The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 54 Four Signatures (38)
She said: "I was a governess for five years at the home of Colonel Spence Munro, but I lost my job two months ago. The Colonel was ordered to come to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He went to work, and he took his children to America. So I applied for a job in the newspaper, and went for an interview according to the job advertisements provided in the newspaper, but there was no follow-up. In the end, the pitiful savings I had accumulated I started to see the bottom, and I was helpless and at a loss. There is a governess agency called Vista Way in the West District. It is very famous in the local area. I will go there every week to try my luck. Is there a suitable job for me. Vistaway is the name of the founder of this agency, but in fact the manager is a Miss Stopa. The women who are looking for a job are waiting in the front reception room, and then they are asked one by one Shown into Miss Stopa's little office, she was in charge of going through the register to see if there were any jobs for these women. When I was shown into that little office last week as usual, I found that except for Miss Stopa There is also a particularly burly and strong man, with a thick chin stacked up to the throat. He is sitting next to her with a smile on his face, with a pair of glasses on the bridge of his nose, carefully observing every person who enters. Candidate. He shuddered in his chair when I entered, but soon he turned sideways to Miss Stopa and said: 'This one will do, I don't think I can find a better one than her. A better candidate. That's great! Great!' He looked very excited, rubbing his hands back and forth in a friendly way. I was very pleased with his approachable demeanor. He asked Said: "Miss, are you looking for a job?" I said: "Yes, sir." He asked again: "A tutor?" I replied: "Yes, sir." He asked: " What's your rate of pay?' I said: 'I used to get four pounds a month at Colonel Spence Munro's.' I stretched out my fat hand and waved it in the air, "How could someone pay such a charming and skilled lady with such a pitiful salary?" I said: "Sir, my ability may not meet the standard you imagined." .I know a little French, a little German, a little music and art...' He said: 'This is not the most important thing, the key is whether you have the behavior and demeanor of a connotative and educated woman. Simply put , if you don't have it, then you are not suitable to educate a child who will be of great significance to the country and history in the future; but if you have it, how can there be such a gentleman who makes you wronged by his government with a low commission What? If you agree, miss, I offer you a salary of one hundred pounds a year.'

"You can easily imagine, Mr. Holmes, how unbelievable such a salary is for a man who is almost penniless! Perhaps the gentleman saw my doubts, and he took the He took out his wallet and pulled out a banknote. His wrinkled face was reduced to two shining lines because of the squeeze of his smile. He said: 'I will pay my young lady half in advance. salary, in order to meet some sporadic living expenses and some clothes.'

"He was the most thoughtful person I've ever met. Since I had some debts outside at the time, the advance really came in handy. However, throughout the conversation, I always felt a little The place was not quite right, so I wanted to know more about it before I made my point. I said: 'With all due respect, sir, may I ask your address.' He said: 'Hampshire, lovely country. Copper Beech , only five miles from Winchester. It's very lovely country, dear miss, and has a beautiful old country house.' I said: 'What am I in charge of, sir? I want to know my What exactly to do.' He said: 'A kid--a cute little rascal just turned six. Yo, if you could see him smack a cockroach with a slipper! Crack! Crack! Crack! In the blink of an eye, Only three were reimbursed!" Leaning on the back of the chair, his eyes narrowed into a line again with a smile.

"I was a little surprised at the kid's preference, but his dad's laugh made me think maybe he was just joking. I said: 'So my job is just to look after one kid?' He immediately said out loud:' No, no, it's not like that, it's not like that, my dear lady, it's your business, you're smart enough to realize, to obey all my wife's orders, if they are the orders a lady should obey. You Look, it's not difficult, is it?' I said, 'It's an honor for me to be helpful to you.' He said, 'That's really cool! Now let me talk about clothing. For example, we're passionate about As for the pursuit of fashion, you know that you have some quirks in this area, but you have no bad intentions. If we give you a piece of clothing for you to wear, you shouldn’t object to our little quirk, right?’I Said: "Ah? No." And he said: "Or may I ask you to cut your hair short before going to our place?" I even doubted my hearing. My hair, Mr. Holmes, is just as you say. See, dense and chestnut in color, with a touch of artistry, I would never have thought of disposing of them so casually. 'I'm afraid I can't do that,' I said. His small eyes kept looking forward Seki stared at me, but as I said this, I saw a shadow flash across his face.

"He said: 'I'm afraid it's extremely necessary. It's my wife's habit, like ladies', and you understand, madam, that ladies' preferences are important, so you're not going to cut yours short. Hair?' I replied firmly, 'Yes, sir, I really can't do it.' He said, 'Oh, well, let's forget about that. It's a pity, because in other respects you really Well suited. In that case, Miss Stopper, I'm afraid I'll have to see a few more young girls." The manager was too busy reading the papers to speak to either of us. But now it's very Glancing impatiently at me, which made me wonder if my refusal cost her a handsome brokerage fee, she asked me: 'Would you like to keep your name on the registration form? ' I said: 'If you like, Miss Stoper.' She said sharply: 'Well, the fact is that registration is of no use to you. Since you turned down such an excellent opportunity, really It's hard to find something like this again, so bye, Miss Hunter." She tapped the bell on her desk, and a servant came in and ushered me out.

"Oh, Mr. Holmes, when I went back to the apartment and opened the cupboard, I found that there was nothing to eat in it, and there were several bills of arrears lying on the table. At that time, I began to ask myself After all, they are paid to have their cravings satisfied. It is extremely rare in England for governesses to earn a hundred pounds a year. Besides, what does hair mean to me? Use? There are many people who look more energetic after cutting their hair short. The next day, I guessed that maybe I was wrong, and the third day, I was sure that must be my mistake. After I almost convinced myself, I was ready to start again. When I went to the agency to inquire whether that occupation was still open, I received a letter from the gentleman in his own hand. I brought it, and I will read it to you now.

Near Winchester, Copper Beeches

Dear Miss Hunter:
Thanks to the kind Miss Stopper who gave me your address, I am able to write to ask if you have second thoughts.My wife is very happy after hearing my description of you, and she is eagerly looking forward to your early arrival.We have resolved to give you thirty pounds a quarter, or £120 a year, to compensate you for the little trouble our idiosyncrasies have caused you, and these demands are not too demanding of you.My wife loves a pretty deep electric blue and looks forward to your wearing it indoors in the mornings provided by us of course, my dear daughter Alice happens to have one of these and she is in Philadelphia, USA , I think this dress should suit your figure very well.Plus, you won't feel any inconvenience about where you sit, or how you spend your time in any particular way.Your hair is undoubtedly a pity, especially after a brief meeting with you, I was even more impressed by its beauty.But I'm afraid I must insist on this point, and may the increased salary make up for your loss.As for babysitting, you can rest assured that it will be easy.Let me know in advance which train you take, and I will meet you at Winchester in a carriage.Eager to come.

your faithful jeffro lucastle

"I have just received this letter, Mr. Holmes, and I intend to accept the offer. However, before I take this last step, I thought it best to tell you the whole story and ask you to consider it for me."

Holmes smiled and said, "Well, Miss Hunter, if that's the case, then do as you have in mind."

"Won't you advise me to refuse him?"

"If you were my sister, I would advise you not to go."

"What do you mean, Mr. Holmes?"

"Well, I don't have detailed information, so I dare not make a judgment. Maybe you already have your own ideas."

"Well, there seems to be only one possible explanation to me. Lucasle seems like a nice, nice guy, and his wife is probably not quite right. He doesn't want her to be sent to a mental institution, so he wants to Keep it a secret and avoid talking about it. So he has to think of various ways to satisfy his wife's eccentricities and prevent her from attacking."

"The explanation is plausible, and it may in fact be the case. But in any case, it is not a suitable place for your young lady."

"However, he gave a lot of money! Mr. Holmes, what a lot of money he gave!"

"Oh, yes, of course the pay is high--too high, and that's why I have my doubts. Why give you £120 a year when they could have offered you £[-] to choose one of them? There must be some special reason in it."

"After I explain the situation to you, if I need your help in the future, you will understand what is going on. And, I think I will be more courageous if you support me behind my back."

"Ah, you can go with that kind of thought. I promise, your little trouble might turn out to be the funniest thing you've had in months. There are some traits, obviously odd, if you're really wondering Or in danger..."

"Dangerous? Do you deduce any danger?"

Shaking his head gravely, Holmes said: "If we can be sure, it cannot be called dangerous. But any time, day or night, send me a telegram, and I will come to you at once." help you."

"This is enough." She stood up from the chair, the haze on her face was swept away, "Now I can go to Hampshire with peace of mind, I will reply to the letter immediately, I will Just go and cut your hair short, and set off for Winchester in the morning." She added a few words of thanks to Holmes, and took us good-bye, and hurried off.

We heard her quick, determined footsteps as she descended the stairs, and I said, "At least she looks like a young girl who will take care of herself."

"That is exactly what she needs," said Holmes gravely. "I should be very mistaken if we hear nothing from her after many days."

Soon, my friend's words came true.As the two weeks passed, I found my thoughts were turning in his direction, thinking about the incredible ways a lonely girl had gone astray.The high pay, the harsh and strange conditions, the easy work all meant something out of the ordinary, and I couldn't yet decide whether it was a fad or a conspiracy, whether he was a nice guy or a villain.As for Holmes, I often saw him frowning, lost in thought alone, for half an hour sitting like this.When I mentioned this to him, he waved me off. "Material! Material! Material!" he cried impatiently, "I can't make bricks without clay." But in the end, he kept muttering to himself that if it was his own sister, he would never will let her go.

The telegram finally reached us late one night.I was getting ready to rest, and Holmes was getting ready for his all-night chemical studies, which he was so passionate about--generally on such occasions, after I left, he would stoop to do it with a test tube or a flask. Experiment, he was still there when I went downstairs for breakfast the next morning.Now he opened the yellow envelope and read the telegram, then he handed it to me.

"Look up the departure time to Bradshaw at once," he said.Then he turned around and went on with his experiment.

The telegram was short and urgent, and read as follows:

Come to the Black Swan Hotel in Winchester at noon tomorrow.Must come!There was nothing I could do.

Hunter
"Would you like to go with me?" asked Holmes, looking up.

"of course."

"Then let's check the train timetable first."

"There's a trip at 09:30." I checked the car to Bradshaw. "Winchester at 11:30."

"Very suitable. It seems that I can only postpone my acetone analysis for a while, and we must ensure that our energy and physical strength are in the best condition tomorrow morning."

At eleven o'clock the next day, we were already on our way to the old capital of England.Along the way, Holmes buried himself in the morning papers, and he continued in this way until he had passed the Hampshire borders, after which he began to lose himself in the beauty of the scenery.It was a beautiful day in spring, and the sky was blue, dotted with clouds that swam slowly from west to east.The weather in early spring is cold and fresh, but the sun is shining brightly, which makes people feel refreshed and refreshed.As far as the hills surrounding Aldershot unfolded a pastoral landscape, with red or gray farmhouse roofs hidden in the green.

"What a view!" Coming from the smoky Baker Street, I couldn't help but shout out my emotions with enthusiasm.

But Holmes shook his head gravely.

He said: "You know, Watson? When I look at things I associate them with particular problems that I've been thinking about. That's a damned part of my character. When you see it's like The houses dotted in the jungle, what impresses you is their beauty. But it seems to me that the thought that comes to mind is that the distance of the houses is too far away, and the crimes committed there may escape the law. sanctions."

"My God!" I exclaimed, "who would connect crime with this lovely old country house?"

"I have often had a fear of it. This creed of mine, Watson, has been drawn from my experience, that is to say, there is no comforting beauty in the dirtiest and darkest alleys of London." What's happening in the village is horrific."

"You scare me!"

"This is obvious. In a city, public opinion may override the law, and the screams of a child being abused or the beating of a drunk in an alley will definitely arouse the sympathy and indignation of the neighbors. And , the complete judiciary is close at hand, action can be taken as soon as the charges are filed, and the crime and the accused are only one step away. But these scattered houses seen here, each built on their own fields, the people who live in them Most of them are ignorant townspeople who know little about the law. Just imagine that vicious and hidden crimes may happen here year after year without being noticed. If the lady who asked for help lived in Winchester, I would never No worries about her. But it is horrifying that she lives in the country five miles away. However, there is no threat to her personal safety at this time for sure."

"Yes. The fact that she came to Winchester to meet us shows that she is still free."

"That's right, she has her own freedom."

"So what happened, can you explain?"

"I've hypothesized seven different explanations, each of which is based on what we know so far. But which one of them is correct will have to wait until we have new information to decide. Well , the church tower is over there, and Miss Hunt will be able to hear all this to us in a moment."

"Black Swan" is a famous hotel on this road, very close to the station.There the young lady was waiting for us, she had reserved a room and our lunch was on the table.

"I'm so glad to see you!" She seemed very enthusiastic. "Thank you very much, but I really can't do anything. Your help will be extremely valuable to me."

"Please tell me what happened to you."

"I will, and I must speak quickly, because I was promised to be back by three o'clock. I asked Mr. Lucasle this morning for leave, but he didn't know what I was going to do."

"Please tell me all the facts in order." Holmes stretched his long thin legs over the fire, and made quiet readiness to listen.

"First of all, I have not been ill-treated by Mr and Mrs Lucasle in general, and it is fair for me to say so. But there are things I cannot understand and I am very concerned about them."

"What can't you understand?"

(End of this chapter)