Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 30 Adventure History (8)
"If there is a woman in the pawn shop, then maybe he wants to do something romantic. But there is no such thing, and the business of the pawn shop is small, and there are no valuable things, so don't worry about it. From this point of view, their goal is not the pawn shop, then What could it be? The boss said that the guy likes to take pictures and goes to the basement all day, so I thought there must be something wrong with the basement. Next, I investigated the guy carefully and found that he is one of the most cunning and adventurous criminals in London. He must be Tricked in the basement, and what he did took months to complete. What did he do? I presume he dug a tunnel to somewhere.

"Once I had scouted out the crime scene, I knew it all. I tapped the pavement with my cane, and you were surprised when I was actually trying to find out where the basement led. When I didn't know where it led, I went to Knocked on the door, and the guy I wanted to meet answered. We had a fight, but it was the first time we met. I barely looked at his face, but only at his knees, maybe you noticed, the slit on his trousers The knee part is dirty and torn, and there are many folds. This shows that he spent a considerable time digging the tunnel on his knees. So, there is only one question left, what is the purpose of their tunneling? After looking around, I found out that their shop was next to the bank in the city. The problem was solved. We listened to the music, and when you came home, I went to visit Scotland Yard and the chairman of the bank, and you know how it ended."

"How did you know they were going to commit crimes that night?" I asked.

"Oh, the redhead closing the door is a sign that it doesn't matter if Jaberts Wilson is in the pawn shop or not. In other words, the tunnel has been dug. But the tunnel may be discovered, and the gold will be moved at any time." Let's go, so they have to act immediately, and relatively speaking, Saturday is more suitable, so they will have two days to escape. Based on the above speculation, I guess they will do it that night."

I showed admiration and praised: "Your reasoning is wonderful. Although it is a series of reasoning, every link has proved the accuracy of your inference."

"I just don't want to be bored," he said. Yawning, he added, "Well, I find life can be boring sometimes, and I don't want to be wasting my time doing nothing. These cases finally helped me get my wish. "

I said to him: "You have also made a lot of contributions to society."

He shrugged and said: "It's still useful. As Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand: 'Man is small, writing is everything!'"Love Hoax
I sat face to face with Holmes in front of the fireplace in his house, and he said: "Brother, life is actually far more colorful and wonderful than we imagine. Even the most real and ordinary things are not necessarily what we imagined It can be explained. If we can fly into the blue sky hand in hand, fly over the city, and then lift up all the roofs to see what's going on inside: strange coincidences, conspiracy behind the scenes, so much trouble Contradictions and so on, they happen constantly, are staged again and again, and their wonderfulness can completely replace those vulgar and old-fashioned novels, making them worthless."

I said, "Not necessarily. Look at the cases in this paper, how boring they are. The police reports are blunt and realistic, not only dull, but far from fantastic."

Holmes said: "Only after certain choices and judgments can the desired effect be achieved. There is no such thing in the police report. Perhaps they are not spending their energy on details that observers think are important, but on praising the magistrate. On. But I am sure, as long as you master the details of observation, you can find breakthroughs in even ordinary things."

I smiled and shook my head and said, "I understand your point of view, but this is due to your position. Looking around the three continents, there are too many people who have benefited from your help and advice, and their horizons are naturally broadened. But Here—I picked up a morning paper from the floor—you see, there’s a Husband Abuses His Wife article that takes up half the page, and I know what it’s about even if I haven’t read it. Apparently Well, the man must have had another woman, and he's been drinking too much, and beating and kicking the woman, leaving him scarred, and lucky to have a sympathetic sister or landlady, etc. It's nothing but clichés. "

Holmes took the newspaper, read it roughly, and said: "Actually, this example is exactly the opposite of what you said. It is about the separation of the Dundas family. Coincidentally, I have dealt with it. When it happened, I know something about it." The details. The husband doesn't drink alcohol and doesn't have other women. He was accused by his wife of having a bad habit of throwing his false teeth at his wife after every meal. I don't think the average writer can imagine this kind of story .Take some snuff, I'm winning with your example."

He produced his old gold snuff-box, with an amethyst set in the lid, so radiant and incongruous with his usual style of life that I could not help commenting.

He said: "By the way, I haven't seen you for weeks. You forgot, the king of Bohemia sent me this as a souvenir, thanking me for my assistance in the Irene Adler case." .”

"Where's that ring?" I asked, pointing to the radiant diamond ring on his hand.

"It was sent by the Dutch royal family. The case is so delicate that even you and I have been inconvenient to disclose it. You are such a good friend. You have been helping me record the details of many cases for so long."

"Do you have a case at the moment?" I asked.

"There are eleven or twelve cases, but they are not too special. Of course, not being special does not mean that they are not important. I found that the more common the case, the more room for observation and analysis. It is also very interesting to investigate this kind of case. The bigger the crime The simpler the case, the more obvious the motive. Of the cases I have handled, only the Marseilles case is more complicated, and the others are very simple. But, maybe an interesting case will come soon. If I didn't guess Wrong, a client is here now."

He got up and went to the window, looking down at the London street.I looked over his shoulder and saw a tall woman standing across the street, with a fur boa around her neck and a wide-brimmed hat on one side, much like the Duchess of Devonshire coquettishly attitude.She had a feather in her hat, and though she was well dressed, she was looking up hesitantly at our window, and was shaking back and forth, fidgeting with the buttons on her gloves.Suddenly, as if she had made up her mind, she crossed the street with a sudden speed, and threw herself downstairs like a swimmer jumping into the water. Immediately afterwards, there was a harsh ringing of the doorbell.

Holmes threw the cigarette butt into the stove and said: "I have seen this before. If a person is wandering up and down the sidewalk, it is likely to have a private emotional problem. She wants to hear other people's opinions, but she does not know what to do." Determine if privacy should be exposed. The difference is that if a woman thinks that the man has wronged her, she usually doesn't hesitate, but often pulls the doorbell cord in a hurry. This lady doesn't seem so Angry, just a little overwhelmed. Fortunately, she will come in immediately, and the mystery will be solved soon."

Speaking of which, there was a knock at the door, and a liveried footman entered to announce that a lady called Mary Sutherland was calling.Before he finished speaking, the woman had already stood behind him, like a merchant ship coming with the pilot boat.Holmes welcomed her warmly and graciously, and closed the door behind him.He bowed slightly and politely asked the woman to sit down.Then, he began to look at her with his characteristic casual expression.

He said, "You are so short-sighted and you still type so much, don't you find it laborious?"

She said, "It took a little effort at first, but once you get used to it, you don't have to keep looking at the positions of the letters." Suddenly she understood and was surprised. She looked up at Holmes, with a frightened expression on her gentle and kind face.She asked: "Do you know me, Mr. Holmes, or how would you know about me?"

Holmes smiled and replied: "It's nothing strange. My job is mainly to understand something. Maybe I have practiced enough to discover details that others can't. Otherwise, why do you come to me alone!"

"Sir, I heard your name from Mrs. Ethridge. The police and people thought her husband was dead and did not seek him, but you found him without difficulty. Mr. Holmes, I hope you will do the same." Can help me. I earn a little money from typing, and I'm not very rich, but I've got an inheritance of over £100 a year. If you'll just let me know about Mr. Hosmer Angel, I'll give it all to you."

Holmes asked her, "Why did you come from home to me in such a hurry?" He put his fingertips together and looked up at the roof.

A look of surprise came over Miss Mary Sutherland's bewildered face.She replied: "Yes, I came out suddenly, and that's because I was very angry when I saw Mr. Windibank, my father, who was indifferent to this matter. He neither called the police nor came to find him. You, do nothing but say, 'It's okay, it's okay.' I was so sad, and in a fit of rage, I got dressed and came to you."

"Is that your stepfather?" said Holmes. "You have different surnames."

"Yes, he's my stepfather. Since he's only five years and two months older than me, I find it ridiculous to call him my father."

"Is your mother still alive?"

"Yes, she is alive and well. Mr. Holmes, I am not at all satisfied that she married a man fifteen years younger than her when my father died. My father was a plumber in Tottenham Court Road. business. He left a big business in the hands of my mother and Mr. Addy, the foreman. But when Mr. Windibank came, he forced my mother to sell the business. He was a traveling salesman, The liquor sellers think they are superior to us. They sold the whole of my father's business for £15. If my father were alive, he would surely have sold for more."

I guessed that Holmes would be impatient with such indistinct descriptions, but to my surprise he was listening attentively.

"Did you get your own income from this business?" he asked her.

"No, sir. It's my other income. It was left to me by Uncle Nader in Auckland. It's New Zealand stocks. The interest is [-]%, and the amount of stocks is [-] pounds. But I can only use the interest. .”

Holmes said: "I am very interested in what you said. With a fixed income of more than 100 pounds a year, plus the money earned from typing, you can live a comfortable life of traveling all day. I think that a single woman Sixty pounds a year will do me well."

"Mr. Holmes, I can live well on less money than that. But, as you can imagine, I live at home and I don't want to be a burden to them. So, as long as everyone lives together, they will spend me. Of course, this is only temporary, because Windibank will regularly take out my interest and give it to my mother, and I only spend the money I earn from typing. I can type fifteen to twenty sheets a day, Twopence each."

Holmes said: "I have generally understood your situation. He is my friend Dr. Watson. You have nothing to hide from him. Tell us about your relationship with Mr. Hosmer Angel."

Miss Sutherland blushed at this, and clutched the hem of her coat nervously with her hands.She said: "The first time I saw him was at the Gas Fitters' dance. They used to give us tickets when my dad was alive. They still didn't forget us and gave it to my mum, but Windibank didn't want us to go to the ball, he would be mad if we went to church. But this time I must go, why not let me go? He said it was not right for us to go there, because papa's friends almost It’s all there. He also said that I don’t have any clothes to go to the party, but I haven’t worn my purple plush dress a few times. Later, he couldn’t help me, and he happened to be on a business trip to France, so I was in the original I went with my mother to the ball, accompanied by Mr. Addy, the foreman, and there I met Mr. Hosmer Angel."

"I think your stepfather will be very angry when he comes back," said Holmes.

"Not so angry, just shrugged resignedly and said that it is impossible to keep women from doing what they want to do, and they usually have to do what they want to do."

"I see. You and Mr. Hosmer Angel met at the Gas Fitter's Ball."

"Yes, I met him that night, and the next day he came to ask if we had come home safely. We met afterwards. . . . Mr. Holmes, I mean, we took two walks together. But Soon after my stepfather came back, and we couldn't see each other again."

"Can't we meet again?"

"Yeah, my stepfather didn't want that. If he could, he wouldn't let anyone in my house. He always said that girls should stay at home. That's why I used to complain to my mother that other girls always I have my own world, but I don't."

"What about Mr. Hosmer Angel? He didn't visit you afterwards, did he?"

"Hey, my stepfather was going to France again later. Hosmer wrote to me saying that it would be best not to meet my stepfather until he went to France to avoid trouble. We kept in touch with each other by letter during that time, and he wrote me a letter every day. , In order not to let my parents find out, I go to get the letter very early every day."

"Are you engaged to him?"

"Yes, engaged, Mr. Holmes, after our first walk. Mr. Hosmer Angel was a cashier for a firm in Leadenhall Street, and-"

"Which company?"

"That's the problem, Mr. Holmes. I don't know which company."

"Then where does he live?"

"Just live in the company."

"You don't know his address?"

"Yes . . . only on Leadenhall Street."

"Then where do you send your letters?"

"I mailed it to Leadenhall Street, and he picked it up himself, and he told me that if I sent it to his business, people would make fun of him with women. I wanted to write it on a typewriter, but he wouldn't, Said that a letter written by me in person reads more kindly, as if seeing me, and the typed thing is separated by a cold machine. Mr. Holmes, you see how much he likes me, such a small detail has been thought of .”

Holmes said to her: "I have always believed that the little things are the most important and tell the most. Can you recall some little things about Hosmer Angel?"

"Of course, sir, he is very shy and does not want people to see us, so he always walks in the evening. He is very gentle, very gentlemanly in his manner, soft-spoken and gentle. He told me that he had tonsillitis and neck pain when he was a child. He has a swollen gland, so his voice is bad, and his voice is too low and muffled. He is well-groomed, well-groomed, and his eyesight is not as good as mine, and he always wears a pair of light-colored glasses, which block the light."

"Well, what did your stepfather do after he left?"

"He came to my house and proposed that we get married before my stepfather came back. He was very sincere and asked me to put my hand on the Bible and swear to be true to him no matter what. My mother said it was the right thing to do. , which shows that he has a lot of affection for me. My mom liked him at first, literally more than I did. When they suggested the wedding in a week, I mentioned that I was worried that my stepfather would not agree, and they both said don't worry, wait for him to come back Just tell him. My mother also said that she would tell her stepfather about it herself. Mr. Holmes, in fact, I don't want to do this. Although he is only five years older than me, he is a father after all and should get his consent. Besides, I don't like to do things secretly. So I wrote him a letter and sent it to his company's office in Bordeaux, France, but the letter was returned on the morning of the wedding."

"That is to say, he didn't get the letter?"

"Yes, Mr. Holmes, he was just starting for England when my letter arrived."

"Ah, what a coincidence. Did your wedding take place at church on Friday?"

"Yes, Mr. Holmes, everything is very quiet and unostentatious. We have decided to have our wedding at St. Saviour's Church, Royal Cross. We had breakfast at the St. Pancras Hotel after the wedding. Hosmer picked us up that morning. In a carriage, he put me and my mother in that, and another carriage came, and he sat in it himself. We went to the church first, and then the carriage came, but wait. He didn't get out of the car for a long time. The coachman got down from the seat and opened the carriage, only to find that there was no one in it! The coachman said he didn't understand what was going on, and he clearly watched him go in. Mr. Holmes, since last Friday Now, I never hear from him again."

"It is very disrespectful that he treats you like this," said Holmes.

"No, no, Mr. Holmes, he is considerate and good to me. I don't believe he will abandon me. He told me early in the morning that no matter what, we must be loyal to each other. To remember each other's vows, and to say that he will keep his vows. It seems incomprehensible to say that on the wedding day, but thinking about it now, it must have a deep meaning."

"You conclude that there is something else to be said, so you think he had an accident?"

"Yes, sir. I judged that he might have been in danger, otherwise he would not have said so. It seems that what he expected has happened."

"But, did you never expect an accident to happen?"

"No."

"Also, what's your mother's attitude towards this matter?"

"She was very angry and told me never to mention it."

"Where's your stepfather, have you told him?"

(End of this chapter)