Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 84 Memoirs (18)
"It's been advertised in every paper, but nothing," Mycroft said.

"Does the Greek embassy know?"

"I've inquired, and they don't know anything."

"Then send a telegram to the Athens police headquarters."

"Sherlock is indeed the most energetic of the family," said Mycroft, turning to me. "Okay, Sherlock, you must find out about this matter, and if you have any good news, let me know immediately."

My friend stood up and said, "Don't worry, I will let you know, and I will tell Mr. Melas. Mr. Melas, if I were you, I will be careful during this period. Because once they see the advertisement, they will will know that you betrayed them."

We walked home together, and Holmes stopped by the telegraph office to send some telegrams.

"You see, Watson," he said, "this evening has been a worthwhile visit. Mycroft has referred me to many previous cases. The case just now, though only one in possibility, has a number of peculiarities. "

"Is there a solution?"

"Oh, we already know so much, it would be strange if we couldn't find out other problems. You must have some reasoning of your own!"

"Yes, but I don't quite understand it yet."

"So, what do you think?"

"Personally, I think it's clear that the Greek woman was kidnapped by Harold Latimer."

"Where did it come from?"

"Perhaps Athens."

Holmes shook his head and said, "The young man doesn't know a word of Greek, but the girl can speak a few words of substandard English. In this way, she must have been in England for some time, but the young man has never been to Greece. .”

"Well, let's say she came to England for a tour and Harold seduced her."

"So her brother came from Greece to stop him, because I thought they must be related. But he was caught in a rash way. After they caught him, they forced him to be in a certain office. to sign the document, so that all the girl's property would be transferred to their names. Her brother, who was the trustee of the property, refused to sign. In order to negotiate, they had to find a Greek interpreter, and they found Mr. Melas. He had, perhaps, another interpreter before. They didn't tell the girl about her brother, and the girl learned by chance that her brother, too, had come to England."

"Very well, Watson! I think your judgment is very close to the truth. You see, we are not far from the truth, and we are only afraid that they will be outraged and murdered. Given a little more time, we will surely catch them. "

"But how can we find out where they live?"

"If our conjecture is correct, the girl's name should be Sophie Crandit, and it should not be difficult to find her. This is our key clue, because his brother has just arrived in England and no one will know him. It can be It was concluded that Harold had been with the woman for at least a few weeks, and that her brother had heard the news from Greece. If they hadn't changed addresses during this time, people's opinion of Mycroftden's There will definitely be a reaction to the announcement.”

As we walked and talked, we felt that we had returned to our home in Baker Street.Holmes went ahead up the stairs, and had hardly opened the door when he uttered a cry of surprise.I looked over his shoulder, also surprised.His brother Mycroft was sitting in a chair smoking a cigarette.

Mycroft saw us, and said kindly: "Come in, Sherlock! Come in, Watson. You don't think I have such energy, do you? But the case certainly fascinates me."

"How did you come?"

"I took a carriage, so I passed you."

"Is there anything new?"

"My ad got a reply."

"what!"

"Yes, just after you left, there was an echo."

"how is the situation?"

Mycroft produced a sheet of paper.

"The letter was written by a thin, middle-aged man, with a broad-point pen on yellow printing paper," he said.

The content of the letter is like this:

teacher:

Now that I have learned of your advertisement, I would like to reply as follows.I know the situation of this woman very well. If you want to know more details, you can come to our office and tell me in detail.Address: Mortels, Beckham.

Yours faithfully J Davenport

Mycroft said: "The letter is from Lower Brixton, Sherlock, and we'd better drive now!"

"My dear brother, I think saving her brother is the most important thing. Sheriff Gerson of Scotland Yard should be taken together, because someone's life is threatened, and it may be dangerous."

I suggested: "Let's call Mr. Melas on the way, maybe an interpreter is needed."

Holmes said: "It is better this way. Tell the servants to prepare the carriage at once, and we will go now."

After speaking, he opened the drawer and put the pistol in his pocket.

Seeing that we were all looking at him, he said, "That's right, I admit that from what we know now, we are dealing with vicious gangsters."

It was dark when we reached Pall Mall Street.We learn that a gentleman has just picked up Melas.

Mycroft asked quickly, "Do you know where they went?"

The woman who opened the door said: "I don't know, sir, I only know that they go in a carriage."

"Didn't the gentleman say his name?"

"No, sir."

"Is he a young, handsome big black man?"

"No, sir. He is a small man with spectacles and a thin face, but he is very cheerful, for he laughs constantly when he talks."

Sherlock said suddenly, "Go away, it's not a good thing."

On the way to Scotland Yard, said Holmes: "They've sent Mr. Melas again. They seemed to think him very timid the night before, because the bastard frightened him at the first appearance. Let him be the interpreter, but after the translation is finished, it is very likely that he will be killed for fear that he will leak the news."

We had planned to take the train, and perhaps catch their carriage at Beckham.But it took us more than an hour at Scotland Yard to find Sergeant Gerson, and after we had gone through the admission process, we arrived at London Bridge at 45:10.We didn't arrive at Beckham Railway Station until 30:[-], and walked another half mile to Motelz.The courtyard was gloomy, backed by the road, we sent the carriage away and walked along the road.

"The rooms are all dark, as if no one lives there," the sheriff said.

Sherlock said: "They have acted."

"Why do you say that?"

"A carriage has just left, loaded with luggage."

The sheriff smiled and asked, "It is true that you can see the ruts under the door light, but how do you know you have luggage?"

"You're probably seeing ruts going in the other direction. The one I'm talking about, it's going out in a deep rut, so you can tell it's got a lot of weight on it."

The sheriff shrugged his shoulders and said, "You have observed carefully, and it makes sense. It doesn't seem easy to hit the door, but if you can't open it, you have to try."

The sheriff knocked on the knocker and rang the bell again, but there was no response from inside.Holmes left for a few minutes and returned.

"I just opened a window," he said.

The sheriff was amused when he heard it: "Fortunately, you are in favor of breaking and entering. I thought you would object." The sheriff watched him deftly open the window hook. "In that case, Mr. Holmes, it seems that we must enter without invitation."

We all climbed in through the windows.Evidently, this was exactly the place Mr. Melas had described.The sheriff lit a lamp, and by the dim light we saw the door, the curtains, the lamp, and the Japanese armor that Melass mentioned.On the table were two wine glasses, a bottle of brandy and an unfinished meal.

Holmes said suddenly: "Listen, there is a voice."

Everyone fell silent and listened, and there seemed to be a slight groan overhead.By the time we could discern the sound coming from upstairs, Holmes had rushed upstairs and was at the forefront.The Sheriff and I hurried up too, with Mycroft following us.

Upstairs there were three doors facing each other, and from the door in the middle came a voice, sometimes a low moan, sometimes a loud cry.

The door was locked, but the key was in the lock.Holmes opened the door at once and rushed in, but quickly withdrew with his hands on his throat.
Holmes said loudly: "There is poisonous gas inside, and charcoal is being burnt. Wait a while before going in."

We looked inside and saw a small copper cauldron in the room with blue flames, and the room was filled with smoke like poisonous ashes.We vaguely saw that there seemed to be two people hiding at the base of the wall.As soon as the door was opened, a foul-smelling poisonous gas rushed out, making it difficult for us to breathe and cough continuously.Holmes ran to the roof to take a breath of fresh air, then quickly ran into the room, opened the window, and threw the copper tripod out.

Then he came out quickly again, and said loudly, panting, "Wait a little longer before you can get in. Can't the candle work? There's hardly any air in the room, and the match will not strike. Mycroft, you take the lamp." Stand at the door, let's go in and save people!"

We rushed up to the two men and dragged them desperately into the lighted vestibule.They were unconscious, their lips had turned livid, and their faces were swollen with blood, completely transformed.Were it not for the black beard and fat figure, we would hardly have recognized the poor Greek interpreter who had been with us a few hours earlier at the Diogenes Club.His limbs were tightly bound, and one eye was marked by a beating.

Another person's hands and feet were also bound.He was tall, but very thin, with a strange sticking plaster on his face.When we lowered him to the ground, he had stopped breathing.I knew in my heart that help was of no avail.Fortunately, however, Melas was not dead, and we poured him brandy and ammonia, and an hour later he slowly opened his eyes.I was so happy that I finally saved him.

Meras briefly narrated what happened, which is exactly the same as our speculation.As soon as his visitor entered the room, he drew a short club from his sleeve, and threatened to kill him if he resisted, so Melas had no choice but to capture him without a fight.

Indeed, this literati who is proficient in several languages ​​is no match for this villain, not to mention that he has long been so frightened that he can't speak a word.He was soon escorted to Beckham, where he acted as their interpreter for the second time.

This time the conversation was more dramatic than the last.The two gangsters first said that if the Greeks did not agree to sign, they would kill him at once, and when they saw that he still refused to submit, they had to lock him up again.

Then they began to scold Melas for having betrayed them by placing an advertisement in the paper, and then beat him unconscious with a club.Meeras was unconscious until we rescued him.

This is the curious case of the Greek interpreter.There are still some unanswered questions about the case, and we can only get a rough idea of ​​it from the gentleman who responded to the ad.The girl was born into a wealthy family in Greece and met that Harold Latimer when she came to England to visit friends.The man seduces her and convinces her to elope together.When her friend heard of this, she hastily notified her brother in Athens, so as to get rid of the responsibility.Her brother was captured by Latimer and his accomplice Wilson Karp as soon as he arrived in England.Cap is a notorious guy.Finding that he did not know English or the country, they locked him up, starved him and beat him to sign a document that would give him his sister's property.The girl didn't know about it, and in order to prevent the girl from recognizing her brother, they put a lot of strange sticking plasters on his face.However, after all, the girl is keen and careful. On the day when the Greek interpreter was doing translation for the first time, the girl recognized her brother immediately and saw through their scam.

However, the poor girl herself lost her freedom from then on.There are only two coachmen and his wife in this yard, and they are also gangsters' accomplices.The two gangsters knew that the girl had seen through the deception, and his brother still refused to give in, so they had no choice but to take the girl and escape. Anyway, the house and furniture were rented by them.Before fleeing, they took revenge on those who opposed them and betrayed them.

A few months later we received clippings from a Budapest newspaper that two Englishmen were traveling with a foreign woman when an accident occurred and both men were stabbed to death.The Hungarian police believe that they killed each other in order to compete for the woman.However, Holmes does not agree with this statement.Until now, he still believes that only by finding the Greek woman can he know how she took revenge.The Missing "Navy Agreement"

It was a July when I was just married, and it is still unforgettable.I had the honor of solving three major crimes with Holmes and further studied his unique methods of solving problems.In my records, the three big cases are "Second Blood", "Missing "Navy Agreement", and "The Weary Captain".

Among them, the first major case can be regarded as pivotal, involving many powerful people in the kingdom, so it has not been made public for many years.However, I think that among all the cases solved by Sherlock Holmes, this case can best demonstrate his detection skills and standards, and it will definitely leave the deepest impression on the world.

I still have a record of the conversation at the scene.This is the conversation that Holmes told Mr. Dubuc of the Paris police and the famous forensic expert Fritz von Wolbau of Getansk about the truth of the case.The two spent a lot of energy in this case, but in the end they all returned without success because of small losses.However, the case may not be conveniently presented publicly until the next century.Here, I can only publish the second case recorded. This case was once related to the major interests of the country, and some of the plots are particularly special and cause concern.

When I was a student, I used to hang out with Percy Phelps a lot.We are the same age, but he is two grades above me.Percy is so talented that he has won almost all the awards set up by the school.Due to his outstanding achievements, he was awarded a scholarship when he graduated, which allowed him to continue his studies at Cambridge University.

In my impression, there are many powerful relatives in his family.When we were kids we knew his uncle was a famous Conservative politician whom we called Lord Holdhurst.Although the status of relatives is prominent, it does not make him stand out at school.Instead, we used to have fun teasing him on the playground, hitting him with a toy hoop.

However, when everyone grows up and enters the society, the situation is very different.I heard that he found a good job in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with his outstanding talent and noble relatives. After that, I gradually forgot about him.It wasn't until one day that I received a letter that I thought of him again.The content of the letter is as follows:
Dear Watson:
I'm sure you remember "The Tadpole" Phelps when I was two levels above you.Perhaps you have heard that I found a good job in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by virtue of my uncle's power, and I am quite trusted and respected.However, a terrible disaster cut off my career.

It is not necessary for me to tell you this dreadful thing here, but if you will grant my request, I will tell you all from my own mouth.I've been deranged for weeks, and I've recovered a little, but I'm still weak.Will you come and see me with Holmes?Although the police told me there was nothing they could do, I thought Holmes must have a way.I am in constant fear, and I hope you will invite him as soon as possible.Be sure to explain to him that I didn't ask him for help in time, not because I didn't respect his talents, but because I was out of my mind when the disaster struck.Now, although my brain has returned to normal, I am afraid that it will relapse again, so I dare not think about it.Today I am still very weak, so I have to write this letter by someone else.Be sure to come with Holmes.

your old school friend percy phelps

After reading this letter, I was very shocked. He mentioned Holmes many times, and his words were earnest, which really deserves sympathy.After being greatly moved, I decided that no matter how difficult the situation was, I would do my best to help him.I am well aware that Holmes is addicted to crimes, and he is always willing to help as long as the client trusts him.My wife also agreed with me, and suggested that Holmes should be informed as soon as possible.So after a hasty breakfast, I returned to my old home on Baker Street.

My friend, in pajamas, is sitting at a table against the wall, concentrating on a chemistry experiment.On the blue flame of the Bunsen burner was a large curved retort, the water in which was boiling violently, and the distilled water was slowly dripping into a two-liter container.He didn't look up when I entered, he must be conducting an important experiment.So I sat in the armchair and watched and waited for him.He carefully observed each bottle, then sucked out a little liquid from each bottle with a glass straw, and then took out a test tube of liquid and put it on the table, while holding a piece of acid-base test paper in his right hand.

"You have come just in time, Watson. Let's take a look. If the paper is still blue, everything is all right; if it is red, the solution is killing."

He dipped the test paper into the solution, which immediately turned dark red.He shouted: "It is indeed so, Watson, I will have time soon, there are tobacco leaves on the Persian slippers, take them yourself."

He went to the desk, wrote a few quick telegrams, handed them to the page, and then sat down on the chair opposite me, with his knees bent and his hands clasped around his legs.

"It was just an ordinary murder," he said. "I suppose you have an interesting case for me, Watson? Otherwise you wouldn't be coming back. Tell me, what is it?"

I handed him the letter and he read it carefully.

Then he handed me the letter and asked, "He didn't explain the situation to us, did he?"

I replied, "Yes, he said almost nothing."

"Only the handwriting is worth studying."

"It's not his handwriting."

"Indeed, it was written by a woman."

I said loudly: "No, it must be a man's handwriting."

"No, it was written by a woman, and she had a very special character. You see, it is important to note that from the beginning of the investigation we knew that your client had a close relationship with another No matter how you look at it, they are all unusual characters. This case has really aroused my interest, and if you like, we will set off now to visit the unfortunate diplomat and the lady who wrote for him."

(End of this chapter)