The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 80 Memoirs (9) ([-])
Melas can only briefly tell us about the general process, which confirms that our inference is correct.When the smirking bandit entered the house, he drew a stick from his sleeve and threatened Melas.Melas was so frightened that his face was ashen, his hands were shaking, and he couldn't say a word, so he had to follow him again.He was soon kidnapped to Beckham, where he acted as an interpreter for a second time.This interview was more dramatic than the first, and the two Englishmen threatened the imprisoned man with immediate death if he did not obey their orders.Seeing that he was always majestic and unyielding, they had no choice but to push him back and imprison him.Then they reproached Melas for having betrayed them by placing an advertisement in the newspapers, and they clubbed him unconscious, and Melas remained unconscious until they found us bending over to save him.

This is the strange case of the Greek interpreter, which is still somewhat unsolved.We can only learn from the gentleman who answered our advertisement that the young woman was of a wealthy Greek family and was in England to visit friends.In England she met a young man named Harold Latimer, who took hold of her and finally persuaded her to run away with her.Her friend, alarmed by this, hastened to inform her brother who lived in Athens.Her brother came to England, and fell into the hands of Latimer and his disreputable associate.The two men found that he did not know the language and the place, so they imprisoned him, tortured him and forced him to sign, so as to seize his and his sister's property.They locked him in the house, and the girl didn't know about it. In order to prevent the girl from recognizing her brother even if she saw him, they put a lot of adhesive plaster on his face.However, due to feminine sensibility, she recognized her brother as soon as the interpreter arrived.But the poor girl was also a prisoner, for there was no one else in the house but the coachman and his wife.And the coachman and his wife belonged to these two conspirators.Seeing that the secret had been revealed and the prisoner would rather die than surrender, the two thugs fled the house with the girl.The fully furnished house was paid for by them.They start by taking revenge on the one who turned against their will and the one who betrayed them.

A few months later we received a report clipping from a Budapest newspaper that two Englishmen traveling with a woman had suddenly died, and both men had been stabbed to death.The Hungarian police believed that they killed each other because of jealousy.Sherlock Holmes did not take this very seriously. He still believes that if he can find the Greek girl, he will be able to find out how she avenged himself and his brother.

naval agreement
The July of the year after my marriage was really unforgettable, because I had the honor to solve three important cases with Sherlock Holmes, and once again saw his unique way of thinking.The titles of the cases I recorded in my diary were: "Second Blood," "Navy Agreement," and "The Weary Captain."But the first case was the most important, because it involved many dignitaries in the kingdom, so it could not be made public for many years.In no case, however, has Holmes been involved in a case in which the value of his method of analysis was clearly highlighted, and his collaborators were impressed.To this day, I still keep a detailed record of the conversation in which Holmes described the truth of the case to Mr. Dubuc of the Paris Police and Fritz von Wolbau, a well-known expert in Gdańsk.Although the two of them had spent too much energy on this case, the work they had done was useless to solve the case.I now intend to publish the second case recorded in the diary, which for some time also concerned the vital interests of the state, and some of the facts of the case emphasize its unique character.

As a student, I had a very good personal relationship with a teenager named Percy Phelps.He was about my age, but two grades older than me.He was very talented and achieved excellent grades. He was awarded a scholarship when he graduated and entered Cambridge University for further studies.I recall that he had several aristocratic relatives, and even when we were all children we had heard that his uncle, Lord Holdhurst, was a well-known Conservative politician.These aristocratic relatives did not give him any convenience in getting along with others at school.Instead, we teased him all over the playing field, breaking his calf bone with a toy hoop, and having fun.However, after he entered the society, the situation was different.I had heard that he, by virtue of his talents and his powerful relations, had secured a fairly good post in the Foreign Office, and I had completely forgotten him until I received the following letter.

My dear Watson:

I'm sure you remember "Tadpole" Phelps when I was in fifth grade and you were in third grade.Maybe you have also heard that with the strength of my uncle, I got a good position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and I was very trusted and respected.But misfortune struck, and a dreadful event ruined my career.

There is no need to describe to you the details of this dreadful event.If you grant my request, I can dictate all this to you.I have just recovered from nine weeks of insanity, and am very weak.Could you invite your friend Mr. Holmes to come and see me?Although there is nothing more the authorities can do about it, I would still like to hear Mr. Holmes' opinion on the case.Please invite him to come, come as soon as possible.I lived in terror for years.Please explain to him that the reason why I did not ask him in time was not that I did not admire his talents, but because I was out of my mind when the disaster came.Now my mind is clear, but I dare not think about it for fear of relapse.I am still very weak, as you can see, I have had to dictate and have someone else write it.Be sure to invite Mr. Holmes to come.

your old school friend percy phelps

The letter shook me, and his repeated pleas to invite Holmes were pitiful.I decided that even if it was difficult, I would try to do it.But of course I knew that Holmes loved his craft, and was always ready to help his client, so long as he believed in him.My wife and I resolved to tell Holmes the matter without delay, without delay.So, within an hour after breakfast, I was back at Holmes' lodgings.

Holmes, in pajamas, was sitting at a table against the wall, concentrating on his chemical experiments.A large retort, boiling violently over red flames, drips distilled water into a two-liter measuring vessel.My friend didn't even look up when I came in, and I saw that his experiment must be important, and I sat down in an armchair and waited.He looked at this bottle, checked that bottle, sucked a few drops of liquid out of the bottle with a glass straw.

"You have come at a good time, Watson," said Holmes. "If the paper is still blue, everything is all right. If it turns red, the solution can kill." He dipped the paper into the test tube and immediately It turned a dark, dirty red. "Haha! Just as I expected!" he cried. "I'll be at your command, Watson. You can get the tobacco in your Persian slipper." He turned to his desk, and scribbled a few words. I read the telegrams, handed them to the footman, and sat down on the chair opposite me, curled my legs, and clasped my long thin calves with my hands.

"An unremarkable case of murder," said Holmes, "and I think you will bring me a much more interesting case. Watson, you have nothing to do with yourself. What is the matter?" "

I handed him the letter and he read it intently.

"The letter does not tell us much," said Holmes, handing it back to me.

"Barely says anything," I said.

"However, the handwriting is remarkable."

"The handwriting is not his."

"Yes, that's a woman's handwriting."

"It must have been written by a man," I said aloud.

"No, it was written by a woman, and a woman with a distinctive character. From the outset of the investigation, we knew that your client was closely related to a person who, in every respect, had Distinctive character. This case now interests me. If you please, we will set off for Woking at once to see the diplomat who suffered such misfortune, and the woman who wrote this letter. "

We happened to catch an early train at Waterloo station, and within an hour we were in Woking among the firs and heather.Brillbrae turned out to be a large mansion, standing alone on a large piece of ground.Just a few minutes walk from the station to Brierbrae.After handing in the business card, we were taken to a living room with elegant and gorgeous furnishings.A few minutes later we were greeted warmly by a rather stocky man.Although he is close to 40 years old, but with rosy cheeks and cheerful eyes, he still gives people a hearty and straightforward feeling.

"I'm glad you're here," he said, shaking our hands. "Percy has been asking about you all morning. Ah, my poor old friend, he's clutching at a straw! His My parents asked me to come and meet you, because it pains them so much to mention it."

"We don't know the details of the case yet," said Holmes. "I don't think you belong to the family."

Our new acquaintance looked surprised, looked down, and started laughing.

"You must have seen the initial 'JH' on my pendant," he said. "I thought you were up to something. My name is Joseph Harrison, because Percy is going to be with my sister Anne's married, and I'm at least one of his in-laws. You can see my sister in Percy's room, and she's been taking care of him tirelessly for two months. We'd better go there at once, I know how desperate Percy is See you."

Percy's room was on the same floor as the drawing room.His room was furnished as part living room and part bedroom, with flowers elegantly arranged throughout.A young man with an earthy complexion and frail body was lying on a couch.The sofa is close to the window, and the rich fragrance of flowers and the pleasant air of early summer float in through the open window.A woman was sitting next to him, and when we entered the room she rose quickly.

"Need me to leave, Percy?" she asked.

Percy grabbed her hand and wouldn't let her go.

"Hello, Watson," said Percy enthusiastically, "I hardly recognize you with your beard. I dare say you may not recognize me either. I guess this is the famous Mr Sherlock Holmes?"

I briefly introduced them, and the two sat down together.The sturdy middle-aged man left us, but his sister was held by the hand of the patient and had to stay indoors.She was a striking woman, somewhat pudgy and out of shape, but with a beautiful olive complexion, large dark Italian eyes, and black hair like a cloud.Her partner's pale face seemed weak and haggard in contrast to her voluptuous features.

"I don't want to waste your time, so I'll just say it straight," said Percy, sitting up on the sofa. "I'm a happy and accomplished man, and I'm getting married soon. Misfortune ruined my career.

"Watson may have told you that I am in the Foreign Office, and that I will soon be promoted to a high position through the connections of my uncle, Lord Holdhurst. My uncle is Foreign Secretary in this government, and he often Give me some important tasks and I always do well and earn his trust in me.

"About ten weeks ago, on May 23, he called me into his private office, first complimented me on a job well done, and then asked me to perform a new and important task.

"He took out a gray scroll from his desk and said: 'This is the original of the secret agreement signed between England and Italy. Unfortunately, some rumors have been revealed in the newspapers. Most importantly, nothing more can be revealed. .The French and Russian Embassies are spending huge sums of money to gain access to the contents of these documents. I would never have taken a transcript from my desk if I hadn't badly needed it. Do you have a safe in your office?'

"'Yes, sir.'

"'Then, lock the agreement in your safe. But I should advise you: You can take your time in the office after other people's work and make a copy without worrying about being peeped. After copying, the original and the copy Lock it in a safe and hand it over to me personally tomorrow morning.'

"I took this document and just..."

"Excuse me for the interruption," said Holmes. "Were you the only two present at the conversation?"

"Not bad."

"In a big room?"

"Thirty feet square."

"Was the conversation in the middle of the room?"

"Yes, almost in the middle."

"Isn't your voice high?"

"My uncle's voice is always very low, and I hardly speak."

"Thank you," said Holmes, closing his eyes. "Pray go on."

"I did exactly as he was told, and waited for a few other clerks to leave, but there was a man named Charles Gorot who had a little business to do, so I went out to dinner and left him in the office by himself. He was gone when I came back. I was in a hurry to finish my business, because I knew that Joseph, the gentleman you just met, was in town planning to go to Woking by the eleven o'clock train at night, I also want to catch this train as much as possible.

"As soon as I looked at this agreement, I realized that what my uncle said was not exaggerating at all. It was indeed extremely important. British response to French naval dominance over Italian navy in the Mediterranean. The agreement dealt with purely naval issues. The agreement was finally signed by senior officials of both parties. After a quick review, I sat down to copy it.

"This document in French is very long, including 26 articles. I copied it as fast as I could, but at nine o'clock in the evening I had only copied nine articles. It seems that I have no hope of catching the train at eleven o'clock in the evening. I was drowsy from all day's work and a bad supper, and I thought I'd wake up with a cup of coffee. Downstairs there was a little porter, and a porter was there all night, and the customary A clerk on the night shift was making coffee with an alcohol burner. So, I rang the bell to summon him.

"To my surprise, a tall, vulgar-looking old woman was summoned, wearing an apron. She explained that she was the janitor's wife, and that she was a handyman here, and I told her to cook coffee.

"I copied two more, feeling more and more drowsy, so I got up and walked up and down the room, stretching my legs. The coffee hadn't come yet, and I wondered why, so I opened the door , walk along the corridor to see. From the room where I copied the documents, there is a straight corridor, dimly lit, and this is the only exit from my office. Next to the corridor. There is a small landing in the middle of the stairs, and another corridor leads to this landing, forming a T-shape with the stairs at the landing. This second corridor ends with a staircase leading to a side door, which is reserved for the servants, and is also the place where the staff The shortest way into the building from Charles Street. Here's a sketch of the place."

"Thank you, I think I understand what you have to say," said Holmes.

"Be careful, I'm about to get to the point. Going down the stairs and into the hall, I find the porter sleeping soundly in the concierge, the coffee pot boiling on the spirit lamp, the coffee spilled on the floor, I take the He put out the pot, put out the alcohol lamp, and stretched out his hand to shake the person who was still sleeping soundly, when suddenly the bell above his head rang loudly, and he woke up suddenly.

"'Mr. Phelps!' he said, looking at me in bewilderment.

"'I'll see if the coffee is ready.'

"'I was cooking and fell asleep before I knew it.' He looked at me and up at the still vibrating electric bell, with even more wonder on his face.

"'Since you are here, sir, who is ringing the bell?' he asked.

"'Ring the bell?!' I cried. 'What bell?'

"'Here is the bell in your office.'

"I froze, so someone was in my office, and my priceless agreement was on the table. I ran up the stairs like crazy and ran to the corridor. There was no one in the corridor. There was no one in the house either. Everything was exactly as it was when I left, except that the original document that was handed over to me was gone, only a copy remained.”

Holmes sat upright in his chair and rubbed his hands.It seemed that the case aroused his interest. "Excuse me, how did you do it then?" he whispered.

"It occurred to me at once that the burglar must have come up by the side door. If he had gone up by the main door, I would have met him."

"Are you sure he won't be hiding indoors, or in the corridor? Didn't you say the corridor is dimly lit?"

"It's absolutely impossible. Whether it's indoors or in the corridor, not even a mouse can hide, because there is no place to hide."

"Thank you, please go on."

"The porter, seeing my frightened face, and knowing that something was wrong, followed me upstairs. We both ran down the corridor to the steep staircase leading to Charles Street. The side door at the bottom was closed and unlocked. We Pushing open the door, I rushed out. I distinctly remember hearing the neighboring clock strike three times as I went downstairs, and it was a quarter past nine in the evening."

"This is a very important point," said Holmes, making a note on his shirt-sleeve.

"It was a dark and drizzling night, and Charles Street was deserted, but Whitehall Road at the end of the street was, as usual, full of traffic. We ran down the pavement without hats on, and at the right-hand Around the corner, a policeman stood there.

"'There has been a theft, Mr. Police,' I said breathlessly. 'A document of great importance has been stolen from the Foreign Office. Anyone going this way?'

(End of this chapter)