the seashore.Two famous Germans stand by the stone railing of the garden walk.Behind them was a row of low, dull gabled houses.They looked out over the beach at the foot of the chalk cliffs.Von Bork himself had wandered about like a mountain eagle and had settled on this cliff four years ago.They stood there talking in low voices.The two red cigarette butts below are like the eyes of a demon, peeking out in the dark, full of anger.

Von Bork was a formidable character.He was the best of all the spies who served the Kaiser.He was sent to England on a most important mission because of his talents, and since he accepted the mission, half a dozen people in the world who know the truth have become more and more aware of his talents.One of them was his present companion, Baron von Herring, Secretary of the Legation.At this moment the Baron's car was parked in a country lane, waiting to fetch his master back to London.

"According to the way things are going, you may be able to return to Berlin within this week," said the secretary. "My dear von Bork, when you get there, I think you will be surprised at the welcome you will receive. I I overheard what the highest authority in the country thought of your work." The secretary was tall and tall, and his voice was slow and deep, which had always been his main asset in the political world.

Von Bork laughed.

"It's easy to fool them," he said. "They're very gentle and simple people."

"I didn't know that," said the secretary thoughtfully. "They have some strange rules, and we have to learn to obey them. It's their apparent simplicity that makes it easy for a stranger to fall into a trap." The first impression people have of them is always very docile. But once you encounter something very serious, you know that you have hit the limit and you have to adapt yourself to reality. For example, their unique customs, which must be followed .”

"You mean 'well-dressed' or something?" Von Bork sighed, as if he had suffered.

"I'm talking about all sorts of queer British prejudices. Let's take one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made - and I'm not shy about talking about my mistakes because you know what I do and what I do .It was my first time in the UK and I was invited to a weekend party at the cottage of a cabinet minister and their conversation was surprisingly casual."

Von Bork nodded, "I've been there," he said flatly.

"Of course I briefed Berlin on the information. Unfortunately, our good Chancellor did not take the matter to heart, and his remarks on the radio showed that he had learned what was being said. .so naturally it came upon me. You have no idea how much it hurt me. I tell you that our English masters are not meek and deceitful on such occasions. To counteract this It took me two years to see the impact of this incident. Now, with your athletic stance..."

"No, no, don't call it a gesture. The gesture is intentional, it's natural to me. I'm a natural athlete, and I love sports."

"Well, it will be more effective. You row with them, you hunt with them, you play polo with them, you compete with them in every sport, and you won prizes in the quadruple at the Olympics. I've also heard that you even boxed with young officers, what was the result? Nobody took you seriously. You're an 'experienced athlete', 'a decent fellow for a German' , a drink-loving, night-club-haunting, city-prowling young man with nothing to fear. No one would have guessed that your quiet country house was the center of half the intrigue in England. Born. And you, a sports-loving squire, are the sharpest secret agents in Europe. Genius, my dear von Polck--genius!"

"You're flattered, Baron. But I dare say my four years in England have not been in vain. You haven't seen my little storeroom yet, and you wouldn't mind coming in for a while?"

The door to the study leads up to a flight of steps.Von Bork pushed the door open and led the way.He turned on the light, then closed the door, and the big man who followed him entered.He drew the thick curtains of the latticed windows tightly, and waited until all precautions had been taken before turning his tanned face towards his visitor.

"Some documents have already been transferred," he said. "Yesterday, I sent my wife and family members to Flesing and asked them to take away some of the less important documents. Of course, I asked the embassy to give me the other documents." to protect."

"Your name is on the list as a private attache. There will be no trouble with you and your luggage. Of course, it is possible that we may not go. England may leave France to its fate. To be sure, there is no binding between England and France. sexual treaty."

"What about Belgium?"

"The same goes for Belgium."

Von Bork shook his head. "I don't understand how it happened. There must be a treaty. Belgium will never escape this humiliation."

"At least temporarily peaceful."

"What about its honor?"

"My dear sir, our age is a utilitarian age. Honor belongs to the ideal of the Middle Ages. Besides, England is not prepared. Our special war tax is as high as 5000 million pounds. Anyone can see our purpose. It's like putting an ad on the front page of The Times, but it's incredible that the British people still haven't woken up from their sleep. Everywhere you hear this question, there's a wave of anger everywhere, and it's my job to find out, Calm down. I can assure you, however, that by far the most important preparations—the stockpiles of munitions, preparations for submarine raids, and arrangements for the manufacture of high explosives—have not been prepared. Especially since we have provoked the Irish Civil War, The UK is too busy to take care of itself, so how can it fight us."

"It has to think about its own future."

"That's another matter. I think that in the future, we will have very clear plans for Britain, and your intelligence is very important to us. For Mr. John Bull, it is today or tomorrow. If in Today, we are fully prepared. If it is tomorrow, we will be even more prepared. I think that Britain should be smarter. It is better to give up participating in allied wars than to participate in allied wars. However, this is their internal matter. Week is the week that decides their fate. But you just talked about your papers." He sat in the armchair, smoking a cigar leisurely, the light shining on his bald head.

The room was paneled with oak, with bookshelves on all sides and curtains in the far corner.Pulling back the curtain, a large brass safe was revealed.Von Bork took a small key from his fob-chain, fiddled with the lock, and opened the heavy cabinet door.

"Look!" he said, standing aside and pointing.

Lights illuminated the opened safe, and the secretary of the embassy gazed earnestly at the rows of full sorting shelves inside the safe.There is a label for each shelf.On the tags were keywords such as "Shoals," "Port Defenses," "Aircraft," "Ireland," "Egypt," "Portsmouth," "Channel," "Roses," and others.Every grid is filled with documents and plans.

"Great!" said the secretary.He put down his cigar and patted it gently with his fat hands.

"It's been four years, Baron. Not bad for a squire who loves wine and horses. But my baby is coming, and there's a place for it." He pointed to a blank space. .The words "Navy Signal" were written on the space.

"But you already have a dossier with the same name here."

"It's out of date, it's a waste of paper. The Admiralty has noticed and changed all the passwords. Baron, this blow is the most serious setback I have ever received. Fortunately, I have a passbook and my good assistant Altamon. Everything tonight It'll all be fine."

The Baron looked at his watch and sighed in disappointment.

"Oh, I can't wait any longer. Right now, there are plans going on in the Carlton compound, as you can imagine. We must all be in place. I thought I could bring back news of your great results. Didn't Altamon agree on a time? ?”

Von Bork pulled out a telegram.

Be sure to bring spark plugs tonight.

Altamon
"Spark plugs?"

"You know, he's pretending to be a car expert, and I'm pretending to be a car dealer. On the surface we're talking about spare parts, but it's actually our code. If he says radiators, he means battleships; oil pumps, Means cruisers, things like that. Spark plugs mean naval signals."

"Sent from Portsmouth at noon," said the secretary, checking the name and address. "By the way, how do you plan to reward him?"

"Give him five hundred pounds for this matter, and of course his wages."

"Greedy guy. Traitors like them are useful, but this money is equivalent to a reward for murder. I am not willing to give it to him."

(End of this chapter)