Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 70 Memoirs (4)
"I gave her a check for a hundred pounds at her request, and didn't pay attention to it afterwards. It was the first time we had a secret between husband and wife. I don't know if it has anything to do with what happened later, but I told it anyway. up.

"As I mentioned just now, there is a small villa not far from us. It is separated from our residence by a field. If you want to go there, you have to walk across the road first, and then turn to the small road. I usually like to go to Walking in a Scottish fir forest next to the villa. Walking in the dense woods, you will feel comfortable. It's just a pity that no one lives there. The cottage has two floors, an ancient veranda, and various plants around The flowers are very beautiful. I often think how nice it would be if I lived there!

"Last Monday night, I passed this path on my way home and found an open four-wheeler parked in front of the villa, and there were piles of carpets and other things at the door. I was curious, so I went to have a look. Obviously, The small villa has been rented out, and I really want to know who the new neighbor is. When I observed carefully, I suddenly found that there was also a pair of eyes looking at me through the window in the room.

"I was standing far away, so I couldn't see the exact shape of this face, but it looked very unnatural, or it wasn't a human face at all, which scared me into a cold sweat. In order to see it more clearly, I moved a little closer, but That face suddenly disappeared, maybe it was pulled into the dark by someone. I stood there thinking for a long time, but I couldn't figure out whether the person was a man or a woman, and the distance was too far away. But what I still remember is that The color of the face seemed to be blue-gray, like chalk, and very stiff and unnatural. I was full of suspicion and resolved to pay a visit. So I went to the door and knocked lightly. A woman The door was opened for me. She was thin and tall, and her face was extremely ugly, which made people daunting.

"She asked me with a thick northern accent: 'Is there anything wrong?'

"I pointed to my house and said to her: 'I live there, we are neighbors, can I help you?'

"She said rudely, 'We'll call you when we're in trouble.' and then closed the door. I was turned away, annoyed, and went straight home. All night, I was thinking about that strange face and that rude woman. I wanted to forget but couldn't. My wife was timid and excitable so I didn't tell her what I saw. I told her the cottage was rented out at bedtime. but she didn't speak."

"I usually sleep very hard, and my family members often make fun of me for this, saying that the sky will not wake me up. But that night I couldn't sleep well, maybe it was stimulated during the day, or other reasons. Just When I was half awake, I vaguely felt that someone was walking in the house, and then I found out that it was my wife. She put on her clothes, put on her hat, and put on her cloak, and was about to go out. I said a few words in a dream, It seemed to express dissatisfaction with her strange behavior. Then I squinted, and I was startled. My wife had an expression on my face that I had never seen before. Under the light, her face was deathly white, and her breathing was very rapid. She Apparently afraid of waking me up, seeing that I was not moving at all, I thought I was in a deep sleep, so I slipped away quietly. After a while, the door creaked sharply. I got up and knocked on the railing on the bed, trying to prove myself Was she awake, and then she took out her watch from under the pillow, and it turned out to be past three in the morning. What was she doing sneaking out so late?
"I've been sitting there figuring it out, trying to find a plausible explanation, but it's been impossible. Two or 10 minutes later, the door rang again and she came back.

"As soon as she came in, I said, 'Effie, what are you doing so late?'

"Hearing me speak, she let out a cry. There is nothing more chilling than this cry, because there is guilt in her cry. She is usually bold and generous, but this time she was late at night. Sneaking out, panicking and terrified at my questioning, what else could that mean?
"She forced a smile and said: 'My dear, you're awake, and I thought I couldn't wake you up.'

"I asked seriously: 'Where the hell have you been?'

"As she unfastened her cloak, she said, 'It's a little thing. My chest felt tight just now. In order not to get dizzy, I went out to get some fresh air. I stood at the door for a while and it was much better.' Her fingers kept shaking, and she didn't dare looked me in the eye and continued: 'No wonder you're surprised, I've never done this before.'

"She was completely out of tune, obviously lying. I ignored her, turned around and faced the wall. She was deliberately hiding something, so all kinds of malicious speculations and doubts filled my heart. What is she hiding? What? We can't have peace until this matter is cleared up. I have been up all night and have been tossing and tossing, but I still can't figure it out.

"I was supposed to be in town the next day on business, but now I can't think of anything else. My wife, too, is squirming and has been watching my face. You can see in her eyes that she also realizes that I don't care at all. Believe her, and look distraught because of it. We didn't talk at all during the meal, and then I went out to think about it in the fresh air.

"I ran to the Crystal Palace and stayed in it for an hour before coming out. It was one o'clock when I returned to Norbury. When I passed the cottage, I remembered what happened yesterday, so I couldn't help but stop and look inside, wanting to see May I meet that face again. But, Mr. Holmes, who do you think I saw? It was my wife, who came out of the open door!
"Her appearance stunned me, and I couldn't speak for a while. My wife was more surprised than I. She looked at me in shock and started to turn back, but when she realized that she couldn't hide it, she forced a smile He greeted me, his pale face, the panic in his eyes, everything was obvious.

"'Honey, I came to see our neighbors to see if they needed help, and you came to see them too? You won't be angry, will you? Please don't look at me like that.'

"I said to her: 'So you were here last night, too?'

"She said out loud: 'What are you talking about? I don't understand.'

"So far you've lied! Who the hell are they? You're calling in the middle of the night?"

"'Oh dear, you're wrong, I've never been here before.'

"I yelled: 'Effie, why are you lying? Your trembling voice says it all. I've never kept a secret from you, and you? Go away, I'm going in and make it clear!'

"'No! My dear, don't do this, I beg you, don't go in!' she begged me, gasping for breath, in great excitement. When I was about to rush in, she pulled me out, I don't know where she came from so much effort.

"She was about to cry: 'Honey, please don't do this, as long as you don't go in now, I will tell you everything when you go back, I promise. If you go in now, you will get nothing but ruin our home!' I I shook off her hand, but she held me again, begging me madly not to go in.

"She said in a loud voice: 'Darling, please don't do this, please trust me one more time, I did this for us, you won't regret trusting me, it's all for you. We'll just go home together It's all right, but if you insist on going in, it's over between us.'

"Her sincerity and desperation made me hesitate, and I was at a loss at the door.

"I said: 'As long as you promise me one condition, I will believe you. Please don't go out late at night, and don't do secret activities anymore. Although you have the right to keep secrets, I still hope you don't hide anything from me. This matter must be resolved. That's it. If you can do it, I promise you to forget everything.'

"'I know you're going to believe me.' She looked more relaxed and said with a breath, 'I promise, it's going to happen! Let's go home!'

"She pulled me by the sleeve and led me away from the villa. On the way home, I looked back and saw that terrible face again. It appeared at the window of the villa again, watching from a distance. Us. Who is this strange person? Who is that ugly woman? What does my wife have to do with them? It's a mystery. I really can't understand the secret. It seems that only when I find the answer can I feel at peace.

"After that day, I stayed at home for two days, and she kept her promise and never left home. But on the third day, she still broke her promise and betrayed me. She actually broke her promise because of the villa. The mysterious villa is too powerful. attractive.

"That day, I went to the city to do errands, and when I came back, I took the 03:30 train, and I usually take the [-]:[-] train. As soon as I entered the door, the maid ran to the hall in a panic.

"I asked her: 'Where's the madam?'

"The maid answered: 'She may have gone for a walk.'

"Suddenly my heart was full of doubts. I ran to the bedroom and saw that she was indeed not there. I accidentally looked out the window and saw a woman on the small road running towards the villa in a hurry. She was the maid who spoke to me just now. I immediately Understood. Effie went to the villa again, and told the maid to report to her when I came back. I was very angry, went downstairs, and ran to the villa. I crossed the field, determined to find out the matter thoroughly. In the field I saw Effie and the maid running back down the lane, but I didn't call them, but went straight to the villa. For there was a secret to be unraveled, and it cast a shadow over my life, no matter what. What, it must be resolved. I ran there and broke in without even knocking on the door.

"The building was dead silent, except for the hissing of the kettle on the stove. There was a cat in a small basket by the wall, and the woman I saw that day seemed to be absent. I searched room after room, and finally found the whole The villas were empty. The furniture and hanging paintings in the houses were ordinary and crude. There was only one room that was well-furnished, and that was the one where I saw the strange face. Suddenly, I found a full-body photo of my wife hanging on the fireplace. On stage, this irritated me and felt terribly insulted. I asked her to take this picture three months ago.

"I stayed in the villa, confused and miserable. I had to leave the house when I was sure no one was in the house. My wife was waiting for me in the living room, but I ignored her and went straight to the study. I was about to close the door She also followed in.

"'Forgive me, my dear! It was my fault that I did not keep my promise. But you will forgive me when you know all the circumstances.'

"I said, 'Okay, you can make it clear now and don't hide it from me.'

"She said out loud: 'No, not now.'

"I walked out and said: 'If you don't tell me who you gave the picture to, I'm never going to trust you again.'

"Mr. Holmes, this happened just yesterday, and I have not seen her since. There has never been any quarrel between us. This is the first time. I am in so much pain that I do not know what to do. It occurred to me this morning that perhaps you could Help me, I came here in a hurry. That’s all I know, if you don’t understand something, just ask. But the most important thing is, you must teach me what to do, this pain is too painful, I can’t bear it anymore .”

This is indeed a strange thing, and my friend and I are fascinated by it.Our guest was very excited and confused as he spoke. Holmes rested his chin on one hand and was silent for a moment.

He then asked, "Is that strange face you saw a man's face?"

The guest replied: "I'm not sure, every time I see him, he is far away and I can't see clearly."

"This face does not impress you well?"

"Yeah, the face is dead, expressionless, the colors are unnatural, and every time I try to get close, he disappears."

"When did your wife ask you for a hundred pounds?"

"About two months ago, I remember that."

"Have you ever seen a picture of her former husband?"

"No, when he just died, there was a fire in Atlanta that burned everything up."

"But you say you have seen his death certificate?"

"Yes, but that is a reissued copy after the fire."

"Have you met any American your wife has known in the past?"

"No, never."

"Have you ever received anything from America?"

"nor."

"Thank you. Give me some time. I'll think about it. As for the villa, it won't be easy if no one is there by now. However, I think that when you broke into the villa, the people there People have been told to go into hiding and are likely to go back now. It will be easier to investigate. You'd better get back to Norbury now and watch the windows of the cottage carefully, and if you see anyone, send us a telegram. Don't force it. Chuang, we will come to you as soon as we receive the telegram, an hour at most, and then the truth will be revealed."

"What if there is no one in the villa?"

"If that's the case, we'll go to you tomorrow, and we'll talk about it in detail then. So be it! But don't trouble yourself until you find out the cause of the matter."

After seeing the guests off, Holmes asked me: "Watson, this seems strange. What do you think?"

I replied, "It's more difficult."

"Yes, if my assumption is correct, there should be another secret here."

"So, who's running everything?"

"It must be the man who lived in the only decent room of the villa, the man who hung the picture on the fireplace wall. I am very interested in the case, Watson, especially in that face."

"I feel that the person living in the small villa may be the woman's ex-husband. But this is just speculation, not necessarily true."

"What is the basis?"

"Otherwise, she didn't need to be so flustered, and she didn't need to try her best to prevent her husband from entering the villa. My guess is this: she got married in the United States, but for some reason, she began to hate her ex-husband and left him. The reason is probably that he has bad habits, or he has a nasty disease. She returned to England incognito and wanted to start a new life. She married her current husband with someone else's death certificate and lived peacefully But she didn't expect that someone found her, and this person may be her ex-husband, or someone related to them, and they threatened her with revealing the truth. She wanted to use money to get rid of them, so she asked her husband After asking for a hundred pounds, but without success, they still found her. That night, her husband told her that someone had lived in the cottage, and she knew it was that person who came to her. So she sneaked into the villa at night and asked They let her go, but in vain. The next morning she tried again, and, as her husband said, they met on the road, and she promised him not to go to the dacha again. But she was eager to get rid of them, and the two Days later, she took the risk again. She took the photos they asked for, but during the conversation, the maid informed her that her husband was back. She thought that her husband might come to investigate, so she let everyone else escape through the back door, so her husband Nothing. Still, those people must be at the villa, and it's strange that no one is there tonight. What do you think of my analysis?"

"Pure speculation."

"Isn't this inconsistent with the facts we know? We can always revise this speculation if new facts are discovered. But for now, we can only wait for the telegram from Norbury."

We just waited a while.Just after lunch, the telegram arrived, roughly as follows:
Someone was in the villa and I saw the face.Come on the seven o'clock train!I am waiting for you.

As soon as we got off the train, we saw Mr. Glenn Munro who came to meet us.His face was pale, his expression was painful, and he was shaking constantly, as if the situation was very bad.

"Mr. Holmes," he said, stepping forward and grabbing Holmes. "I saw lights in the villa. They are still there. I can't bear it. Please help me quickly. I want to solve this matter completely."

Walking on the dark boulevard, Holmes asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I have no choice but to break in and see the truth. Please bear witness for me."

"You forgot your wife's request? Don't care about her feelings at all?"

"Yes, I have decided to do so."

"Well, I also think this is the best option. Although legally speaking, this is a bit inappropriate, but in order to find out the truth of the matter and end the unfounded suspicion, it is worth it. Let's go now!"

It was very dark, and as we turned from the road onto a narrow lane lined with low bushes, it began to drizzle.Glenn Munro hurried ahead, and we staggered after him.

"That's my house," he said, pointing to a light dimly visible from among the trees, and then pointing the other way, "That's the villa we're looking for."

When we came to the door of the villa, a ray of yellow light passed through the window and reflected on the ground outside the door.The door was ajar, and the windows were brightly lit by indoor lights.At this time, a shadow passed by the curtain.

Glen Munro said loudly: "That's the weirdo I mentioned, you see! They're here, let's go in! The truth is about to be revealed."

When we got to the door, suddenly a woman came out of the darkness. Standing under the yellow light with her hands up, she stopped us and said loudly, "Don't do this, for God's sake! I knew you would come, so I deliberately Waiting for you here. Honey, please trust me again, I am all for your own good!"

He yelled: "Effie, let me go! I don't trust you anymore, I have decided to settle this matter thoroughly!"

He pushed his wife away and rushed forward.We followed him closely.At this time, another elderly woman stopped us, and he pushed her away, went straight upstairs, and rushed to the room with lights.We are following suit.

The room was warm and cozy and well furnished.Two candles were burning on the table, and two more on the mantelpiece.A person, what appeared to be a little girl, sat at a table in a corner of the house.Hearing someone, she turned her face, wearing a pair of long white gloves and a red jacket.Suddenly, I was stunned by what I saw.It was a very strange face, expressionless, like a block of livid lead.Laughing, Holmes put his hand behind the child's face, and dropped a mask from her face, and the mystery was revealed. She was a Negro girl, black as coal.Seeing my surprised look, she smiled, showing her white teeth.I can't help being amused by this funny scene.But Meng Luo stood there dumbfounded, holding the wall with one hand and pressing his throat with the other.

He cried out, "My God! What is this? What do I see?"

"Now, I'll tell you everything," said his wife firmly but calmly.She looked at us and said, "Since you're forcing me to explain all this, we must find a way to resolve this. This is my daughter. My husband died in Atlanta, but my child lives."

"Your, your daughter?"

She took out a large silver necklace from her bosom, and said, "Have you never opened it?"

(End of this chapter)