[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

Returning to London does not mean that the trip to France is completely over. It is one aspect to pack up the items taken out for the trip and come to the magazine for social articles, and the other aspect...is the finishing work of the case.

These jobs are all done by "government personnel" and have nothing to do with Mary.But when Blackwood and his Illuminati failed, Mary met Mr. Mycroft Holmes.

Last night Mary had accepted Mr. Mycroft's invitation to discuss her compensation for assisting the case.

It's a bit stressful.

To be honest, Mary is not very good at dealing with people like Mr. Mycroft-he is very nice, polite and gentle, and he is much easier to get along with than Sherlock.But recalling the last meeting, when Mr. Mycroft did nothing, Mary inexplicably changed her words from "Mr. Holmes" to "Mr. Mycroft and Sherlock". The unit is just that high!

This time Mr. Mycroft still made an appointment in the office of the library, and Mary arrived on time.

"Ah, Miss Mary."

However, when she entered the office, Mary realized that the big devil she was going to face today was not Mr. Mycroft.

Seeing Mary approaching, the elder Holmes stood up politely and enthusiastically.He smiled and guided Mary forward like a brother he hadn't seen for a long time: "Would you like some tea? I just bought some new tea, and it tastes pretty good."

Mary: "Good afternoon, Mr. Mycroft, who is this?"

Her eyes fell on the old woman sitting on the sofa in the office.

"what."

Mr. Mycroft greeted Mary to sit down, picked up the teapot, and introduced in a casual tone: "Miss Mary, this is my mother; Mom, this is Mary Bennet."

Mary: "..."

When old Mrs. Holmes heard her son's introduction, she showed a surprised expression: "Miss Mary Bennet? Oh, you didn't tell me that Miss Mary would come today."

Mary: "..."

He didn't say that Brother Holmes' mother would be there!

Mary's scalp is about to explode!She originally thought that when she met Mr. Mycroft today, there would be no such thing as being forced to change her mind - it was just a reward, at most she would be teased.Now it seems that she is so naive, the name change is just the result of meeting for the first time, this is great, she has already met her parents!

Even if Holmes was in Longbourne back then, he never met and talked with the Bennets directly!

If she had known about it earlier, she would have called Sherlock to come with her, and Mary regretted it. With him, there would be no extremely embarrassing scenes, right?

Unexpectedly, as soon as this idea had turned around in Mary's heart, Mr. Mycroft sighed: "I wanted to invite Sherlock to come with me, but when he heard you were here, he felt troublesome, so he refused, mother." .”

Mary: "........."

traitor!

"Didn't you keep saying you wanted to see Miss Mary, mother," continued Mr. Mycroft, "it's rare to come to London, and we must seize the opportunity."

"Ah really."

It can be seen that Mrs. Holmes is very happy. The matter of the eldest son of the Holmes family can be regarded as being settled in the mother's heart.But if you are happy, the old lady is also a caring person: "Let Miss Mary see me without prior notice, it will scare the girl's family. Miss Mary, don't treat me as a stranger, come and sit down Sit down, whatever you want."

Help.

Meeting a boyfriend's parents has not been a "casual" thing since ancient times. Mary in the 21st century would never have reached this point, let alone in the relatively conservative Victorian era.

She bit the bullet and sat on the sofa: "Afternoon... good, Mrs. Holmes."

Mr. Mycroft walked out of the office with his teacup in hand, as if calling for tea to be made.Mary was embarrassed to be alone with Mrs. Holmes at the moment. After thinking about it, she forced herself to speak: "How long have you been in London, madam?"

"It's only a few days," Mrs. Holmes continued. "It's a coincidence that the weather in London is good these few days. Otherwise, Mike is busy, and I would be too lonely in his place."

"Did you come alone?" Mary asked in surprise.

"Who told the child's father to be too lazy to go out?" the old lady showed a resentful expression, "I have long said that I want to see my sons, and the wedding between Fitzwilliam and your sister was a good time, but he would rather curse himself than to marry him." Lied that he was sick and refused to go.”

Seeing Mrs. Holmes' complaining gesture, Mary subconsciously let go of her nervousness.

It's such a good feeling.

If it wasn't for true love, how could he speak in such an angry manner.

Mary was nervous because, in her mind, it must be quite a couple to have the Holmes brothers.Mary always felt that Mrs. Holmes would be a very difficult person to get along with, but it turned out...

The old lady had one child and his father, and Mary, who met her for the first time, babbled about seeing her son's daily life, which inexplicably made Mary feel very cordial.

Although it can be felt that Mrs. Holmes did this to relieve Mary's nervousness, but as a junior, Mary is of course very grateful for the old lady's kindness.

"I have been urging the boy's father for so long, and he won't budge," concluded Mrs. Holmes. "In that case, he doesn't want him, and I'll have to see Mike and Shelley, and come to London by myself. "

"Me and Sherlock again."

Mr. Mycroft came back with the teapot in hand, half complaining half jokingly interjected: "You'd better drink your tea, mother, and stop complaining about us to others."

"Where do I have it?"

"Tea, too, Miss Mary." Mr. Mycroft handed Mary the teacup.

"Thank you."

Mary waited patiently until Mr. Mycroft was seated, and then said, "Sir, you invited me to come today..."

"it does not matter."

Seeing that Mary hesitated to speak, Mr. Mycroft naturally understood what she was worried about: "There is no need to hide these things from my mother, and there is no confidentiality agreement signed between you and me. What you want to know about the affairs in France I probably know everything, do you have any questions?"

With permission, Mary stopped hesitating.

"How's the folks at Fu'an Mine?" she asked.

"Mengsu Coal Mine has gradually resumed production," Mr. Mycroft replied, "but the coal mines suffered a lot of casualties, which can be said to be a serious loss of vitality. Fu'an Coal Mine is one of the mines with a lot of casualties, but don't worry, how many people you know?" All workers are fine."

Mary breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though it was only two months before the end of the riots, after nearly half a year of confrontation, the mine resumed production in a mere [-] days. Such news sounds funny and ironic.But Mary knows that things will not be as simple and peaceful as they appear on the surface. At least from the letter sent by Catherine, the workers of the Mengsou Coal Mine seem to have nothing in the end, but in fact they have obtained the most precious thing in the world. The noblest thing.

That is the complete soul that belongs to man.

Mary also wanted to ask how Catherine was doing, but she hesitated for a moment, deciding that it would be better not to ask.

After leaving, the two of them will never have any communication in this life. What she chooses, whether life is good or bad, is Katrin's own business. Mary has no right and will not intervene.

"Then Professor Moriarty," so Mary chose a more practical question, "what should I do?"

"..."

It was rare for Mr Mycroft to put away his easy-going smile.

A sharp color flashed in his eyes, until now, the two Holmes brothers with completely different figures showed almost identical traces in their eyes.

"It's really difficult to deal with," Mr. Mycroft did not give a precise answer, "but please rest assured, Miss Mary, we will never let him continue to do evil outside. However, instead of discussing these inconclusive matters, it is better to talk about Talk about something practical, like your compensation."

It seems that how the government intends to deal with Professor Moriarty is a secret.

Mr. Mycroft could say no more, and Mary asked no more.She nodded: "As long as you don't pay another ten years' rent, everything will be fine."

"of course not!"

The eldest son of the Holmes family laughed: "The price of 20 years' rent, if you add more money, it is better to buy the apartment on Serpentine Street for you. I am a member of the government, and I have to save money for the government."

With that, he took the check out of his coat pocket.

"You and Sherlock captured Professor Moriarty, which is a great achievement. I could have applied for a generous reward for you, but..."

Mr. Mycroft naturally saw that Mary was about to refuse, and suddenly changed the topic: "But you pretended to be a single lady from a rich family in the small town of Massena to get close to the capitalists, and you spent a lot of money. The government You can't help you pay for nothing, the higher-ups think that this account should be included in your remuneration, so after adding and subtracting, your remuneration is only two hundred pounds, what a pity, Miss Mary."

"..."

A ten-year-old child can hear it. This is the remark that Mr. Mycroft blurted out halfway when he realized that Mary would never accept any generous reward.But it is agreed that she spends the money according to the order!Even though she knew it was an excuse, Mary still felt that she had lost a lot for no reason.

I have to admit that Mr. Mycroft has a high emotional intelligence. In Milton, Mr. Thornton also paid Mary two hundred pounds.Mary accepted this price back then, and now Mary will not refuse this price.

Two hundred pounds!

Thinking about the 750 pounds that will come to her in the future—Mary is confident that the publisher will agree to her conditions, and she will earn back as much money as her dowry.Although the process was arduous, seeing the funds in hand felt as if they were dropped from the sky.

Mrs. Holmes saw the unconcealed joy in Mary's bright eyes while her expression was tense. The more she watched, the more she liked it.

"I heard you saw the Poirot children in Paris, didn't you?" asked the old lady.

"Ah, yes!"

Mr. Poirot himself said that the old lady had known his mother, so Mary told the old lady what happened in Paris.

She thought that the old lady would be concerned about Mr. Poirot's movements, but she didn't expect Mrs. Holmes to ask with great interest after listening to her story, "So your two younger sisters also went to Paris with you."

"..." It's okay to talk about relatives, but it's more and more like meeting parents, help me.

Mary panicked and replied seriously: "Well, my two younger sisters have helped me a lot at work, and it's only natural to take them out for fun."

The old lady said in surprise: "Did your two younger sisters also participate in the creation?"

Mrs. Holmes knew she was writing a novel?

Well, it makes sense to think about it while being surprised.Mary explained: "Usually, Katie and Lydia will help me open letters, tidy up the table and so on. Although they are all trivial matters, they save me a lot of effort."

"Open the letter."

When the old lady heard Mary mentioning this word, she suddenly regained her spirits: "It turns out that you read letters from readers, Miss Mary. I never responded to the letters I sent to the magazine. I thought you didn't want readers' thoughts to interfere with your creation." .”

……and many more.

Mrs. Holmes, the mother of two great god-level brothers, was actually reading her own work, and she also wrote to herself. Hearing this argument, she may have written a letter more than once.

Mary opened almost every letter, which means she must have read Mrs. Holmes's letter.And the old lady's friendly and encouraging tone, as well as the idiomatic expressions in her speech...

"That, that."

She suddenly widened her eyes: "You are the old lady who has been writing letters since "Serial Killer Chess Game"?"

"oops."

Mrs. Holmes laughed happily: "Miss Mary remembers!"

What, what!

Mary's feeling was shocking and joyful. Mrs. Holmes has been reading her serials?

To be honest, in most cases, the feeling that the boyfriend's mother is watching your creation is more shame than surprise.However, Mrs. Holmes is not the kind of person who is perfunctory and casually praised by the younger generation. Mary remembers the old lady who always sends letters.

Moreover, Mrs. Holmes will not ask Mary for follow-up thoughts, or other things that interfere with thinking.She just picked up a few stories and chatted with Mary, and more of them exchanged things in life with Mary.

This kind of emotional intelligence, such a way of dealing with people and things, moved Mary, but at the same time, she couldn't help but cast her eyes on her face—no wonder she was able to cultivate two Holmes brothers, the old lady was just extraordinary.

They got along so well that Mary felt a little bit reluctant when she left.

"By the way," she said after thinking for a while, "My second sister and brother-in-law will hold a private party tomorrow night. If Mrs. Holmes feels bored in London, why not come over?"

"You young people's party, I forget it."

Mrs. Holmes patted the back of Mary's hand and said with a smile: "I still want to see me, so I will let Shelly take you to Holmes Manor as a guest in the future."

Upon hearing this, Mary blushed quickly.

Sure enough, seeing an old lady who appreciates her is completely different from meeting Mr. Sherlock Holmes' mother.The old lady said that she would let Sherlock take her with her...

This basically expresses the attitude of affirming the relationship between the two.

By the time she got home, Mary still felt that her cheeks were burning slightly.

The trip to Paris brings changes not only in Marie's life, but also in her sisters.

Catherine is fine. After Lydia came back from France, she was as diligent and studious as a different person—the little sister of the Bennet family was diligent and studious. Mary never thought that she could put the word "study" in Lydia. body.

Instead of asking Mary for help, she found a reliable French teacher through the ladies of the London social circle, and then offered to learn business knowledge from her uncle and aunt, the Gardners.With such a plan, anyone can see that Lydia really wants to open her own women's clothing store.

She was even thinking about Nora.

When Mary went to the town of Massena to investigate the case, Lydia, who stayed in Paris, often visited Nora.After visiting many times, Ms. Irene Adler noticed this woman who had gone through many ups and downs but had a strong will. Without Lydia's pleading, Irene found several opportunities for interviews with clerks and tutors for Nora.

As expected, Nora lived up to expectations, and by virtue of her own ability and past experience in taking over handwritten and proofreading manuscripts, she got a modest position as a proofreader.

Although the money was not particularly large, it was impossible for her to be rich when she was relying on her husband, but it was enough for Nora to be self-sufficient and take her clothes to the laundry to be cleaned.

By Mary's standards, that's good enough.Do your best to help her, and the future of life depends on your own struggle.

But Lydia was still not reconciled.

I don't know if she is not reconciled to what she said, "Nara's embroidery is so good, it's no worse than mine, it's too wasteful to be a clerk", or is she not reconciled to the fact that it was Irene who helped Nora out of the predicament and not her .In short, Mary can clearly feel that Lydia has held back her energy since she came back, an obsession to develop her career in France.

Although she often makes all kinds of decisions at the top on weekdays, Lydia has also paid the price because of impulsiveness and recklessness, but Mary inexplicably feels that this time, Lydia can persevere.

In the afternoon of the second day, the three Bennet sisters dressed up, hailed a carriage, left Serpentine Street, and went straight to the residence of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in the suburbs of London.

They went to Paris for almost half a year, and when they finally came back, the sisters naturally had a lot to say.Of course, Elizabeth also carefully invited the Watsons and Holmes, but when Mary and the others arrived, the Watsons arrived, but Holmes hadn't.

"Leave him alone," concluded Watson, "unless there is some serious case in the vicinity of Mr. Darcy's place, and he is bound to come very quickly, the fellow is so indifferent to society and everyday life. "

That's what he said, but there was no conflict on John Watson's face. He said this with a smile, and his tone was more mocking of his friend.

When Mary and Holmes were investigating the case in France, Watson and his wife were not idle. They said they were newlyweds on their honeymoon, and they spent half a year at one point. Seeing Dr. Watson's radiant face, one could tell how happy their married life was. up.

"It's good to marry a wife," Mary couldn't help teasing, "Our doctor was thin and tall when he was a bachelor, but he gained weight after six months."

"What—" Watson was discouraged all of a sudden.

Mary Morstan, who has become Mrs. Watson, laughed out loud when she heard the words: "I said you are fat, but you still don't admit it!"

Watson was very annoyed: "I know, I will control it!"

Mary: "..."

She just said casually, do you, a man, care about your appearance so much!Although Dr. Watson does have a handsome face—otherwise, how could future generations find Jude Law to play him, but you are too burdened by an idol!

Mary cleared her throat, and also helped Watson out: "Don't wait for Sherlock, anyway, he can deduce everything in advance. I have something to announce."

Mary, who had always been able to hide herself in a corner and never stand out in social situations, took the initiative to speak, causing her friends and family members to stop talking and chatting in unison.

Seeing that everyone's attention was attracted, Mary raised the corners of her mouth.

"I went to the magazine office yesterday," she said with a smile, "I had a chat with editor-in-chief Hall about the plan to publish the book serially. Although the specific details are still being discussed and the rights that can be obtained have not yet been decided, the publication is already a It's a done deal."

"Great!"

Upon hearing this, Catherine cheered immediately.

The others were also very pleasantly surprised, but they were not as excited as the fourth girl in the Bennet family. When encountering such a good thing, Catherine and Lydia's chirping and laughing made the atmosphere very lively, and the room was in a mess for a while.

"I knew you could do it."

As the eldest sister, Jane was very relieved: "Mary always has her own ideas, and the creative path is very suitable for her."

Elizabeth: "You, you are so short-tempered, you can think whatever they do."

Jane scolded, "Isn't it?"

Elizabeth: "Three wild girls."

Mary: "Ah, Lizzie hates me again."

Even if she is married, it doesn't mean that Jane and her sisters feel disgusted.As soon as Mary showed an aggrieved expression, she knew that the next step must be her third sister hugging her second sister and acting like a baby. The eldest sister couldn't help but shook her head, then stood up: "Sitting is boring, Mrs. Watson and I are going out for a walk Walk."

The eldest sister carefully set aside time for the second and third younger sisters to be alone, and Mary was not polite.

At Longbourn, she was still on best terms with Elizabeth.Now Elizabeth has become Mrs. Darcy. Although she is happy with the naked eye, she can only see her every few months. Mary will still miss her.

"I've already earned as much money as my dowry," Mary complained, holding Elizabeth's wrist, "how come I'm still a wild girl in Lizzie's eyes?"

"Earn as much money as a dowry."

Elizabeth looked at Mary with smart eyes, and teased: "You still want to hug me and act like a baby, isn't it a girl?"

Mary: "A girl and a wild girl are not the same thing."

Elizabeth: "Well, it's really not the same thing, I used the wrong word."

Mary: "Yes!"

Elizabeth: "Now she is a stingy girl who has fallen into the eyes of money."

Mary: "..."

Is she still my sister?

After winning, Elizabeth pursed her lips and smiled.

She smiled, and she was supposed to be happy for Mary, but there was a hint of emotion in her smile: "You, since you were young, your parents rarely cared about our choices. Jane and I are often worried about your future life, Now it seems that unconstrained style is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as people keep their feet on the ground and look to the sky, they can find their own direction. It is a good thing to be able to make achievements, and I am proud of you, Mary."

Mary was elated: "Thank you, Lizzie, I am also very proud. Writing serials is a very interesting thing. Seeing the characters I created are recognized and known by others, it feels like my own It’s like my son’s getting ahead, my son is amazing——”

"Son or not?" Elizabeth hastily reached out her hand to cover Mary's mouth, "You're not married yet, don't talk nonsense!"

"Well, I'm just making a metaphor."

Mary hurriedly pushed Elizabeth's hand away: "Lizzie, why are you reacting so badly!"

Elizabeth: "Because I..."

Mary: "You what?"

Elizabeth, who is always generous and calm, "I" didn't say anything for a long time.Before finishing the words, his face turned red.

Isn't it just a son, so what, it's worth blushing like this... Wait.

Mary realized something.

She suddenly widened her eyes, and looked at Elizabeth again in surprise: "Lizzie, you, aren't you...pregnant?"

Elizabeth, who rarely showed a shy posture, covered her mouth and nodded.

"My God!"

Mary yelled, "Lizzie, are you pregnant?!"

"what?!"

Now, Mary's publishing plan is no longer the topic of greatest concern to everyone.

Elizabeth was surrounded by crowds, and Mary was directly pushed outside by her two younger sisters. She didn't mind that everyone cared about Elizabeth, and Mary was too late to be happy.While she was just pleasantly surprised, she also inevitably felt an unrealistic feeling.

My second sister seemed to be poking her forehead with her fingertips at Longbourne yesterday, and she became Mrs Darcy in the blink of an eye, and in the blink of an eye, there was a baby in her stomach.

Time flies so fast.

Walking out of Longbourne seemed to be a long time ago, and Mary suddenly realized that Jane and Elizabeth were married, and she brought Catherine and Lydia to London to solve crimes and write, and she did not feel any experience or witness in her day-to-day life. How much has happened, yet looking back, so much has happened.

Even Lydia was a grown girl.

Holmes still did not come until supper time.

Although Sherlock Holmes is very slack about social and trivial matters, he is not rude and arrogant.It was understandable that he was a little late, but he was so late... Mary felt that it was very likely that there was some urgent case or other troubles that stumbled him.

She is not in a hurry, anyway, she has her own sisters here.

During the chat, Jane felt nostalgic for the days before she got married, and Elizabeth was about to take a few ladies to the piano room to "perform some skills".

The girls' families gathered together was naturally a mess, as if they had returned to the days of Longbourn.Morstan, who has become Mrs. Watson, has never seen the social life of a single lady. This is good, Catherine and Lydia must pull her to play together.Ladies who don't care whether they are married or not are back to their girlhood in an instant, and they have to go to the bedroom to have a pillow fight after fighting in the piano room.Even Jane, who is always gentle and generous like a lady template, is rarely in the mood.

They booed and left, but Mary stayed behind.

When she was in Longbourn, Mary didn't like to socialize. Although she loved to talk about the piano like Miss Mary Bennet in the original book, she was unwilling to use it as capital to show off in public.After arriving in London, she didn't have much chance to touch the keys. The last time she sat in front of the piano was in Irene's villa.

Mary sat down, her back straightened, her hands resting on the keys, and the music came back to her ears naturally.

The last time she played was Brahms Violin Sonata No. [-] in G major, which was also... the piece that Holmes played for her at night.

Closing his eyes, the familiar tune slowly sounded at Mary's fingertips.

The same piece of music, a similar scene, the last time Holmes appeared in front of the door after Mary finished a song, Mary asked him to play an ensemble invitation, he agreed, and now...

There was a mysterious premonition that made Mary shudder, and she turned her head as if feeling something.

Sherlock Holmes was indeed there.

Just like last time, he stood quietly by the door of the piano room, and he didn't know how long he had been here.Sherlock did not take a step until Mary had stopped playing.

"You're late," Mary said.

"Feel sorry."

Holmes had taken off his overcoat, which must have been left on the drawing-room porch.The detective was wearing a white shirt with a black waistcoat, thin and straight.He lowered his head when he heard Mary's words: "Lestrade came to the door before leaving and said there was a case."

"Very troublesome?"

"It would be more troublesome for him to go there himself," Holmes sneered. "It's an extremely boring love murder case. He should come to me after it is published in the newspaper. Obviously, the information in the newspaper alone is enough to confirm the murderer."

The implication is that running all day for a "very low-level" case is a complete waste of time in Holmes' view.

After speaking, he walked to a corner of the piano room, opened the cabinet, and took out a violin case from it.

Mary's heart skipped a beat.

It can be seen that Holmes is indeed a family friend with Darcy, and he feels at ease picking up the violin that belongs to Mr. Darcy.Holmes even held up the violin to look at it for a moment, and then commented seriously: "The violin is in good condition, but it has not been used for a long time."

Mary couldn't laugh or cry: "Lizzie and Mr. Darcy don't plan to stay in London permanently."

Holmes raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

It can be seen that he doesn't like to use other people's pianos, but that's the case, Holmes still tried the sound, and then fine-tuned the strings. After setting up his posture, he looked up at Mary: "Why stop?"

Mary: "..."

It's not because you're here!

However, even so, seeing Sherlock Holmes posing, Mary still couldn't help curling her lips.

——Last time, he agreed to Mary's ensemble invitation.

Things like musical instruments will regress if they are not touched for a long time.What's more, the Brahms ensemble was not within the scope of Mary's regular practice. When she refocused on the keys, she was even a little nervous, worried that her unfamiliar memory would destroy the whole piece.

However, when the sound of piano and violin intertwined into a tune full of love, all worries disappeared.

The light piano performance and the melodious violin performance are lingering and entangled. Brahms has been unrequitedly in love with Clara throughout his life, but the tune he wrote to his beloved lady does not contain any humbleness and pathos. Contains endless tenderness and surging love.

Nothing expresses emotions better than music.

Mary turned her head, and she looked up at Holmes who was standing beside the piano. The latter opened his eyes as if he had sensed something.

The piano playing entered a rest.

She stopped and stared at Holmes who was still playing, her eyes met. After a while, Holmes curled his lips.

The violin part is still going on, like whispering alone, like talking silently, like a gentleman expressing his love for his sweetheart in the most serious and dignified manner, like... at noon in a bleak and lonely town, He was sitting under the window, and the moment she opened the window, she heard the same melodious and gentle harmonica playing.

Then the piano responded.

It becomes more and more enthusiastic and integrated, the high and low performances are twisted in one place, the piano performance is not strong in the tune, it cooperates with the violin part and also has its own pace and rhythm.Mary soon didn't care about her skills being unfamiliar or not. She was not performing or competing, and Sherlock Holmes agreed to her invitation not because of how superb Mary was.

Nothing brings two souls together like music.

Mary could still hear her own heart beating after the song was over—perhaps it was the beating of two people.Her dancing fingers in front of the keys stopped, and when she returned to reality, it seemed like a lifetime away.

When Holmes returned the violin to the case, the sound he made when he closed the case brought Mary back to her senses.

Somehow, instinct drove Mary to stand up from the piano, and she watched Holmes put the violin back in the cabinet, and then turned around.

"I heard that quite a few publishers want to sign a serial publishing contract with you." Holmes suddenly started a rather realistic topic.

"Yes."

Mary nodded: "Editor-in-chief Hall helped me screen a few copies. I discussed with him, and after deciding on the general content of the cooperation, I decided to hand it over to him to discuss with the publisher."

"A wise decision," agreed Holmes.

But other than that, he didn't say much.Neither asked about the details of Mary's contract, nor asked about the remuneration given by the other party.

To be honest, that's what Mary liked most about Sherlock Holmes.

Although she knows that detectives don't care in essence, but in the nineteenth century, no, even in the 21st century, this kind of indifference is so precious-the meaning of not caring is that even if you know the importance of material money, you also understand the importance of money. Daily necessities are the basis of life, but Holmes doesn't care too much about material and money matters.

How much money Mary has and how much assets she can carry is her business.

Hidden under such "don't care" is respect.

The two looked at each other in silence, and neither of them spoke for a while, but the atmosphere was not awkward.Until Mary pursed her lips and changed the subject: "Sorry, I wanted to practice and then play together."

Holmes raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You and I didn't agree to perform on the same stage," he said, which was very similar to what Mary thought in his heart. "Music appears to convey emotions and memories, not craftsmen's performance. The pursuit of perfection requires not only one note Poor, but also full of emotion, that is a requirement for professionals, not the original intention of you inviting me to play an ensemble."

"So, you know my original intention."

"..."

Holmes fell into a rare silence.

He stared at Mary for a while, his sharp eyes were full of scrutiny - he hadn't looked at Mary like this for a long time, the observation when we first met may be to determine her character, but now...

Mary somehow felt that Holmes was a little nervous.

After a long time, he looked away.

"Yeah, I know."

Holmes spoke.

"Even two pianists and violinists of great skill and extraordinary talent may not be able to perform a sonata perfectly," he said. "Technology is the most important aspect of music, and on the other hand, emotion Ms. Mary, you and I may not be as capable as professional actors, but I am confident that in terms of...emotion, our cooperation will not lose to them."

Saying this, Sherlock Holmes stretched out his right hand towards Mary.

"The last time I took the liberty to try to trade an ensemble invitation as a compromise to reality, it was my fault, please bear with me now," he said, "but this time, I promise that there is nothing but sincerity in my words." elements of exchange, compromise."

He raised his head, and there was a trace of softness unexpectedly on his normally expressionless stern face, which was almost undetectable, but melted the coldness brought about by the man's high cheekbones and aquiline nose bridge.Holmes looked at Mary, and made his announcement with the utmost earnestness and solemnity.

"Miss Mary Bennet, would you share with me this