The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 69 Memoirs (10) ([-])
"'My dear boy, this is, in short, the whole course of the dreadful thing that befell me. The next day we were picked up by a brig, the Hotspear, bound for Australia. To us A lie of the survivors of the wrecked passenger ship, believed by the captain. The Admiralty recorded the transport ship Gloria Scott as a wreck at sea. After a fair voyage on the Hotspear, we disembarked in Sydney , Evans and I changed our names and surnames effortlessly to conceal our past identities, and mixed among the people from various countries who went to mine. Wealthy Colonials who returned to England to make their home. For more than 20 years, we lived and worked in peace and happiness as a happy family, hoping to forget the past forever. Later, when this sailor came to me, I recognized him at a glance as the man we rescued from the wreck. The man who came up, I felt like a thunderbolt at the time. I don't know how he found us. He took advantage of our fear and blackmailed us. You now understand why I tolerated him so much. He left me to another receiving The bully has gone, but he's blackmailing me.'

"The writing below is illegible with trembling hands, 'Beddos writes secret letter saying, Hudson has all been exposed. God, have mercy on us!'

"That's the story I read to little Trevor that night. It's a curious case, Watson. After this incident, my friend's heart was broken, and he moved to Tray to plant tea trees. I heard he Had a good time there. The sailor hasn't been heard from since he wrote the warning letter. No one reported it to the police. I guess Beddoes mistook Hudson's threat for reality. Police believe he killed Beddoes and fled Yes, some people saw Hudson lurking nearby. On the contrary. I think Beddoes is probably in a desperate situation. He thinks that Hudson has exposed himself, so he kills Hudson and flees the country with the cash on hand. This That is the whole of the case, Watson, and if they are of any use to your collection of information, I shall be glad to furnish them to you."

Musgrave Ceremony

My friend Sherlock Holmes has a peculiar character which often annoys me.Although his mind is sharp, his affairs are organized, and his clothes are simple and neat, his life is chaotic and unbearable to those who live with him.Of course, I myself am not blameless in life.The disorganized working environment in Afghanistan and the unruly temperament made me develop habits that a doctor should not have.However, I always have a tolerance limit for untidy.If I see a man putting a cigarette in a coal scuttle, stacking tobacco leaves on top of a Persian slipper, and sticking some unanswered letters with a jackknife on a wooden mantelpiece, I begin to feel that I am not Not too bad yet.Besides, I have always believed that pistol practice should be an out-of-doors activity, and yet Holmes, at the whim of the moment, sitting in an arm-chair, playing with his pistol and a hundred cartridges, and dotting the opposite wall with bullet-marks, is, I strongly think, Neither improves the air quality in our interiors nor the exterior of our homes.

Our houses are often filled with chemicals and criminal evidence, and these things often appear in unexpected places, sometimes in the butter dish, sometimes in less noticeable places.It's his files that bother me the most.He was used to keeping papers, especially those related to cases he had worked on, but he only dealt with them once every two years.As I have noted here and there in these incoherent memoirs, his enthusiasm came only when he achieved extraordinary results.But that enthusiasm soon faded.In the meantime, he played the violin and books all day long, and his range of activities was only between the sofa and the table.So day after day, year after year, his files piled up more and more, so that every corner of the house was filled with bundles of manuscripts, which he refused to burn, and no one but himself Move them.

We sat together by the fire one winter evening, and I suggested to him that, after he had copied the summary into the memorandum, he could spend two hours tidying up and making it habitable.Unable to refute my legitimate request, he walked into the dormitory with a straight face, and when he came out he dragged a large tin box behind him.He put the box in the middle of the floor, brought a small stool and squatted in front of the big box, and opened the box.I saw bundles of papers bound with red tape in one third of the box.

"There are many cases here, Watson," said Holmes, looking mischievously at me. "I think that if you knew what I have in this trunk, you would want me to take out what is in it, and not Don't let me put in what I didn't put in."

"So this is all about your early cases?" I asked. "I was just trying to take some notes on those cases."

"Yes, my friend, these are the cases I handled before I became famous." Holmes took out bundles of papers with care. "These are not all successful records, Watson. But there are many interesting ones." Cases. Here's the Tarleton Murder Report, and here's the Van Berry Liquor Merchant, and the Adventures of an Old Russian Woman, and the Curious Case of the Aluminum Cane, and the Lame Ricolet and His Damn Wife. Ah, And this one, this is really a somewhat rare case."

Holmes reached into the box, and from the bottom drew out a small wooden box resembling a children's toy.From the box he took out a crumpled piece of paper, an old-fashioned brass key, a wooden nail with a ball of string attached to it, and three rusty old metal round plates.

"Hey, my friend, what do you think these things are?" asked Holmes with a smile, seeing my puzzled expression.

"It's some really quirky collectibles."

"It's very weird, and the stories that happen to them will surprise you even more."

"So, do these collections have a history?"

"Not only do they have history, but they are history themselves."

"why?"

Sherlock Holmes took them out one by one, arranged them in a row at the table, and sat down in a chair to examine them with a look of satisfaction on his face.

"I have left these to recall the case of the Musgrave Ceremony," said Holmes.

I have heard him mention the case more than once, but I have never been able to understand the details of the case.I said, "I should be very glad if you would tell me the details."

Holmes exclaimed mischievously: "Then these messy things are still placed as they are? Your neatness is not what you want, Watson. But I am very happy to add this case to your case record. Because This case is not only unique in the domestic criminal record, but, I believe, extremely rare abroad, too. It would be a pity not to record this queer case without the collection of my trivial achievements.

"You will remember the incident on the 'Gloria Scott'. I told you the story of that unfortunate man, whose words prompted me to choose the detective as my life's profession. Now you see I am famous I am known everywhere, both by the public and by the police. Even when you and I first met, that is, when I was investigating the case you later named 'The Study in Scarlet', although my business was not Very busy, but already have a lot of customers. You can hardly imagine how difficult it was for me to start, and how much work I put in to succeed.

"When I first arrived in London, I lived on Montague Street near the British Museum. In my spare time, I devoted myself to the study of various sciences, hoping to achieve something in the future. At that time, people kept looking for me to handle cases, mainly introduced by some old classmates. Yes. Because my last few years at university, people talked a lot about me and my way of thinking. The third case I broke was the Musgrave Rites case. The successful detection of serious cases made me take the first step towards a career as a detective.

"Reginald Musgrave was a schoolmate of mine, and he came across as quite haughty, so he wasn't very popular among college students. But I've always believed that his display of pride was a deliberate attempt to hide his natural brilliance. His appearance makes you think that he is a very typical nobleman, thin, high nose, big eyes, slow and gentle. In fact, he is indeed a descendant of the oldest noble family in the British Empire. In the sixteenth century At that time, their descendants as the second son separated from the Musgrave family in the north and settled in West Sussex, and Helstone Manor may be the oldest inhabited area in this area. He was born in Sussex, obviously Sussex had a great influence on him. Whenever I see his pale face, quick eyes or the way of his head, I can't help but think of those gray arches. and mullioned windows, and the remains of old feudal castles. Once or twice we struck up a conversation without knowing it, and more than once he expressed his interest in my methods of observation and reasoning.

"We had not seen each other for four years, and he came to see me one morning in Montague Street. He had not changed much, dressed like a young man of the upper class, and retained his former distinctive air and demeanor.

"'How are you doing, Musgrave?' I asked, after we shook hands warmly.

"'You have probably heard of my poor father's death,' said Musgrave. 'He died two years ago. Since then I have assumed the management of Helstone Park. As I District Councilor, I am too busy. I hear, Holmes, that you have put your astonishing powers into practice?'

"'Yes,' said I, 'and I earn my living by this cleverness!'

"'I am very glad to hear you say this, because I am in desperate need of your valuable advice. I have encountered many strange things in Hullstone, and the police have no clue. This is indeed an unusual case.'

"You can imagine how anxious I was to hear him, because I had been doing nothing for months, and the opportunity I'd been craving finally came. I believed in my own ability, and I firmly believed in things that other people have failed. Can be successful, now I finally have the opportunity to show their talents.

"'Give me the details,' I said aloud.

"Reginald Musgrave sat down opposite me, and lit the cigarette I offered him.

"He said: 'You know, I don't have a family yet, but I have quite a number of servants at Helstone Hall, because it's an old rambling old estate out of the way and needs a lot of attention. In pheasant season, I often hold banquets in the manor, and keep guests lodging, and it is impossible to be short of hands, so I don't want to dismiss them. I have eight maids, a cook, a butler, two servants and a page. Garden and The stables were tended by another group of people.

"'The longest serving of these servants was Brenton the steward. He was an incompetent schoolteacher when my father hired him. But he was energetic and determined, and soon won the favor of our family. I like him. He has a moderate figure and a handsome face. Although he has been in my house for 20 years, he is not yet 40 years old. He has many advantages and extraordinary talents. He can speak several languages ​​and play almost all musical instruments. He is actually satisfied with the long-term The status of a servant, it is really puzzling. However, I think he is content with the situation, and does not intend to make any changes. Anyone who has visited our house remembers this housekeeper.

"'But this perfect man has his faults, that is, a little Don Juan. You can imagine that a man as good as him has no difficulty playing the vagabond in the backcountry. He was all right when he first married, but since his wife died Since then, he's been in endless trouble. A few months ago he got engaged to our second handmaid, Rachel Howells, and we thought he'd hold back, but he took Rachel Abandoned, with Janet Tregelis, the gamekeeper's daughter. Rachel was a fine girl, but with a Welsh impulsiveness. Not long ago she had meninges Inflammation, was not able to get out of bed until yesterday. She has been different from the past, like a ghost with black eyes. This is the first drama of our Helstone. The second drama immediately followed Incident, which makes us forget the first, the second drama, which was caused by the fall from grace and dismissal of the butler Brenton.

"'This is how it happened: the man, as I have already said, was very clever, but too clever. He was too curious about things that did not concern him, until an incident, purely by accident, made me Pay attention to his curiosity.

"'As I said, it was a rambling manor. Last Thursday night, after supper, I drank a cup of strong coffee very stupidly, and couldn't sleep for a long time. I couldn't sleep until two o'clock in the morning. I got up and lit the candles, intending to continue reading a novel I hadn't finished. Because I left the book in the billiard room, I put on my pajamas and went out of the bedroom to get it.

"'To get to the billiard-room, I must descend a flight of stairs, and pass a corridor leading to the library and the gun-shelf. I looked down the corridor, and saw a faint light from the open door of the library. I knew how amazed I was. Before going to bed, I had shut out the library light and door, when naturally I first thought of thieves. There are many ancient weapons hanging on the corridor walls of Helstone Manor. I learned from them. Picking up a tomahawk in his hand, dropping the candle, he crept along the corridor and peeped in the door.

"'It was Brenton, the steward, in the library. He sat in an easy chair, fully dressed, with his forehead in his hand, and was brooding over a paper that looked like a map in his lap. A small candle stood by the table. , by the faint candlelight, I watched his every move. I saw him standing up suddenly, walking to the desk, unlocking it, and opening a drawer. He took out a document from it, returned to his original seat, and put the The papers were spread out by the table beside the candle, and were seriously studied. Seeing him look over our family papers with such composure, I was furious, and strode forward. Then Brenton looked up, Seeing me standing at the door, I jumped up in horror, and quickly stuffed the document I was studying just now into my arms.

"'I said: 'Very good!This is how you repay our trust in you.You resign tomorrow. "

"'He bowed dejectedly, and walked away from me in silence.

"'By candlelight, I glanced at the papers that Brenton had drawn from his desk. It was not, to my surprise, an important document, but merely a transcript of questions and answers in a curious ancient ceremony. This It's an ancient ritual peculiar to our family called the "Musgrave Ritual." It has been performed by all Musgraves when they come of age for centuries, but it's like our own coat of arms Just like I remember, it’s just our family’s private matter, maybe archaeologists will be a little interested, but it’s useless to outsiders.”

"'We'd better talk about that document,' I said.

"'Well, if you think it necessary, I will continue,' replied Musgrave, somewhat hesitantly, 'as I relocked the desk with the key Brenton had left, and was about to turn away. , I was suddenly surprised to find that the butler had turned back and stood in front of me.

"' he cried hoarsely, emotionally: "Sir, Mr Musgrave, I must not be disgraced, for, in spite of my humble status, I have valued my reputation more than my life in my life.Sir, if you kill me, you will be responsible for my death, yes, I will.Sir, if you cannot tolerate me in this matter, then, for God's sake, let me apply to you to leave within a month, as if I voluntarily resigned.Mr Musgrave, it's all right with me resigning, but I can't bear to be kicked out in front of all my acquaintances. "

"' I replied: 'You do not deserve so much favor, Brenton, you have behaved extremely badly.However, since you have served our family for so long, I don't want to embarrass you in public.But a month is too long, give you a week, you can find any reason. "

'' he cried in despair: 'Just give me a week, sir?Two weeks, at least two weeks? "

"'I repeated: 'A week.You should consider this to be very generous to you. "

"'He walked away dejectedly. I blew out the lamp and went to my room.

"'Brenton worked very hard and dutifully for the next two days. I didn't say anything about what had happened and waited to see how he would save face. He always used to come to me after breakfast to hear about the day's work. Instructions, but he did not come on the third morning. I happened to meet the maid Rachel Howells when I came out of the dining room. The maid was recovering from a serious illness.

"'I said: 'You should stay in bed and work when you are better. "

"'She looked at me so strangely that I wondered if she had suffered another brain attack.

"' She said: 'I have recovered, Mr Musgrave. "

"'I replied: 'We will listen to the doctor.You must stop working now, and when you get downstairs, please tell Brenton I'll look for him. "

"' She said: 'The steward has gone. "

"' I asked, "Going away?" !Where did you go? "

(End of this chapter)