Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 2

Chapter 35 Return 11
"I did some research at the country hotel there. The pub-keeper told me that Williamson was an old man with a white beard who lived on the estate with a handful of servants. Within a short period of time, I noticed that he did not look like a priest. I asked a priest's institution and learned that there was a priest by that name, but he had a very dishonorable behavior. Also, There are always visitors to the manor at weekends, all of them are dirty ruffians, especially a man with a red beard named Woodley. Just talking about this, Mr. Woodley actually came over, he has been in the bar .He asked me who I am and what I want to do? Why should I ask these questions? I was talking nonsense, and all I said were modifiers. In the end, he yelled at me and beat me up. Hitting, so I am what I am now. He rode back and I came back. But I have to admit, I got very little."

On Thursday we had another letter from the girl.She wrote:

Mr. Holmes, you are not surprised that I am resigning Mr. Carruthers' employment? I do not want to live in such awkward circumstances.When I got back to town on Saturday, I had no intention of coming back.Mr. Carruthers has bought me a carriage, and the dangers of the road are gone now.

The more specific reason for my resignation is that the annoying Mr. Woodley is at it again.He was even more frightening.Seems like something happened, so he became even more unsightly.I saw him from the window, I didn't meet him face to face.They talked for a long time, and Mr. Carruthers became very excited.He must have lived nearby, for he did not stay with the Carruthers.I caught him this morning when he was slinking about in the bushes.I'm going to run into this beast in this place in a while, and I'm scared.Why should Mr. Carruthers put up with such a fellow? Everything will be all right by Saturday, though.

"I am sure, Watson," said Holmes, "that there is a most sinister conspiracy behind the little girl, and we should very well go there. Watson, I think we will go together on Saturday morning."

I admit that I have never paid attention to this case, and I blindly believe that there is no danger in this case at all.It's okay for a guy to hide, wait for a pretty girl and follow her.If he was just like this, not only did not dare to courtship, but also avoided when she approached him, then she would never have to worry.But Woodley is a different story.Afterwards he never harassed the girl again, and even came to the Carruthers' house without intruding in her presence.The biker must have been part of the weekend party the owner said.Who will he be? What is he going to do? It is still a mystery that cannot be solved.Before Holmes set off, he loaded a pistol, which made me realize that a series of strange events may foreshadow tragedy.

My companion and I, breathing in the fresh morning air, enjoying the singing of birds and the scent of flowers, saw the gloomy manor house rising above the old oaks from high on Crooksbury's Hilltop Road. middle.Holmes pointed out the long stretch of road, which ran like a reddish-yellow band between the brown heath and a patch of green wood.A small black spot appeared in the distance, and a carriage was approaching in our direction, and Holmes suddenly became anxious.

"No, we are half an hour late," said he. "If this is the girl's carriage, she must be catching an earlier train. We may not catch her, Watson, she has passed by now." Charrington."

At this moment we passed the high point of the road, and the carriage disappeared from our sight.So we quickened our pace, and suddenly he stopped a hundred yards ahead of me.At this moment, an empty carriage came round the bend in the road, its bridle trailing on the ground, and the carriage creaked towards us.

"We're late, Watson!" cried Holmes. "How stupid I am, she's been kidnapped! Yes, yes. Come, jump into the car, and see if we can remedy our own fault." consequences."

We got into the carriage and drove back quickly.As we turned the bend the whole road between the manor and the heather lay before us.I grabbed my companion's arm.

"That's him!" I gasped suddenly.

A cyclist rushed towards us.He lowered his head, rounded his shoulders, and put all his strength on the pedals, so the car was galloping fast.He jumped off his bicycle suddenly, his eyes sparkling, and he looked very excited, but when he saw us in the carriage, he was very surprised.

"Stop! Stop!" he yelled, putting his bicycle in front of us. "Where did you get this carriage? Hey, stop!" He pointed his pistol at us. "You hear that? Stop!" Down, or I'm going to shoot!"

Holmes flung the reins over my lap, and sprang from the carriage.

"We are going to see you! Where is Violet Miss Smith?" asked the companion hastily.

"I was going to ask you. Why did you ride in her carriage?"

"We met on the road and there was no one on it."

The stranger cried out in despair, "They've got her, that damned Woodley and that scoundrel pastor! Come on, sir, if you're really her friends, come with me, and come with me to save her." !"

He ran frantically into a gap in the hedge, pistol in hand, and my companion followed closely.

The stranger pointed to the footprints left on the muddy path and said, "That's where they went! Hey! Stop, who's in the bushes?"

It was a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed like a groom, lying on his back on the ground with his knees curled up, with a terrible wound on his head, and he had lost consciousness.

"He is Peter the groom," cried the stranger, "and he drove the girl. He was wounded by the beasts who pulled him out of the cart. We are going to rescue a girl in distress."

We sprinted towards the winding path through the woods, but Holmes stopped near the bushes.

"They did not enter the house, and left their footprints by the laurel tree."

At this time, there was a scream of a woman, which suddenly disappeared, leaving only a suffocating cluck.

"Here! Here! They're at the pétanques," said the stranger, breaking through the bushes. "Ah, these cowards! Come with me, gentlemen! Ah! It's too late! It's too late!"

We broke into a green meadow among the trees.There were three people on the other side of the lawn, and they were standing under a big oak tree, and one of them was the girl.She hung her head, half fainted, with a handkerchief over her mouth.The savage-looking young man with the red beard stood opposite her, looking very pleased with himself.An old guy with a white beard stood between the two, wearing tweed clothes and a short white cassock, obviously just finished the wedding ceremony, the old man patted the sinister groom on the back and blessed him happily .

"They're having a wedding!" I gasped.

We rushed up to the girl as she wobbled against the tree trunk.The ex-clergyman Williamson gave us a low, mocking bow, and Woodley roared ferociously, laughing wildly.

"Take off your fake mustache, Bob," he cried. "I recognized you, and I'll introduce you to Mrs. Woodley."

Our leader tore off his camouflaged black beard, threw it on the ground, and aimed his gun at Woodley, who was also charging at him savagely with his deadly whip.

"Yes," said the guide, "I'm Bob Carruthers, and I want to keep this girl safe. If you harass her, I'll kill you first."

"A little later, she is my wife now."

"No, she is your widow."

The gun rang out, and the blood spurted from Woodley's chest, and he fell on his back with a scream. The old man drew his pistol too, but Holmes had brought it to him before he had time to raise it. allowed him.

"Enough," said my companion coldly, "throw down the gun! Watson, pick up his gun! Aim at his head! Thank you. Carruthers, give me your gun too. Come , Hand in your guns!"

"But who are you?"

"My name is Sherlock Morpheus."

"what……"

"I will watch over you until the official detective arrives. Say, you!" Holmes called to the coachman. "Come here, and take this to Farnham." He tore a page from his notebook, and A few words were scribbled, "Please hand it over to the sheriff of the police station."

My companions ruled here, and the old man and Carruthers carried the wounded into the house, and I supported the frightened girl.He was watching over Williamson and Carruthers in the dining room when I examined the wounded and reported to him.

"He's not going to die," I reported.

"What!" Carruthers sprang from his chair, "Let me finish him!"

"Never mind," said Holmes. "She is not his wife at all. In the first place, Williamson has no right to officiate at the wedding."

"I am a priest," cried the old man.

"But it's been waived, right?"

"A pastor once, a pastor forever."

"I don't think so. Got a marriage certificate?"

"Of course there is."

"So you got here by trick. But the law doesn't sanction forced marriage. You've had time to figure it out. Carruthers, you can do better if you don't pull your gun out of your pocket." Prettier ones."

"But when I see her fall into the clutches of that South African rascal, I will take every precaution to protect that girl—for I love her, Mr. Holmes. I have long known that these rascals lurk here." In the house, since the girl was hired by me, I always escorted her in my car, but I didn't want her to recognize me, so I kept a certain distance from her and wore a fake beard. If she knew it was me, she will leave me immediately."

"Then why don't you tell her everything?"

"Because even if I did, she would still leave me, but I don't want that to happen."

"Mr. Carruthers, this is a gross act of egoism."

"But no matter what, I wouldn't let her go. Besides, with this group around her, it would be nice if she had someone to take care of her around. Then, when I got the telegram, I knew they were going to take action. "

"What telegram?"

Carruthers took out the telegram.

There were only a few words in the telegram:

The old man is dead.

"Oh!" said my companion, "I think I see that the telegram has prompted them to take extreme action."

The old man in the white cassock began to curse.

"It's going to be bad luck if you're going to betray your friends."

"Your Excellency, please don't get excited!" said Holmes, lighting his cigarette. "I am only asking for a few details. But even if you don't say anything, I will let you know that everything can't be concealed. First, you three are Came from South Africa to play the game."

"Nonsense!" said the old man. "I've never set foot in Africa."

"He didn't lie," said Carruthers.

"Well, so you two are from far away, and the Reverend Reverend is native. You met Ralph Smith in South Africa. You see he's going to die soon. And his only niece will inherit his estate. Am I right?"

Carruthers kept nodding, and the old man continued to swear.

"Of course, she is the closest relative, and it is impossible for that person to leave any will."

"Yes, he cannot read," said Carruthers.

"So you two came all the way to find out what happened to this girl. One of you wanted to marry her, and the other got a piece of stolen money. For some reason, Woodley chose to be the husband, and why? What's the reason?"

"I lost at poker."

"I see. You hired the girl to your house so that Woodley could come to your house and woo her. But she saw Woodley's ugly face and refused to associate with him. At the same time, you gradually fell in love with him. You can't stand the thought of the girl being possessed by that scoundrel."

"Yes, I really can't stand it."

"He left you in a fit of anger."

"Williamson, I think that's all I have to say, and maybe some additions would make it more complete," said Carruthers with a wry smile. "He knocked me down when we quarreled. So he knew this man again." The clergyman who was expelled. They rented a house here, and she used this road to get to the station. I have taken care of her since then, because I understand her situation. Woodley sent me this telegram two days ago, saying that La Wolf Smith is dead. He asked me if I wanted to marry that girl myself and give him some property. I accepted, but the girl refused. I would not use force. He swore he would get her Got it. She was going to leave this weekend. I found a buggy to take her off, but I was always worried about accidents, so I rode here. However, she left early, and something happened before I could catch up. When I saw it was you Returning in her carriage, I have a sense of foreboding."

My companion stood up. "My reflexes are a little slow, Watson?" said he. "I should have understood when you said the cyclist adjusted his tie. But we can be thankful that we have another curious case. Three district policemen came up the drive, and the little groom who had fainted just now was going as fast as them. So it was hard for the vicar and the bridegroom. Watson, I think you should go and see Miss Smith first, and if she recovers, We'll escort her home. If she hasn't recovered, you can put it this way, we'd like to telegraph a young electrician at the Midland Company, and as for you, Mr. I'll do my best to get justice for you."

Due to time constraints, it is not possible to detail them one by one.Each case is the prelude to another, and once the climax is over, the characters are gone forever.But it did lead me to find the manuscript describing the case.It is recorded in the above: The girl really inherited a large amount of inheritance, and now she is the major shareholder of Morton and Kennedy Company - the wife of the famous Westminster electrician Cyril Morton.Williamson and Woodley were sentenced to seven and [-] years in prison, respectively, for abduction and assault.I have had no report of what happened to Carruthers, and as far as I can imagine he was sentenced to a few months' imprisonment at most.

(End of this chapter)