Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 2

Chapter 22 Memoirs 22
Our client was still under the tender care of his faithful nurse, but looked much better.As soon as we walked in, he easily rose from the couch to welcome us.

"What news?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm sorry I didn't have good news," said my friend. "We went to Forbes, we met with your uncle, and we investigated a possible lead or two."

"I'm certainly not going to lose confidence."

"The Lord be with you! It's a joy to say that," cried Miss Harrison. "If you have courage and patience, you'll find out."

"You don't tell us much, but we can tell you a lot," said Phelps, sitting back on the sofa.

"I hope you have important information."

"Yes, I encountered another dangerous incident last night." When he said this, he was very serious, showing a look that was almost terrifying. "I have come to believe that, unknowingly, I have become the center of a criminal conspiracy in which my honor and even my life have been threatened."

"Ah!" cried Holmes.

"Unbelievable! I can guarantee that I don't have a single enemy in this world, but judging from last night, I have to say that someone wants to murder me.

"Last night was the first time I slept alone without someone nursing me in the room. I felt fine, but I kept the light on. About two o'clock in the morning, while I was still asleep, I was suddenly struck by a slight The sound woke me up. The sound was like a mouse biting a board. I lay down and listened quietly for a while, and thought it was really a mouse. Then the sound became louder and louder, and there was a harsh metal rubbing sound from the window. I suddenly I totally understand. The first moment was the sound of someone inserting a tool into the gap to pry the window, and the second moment was the sound of the window being pulled open.

"Then there was a pause of about 10 minutes. The man seemed to be listening to me if I was awakened. Then the window was slowly opened with a slight creaking sound. I couldn't take it anymore and jumped out of bed violently. I opened the shutters. There was a man crouching by the window. When he saw me, he turned and ran. I couldn't see who he was because he had a veil on his head that covered the lower part of his face. I can only be sure that he has a murder weapon in his hand. When he turned and ran away, I clearly saw the glint of the knife."

"That's very important," my friend said, "And then?"

"If I had been better, I would have chased him through the window. But all I could do was ring the bell to wake the family. Time was lost in this way, because the bell was in the kitchen and the servant slept upstairs. I Shouting loudly, Joseph was called, and he woke up the others. Footprints were found on the flowerbed outside the window. Due to the unusually dry weather recently, they could no longer be found on the grass. However, on the wooden fence by the roadside There are certain marks. They say it looks like someone went over there and broke the top of the railing on the way over. I haven't informed the local police yet because I want to get your opinion first."

This experience, as related by our client, had a special effect on my friend.He stood up and paced up and down the room, apparently unable to contain the excitement in his heart.

"You are indeed in danger," said Holmes. "Would you like to go for a walk with me?"

"Oh, yes, I will. Joseph will go too."

"Me too," said Miss Harrison.

"You had better not go," said Holmes. "I think you must stay here."

The girl sat back in her original seat unhappily, so the four of us went out together.When I came out of the window, as he said, there were indeed some traces on the flowerbed, but they were too blurred to be recognizable.

"Nobody expects to find anything from these traces," he said. "We looked around to see why the burglar chose this house. I think the large windows in the drawing room and dining room would have attracted him more."

"But those windows can be seen very well from the road," reminded Mr. Joseph Harrison.

"Oh, yes. But there's a door here, and he could try it right here. What's the door for?"

"This door is for merchants to enter and exit, and it is locked at night."

"Have you ever been frightened like this before?"

"there has never been."

"Is there anything worth stealing in your house?"

"There's nothing worth stealing."

Holmes walked about the house with an air of indifference such as I had never seen before.

"By the way," my friend said to Joseph Harrison, "I heard you saw a place where the man climbed over the fence. Let's go and see!"

This pudgy middle-aged man led us to a place where a wooden railing had been knocked off.A short piece of wood was still hanging down, and Holmes broke it off and examined it carefully.

"You think it was broken last night? It looks old, doesn't it?"

"probably!"

"We can't find any clues here. Let's go back to the bedroom and discuss."

Percy Phelps walked slowly, supported by his future brother-in-law.We hurried across the lawn to the window, while the two fell far behind.

"Miss Harrison," said Holmes gravely, "you must sit here and stay still. Please do not leave under any circumstances. This is very important."

"I will do it, sir, if you must," said the girl in amazement.

"Before going to bed, please lock the door from the outside and hold the key yourself. You must do as I tell you."

"And what about Percy?"

"Come with us to London."

"Then why should I stay here?"

"This will do you a great favor for your fiancé. Hurry up! Say yes!"

She gave a quick nod of her assent, just as the two men entered the room.

"Why do you sit here frowning, Anne?" cried her brother. "Go out into the sun!"

"No, Joseph, thank you. I've got a bit of a headache. The house is nice and I like it."

"What do you want to do now, sir?" asked our client.

"It would be very useful if you could come to London with us."

"immediately?"

"Yeah, preferably within an hour, okay?"

"Can I really help you with anything?"

"of course."

"Perhaps you want me to live in London tonight?"

"I think that's exactly what it is."

"Mr. Holmes, I will obey you. You may ask Joseph to take care of me with you."

"Oh, he doesn't have to go. Watson is a doctor and he will take care of you. After lunch, we will go to the city together."

What he suggested was done, and Miss Harrison found an excuse to remain in the bedroom.Phelps happily joined us for lunch as he regained his health and looked forward to the action.What was even more astonishing was that, after seeing us on the train, Holmes said without delay that he had decided not to leave Woking.

"I'll let your classmate sleep in my bedroom before I clear up one or two little things," he said. "Mr. Phelps, your absence will be to my advantage. Watson, come to Baker as soon as you arrive in London." Go to the street and let your classmate sleep in my bedroom. You must have a lot to talk about, because you are old classmates. I will take the train to Waterloo station at eight o'clock tomorrow morning, and I can have breakfast with you!"

"Aren't we going to investigate in London?" Phelps asked despondently.

"Tomorrow is not too late."

We both talked about it all the way, but neither could think of a good reason for his new behavior.

I am very tired this day, and my classmates are still weak.I tried to say things that would make him laugh, but it didn't work.It was late at night, and he turned from agitation to pain.

I persuade him to sleep.But like him, I couldn't sleep well, thinking about a series of questions, it took me a long time to fall asleep.

It was seven o'clock when I awoke, so I got up and went to Phelps' room, and found him haggard, who must have been up all night.His first sentence was to ask if Holmes had returned.

"Since he promised, he will come on time," I said.

Sure enough, he came back just after eight o'clock.

His left hand was bandaged, and his face was serious and pale.

"My friend, are you all right?" I asked him.

"Mere skin wounds," he replied, greeting us. "Mr. Phelps, this case is indeed the most secretive of the previous ones."

"I'm afraid you have more than enough heart but not enough strength."

"It was a particularly bizarre experience."

"The bandages can shed some light," I said, "tell us, please?"

"After dinner, I drove thirty miles from Surrey this morning."

We ate a breakfast prepared by Mrs. Hudson.Holmes gobbled it up.I watched curiously, and Phelps was sullen and dejected.

"Mr. Phelps, what do you like to eat, curry chicken or ham and eggs? I don't like it, just eat the one in front of you."

"Thank you, but I can't eat anything," he said.

"But you really should eat less," my friend said with a mischievous wink.

As soon as he opened the lid, there was a sudden scream.It turned out that there was a small blue-gray paper scroll in the tray.He grabbed it and stared blankly, then pressed the scroll to his chest, screamed excitedly, and danced with his hands and feet.Exhausted from overexcitement, he collapsed in an armchair.I made him drink a little brandy, lest he faint.

Phelps took Holmes' hand and kissed it.

"God bless you!" he cried, "you have saved my honor."

Phelps tucked the precious document into the close-fitting pocket of his jacket.

"Tell me what happened, I'm dying of anxiety."

Holmes finished his cup of coffee, ate his eggs and ham, and then lit his pipe.

"After I parted from you, I spent the afternoon wandering about. I did not return to Woking until evening.

"Wait until the road is clear before climbing over the fence and coming to your backyard."

"The gate is open all day and all night!" exclaimed Phelps suddenly.

"Yes, but I had to. I went under the cover of the fir trees into the bushes, and crawled from tree to tree until I got to the rhododendron bush opposite your bedroom window. Squat there , watching how things progress.

"The curtains were still on, and Miss Harrison was sitting at the table reading. It was a quarter past ten when she closed the book, fastened the shutters, and came out of the bedroom.

"It was a long wait. The bells of Woking Church rang quarter to quarter. Finally, about two o'clock in the morning, I heard the bolt being pulled and the key turned. The door for the servants opened. , Mr. Joseph Harrison came out in the moonlight."

"Joseph?" Phelps called.

"Yes, it was he. I saw him in his cloak, struggling into the bedroom, lighting a candle, and rolling up a corner of the rug by the door. From there he took a little roll of paper, and blew out the candle. He came out When he bumped into my arms, I was standing outside the window waiting for him.

"He came at me with a knife and he cut my knuckles with the knife. Then he handed over the papers and I let him go. No one is going to hear the case in court."

"My God!" my classmate moaned, "has that document been with me in that room for ten weeks?"

"exactly."

"Then! Joseph is a villain and a thief!"

"He is a more sinister figure than he appears to be. He loses money in stocks and does everything. He has no regard for his sister's happiness or your reputation."

"My head is spinning," he said.

"The chief difficulty with this case," said my friend didactically, "is that there are too many clues. It obscures very important clues. The first basis for my suspicion of Joseph was that on the night of the theft you Originally intended to go home with him. Then I heard that someone was eager to sneak into that bedroom, and my suspicions became certain at that time. Especially when someone tried to sneak into the room the first night when you were not with you, it amply proves This man knows the situation in the room very well."

"I really didn't see him clearly!"

"I have ascertained the facts of the case as follows: He entered the Foreign Office through a side door, but found no one there. While ringing the bell, he saw the papers on the table. He loaded the extremely valuable national Files. As you recall, the doorman alerted you a few minutes later, but the thieves were gone.

"He took the first bus back to Woking and hid the loot in a safe place to pick it up in a day or two and take it to the French embassy or wherever he thought he could sell it for money. But you popped up and he had to Moved out of that bedroom. He hasn't had a chance since then. But when his chance finally came, he managed to get inside and you chased him away. You must remember that you didn't take your usual medicine that night."

"I remember."

"I think he must have rigged the medicine to put you to sleep. He'll try again if there's no danger. He thought it was his chance when you left the bedroom. I kept Miss Harrison in all day." in the house, so that he could not strike while we were away. While I made him think there was no danger, I went back there to spy on him. I knew that the papers were probably hidden in the bedroom, but I didn't want to Go find it yourself. I'll let him take it out and save me the trouble."

"He could have gotten in through the door. Why the window?" I asked.

"In that case, he would have to go around seven bedrooms, and from the window he could have jumped onto the lawn with no trouble."

"Then did he intend to commit murder?" asked Phelps.

"It is possible," said Holmes, shrugging his shoulders, "but all I can say is that he is certainly not an efficient lamp."

(End of this chapter)