The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 67 Memoirs (8) ([-])
"Did I never mention Victor Trevor to you?" he asked. "He was the only friend I had during my two years at university. I'm not sociable, Watson, and I always like to be alone." Staying in the room to meditate, train and study your own thinking methods, and rarely socialize with peers. Except for fencing and boxing, I don’t like other sports. At that time, my learning method was completely different from others. Therefore, I and others There was no need to meet at all. Trevor was the only friend I ever had. It was because of an accident that his dog bit my ankle one morning on my way to the chapel.

“Our friendship was short but memorable. During the ten days I lay in bed, Trevor came to visit me a lot. At first he would go away after a few minutes of small talk, but before long we talked more and more. By the end of the term, we had become confidants. He was very energetic and hot-blooded, and in many ways he was very different from me, but we also had some similarities. When I found out that he, like me, didn't like making friends, we I became more and more intimate. His father, who lives in Dunnythorpe, Norfolk, invited me to visit him, and I accepted his invitation for a month's holiday.

"Old Trevor was a sheriff and a rich and powerful landowner. Dunnythorpe is a small village on the outskirts of Broad, north of Longmere. Trevor's residence is a It is an old and spacious oak beam and brick house. There is a path in front of the door, and there are lush linden trees on both sides. There are many swamps nearby, which are good places for hunting wild ducks and fishing. I heard that there is a small but A well-stocked library, which was purchased with the house from the original owner. Besides, there is a good cook there. If a man spends a month here and is still picky, he is A man who is demanding too much.

"Old Trevor's wife is dead, and my friend is his only son.

"He had another daughter, I've heard, but died of diphtheria on the way to Birmingham. I'm very interested in old Trevor. He wasn't very knowledgeable, but he was strong and active. He didn't read much." , but he has traveled far and seen a lot, and he can never forget what he saw and heard. He is tall and strong, his hair is disheveled and gray, his bronze face has been through vicissitudes of life, and his eyes are sharp and slightly fierce. But he has a good reputation in the village. Known for his kindness and charity, he was also known for his leniency in court cases.

"Shortly after arriving at his house, one evening after dinner, we were sitting together tasting wine, and Trevor Jr. suddenly spoke of my habits of observation and reasoning. At that time, I had reduced it to a theoretical method, although I Haven't realized the effect it will have on my life. The old man obviously thinks his son is exaggerating and exaggerating my little ability.

"'Then, Mr. Holmes,' said he, with a lively smile, 'I am an excellent subject; let me see what you can deduce from me.'

"'I'm afraid I can't deduce much,' I replied, 'and you've been fearing for the past year that someone might attack you.'

"The old man froze and stared at me in surprise.

"'Yes, that's true,' said the old man, turning to his son. 'You know, Victor, that after we drove off the poachers in the swamp, they swore to kill us, and Edward Howe Mr. Leigh was indeed attacked. I've been on my guard ever since, but how did you know that?"

"'You have a very handsome cane,' I replied, 'and you can tell from the engraving on it that you have never had it for more than a year. Cut a hole, fill it with molten lead, and make it into a powerful weapon. I suppose you wouldn't take such precautions if you weren't afraid of some danger.'

"'Any more?' he asked, smiling.

"'When you were younger, you still boxed a lot.'

"'That's true, too. How do you know that, because my nose is a little crooked?'

"'No,' said I, 'from your ears they are very flat and broad, which is the characteristic of a boxer.'

"'Any more?'

"'From the calluses on your hands, you've done a lot of digging.'

"'Yes, I made my fortune digging gold.'

"'You've been to New Zealand.'

"'That's true, too.'

"'You've been to Japan.'

"'yes.'

"'You have been intimate with a man, and then you try to forget him altogether. His initials are JA.'

"At this moment, old Mr. Trevor stood up slowly, with a strange and crazy look on his blue eyes, and then fell forward, his head in the heap of nutshells on the tablecloth. , unconscious.

"Watson, as you can imagine, his son and I were stunned.

"However, he was not in a coma for a long time. When we unbuttoned his collar and sprinkled cold water on his face, he took a breath and sat up.

"'Ah, boys,' said he with a forced smile, 'I hope you have not been frightened. I look strong, but my heart is weak, and I faint easily. I don't know how you figure it out, Mr. Holmes, but It seems to me that detectives, real or fictional, are nothing compared to you. You should make it your life's vocation, sir. Remember what I, a man of experience, say. '

"Watson, please believe that inference was only my hobby at that time, and it was his advice and evaluation of my ability that prompted me to make this hobby a lifelong career. The Buddha was very disturbed by his sudden fainting, and he didn't care to think about other things.

"'I hope I didn't say anything to pain you,' said I.

"'Yes, you really hit me where it hurts. But I want to know how and how much you know,' he said half-jokingly, but there was still a look of horror in his eyes.

"'It's very simple,' said I, 'that day in the boat, when you rolled up your sleeves to catch fish, I saw the word JA tattooed on your arm, although the lettering was still legible, but the strokes were blurred. There is ink staining on the side again, and it is obvious that you have tried to erase the words. It shows that you were very familiar with these two initials and then hated them.'

"'You have good observations!' said he, with a sigh of relief. 'As you say, but we needn't talk about it. Of all ghosts, ghosts of old acquaintances are the worst when they turn against each other. Vicious. Come on, let's go to the billiard room and have a peaceful smoke.'

"Since that day, even his son has noticed that although old Trevor still treats me very kindly, there is always a certain scruple in the kindness.

"'You startled my father,' said Trevor Jr., 'and he can't figure out what you know and what you don't.' Old Trevor didn't want to reveal, I think. However, his every move revealed that his concerns were very strong. I was sure that I had caused his uneasiness, so I decided to say goodbye to them. But just the day before I left, a small incident happened , which later proved to be of great importance.

"At that time, the three of us were sitting in the sun on the lawn chairs in the garden, admiring the beautiful view of Broad, when a maid came to announce that there was a person outside the door asking to see old Mr. Trevor.

"'What's his name?' asked old Mr. Trevor.

"'He won't tell.'

"'Then what is he going to do?'

"'He said you knew him and he wanted to talk to you.'

"'Bring him here.'

"After a while, a haggard-looking man came over. This man looked wretched and walked slowly. He was wearing an open jacket with a tar stain on the cuff. Inside was a black and red checked shirt. He wore a pair of cotton trousers and a pair of well-worn boots. His thin, bronzed face showed a sly look, with a cynical smile showing a row of yellow teeth. His wrinkled His hands were half-clenched, evidently the gesture common to sailors. As he slumped across the lawn towards us, I heard a sound like a hiccup in old Trevor's throat, and he stood up abruptly and ran. To the house. A moment later ran back, when he passed in front of me, I smelled a strong smell of brandy.

"'Friend,' said he, 'what do you want from me?'

"The sailor stood there, squinting at old Trevor, and asked with a smile, 'Don't you know me?'

"'Oh, dear, you're Hudson,' said old Trevor in wonder.

"'I am Hudson, sir,' said the sailor, 'well, it has been more than thirty years since we parted. You are now living in security, and I am still in poverty.'

"'Well, you should know I never forgot the past,' cried old Trevor, approaching the sailor, whispering something in his ear, and then raising his voice again, 'Go to the galley for something to eat and drink, I'm sure I have a place for you.'

"'Thank you, sir,' said the sailor, smoothing the hair that fell over his forehead, 'I just got off a tramp at eight knots, and I've been there for two years, and the ship was short-handed, and I badly need a rest .I think I'll have to go to Mr. Beddoes or you.'

"'Ah,' cried old Trevor, 'do you know where Mr Beddoes is?'

"'I know all about where my old friend is, sir,' said he, grinning grimly, and hastily followed the maid to the galley. Old Mr. Trevor explained to us vaguely that he had sailed with this man Going to the mines. Saying so, he went inside by himself. An hour later, when we came in, we found old Trevor lying drunk on the sofa in the dining room. It left a very bad impression on me. I had no regrets when I left Dunnythorpe the next day, for I felt that I must be embarrassing my friend by staying with him.

“This all happened during the first month of a long vacation. I returned to my London residence and spent seven weeks doing some organic chemistry experiments. However, one day towards the end of the late autumn vacation, my friend took a picture of me A telegram said that he was in great need of my guidance and assistance, and asked me to go back to Dunnythorpe. I left other things and hurried back north.

"He was waiting for me at the station in a hansom. I could tell at a glance that he had suffered so much for the past two months, that he had grown very thin, and had lost all his usual splendor.

"'My father is at stake,' he opened his mouth.

"'Impossible?!' I cried, 'what's going on?'

"'He was severely irritated and had a stroke. He's in critical condition and I don't know if he's still alive.'

"You can imagine, Watson, my surprise at hearing this unexpected news.

"'Why is that so?' I asked.

"'Ah, that's the point. Get in the car, we'll talk more on the road. That guy who came the night before you left, do you remember?'

"'Of course I do.'

"'Do you know who we invited into the house that day?'

"'have no idea.'

"'Holmes, he is a devil,' he cried.

"I looked at him in surprise.

"'Yes, he is a devil indeed, and our house has not had a moment's peace, not a little, since he came. Father has not lifted his head up since that night, and his heart is broken. Now his Lives are at stake. It's all because of that damn Hudson.'

"'And what power does he have, then?'

"'Yes, that is exactly what I want to know. Why should such a kind, kind old man as my father be controlled by such villains?! Holmes, I am really glad you can come. I trust you very much. Analytical and judgmental ability, I know you will be able to come up with the best solution for me.'

"On a clean and flat road in the countryside, our carriage was galloping forward. What fell into our eyes was Broad's plains reflected in the red glow of the setting sun. From a distance, we could see the magistrate's house The tall chimney and flagpole stand upright behind a small forest on the left.

"'My father made this fellow a gardener in our house,' said my friend, 'but the man was still not satisfied, and my father promoted him to housekeeper. The whole family seemed to be under his control, and he idled about all day and did as he pleased. The maids complained to my father about his drinking and vulgar language. My father tried to raise their wages to compensate for their troubles. This guy used to take my father's best shotgun and rowed out to swim. and every time he did it he had a contemptuous, supercilious look on his face. If he had been his age, I would have beaten him no less than twenty times. During this time, Holmes, I could only Desperately restraining myself. Looking back now, I regret that if I hadn't restrained myself, the situation might have been better.

"'Well, we are getting worse and worse. Hudson is a beast who is getting more and more arrogant. One day, he even talked back to my father rudely in my face. I grabbed him by the shoulder and put him off Pushed the door. He went away without a sound, his face blue and his eyes fierce. Then, I don't know what my poor father had a conversation with this man, and the next day my father asked me to apologize to Hudson. You As you can imagine, I flatly refused and questioned why my father would tolerate such a villain and his disrespect to our family.

"' My father said: 'Yes, my boy, you are quite right, but you do not understand my situation.But you will know in the future, Victor.No matter what happens, I will try to let you know.Son, you don't want to upset your poor father now, do you? "

"'Father was very excited and always shut himself in his study, and I saw him from the window busy writing something.

"'One of the things that happened that night was such a relief that we were sitting in the dining room after lunch and Hudson came in drunk and told us hoarsely that he was going to leave.

"'I've had enough of Norfolk,' said Hudson, 'and I'm going to Mr Beddoes in Hampshire.I dare say he must be delighted to see me. "

"'" Hudson, I don't want you to leave here with hatred. ’ said my father, humbly. I was suddenly burning with anger.

"'"He hasn't apologized to me yet. "He glanced at me and said sullenly.

"'Father turned to me and said: 'Victor, you must admit that you have been rude to this esteemed friend. "

"' I replied: 'On the contrary, I think we tolerated him too much. "

"' Hudson said furiously: 'Ah, do you think so?Great, let's see! "

"'He lolled out of the house and left my house half an hour later, much to my father's horror. My father paced up and down the room day and night, and then he slowly regained his confidence, when suddenly disaster struck. '

"'What's the matter?' I asked hastily.

"'Things are very strange. Last night my father received a letter postmarked in Fordingham. After reading the letter, my father beat his head and paced up and down the room in a daze. Then I helped him to the sofa. His mouth and eyelids were crooked. Seeing that he had a stroke, I immediately called Dr. Fordham and helped him to the bed with me, but his paralysis became more and more serious, and he did not regain consciousness at all. signs, I think he will die soon.'

"'Don't scare me, little Trevor!' I exclaimed. 'What is in that letter that it should be so dreadful?'

"'There was nothing in that letter. That's the strange thing about it. It's absurd and trivial. Oh, my God, what I feared happened!'

"As we were talking, we had come to the turn of the boulevard, and by the dim light, we saw that the curtains of the house were all down. We walked to the door, and my friend showed a sad face, and a gentleman in black came out .

"'Doctor, when did my father die?' Trevor asked.

"'Just as you were leaving.'

"'Has he ever been sober?'

"'Before he died, he was sober for a while.'

"'Did he confess anything?'

"'All he said was that the papers were in the back drawer of the Japanese cabinet.'

"My friend and the doctor went to the bedroom of the dead, but I stayed in the study, thinking about it over and over again. I don't think I have ever been so depressed. Old Trevor was a boxer, a traveler, Yet another gold miner, why did he submit to this fierce and insolent sailor? Why did he faint when I mentioned the half-faint initials on his arm? Scared to death? At this moment, I remembered that Fordingham is in Hampshire, which is the hometown of Mr. Beddoes, and the sailor must have gone there. Then this letter is probably sent by Sailor Hudson Yes, he said in his letter that Trevor's past crimes had been exposed. Or else it was from Beddoes, warning old Trevor that a former accomplice was about to expose it. This is Obviously. But why is this letter as trivial and absurd as his son said? He must have read it wrong. If so, there must be a special code in this letter, both literal and practical Not the same. I must see the letter with my own eyes. If there is something in it, I believe I can decipher it. I sat in the dark thinking about it for about an hour, and then a tear-stained maid took A lamp came in, followed by my friend Trevor Jr. His face was pale and he could see that he was trying to suppress his grief. He spread some papers in my lap and sat opposite me. Come down, move the lamp over to the table, and point out to me the text scrawled on aquamarine paper, 'London game supply is steadily increasing. We believe Chief Custodian Hudson has now been ordered to take all orders for flypaper single, and save the life of your hens.'

(End of this chapter)