Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 27 Adventure History (5)
"She will definitely do that. I heard the wheels. It's her carriage. Remember, do as I tell you." We saw the lights of the carriage.A short time later, another handsome carriage drove up to the Brioni mansion.As soon as the car stopped, a homeless man rushed out from the corner, trying to open the door to earn some rewards, but another homeless man also rushed over, not wanting to miss this opportunity.So the two started fighting, the two guards were on the side of one of the bums, and the man who sharpened the scissors was on the side of the other bum, and the two sides were arguing very fiercely, and I don't know who hit the other first .Ms. Irene got out of the car just at this time, and was immediately surrounded by a chaotic crowd.These red-faced people tore together, and the fight was very fierce.Holmes suddenly rushed into the crowd and tried to protect Irene Adler, but just as he reached her, he yelled and fell to the ground with blood streaming down his face.Seeing that someone was injured, the guard and the tramp slipped away immediately. At this time, some onlookers came. They were very well-dressed, and they hurriedly relieved Irene Adler, and then stayed to take care of the injured. man.Irene Adler, as I prefer to call her, ran up the steps in a hurry, but stopped suddenly when she reached the top step. At this time, the light from the room outlined her figure very gracefully pleasant.She turned to the people on the street and asked:

"Is the gentleman seriously injured?"

"It's dead." Some people replied.

"No, he's still alive," said the voice loudly. "However, maybe he died before being sent to the hospital."

"He's such a brave man," said one lady. "Without him, my lady's purse would have been taken by those bums. They're wild. They're a gang. Oh, he can breathe now."

"Madam, we can't let him lie on the street like this, can you carry him to your house?"

"Of course, no problem. There is a comfortable sofa in the drawing room. Carry him in." With great care Holmes was carried into the Brioni Mansion and settled in the hall.As for me, I quickly chose to stand next to the window and watched the development of things quietly.The room was brightly lit, but the curtains had not been drawn, so I could see the whole process of Holmes being laid on the sofa.I don't know how he felt at that time, but when I saw that the woman who was about to be "calculated" by us was so beautiful and gentle, even when she was so kind and kind to strangers who were injured, I didn't feel a little guilty in my heart.However, I can't give up halfway, otherwise I will not only fail Holmes' entrustment, but also appear to be too treacherous.So I gritted my teeth and took out the fireworks tube from my pocket.After all, we didn't mean to hurt her, but we didn't want her to hurt anyone else either.

Holmes lying on the sofa showed a look of being suffocated, and a maid hastily opened the window.At that moment, I saw him raise his hand, and according to his instructions, I immediately threw the pyrotechnic tube into it and shouted: "Fire!" The lively people also shouted: "Fire!" The smoke in the house was thick and was already coming out of the open windows.I saw many figures running to and fro, and after a while I heard Holmes' voice comforting everyone, saying that it was a false alarm.Through the chaotic crowd, I hurried to the corner of the street.In less than 10 minutes, Holmes really came.He immediately pulled me away from the confusion without saying a word, until he reached the Edgware Road.

"Doctor, you're doing a great job," he said, "it couldn't have been better, and everything is going very well."

"Did you get that picture?"

"I know where it's hidden."

"How do you know?"

"Like I said, she took the picture out with her own hands."

"I still don't understand."

"I don't want to keep it a secret from you," he laughed. "In fact, it's very simple. You should be able to tell that the streets are full of our people today, and I hired them."

"Of course I see it."

"Just as they were arguing fiercely, I ran forward with a piece of liquid red paint, deliberately fell to the ground, and took advantage of the opportunity to smear the paint on my face, as if I had been beaten with blood all over my face. It's just an old trick."

"I expected this."

"Then they carried me into the house. There was nothing else she could do. She put me in the living room, as I thought, and the picture wasn't in the living room, it was in the bedroom, and I was trying to figure it out Where exactly. When they put me on the couch, I pretended to be breathing hard, so they opened the window immediately. Here's your chance."

"Why do you do that?"

"This is really important. If a woman hears that her house is on fire, she must immediately go to rescue the most precious thing she thinks. This is also one of human nature. I have used it many times before. In I took advantage of this in the Darlington replacement scandal, and I used it in the Arnworth Castle case. Usually if a married woman goes to rescue her child immediately, if an unmarried woman, I will go to salvage her jewelry box first. I know that in that house, for that lady, the most important thing right now is that photo. Once it catches fire, she will definitely go to salvage the photo immediately. The fire you concocted The siren was well placed, the smoke from the pyrotechnic tube and the calls from outside set off the atmosphere very well, she was extremely responsive, and sure enough she fell for it. The photo is hidden in the alcove, and that alcove is on the doorbell One of the panels above the cable was movable. She stayed there for a moment, but I saw the picture as soon as it was pulled out halfway. So I shouted that it was a false alarm, and she quickly took the picture Put it back in place. After that, she just glanced at the pyrotechnic tube and ran out of the room, never showing up again. I stood up and took the opportunity to find a reason to sneak out. I was still hesitating whether to put the The photo was stolen, but the coachman came in, and he looked at me suspiciously. There was no way to do it. We had to wait for a better time. Haste makes waste, and we have to think about the whole plan."

"What's next?" I asked him.

"Our investigation is actually nearing completion. Tomorrow the king and I will visit her house. If you like, you might as well go with us. We will definitely be led to wait in the living room, but maybe when she comes out, Both us and that photo are gone. His Majesty will take that photo back with his own hands, and I don’t know how happy I am.”

"When are you going to leave?"

"Eight o'clock in the morning. She should have not woken up at that time, and we just had the opportunity to steal the photos. In addition, our hands and feet must be quick, because her living habits may change after marriage. I will call the king now."

As we talked, we came to Baker Street before we knew it, and we stopped in front of his house.Just as he took out the key to open the door, a person passed by and said hello:
"Good night, Mr. Holmes."

There were several pedestrians walking on the street, and the greeting just now seemed to come from a tall, thin man in a long coat. "I seem to have heard that voice before," said Holmes, gazing astonished at the darkened street, "but I cannot remember who it is."

I lived in Baker Street that night.The next morning, while we were still eating breakfast, the King of Bohemia stepped in hastily.

"You really got that picture?" he asked, holding Holmes by the shoulders, and staring into his face.

"No, not yet."

"But, is there hope?"

"Yes, there is."

"Let's go then, I hope to go quickly."

"We must hire a cab."

"There's no need to rent it, my carriage is right below."

"That's better." We went downstairs, and together we ran again to the Brioni mansion.

"Irene Adler is married," said Holmes to the king.

"What did you say? Marriage? When did it happen?"

"It was yesterday."

"Who is the groom?"

"A lawyer named Godfrey Norton."

"But she doesn't love him."

"I wish she loved him."

"The reason?"

"If she loves him, you needn't be afraid of trouble. For if she loves her husband, she can't love you, and if she doesn't love you, she can't affect your life."

"That's right, but... hey, if only she could have a noble background like me. Then, what an ideal queen she would be." After saying this, he suddenly fell silent, as if he had fallen into depression In his thoughts, until the carriage stopped on Saipanntai Avenue.

An elderly woman stood on the front steps and watched us get out of the carriage with disdainful eyes.Strangely enough, the gates of the Brioni mansion were open.

"You are Sherlock Holmes?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," replied my companion with great astonishment.

"Oh! my master told me to wait here, and she said you would come today. She and her husband left together in the morning, leaving Charing Cross for the Continent by the five-fifteen train."

"What did you say?" This was completely beyond Holmes' expectation, and he was stunned.

"You mean she left England?"

"Won't be coming back."

"But what about the photographs?" said the king disappointedly. "It's all over!"

"Let's go in and have a look." Holmes pushed aside the maid and ran into the living room, followed by the king and me.The things in the room were messy, the furniture was scattered all over the floor, the shelves were taken apart, and the drawers were opened.It can be seen that the hostess seemed to have rummaged through things before leaving.Holmes went straight to the cable of the doorbell, and quickly opened the upper panel. There was indeed a photograph and a letter inside.The photograph is of Adler in dress.The letter read: "To Mr. Sherlock Holmes."

Holmes tore the letter hastily, and we read it together.This was written early this morning, and the letter reads:

Dear Mr. Holmes:
You did a really good job, I almost let you fool me.Before the fire, I never suspected you, but soon I found myself giving away the secret.So I thought a lot about it.Someone warned me a few months ago that I should be on my guard against you, and they said that if the king hired a spy, it must be you.They also gave me your address.But even so, I still revealed the secret you want to know.I did have reason to doubt you then, but at the same time I couldn't bring myself to believe that the good-natured old pastor was up to no good.As you should know, I'm a trained actress and dressing up as a man is something I'm really good at.I also often use this skill to enjoy the freedom to do whatever I want.I sent John the coachman to watch you, and then I ran upstairs and changed into my walking clothes.You were just leaving my house when I came downstairs again.

Then I started following you till your door.In this way, I have established that it is I who is to be investigated by the famous detective Mr. Sherlock Holmes this time.Then I bade you an impudent good night, and went to Temple to see my husband.

Neither of us like being watched by a detective like you, so we decided to get out of here.Sorry, it was empty when you came.As for that picture, rest assured your client, I am in love with someone better than him, and this person loves me very much.From now on, His Majesty can do whatever he likes, and he doesn't have to worry about the troubles that the people he has treated wrongly will cause him.I keep the photo just to protect myself, that is the only weapon I can protect myself.I also left a photo that he might be willing to accept.I salute you, dear Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Eileen Adler Norton

"A marvelous woman indeed—oh, marvelous!" the king sighed after reading the letter. "As I said, she is very witty and decisive. She will not disappoint if she becomes queen." Unfortunately, her status is different from mine!"

"As far as I can see, the level of the two of you is indeed different," Holmes said coldly. "I really apologize for not being able to give His Majesty an ideal result."

"Don't say that, sir," said the king. "On the contrary, I am quite satisfied with the result. I know that she is a man of her word, and that picture is as reassuring to me now as if it had been burned."

"I'm really glad to hear you say that."

"Thank you very much! Tell me how I can repay you. This ring..." He took off a snake-shaped emerald ring from his hand as he spoke, and handed it to Holmes in his hand.

"I think there is something more valuable than that, my lord," said Holmes.

"Please speak, anything is fine."

"It's just a photo!"

Hearing this, the king looked at him in surprise.

"Pictures of Irene!" he said. "If you want it, take it."

"Very well, thank you! The matter is concluded. Good morning, Your Majesty." After speaking, Holmes bowed deeply to him, turned and walked away, never looking at the hand extended to him by the king.

I went back to Baker Street with him.

This is the story of how the king of Bohemia is threatened by a scandal, and Holmes's cunning is defeated by a woman.In the past, he always dismissed women's intelligence and wisdom, but recently it is rare to see him mocking women.Later, whenever Irene Adler or that photograph was mentioned, he would respectfully refer to her as that woman.redhead scam
One day last autumn I called on Sherlock Holmes.He was talking to a very old gentleman at the time, a small, stout man with a ruddy face and a head of fiery red hair.Because it was a very rash visit, when I found out that there were customers inside, I turned around and left very embarrassed.Holmes got up and caught me, and ushered me into the room, closing the door behind him.

He said: "You have come at such a good time, my dear friend."

"I'm worried you're too busy."

"Yeah, I'm a little busy."

"I think I should wait for you in another room."

"No, no, Mr. Wilson, he is my friend and right-hand man. He has helped me solve many important cases, and he has contributed a lot. I believe that his help will be indispensable in solving your case." After listening After saying this, the little old gentleman half stood up and nodded to me. I found a look of distrust in his small eyes under his thick eyelids.

"Sit in the armchair, please," he said, and sat down in the armchair himself, clasping his fingertips together.This is what he looks like when he's meditating. "My dear Watson, I know that you, like me, do not like the ordinary and dull, and only the strange and eccentric can stimulate our nerves. The eccentric cases you have carefully recorded are actually It's also a process of sharing happiness together. I want to say that everything you do has added a lot of color to my adventure career."

I said to him, "I'm really interested in those cases."

"Perhaps you will recall that we discussed the simple question that Miss Mary Sasseland posed earlier: that in order to obtain accurate information and extraordinary results, we must go deeper into life than any other daring Adventures are more realistic."

"I don't agree with your statement."

"Really? Doctor. But I think you will agree with me sooner or later. Because I will collect a lot of evidence to prove it to you. Closer to home, this is Mr. Jaberts Wilson who came here this morning. He said It’s a very strange story, and it’s the first time I’ve heard of it. I remember telling you that a superficially strange case doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a big case. On the contrary, it might be a simple case. Sometimes it’s even doubtful There has been a crime. That's the case. It's too early to tell if there's a crime in it, but it does sound strange. Mr. Wilson, please go through the whole story again. I need to know more. , and my friend didn't hear the opening part. Usually as long as I get some details of the matter, I must think of other similar cases to guide my thinking, but this time I have to admit that I really have nothing to refer to of."

The short old man straightened his chest, looking quite proud.He took out a dirty and torn newspaper from his pocket and spread it on his lap. While he was looking for the advertisement column on it, I looked him carefully, hoping to find something from his clothes.However, nothing special was found.From the outside, the old man looked like an ordinary British businessman, fat and slow, wearing a pair of baggy gray checkered trousers and a dirty tuxedo with the front unbuttoned so that the brown color inside was exposed. A vest with an Albert-style brass chain and a metal disc with a square hole dangling back and forth across the chest.On the chair beside him was a battered top hat and a faded brown overcoat with a wrinkled collar.In short, apart from a head of red hair and a look of chagrin on his face, there is really nothing special about him.

Sherlock Holmes seemed to see what I was thinking. He smiled and said to me who was full of doubts: "I think he is a Freemason. He has done manual labor, smoked, and has been to China. Less things, besides these, I haven't deduced anything else yet."

Hearing this, Jaberts Wilson sat up suddenly, put his hands on the newspaper, and fixed his eyes on my friend.

"Oh, my God!" said he, "Mr. Holmes, how do you know so much about my past? For example, how do you know that I did manual work? Indeed, I used to be a ship's carpenter."

"Dear Mr. Wilson, look at your hands. The right hand is much larger than the left. It means that you often work with your right hand, so your right hand is more muscular."

"What about smoking and Freemasonry?"

"If I said everything, wouldn't it appear that your understanding is too poor? What's more, you have ignored the strict regulations of the organization, and you even wear a bow-shaped badge that looks like a compass."

"Oh, yes, I did forget that. What about writing?"

"Does it need to be said? A five-inch area of ​​your right sleeve has been scuffed until it shines. There is a neat patch on your left sleeve. It is believed to be caused by frequent friction with the table."

"Then how do you know I've been to China?"

(End of this chapter)