[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

The town of Massena at night was silent, there were only Mary and Sherlock Holmes in the room, and there was almost no sound except their breathing for a moment.

Holmes looked calm, and the detective's sharp eyes shot over. Before meeting Mary's gaze, she lowered her head to avoid his direct gaze.

The fact that Mary Bennet rarely avoided Holmes' gaze caused the detective to raise his eyebrows in amazement.He looked at the girl by the door for a while, and then broke the silence: "I boldly assume, Miss Mary, that your words to persuade me to stay overnight are not for sexual intercourse, or other ambiguous purposes that are not convenient to disclose."

"..."

It is impossible to expect Sherlock Holmes to be tactful.The originally delicate atmosphere disturbed him so much, before Mary could speak, she couldn't help laughing out loud.

"I'm sure you can understand, Mr. Holmes," said Mary, "that an out-of-town lady stays with the unloaders on her first night in the Monsour Coal Mine. Even if nothing happens to you and me, something must happen. .”

Of course Mary had no other intentions, she just felt that the living conditions of Sherlock Holmes in the Montsou Colliery must be quite unfavorable - just look at the dirty clothes he had when he rushed back to Paris overnight.But now, Mary Bennet owns a decent property, wouldn't it be a waste to live alone?

Besides...

"I think in the eyes of the workers," she said, "it's not uncommon for unloading workers to have a one-night affair."

The implication is that there is no need to worry about spreading the news all over the city, and even spreading it to Paris to affect Mary Bennet's reputation.Only the so-called "decent people" care about this kind of problem. The poor can't even afford food, so how can they consider the level of etiquette, justice, integrity and shame?They were more likely to celebrate that the unloader was favored by a rich lady, and to say something about Holmes' "good luck".

What's more, France is so far away from London, it is almost impossible for Mary to return to the town of Marchenne after the case is settled.She knew almost no one in the Mengsou coal mine, and even if there were rumors, it would not affect Mary's life.

A few rumors were exchanged for Holmes to eat and sleep well, and Mary thought it was worth it.

However, Mr. Holmes did not express affirmation or denial. He still had a calm attitude: "And you want to play a willful single lady, and even pretend that you are a courtesan in Paris. On the night when you stayed in Marchenne, it was rumored that Gossip is more conducive to deepening the trust of others in the image you play."

"And you, sir."

Mary went on to say: "Since I'm worried about my safety, wouldn't it be more convenient to live in the guest bedroom next door? It doesn't need to be like when the light will be rampant, and I need to come here to spy on it secretly."

Mary would never have known that Holmes had ever done so, if the boys of the Baker Street squad had not smuggled the secret to Mary.Talking about the "betrayal" behavior of the waifs, Holmes was not polite: "You don't need Wiggins to spread the word on your behalf."

——What is it passed on?Of course it's the phrase "I love him too".

This was the first time that Sherlock Holmes mentioned this matter face to face, and Mary smiled when thinking of the scene at that time.

"I don't quite understand one thing."

Holmes didn't wait for Mary to speak, and continued: "At a critical moment, I can understand special treatment. You invited me to stay overnight out of consideration of various objective factors, and you have valid reasons, I can understand. But there is one thing I can't figure it out."

Mary: "What?"

Mr. Holmes rubbed his chin with his hand, looking serious thinking: "Since it's an objective reason, you're acting extra nervous, Miss Mary."

Mary: "..."

Needless to say!

Even if, even if nothing will happen between two people just because they are alone, but at any rate, also——

Unable to think about it anymore, Mary's face turned red again uncontrollably.It didn't matter that she blushed, seeing the faint blush spread from Mary's cheeks to the tip of her nose.

A slight smile crawled into Sherlock Holmes' eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled imperceptibly.

Mary: "...you did it on purpose, sir!"

She finally understood that the similar actions several times before were also intentional!It is said that Sherlock Holmes is incomprehensible and overly rational. He is a kky monster with high IQ and low EQ.But when she really came into contact with Holmes himself, Mary insisted on her point of view: he is not low in EQ, he is too high in EQ!

Because of his high emotional intelligence, he has seen through all the sophistication and social morality of people, so he doesn't care much.But if he wanted to care about it, it was easy and effortless.It's like now, it's best to maintain the modesty of not saying anything, but he insists on making her blush, and it's not an exaggeration to say "bad".

Facing Mary's rebuke, which was almost a lover's accusation, the detective chuckled a few times.

"Thank you for your concern, Mary," he said, "but no. Even if I stay, it will help you to create your image as a romantic bachelor, but no. Now the situation in the Montsou coal mine is tense, and the relationship between workers and bourgeois The conflict between the two is quite sharp, and I cannot lose the trust of the workers at this time. And for the sake of your safety, on the bright side, it is best not to reveal signs of our prior acquaintance in public."

Mary was silent for a moment, probably understanding Holmes' intention.

Gaining the trust of the workers as an outsider still depends on the face of journalist Franz Harvey and the Workers International.Under such circumstances, instead of acting together to ensure mutual safety, it is indeed not as reliable as two people pretending not to know each other at all.In this way, Holmes is "one of the workers" who will consider him one of their own, while Mary is a "rich lady" who needs protection, with the care of the police and local dignitaries.

On the contrary, if they stay, even if there is a love story that "breaks through the class", it may lose the spread situation.

"Well."

Having figured this out, Mary quickly accepted what Holmes said.Although the workers' accommodation is certainly not as good as a single-family apartment, the current situation is that the sooner the case is solved and Professor Moriarty's flaws are found, the faster they can leave the Monsour Coal Mine and return to London.

"In that case, please be careful, Sherlock."

After Mary gave instructions, she was still not at ease with Mr. Holmes' living conditions. She ran into the bedroom with her skirt in her hand, unpacked her luggage, and rummaged through the apartment, taking some clean fabrics, blankets, and soap, etc. Daily necessities stuffed into the detective's arms.Mary raised her head: "A 'rich lady' showed kindness and donated some supplies to the poor who helped her. Shouldn't it arouse any suspicion?"

Holmes took the supplies, and when his thin palm touched Mary's fingertips, the two looked at each other. After the skin contact, the two had a meal by coincidence, and the cold temperature in the room seemed to rise sharply.

But soon Mary withdrew her hand.She blushed, but didn't look away again.

The detective's eyes flashed, and then he tightened his grip on the fabric in his hands. "You too, Mary."

After Holmes left, Mary still felt that the fingertips that had just touched him were still faintly hot.

And the scandal that the rich lady who suddenly moved into Marchenne spent a long time alone with a handsome young unloading worker that night spread among the workers as Mary expected.

But this is nothing, far from causing suspicion—especially when this young lady is clearly a "Parisian courtesan", it is not worthy of everyone's attention.

The general manager's wife, Mrs. Gregoire, and Ms. Grégoire knew about this before they met Mary Bennet.

Originally, after hearing the frivolous words and deeds of this lady, Mrs. Gregoire was afraid that Miss Bennet would spoil her daughter and wanted to refuse to see her.But when she heard that she turned out to be a close friend of a famous Parisian soprano, she was a little hesitant.When Miss Grégoire learned that Mary Bennet was wearing the most popular dress style in Paris, she had to come and see for herself. Mrs. Grégoire, who doted on her daughter, had no choice but to take her daughter with the wife of the general manager. pay a visit to.

And the rumors turned out to be true.

Miss Mary Bennet received them politely. Although she spoke with an accent and never concealed her British identity, Mrs. Henebo, who used to haunt Parisian social circles, still looked at Miss Bennet. Out of the contempt and arrogance of rich ladies.

The more she is like this, the more she looks extraordinary.The life in the town of Marchenne became boring, and Mrs. Henebeaud's long-dormant vanity was aroused again, and she kept helping Miss Bennet to speak well of Mrs. Grégoire.

After chatting among the ladies, Miss Mary Bennet revealed intentionally or unintentionally that she needed a maid and a coachman, because the previous servant was too clumsy and she was dismissed by her, but she really came to Marchena alone .

"Leave this matter to me," Mrs. Enebo intentionally curry favor with the lady from Paris, and took the initiative to arrange the introduction of the servants. "My husband has dealt with the workers, so he knows whose daughter is of good character and doesn't care about hard work. As for The coachman..."

Mrs. Enebo drew her tone: "Miss Bennet, I heard that you just came to Marchenne last night and met a very handsome young man. Why don't you just hire him?"

Hiring Sherlock Holmes was okay, Mary sneered inwardly, and it wasn't really that she lacked a coachman.

"He."

So Mary made a deliberate look of disdain: "Just because he is also a foreigner, he gave something and flirted."

"I see," Mrs. Enebo realized, "It's better for the coachman to find someone with experience."

After Mrs. Enebo finished talking, she changed the topic.

What Mary hates the most in her life is the gossip and the chats of the ladies. However, since she is here as an "undercover agent", she has to listen patiently—Mr. Holmes is not here, so analyze which words are useful and which are useless Only Mary can bear the heavy responsibility.

However, Miss Gregoire is a pearl who grew up in a honey pot. She knows nothing about her own industry, and she is even ignorant of what the strike is like.She dragged Mary and kept rambling about the trivial life of her daughter's family, which made Mary unable to hold back and lost her mind.

Just as she was wandering, the nagging Miss Grégoire suddenly screamed: "Miss Bennet, Miss Bennet, listen!"

Mary suddenly came back to her senses: "Huh?"

Before she could react, Miss Grégoire went straight to the window of the living room and pushed it open.

It's the harmonica.

The melodious and crisp music came from the window to the room, and the melody made Mary startled.

Suddenly Mary realized something, she got up with Mademoiselle Grégoire and walked to the window.Through the open window, the solitary town of Massena fell into view, and between the dusty sky and the earth, across the bleak street, Sherlock Holmes was sitting in front of the grocery store.

The detective was still dressed as a unloading worker, with the sleeves of the coarse coat rolled up, a towel tied around his neck, and the arm holding the harmonica resting casually on his knees, without any intention of covering up the ripped trousers and dirty soles.He heard the sound of the window opening in the opposite apartment, but Holmes only glanced at it, and turned it away when he saw Mary's figure approaching the window.

The song played on the harmonica is the famous Irish folk song "The Last Rose of Summer".

"Hi."

When Mr. Enebo saw the harmonica player, he couldn't help but joked: "Miss Bennet just had a good intention, but others listened to it."

Mary curled her lips.

It's not just listening to the ears, maybe it's not an exaggeration to say something in the heart.