The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 195 New Detective Case (17)
"Miss, you said your bedroom was upstairs. Is there a tall ladder in the garden?"

"No, that's what makes it so frightening. There's no way to reach the window, and he appeared at the window."

"The date is the fifth of September," said Holmes. "That is a further complication."

This time it was the lady's turn to express surprise.

"Mr. Holmes, this is the second time you have mentioned the date," said Burnett. "Is the date of any importance to the case?"

"I think it's possible, but I don't have enough information yet."

"Are you considering that the insanity has something to do with the movement of the moon?"

"No, it's not. My train of thought has nothing to do with it. Perhaps you can leave me your diary so that I can check the dates. I think, Watson, our plan of action can be settled. The missus has told us--and I Trusts her instincts a lot - her father doesn't remember what he did on some days. So, we'll visit him on those days and pretend he asked us to. He'll probably I thought it was because I couldn’t remember clearly. This way we can observe him from a close distance and start investigating.”

"Good idea," said Burnett, "but I must warn you that professors can sometimes be very short-tempered and violent."

Holmes smiled slightly. "We have reasons to go to see him as soon as possible. We can say that we have every reason to go at once, if my idea is true. Well, Mr. Burnett, we must arrive at Jianjin tomorrow. If I don't remember If I'm wrong, there's a Cheek's Hotel, where the wine is above average, and the cleanliness of the sheets is beyond reprimand. Watson, our fate in the next few days may be worse than this. .”

On Monday morning we embarked on a journey to this famous university town--an easy task for Holmes, who had no family and no business, but for me it required desperate arrangements and chaos. Be busy, because now my business scope is not small.He didn't mention the case along the way, and he didn't speak until we arrived at the hotel he said and checked in.

"It seems to me, Watson, that we can have the professor before lunch. He lectures at eleven, and should be at home at noon."

"What excuse do we have for calling?"

Holmes glanced quickly at the diary.

"He had a manic period on the 26th of August. We may assume that he was not clear at such times. If we insisted that we were asked to come, he would not dare to deny it. Do you have the courage to do it? ?”

"Just try."

"Excellent, Watson! You are so industrious and conscientious. We must try—that is the motto of the determined. Let us find a native to lead the way."

A local coachman drove us swiftly in his handsome hansom, past a row of old college buildings, and finally turned into a three-lane road and stopped in front of a handsome house.The house is surrounded by lawns full of wisterias.It seems that the professor not only lives comfortably, but also lives in an elegant environment.When the carriage approached, we found a gray head protruding from the window. Under the bushy eyebrows, a pair of sharp eyes with tortoiseshell glasses were looking at us.A moment later we were really in his private residence, with the professor standing before us, though we had come from London for his eccentric behavior.But there was nothing weird about his appearance and behavior in front of him. He was a dignified, well-featured, tall man in uniform, with the dignity that a university professor should have.The most striking of his features are his eyes, sharp and keen, so clever that they border on cunning.

He looked at our business cards, "Sit down, gentlemen. What can I tell you?"

Holmes smiled peacefully and said, "Professor, that is exactly the question I want to ask you."

"ask me?"

"Perhaps there has been a mistake. We have been told that Professor Presbury of Cambridge University needs my services."

"So it is!" I felt a malevolent gleam in his piercing gray eyes. "You heard that, didn't you? What's the name of the man who told you?"

"Sorry, Professor, this is a little inconvenient. If there is a mistake, it's okay, I have to apologize."

"No. I want to find out about it. I'm interested. Do you have any note, letter, or telegram, explaining your purpose?"

"No."

"Do you still want to say that I invited you here?"

"I can't answer that question well."

"Of course it's hard to answer," snapped the professor, "but I'll get to the bottom of it soon."

He went to the bell.The Mr. Burnett whom we had known in London answered the bell.

"Come in, Mr. Burnett. These two gentlemen have come from London and say they have been invited. You deal with all my correspondence. Are there any letters addressed to a man called Sherlock Holmes among your registered correspondence?" "

"No, sir." Burnett blushed.

"That's for sure." The professor glared at Holmes angrily. "Sir," he pressed his hands on the table and leaned forward, "I think your identity is very suspicious."

Holmes shrugged his shoulders.

"I can only say again that this may have been a misunderstanding."

"It's not that simple, Mr. Holmes!" screamed the old man, with a look of malice on his face.While talking, he stood in front of the door and blocked our way, waving his hands violently and threatening us. "It's not that easy to leave!" He twitched the muscles on his face in anger, and yelled at us with a grin.Were it not for the intervention of Mr. Burnett, we would not have been able to leave the house without a scuffle.

"Dear Professor," he cried, "please consider your position! Please consider the effect of passing it on to the College! Mr. Holmes is a famous man. You cannot treat him with such insolence."

Then our master--if I may call him that--resignedly moved out of the way of the door.We happily left the house and came to the quiet carriageway outside.Holmes seemed to find the incident rather amusing.

"Our learned friend is a little out of sorts," said he. "Our presumptuous visit may be a little blunt, but I have achieved my purpose. My fellow, Watson, it seems that some one is coming our way, is it?" Isn't this guy following us and coming out to find us again?"

When I turned around to look, the person running towards us was not the scary professor, but his assistant, who appeared at the corner of the carriageway.He came towards us panting.

"I am very sorry, Mr. Holmes. I should apologize."

"No, no, Mr. Burnett. I am used to such things. It is inevitable in an investigation."

"I've never seen him be as rude as he is today. He's getting more and more vicious. Then you can see why his daughter and I are so afraid of something happening. But he's totally sane."

"Very lucid!" said Holmes. "It was my mistake. His memory is evidently much better than I reckoned. By the way, before we go, could I have a look at the window of Miss Presbury's room?" "

Burnett pushed through the bushes and we saw the side of the building.

"There, second window from the left."

"Good guy, it's so high. But, look, there are vines under the window, and there are water pipes on it, so you can climb."

"Even I can't climb it," Burnett said.

"Yes. It's a dangerous sport for any normal person."

"I have one more thing to tell you, Mr. Holmes. I have obtained the address of the Londoner who corresponded with the Professor. The Professor seems to have written to him this morning, and I have found the address from his blotter. As Secretary I shouldn't have done this, but I had to."

Holmes glanced at the note, and put it in his pocket.

"Dorak, a curious surname, probably Slavic, I think. Anyway, it's an important moment. We're going back to London this afternoon, Mr. Burnett, and I don't see much use in staying here. We can't make arrests." Professor, because he did not commit a crime. His actions cannot be restricted because he cannot be proven insane. No action can be taken at this time."

"Then what are we going to do?"

"Be patient, Mr. Burnett. Things will develop in a moment. Next Tuesday, if I'm not mistaken, may be a moment of crisis. We'll be there. It's an unsafe period of waiting, during which Miss Presbury had better stay in London."

"It's not difficult."

"Then let her stay in London until we tell her that the danger is over. For now let him do as he pleases, not against him. As long as he likes it."

"Here he comes!" whispered Burnett, terrified.Through a gap in the branches we saw the tall, erect figure come out of the hall and look around.He leaned forward, dangling his hands and looking around.The secretary waved us goodbye, sneaked into the bushes and slipped away.After a while, we saw him standing next to the professor, and the two of them seemed to be having a heated discussion as they walked into the room.

"I think the old professor has guessed our actions," Holmes said as I walked to the hotel. "Although I have only met him once, I think he has a clear mind and logical thinking. Although he has a fiery temper, he has never From his standpoint, his rage was understandable, for detectives were on his trail, and he guessed it was undoubtedly his own family. Burnett is having a hard time, I think."

Holmes stopped at the post office to send a telegram.A call back came that evening.He threw the telegram to me.

Visited Commerce Road and met Dorak.Affable, bohemian, slightly older.Open a big grocery store.

Mai Hill

"My Hill has been my assistant since you left," said Holmes, "and my day-to-day handyman. I have sent him to inquire about the person to whom the professor had secretly corresponded, whose nationality is connected with the trip to Prague." of."

"Thankfully, a connected thread has been found at last," I said. "At present we seem to be faced with a mass of unexplained unrelated incidents. For example, what is the connection between the wolf dog bite and the trip to Bohemia? They What does it have to do with crawling through the corridors at night? As for your date, that is the most mysterious thing."

Holmes smiled and rubbed his hands together.We were sitting in an old sitting room in an old hotel with a bottle of that famous wine he had mentioned on the table.

"Well, let's study the dates first," he said.He put his five fingers together, as if giving a lecture to a student, "The diary of this talented young man shows that something happened on July 25nd, and since then it seems to happen once every nine days, as far as I can remember." There was only one exception. So the last time was on Friday, September [-]rd, which also fits the nine-day rule, and so did August [-]th. It’s no coincidence.”

I have to agree.

"Therefore, we may presume that every nine days the professor takes a strong drug, whose effect is short-lived but more toxic. His own violent nature is aggravated by the drug. He learned to use this drug in Prague, He is presently supplied by a bohemian dealer in London. These are all connected, Watson!"

"Then how do you explain the dog bite, the face at the window, and the crawling in the corridor?"

"Anyway, we've made a start. We won't have any further developments until next Tuesday. For now we can only keep in touch with Burnett and enjoy the pleasant views of this charming city."

Burnett slipped up the next morning to update us with the latest news.As Holmes said, Burnett was having a hard time.Although the professor did not explicitly accuse him of bringing us here, his words were extremely rough and he clearly expressed a strong accusation.But this morning he was back in shape again, and he gave his usual brilliant speech to a room full of students. “His seizures aside,” Burnett said, “he does have more energy and clarity than he used to. But he’s a different person than we remember him.”

"It seems to me that you have nothing to fear for a week at least," replied Holmes. "I am a busy man, and Dr. Watson has many patients. We shall meet here at this time next Tuesday, I think." At that time, even if it cannot be thoroughly investigated, it can at least give you a good explanation. During this period, you must keep me informed of his latest situation."

Afterwards, I did not see my friend Holmes again for several days.On Monday night I got a short note from him telling me to wait for him at the train station.On the way to Jianjin, he told me that everything was fine, the tranquility of the professor's family was not disturbed, and his own behavior was normal.It was the same story that Burnett came to tell us that night after we had settled down at the Old Local Check Inn. "He had a letter from London today. There was a letter and a small parcel, both marked with the cross, and told me not to open them. Nothing else."

"That will probably suffice," said Holmes ominously. "Mr. Burnett, I think this evening will prove the point, if my deduction is correct. To do this we must observe the Professor closely. I advise you not to Sleep, and be on the alert. If you hear him pass your door, do not disturb him, but follow him quietly. Dr. Watson and I will be concealed nearby. By the way, where is the key to that little box you speak of? "

"On his watch chain."

"I think our research must focus on the box. If there is an unavoidable situation, if the lock is not too strong, then pry it open. Are there any strong men in the house?"

"There's a coachman named McPhee."

"Where does he sleep?"

"Over the stables."

"He may be needed, let him know. That's all we can do now, and wait and see what happens. Good-bye—but I'm sure I'll see you again before morning."

Near midnight, we lay in ambush in the bushes directly opposite the professor's front hall.The night was clear, but the temperature was low, thanks to our coats.At this time, there was a light wind, and white clouds flew across the sky, covering the semicircular moon from time to time.This kind of tedious waiting is very tedious, but fortunately the excitement of anticipation encouraged us, and Holmes encouraged us that the truth would soon be revealed.

"If the cycle of nine days is correct, the Professor must have had a fit to-night," said Holmes. "The following events all point to the same result: that his strange symptoms arose after his return from Prague, and that he had secretly corresponded with a Bohemian merchant in London. , this merchant may represent someone in Prague, and just today he received a package from the merchant. So far, Watson, I don't know what medicine he is using and why, but one thing is certain , that's the medicine from Prague. He's taking it according to a strict prescription, the nine-day cycle, and that's what first caught my attention. But his symptoms are very odd. Did you notice his knuckles?"

I have to admit not paying attention.

"The knuckles are large and old. I have never seen them. Watson, one looks first at the hands. Then at the cuffs, trouser-knees, and shoes. His queer knuckles are only in certain professions—" said Here Holmes suddenly pressed his hand to his forehead and said, as if in a flash of inspiration, "Oh, Watson, Watson, how stupid I am! It seems unbelievable, but it must be so. Everything points to the same result. I didn't see the connection between these concepts! How could I not see the knuckles like that? And dogs! And vines! I really should retreat to the farm of my dreams. Look, Hua Health! Here he comes! Now we can see it with our own eyes."

The door of the front hall opened slowly, and we saw the tall figure of the professor in the light.He stood in the doorway in his pajamas, erect but stooped forward with his hands hanging in front of him, just as we had seen him last.

When he came to the carriage road, a strange change suddenly took place, and he stooped to crawl on hands and feet, jumping now and then, as if from excess energy.He crawled along the house until he turned the corner.At this moment Burnett slipped out of the door and followed him quietly around the corner.

"Come on, Watson!" cried Holmes.So we tiptoed among the trees to a spot where we could see the side of the house, the moonlit side.The professor was clearly visible. He was lying on his stomach at the foot of the ivy-covered wall, and he suddenly crawled towards the wall with unexpected agility.He climbed from vine to vine, holding on very firmly, apparently in an aimless game of exhaustion.With his pajamas open and flapping on the sides, he looked like a giant bat clinging to the walls of his house, forming a big black square on the moonlit wall.After a while, he got tired of playing, so he lowered down vines one by one, and climbed towards the stable, still in the strange posture.The wolf-hound had come out and was barking, and still more when he saw his master.It stretched its chains and trembled with rage.The professor deliberately lay down where the dog just couldn't reach him, and used various methods to irritate the wolf dog.He took a handful of stones and threw them in the dog's face, took a stick and stabbed the dog, waved his hand in front of the dog's open mouth, and tried everything to make the dog bark even more frantically.In our past investigation experience, we have never seen such a strange scene. An impassive and dignified figure is lying on the ground like a toad, deliberately posing various ways to provoke a furious wolfhound, The dog jumped up and barked wildly at him.

(End of this chapter)