Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 113 The Return (24)
"Mr. Holmes, I think I have found something of the situation. I am sure that someone has entered the room very carefully from the outside. I have also checked the passage. It was covered with coir mats, and I did not find it there. Any traces. After entering the study from the corridor, there is not much furniture there. A writing desk, with a fixed cabinet under it. The cabinet has two rows of drawers, which are open, and there is a small cabinet in the middle , there is a lock on it. Maybe the drawer is often opened, so there is nothing valuable in it. There are some very important documents in the small cabinet, but it doesn't look like it has been tampered with. The professor told me that he didn't lose any. Stuff, it really doesn't look like there's anything to take away.

"I walked to the young man's body. It was on the left side of the closet where the body was located. I have drawn it on the picture. The knife was stabbed on the right side of his neck. The murderer may have come from the dead man when he was not paying attention. He threw himself forward, so it could never have been a suicide."

Holmes said: "If he did not fall on the knife, then he did not kill himself, but homicide."

"Yes, I considered that possibility, but the knife was a few feet away from the body, so it is absolutely impossible. Of course, the deceased himself can testify.

"There is also a particularly important piece of evidence, which was held by the deceased at the time.

Stanley Hopkins took a small paper packet from his pocket.When it was opened, he produced a pair of gold-rimmed pince-nez with a black ribbon broken in two hanging from one end.He said: "The deceased's eyesight was excellent, this thing must have been snatched from the murderer's face or somewhere else."

Holmes took the pair of spectacles and began to observe them with great interest.He put on the glasses and tried to see things, and looked out from the window, and then ran to the lamp to examine the glasses carefully.Later, he laughed out loud, sat at the table and took a piece of paper, wrote a few lines hastily, and then threw it to Hopkins who was sitting opposite.

He said: "This is the only way I can help you, maybe it will be useful."

Hopkins read aloud:

"Look for a woman who is tastefully dressed and dressed like an aristocrat. She has a broad nose, eyes set close to her nose, a wrinkled forehead, a flat face, and perhaps a little She has been to the same optical shop at least twice in a few months, and her eyes are very short-sighted. There are not many optical shops in this city, so I don’t think it will be difficult to find.”

Hopkins looked very surprised, and I must have had the same facial expression at this time.But Holmes just smiled, and then said: "The above conclusion is easy to come to. No matter what item can be more convincing than glasses, let alone this pair of glasses has its own uniqueness. Thinking of such an exquisite The spectacles and the last words of the deceased, it is easy to conclude that they are the spectacles of a woman. Whether she is decent in dress and elegant in manner, I don't think a person who wears such glasses should be very sloppy in dress. Yes. Have you noticed this? The clips on this pair of glasses are very wide, so you can tell that the bottom of this woman's nose must be wide, generally stubby, but there may be exceptions, so in this I dare not be too judgmental on this point. My face is long and narrow, but my eyes do not meet the center of the glasses at all, and from this it follows that her eyes are very close to the nose. Watson, you should be able to tell the prescription Very deep. A person's usual habit of squinting at things must have had some physical effect on it, making the forehead, eyelids, and shoulders all have some of the same features."

I said, "I know and understand this. But I admit, I don't understand why you said she went to the same optical shop at least twice?"

Holmes put the spectacles in his hands.

He said: "As you can see, the cork lining the clips of the glasses is mainly to prevent the nose from being sore. One of the two pieces of cork is faded and worn, but the other is new. Obviously there is a side of the cork. The cork once fell out and was replaced with a new one. For the old one, I don't think it took too long to put it on. I guess she went to the same store to get two identical corks from an optical shop."

Hopkins said enviously: "My God! It's great. All the evidence is in my hands, but I can't do anything. Now I really want to visit various optical shops in London."

"Of course you have to go, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"No, I don't know any more than you do. As long as strangers appeared on that road or at the train station, we have investigated them all and found nothing new. The most troublesome thing is It is the motive of this case, no matter who it is, it is still unclear what it is for."

"Ah! I can't help you with that. Do you want me to go with you tomorrow?"

"Mr. Holmes, if you really want to go, then I am very happy. There will be a train from Charing Cross Road to Casham at six o'clock tomorrow morning. About eight or nine o'clock, we will reach the accident. It's here."

"Okay, we'll take that train. There are many aspects of this case that are really interesting, and I really want to investigate. For now, let's hurry up and get some sleep, you'll sleep on that couch in front of the wall lamp." Well, it'll be nice. I'll make you a coffee before we leave tomorrow."

Early the next morning, the wind died down.It was still freezing cold when we got up and started on the road.The harsh winter sun was languid, lazily shining on the marshes on both sides of the Thames.After a bumpy ride, we alighted at a station a few miles from Kesham.While waiting for the carriage we had a quick meal.

As soon as we arrived at the scene of the accident, we immediately started investigating.A policeman was waiting at the garden gate.

"Wilson, any news?"

"No, sir."

"Has anyone come to report that a stranger has passed by?"

"No, no one I didn't know came or left at the train station yesterday."

"Have you checked all the places where you can stay like a hotel?"

"Yes, sir. Can't find a single person connected with the murder."

"It's not too far to walk from here to Casham. I don't think anyone will notice whether the man stayed in Casham or got on the train there. That's what I'm talking about, Mr. Holmes." That path, I'm sure there wasn't any footprints there yesterday."

"Which side of the path are the tracks in the grass you speak of?"

"On the very narrow edge, sir, between the path and the flower-bed, which is no longer visible, though it was quite clear yesterday."

Holmes bent down and looked at the grass and said, "Yes, someone has walked here before. This woman must have walked with great care, otherwise she would have left footprints here. If you walk on the other side of the path, it will be very difficult for you." The above will definitely leave a clearer mark.

"Yes, sir. I think she was absolutely level-headed then."

Holmes was absorbed in his thoughts.

"Do you think it is certain that she will leave this way?"

"Yes, sir, there is no other way at all."

"Must I get out of this meadow?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Well, that's a good murder. Is this the end of the path? Let's go further, and I think the garden gate is always open, so that means she must have come in here. It probably never occurred to her then that she would kill, or she would have carried the murder weapon instead of the knife on the desk. She passed the passage without leaving a trace, and then entered the study, where How long we stayed, we can't estimate it."

"Sir, it's only a few minutes. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Marco, the housekeeper, was still cleaning there about 15 minutes before the incident."

"She told us a period of time. What did the woman do when she entered the study? Why did she go to the desk? It couldn't be just for the less valuable things in the drawer. Because if there is Valuable things have long been locked up. I think what she wants to take is in the cabinet. Hey! What about those scratch marks on the cabinet? Watson, hurry up and get a match. Hopkins Si, you didn't seem to tell me about the scratches, did you?"

Holmes examined the scratch, which had begun on the copper plate to the right of the keyhole, and was about four inches long, where the paint had been scraped off the face of the small chest.

"Mr. Holmes, I expect there must be scratches around the keyhole."

"But it's new. Look how bright the scratched place is on the copper sheet! The original scratched mark has long been the same color as the surface of the copper sheet. Take my magnifying glass to see here. The paint is like the dirt you pick up when plowing. Is Mrs. Mark there?"

An elderly woman entered the room with a sad face.

"Did you wipe the cabinet yesterday morning?"

"Clear it, sir."

"Did you see the scratches on it?"

"No, sir."

"You sure haven't, or the mop would have wiped the paint off. Where's the key to the locker?"

"The key is on the professor's fob."

"What kind of key is that?"

"It's a Mabu."

"Well, Mrs. Mark, you go. Now the case is getting a little forward. This woman came into the house and came to the cabinet. Maybe she opened the cabinet before it was opened, Willoughby. Smith came in, and she had to hasten to take out the key. Perhaps she had accidentally scratched the door of the cupboard, and Willoughby caught him. She took something within reach, namely the knife, and stabbed him. To Willoughby, in order to get him to let go, the knife killed him. She escaped, perhaps took what she wanted, or perhaps did not get it in time. Is Susan the maid? Susan, you Will she escape after hearing that shout?"

"Sir, that's absolutely impossible. If there are people in the passage, I can see them without going downstairs. The door has never been opened, otherwise I must have heard the sound."

"There is no big problem with the exit here, so she must have escaped the same way. I know this passage leads to the professor's bedroom. Are there other exits here?"

"No more, sir."

"Okay, then let's go and see the old professor. Hey, Hopkins, it's really important that there's also a coir mat in the hallway leading to the professor's room."

"But does it have anything to do with the case?"

"Can't you see it? I think it will be of great help to us in solving the case. Let's go there together, and you can introduce it to me seriously."

We walked down the corridor, which was as long as the passage leading to the garden.At the end of it there is a flight of stairs, and a door.He knocked on the door and led us into the professor's bedroom.

The room was quite big, filled with books and a single bed in the center.The occupant of the room was lying on the pillow.I have never seen anyone with such a special appearance before.He had a haggard face and a hooked nose.When he turned his face, we saw the keen dark blue eyes set deep in their sockets, the eyebrows drooping in tufts, and his hair and beard white.The cigarette still glowed in the shaggy beard.The room smelled of stale tobacco.As he held out his hand to my friend, I saw his hand was yellow from nicotine.

He speaks carefully and slowly.

"Mr. Holmes, would you like a cigarette? Gentleman, have one too. I really want you to taste this cigarette. It was specially made for me by Ionydis of Alexandria. Always make them send me a thousand in a fortnight. I know it's not good, but there's nothing else I can do, and what entertainment do old people have? Only tobacco and work."

Holmes scanned the room as he lit his cigarette.

The old man said with emotion: "Oh, now I only have cigarettes for company. Such an unfortunate thing happened! I don't want to work anymore, what a disaster! What a nice young man! I swear to you, I will never work again A few months of training, and he will make a very good assistant. What do you think of the matter, Mr. Holmes?"

"I really haven't figured it out yet."

"I'd be very grateful to you if you could help us clear up this clueless case. I'm a bookworm and a handicapped man, and it's been such a shock that I can't think at all now. It's great that you can come, and you are smart and capable, and you combine your talent and career very well. No matter what emergency you encounter, you can handle it with equanimity. I feel relieved when you are here."

Holmes kept walking around the room, and the old gentleman kept talking, and I saw that Holmes was smoking very fast.It seems that he likes this thing as much as the owner of this house.

The old man went on to say: "Sir, this time it was a big blow to me. The stack of manuscripts on the small table is the work of my hard work. I have studied some theoretical foundations of the Apocalypse Sect very deeply, and I have also carefully studied A more in-depth analysis of documents found in Coptic monasteries in Syria and Egypt, this book is very meaningful. But my health is getting worse every day, and now that the assistant is gone, I don't know if I can still do it Work, continue to write this book. Ah! Mr. Holmes, how can you smoke faster than me?"

Holmes merely smiled.

He took a fourth cigar from his case, lit it, and said, "I'm only a connoisseur. I don't want to trouble you by questioning you for too long. Professor, I know you've been lying in bed that day, Probably nothing at all. I have but one question for you, and that is what did Willoughby mean when he said on his deathbed: 'Professor, it is she.'

The professor shook his head.

He said: "Susan is from the country, you know this kind of guy is incredibly stupid. I think the young man had some incoherent words coming out of his mouth and the girl probably misunderstood it."

"What do you think of this matter?"

"It may be an accident, or it may be suicide. But I only tell these few people of my own. Young people have some troubles hidden deep in their hearts, such as love, which we cannot know Yes. It's probably more likely than murder."

"But what about the glasses?"

"I'm just a bookworm, a daydreamer, and I don't like to explain specific things. However, I've learned that the love barometer has a very peculiar way of showing. Have another one, I'm glad you like it too. If a When a person is tempted to take his own life, he is likely to hold any precious thing in his hands, and it is not surprising that those glasses. You are not right to think about the prints in the grass, let alone The knife fell out, probably at the moment he fell. Maybe I'm not right, but my idea is that he committed suicide."

His explanation really surprised Holmes, but Holmes was still walking up and down, thinking intently, and smoking cigarettes.

After a while Holmes said: "Professor, would you please tell me what is in that little cupboard?"

"There's nothing in there that would interest a thief. Inside are family papers, a letter from my unhappy wife, and my college degree. Here's the key, and you'll see it."

Holmes took the key, examined it carefully for a while, and then returned it to the professor.

He said: "This key is of no use to me. I would like to visit your garden very much. You just said that he committed suicide. I think I should think about it. Professor Collen, I am really sorry to interrupt our sudden visit." You. We won't come again before lunch. We'll be back at about two o'clock to report to you."

It was really weird, my friend didn't seem to be in the mood at all.We do not know how long we walked back and forth in silence on that path.

Later I asked him, "Did you find a clue?"

He said: "It all depends on the cigarettes I just smoked. It is also possible that I am wrong, but the cigarette will tell us."

I said in surprise: "Dear Holmes, what's the matter with you?"

"You'll see soon enough that it's better not to be like that. But we'll have to go to the optician's and look for a clue there, and if it's not the right clue, it'll be easier to solve the problem. By the way, look, Ma But here comes the lady! Let's talk to her for a few more minutes, which will be very enlightening to solve the case."

I admit that my friend is very good at pleasing women, and can quickly gain their confidence in him, if he wants to.It didn't take long for the housekeeper to trust him completely.The two of them hit it off quite well, talking there like old friends.

"Yes, Mr. Holmes. Something unfortunate must have happened, as you say, to keep him smoking there, sometimes all day and all night. I went to him one morning. The room was cleaned there, and the whole room was filled with smoke, as thick as the fog in London. Poor Mr. Smith smokes, but not as hard as the professor does. Well, I really don't know now what smoking does to him health is good or bad."

"Smoking has a dampening effect on appetite," said Holmes.

"Sir, I don't quite understand that."

"I suppose the professor eats very little?"

"His appetite varies from time to time, so there is no certainty."

"I don't think he's had breakfast this morning. I've seen him smoke so much that he can't even eat lunch."

(End of this chapter)