Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 75 Memoirs (9)
My hands began to tremble, and it seemed difficult to write the words below.Mr. Beddoes wrote to me in secret, and Hudson told me all.God, forgive us!

"This is what I read to little Driver that evening. It was a dramatic case, Watson. My friend was heartbroken through the disaster. He later moved to Tray, where They grow and sell tea there, and they are said to do a good job. And the sailor and Beddoes have both disappeared since that warning letter. No one has reported anything to the police. So Beddoes must have mistaken Hudson's The intimidation became a fact. Hudson was also found nearby. The police suspected that he had killed Beddos and fled. But I think that Beddos must have mistakenly thought that Hudson had reported him and killed him in revenge. Hudson, and took refuge abroad with the money. This is the basics of the case, Watson, and if it is of any use to your collection of stories, I am glad you use it." The Case of the Uncanny Disappearance of the Butler

My friend Sherlock Holmes had a peculiar character, and I was not immune to his influence in my association.Although he is smart, quick-thinking, well-organized, and always well-dressed on weekdays, his living habits are terrible, and people who live with him really need a good temper.As far as I'm concerned, I'm not too picky in these areas.Because when I was on the battlefield in Afghanistan, my life was also in a mess. In addition, my personality was casual, lazy and careless, which really did not match the profession of a doctor.But even so, I was not at ease when I discovered that someone had put a pipe in a coal-pipe, put tobacco on a slipper, and stapled some unanswered letters to the fireplace with a pocketknife.

Apart from these, I have always believed that pistols should be practiced outdoors, and Holmes was just the opposite.When he was interested, he would sit in an armchair, tap the trigger lightly, and use a hundred standard target bullets to hit the opposite wall uneven.This neither changes the atmosphere of our interior nor improves the appearance of the house.

Forensic relics and experimental chemicals fill our homes, often in unexpected places, on cheese plates or in more embarrassing places.

Other than that, what bothers me the most is dealing with his files.He didn't like to destroy documents, especially those related to the cases he had handled, and he always had to sort them out once every two years.As I have mentioned in some fragmentary memoirs, only after he succeeded in solving the big cases with enthusiasm and thinking like a fountain did he have the interest and energy to generalize them.But this enthusiasm usually doesn't last long, and is quickly put aside.At this time, with only his violin and books for company, he hardly went anywhere except the necessary movement between sofas and tables.In this way, day after day, year after year, more and more files filled almost every corner, and no one dared to touch them except him.

One winter evening, as we were warming up by the fire, I finally couldn't help suggesting that it might be a little easier for us to spend a couple of hours cleaning the room thoroughly after he had copied the briefs of the case into a memorandum.He didn't refuse, but he also seemed a little unhappy, and turned around and entered the bedroom, and came out dragging a big tin box after a while.He put the box in the middle of the ground, sat on the small bench in front of the box, and opened the box.The documents in the box were all tied with red strings, occupying about one-third of the space.

Holmes looked at me mischievously and said, "Watson, there are many cases here. If you have read them carefully, maybe you will let me take them out instead of putting them all in."

I asked: "Are these all the records of your previous cases? I have always hoped to get them as materials."

"Yes, Watson, these are all the cases I handled when I first started out." He gently and cherishedly took out a bundle of documents.He went on: "Not all of them were success stories, but some were actually quite interesting. Here's the Tarleton murder record, here's the Van Berry wine merchants case, here's the Russian Old Lady expedition, that's the aluminum The case of the crutches, that is the case of the lame Ricolet and his wicked wife, and there is another case, which can be called the strange case of strange cases."

He reached into the box and took out a wooden box with a lid that turned like a child's toy box.Holmes opened the little box and took out a crumpled piece of paper, an old-fashioned brass key, a wooden nail tangled with thread, and three discs of rusted metal.

Holmes looked at me and said with a smile, "My friend, can you guess what these things are?"

"They're all very special collectibles."

"It's really special, but the story inside is even more special."

"So, it seems that these relics are quite historical?"

"Yes, not only is there history, but they are history themselves."

"What do you mean?"

Holmes took out these collections and lined them up along the edge of the table. After that, he sat on a chair and looked at them carefully for a long time, with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

"I left them on purpose to commemorate the Musgrave ceremony case."

I had heard him mention the case several times, but never knew the details.So he hurriedly said, "If you could tell me the details, that would be my wish."

Holmes said jokingly: "Do you mean these messy things should not be moved? Watson, it seems that the neatness you expected is not possible. However, I will be happy to add it to your case record. Whether in Domestic or foreign, this case is absolutely rare in criminal records. It would be a pity if this case was not included in my trivial achievements.

"You remember the 'Gloria Scott' sailing incident? That unfortunate old man in it, because he inadvertently gave me some pointers on my career orientation during the conversation, which made me think of my career for the first time. problem, and later I really took detective as my lifelong career. Now, I am quite famous, whether it is ordinary people or the police, they all think that I am the ultimate solver of difficult cases. In fact, at the beginning of our acquaintance, That is to say, when I solved the case of "Tracking Blood Letters", I didn't have a lot of business, but after all, I already had many regular customers. At the beginning of my career, you may not imagine how difficult the situation is. I have gone through a long It takes time to succeed.

"When I first arrived in London, I lived on Montague Street near the British Museum. I had nothing to do at the time, so I studied all the sciences carefully in case I needed them. At that time, I was also approached to solve cases, all of them My old classmate introduced me. Because when I was about to graduate from university, my strengths and abilities had been widely spread among teachers and students. The third case I investigated was the case of Musgrave Rites. This case A series of weird incidents and related major issues in the novel have stimulated my desire to solve the case, and have since become the driving force for me to embark on this line.

"Reginald Musgrave was a classmate of mine, but we were just casual acquaintances. No one liked him in college because of his pride and conceit. But I could also see that his conceit was just a cover. Natural timidity. He looks like an aristocrat, thin, with a high nose and big eyes. He is very orderly and elegant in everything he does. In fact, he is indeed a descendant of a very old nobleman in the kingdom. In the middle of the sixteenth century Later, their branch split into two with the Musgrave family in the north, and went to settle in West Sussex, where Helstone Manor is the oldest building still inhabited today. His parentage seems to have had a great influence on him, and whenever I see his pale, sensitive face and the graceful poise of his gestures, I always think of some gray archways, mullioned windows, and ruins of old castles. A few times, we got into a conversation for no apparent reason, and I remember him saying that he was interested in my method of observation and reasoning.

"Four years after graduating, he came to me one morning out of the blue on Montague Street. He had hardly changed, except that he was dressed more like an upper-class man (he was very picky about what he dressed), and he still had a different look. elegant demeanor and style.

"We exchanged warm pleasantries and I asked: 'How are you, dear friend?'

"Musgrave said: 'Have you heard the news of my father's death? He left two years ago. I've managed Helstone Park since then. As I'm a district councilor, it's very Busy. But Holmes, I am envied to hear that you have begun to practice with your prodigious abilities?"

"I replied: 'Where, just to make ends meet!'

"'I'm glad to hear that, because I need your help now. I've had a lot of strange things happen to me in Helstone, and even the police can't do anything about it. It's very difficult.'

"You know, when I heard him say that, I was really excited because I had nothing to do in those months, and I was looking forward to the opportunity. I always thought that I can do what other people can't do. , and now, it's time to show off.

"I said eagerly: 'Please tell me the details.'

"Musgrave sat across from me and lit the cigarette I gave him.

"He said: 'You know, I'm still single, but I employ a lot of people at Helstone Hall because the old house is out of the way and needs to be looked after. To feast and keep some friends is impossible without hands. I have eight maids, two footmen, a steward, and a footman. The gardens and stables of the estate are tended by others.

"'Of them, Brenton, the housekeeper, is the most qualified. When my father hired him, he was just an incompetent primary school teacher. But this does not prevent him from being valued in my family. He has a lot of energy, a strong personality, and a well-proportioned figure. , with a handsome face and a broad forehead. Although he has lived with us for 20 years, he is not yet 40 years old. He has many advantages, the most outstanding ability is that he can speak multiple languages ​​proficiently and can play almost all musical instruments. However , he is content to be employed for a long time, which is also somewhat puzzling. Fortunately, I think he is still content with the status quo and has no plans to change anything. Anyone who has been to my house knows the housekeeper.

"'But no one is perfect, and he also has shortcomings, that is, he is a bit Don Juan in life (Don Juan, a Spanish legend, is a dissolute nobleman who specializes in seducing women, and is often quoted in Western poetic dramas.— Translator's note). As you can imagine, such a handsome and talented man could easily become a slut in a remote place. He was very conscientious when he first married, but since his wife died, he brought us A lot of trouble has come. A few months ago he got engaged to our Second Handmaiden, Rachel Howell, and I hope he settles down with that. But it didn't take long before he dumped Rachel. Rachel, mixed with Janet Tregelis, the gamekeeper's daughter. Rachel was brilliant, but she had a Welsh impulsive personality. She had just had meningitis and was only walking slowly yesterday. Compared with the past, she became a black-eyed ghost. This is also Helstone's first play. Then came the second, which almost makes us forget the first. It was played by the butler Bren Dayton was fired.

"'The course of the matter is this: as I said, this man is very clever, but his cleverness is mistaken for his cleverness. Because he is also interested in things that have nothing to do with him. I did not expect that curiosity would make He was in a desperate situation, and I didn't know exactly how until later.

"'As I said, it was an old rambling manor. Last week, last Thursday night to be precise, I had another strong coffee after dinner, which kept me awake until two o'clock in the morning. Falling asleep. I simply lit the candle, and prepared to continue reading the half-read novel. However, the book was in the billiard room, so I put on my clothes and went to get it.

"'To get to the billiard room, you have to go down the stairs and then through the corridor. The library and the gun store are at the end of the corridor. At that time, I accidentally looked up and found that the door of the library was open, and a gleam of light came out. This surprised me. I remember very well that I put out the lights and closed the door with my own hands before going to bed. Naturally, I thought of thieves. In the corridors of Helstone Manor, there were many weapons on the walls. I took an axe, threw away the candle, walked softly to the library, and leaned on the door to look in.

"'It was Brenton. He was sitting in an easy chair, with a piece of paper that looked like a map spread across his knees, and was lost in thought with his head in his hands. I stood there dumbfounded, watching his movements from the shadows. There was a candle by the table, and by the light of the candle, I saw that he was very neatly dressed. Suddenly, he stood up, went to the writing desk next to him, unlocked it, and pulled out a drawer. He took out a document and walked back to his seat. I began to study seriously by candlelight. Seeing him studying our family's documents so calmly, I was very angry and stepped forward. Brenton looked up and saw me, and jumped up. His face paled Qing, hastily put the map-like document in his bosom.

"'I said aloud: "Wow!Is this how you repay us?You resign and go back tomorrow! "

"'He bowed to me in embarrassment, and slipped away without a word. By the light of the candle still burning on the table, I saw the papers that Brenton had taken from the desk. To my astonishment, it was a meaningless document, merely a record of questions and answers in a strange and ancient ceremony. This ceremony is called the "Musgrave Ritual" and is the only one in our family. In the past For centuries, all members of the Musgrave family have performed this ceremony as soon as they reach adulthood-this is only related to our family, such as our family's coat of arms, etc., which may be meaningful to archaeologists , with no practical significance to others.'

"I said: 'We'd better talk about that document in detail.'

"Musgrave said a little doubtfully: 'If it is necessary to speak later. I will now go on to what happened afterwards. I locked the desk with the key which Brenton had dropped, and was about to leave when the butler returned, He startled me by standing in front of me.

"'He was very excited, his voice was a little hoarse, and he said in a begging tone: "Sir, my dear sir, I can't afford to lose face. Although I am only a servant, I also value my personality. If I lose face, it is equivalent to kill me.Sir, if you insist on driving me to a dead end, then you are responsible for my death, and I will, of course I will.If you don't believe me anymore, for God's sake, let me submit my resignation first, and within a month I'll be gone, as if I voluntarily left.Mr Musgrave, it is all right for me to leave, but I must not be turned away in the presence of acquaintances. "

"'I refused: 'You don't deserve me to be so kind to you, Brenton, your behavior is very ugly.However, since you have served our family for so many years, I don't want to embarrass you.But one month is too long, one week, you can find any reason, but you must leave within one week. "

'' he said in despair: 'A week's too short, sir; how about two weeks?I beg you! "

"'I said firmly: 'Just a week, that's done you a favor. "

"'He was very disappointed, and walked away slowly with his head down. I put out the light and went back to my bedroom.

"'In the two days since then, Brenton has been very diligent and has done a good job at his job. I haven't mentioned it either, just curious to know what excuse he was looking for. Over the years he has cultivated A habit of coming to me every day after breakfast to ask him about his day's work. But on the third day he didn't come. When I came out of the dining room, I saw Rachel Howell, the maid, who, as I said, was just recovering. , but still looked listless and pale.

"'I said to her: "Go and rest, and come back to work when your body is fully recovered. "

"'She looked at me with strange eyes, which made me wonder if her illness had relapsed.'

"' She said: 'Mr Musgrave, I am quite well. "

"' I said again: "Better take the doctor's advice.You must go to rest now, go downstairs and say to Brenton, I will find him. "

"' She said: 'The steward has left. "

"' I asked: 'Leaving? !Where did you go?Why was I not notified? "

"' She added: "He left, and no one knows when he left.Anyway, he wasn't in the room, so he must be gone.Yes, he's gone! ’ she leaned against the wall, laughing wildly. The sight frightened me, and I rang the bell for help. They helped her back to her room. When I asked her about Brenton, she still yelled loudly. Brenton was obviously gone, though. No one had moved his bed, and no one had seen him since he returned to his room last night. It was difficult to find out how he got there. , for all the doors and windows were bolted this morning, and none of his clothes, watch, or banknotes were taken away, except his black suit. He left in slippers, for the boots were still in the house. Where the hell has Renton gone? How is it now?
"'Naturally, we searched the whole estate. From basement to attic, but there was no sign of him. As I said, the old house is a labyrinth, especially the old wing, which has long been deserted. Yes. We've searched all basements and every room over and over again, and there's still no clue. I don't believe he's going to walk away without money, but, with everything he needs to be looked for, where can he be? I I called the police, but the police still found nothing after investigation. It rained the night before, and we carefully inspected the lawns and paths around the manor, but it was still in vain. The basic situation is like this. Until later we discovered something new, pay attention Just left this thing.

(End of this chapter)