[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

Several months have passed since Sherlock Holmes left Netherfield Manor.

According to Mary's knowledge, it doesn't take so long for Mr. Detective to solve the case.But this case, in fact, can hardly be called a "case".

First of all, all the doubts now point to someone trying to steal Mr. Charles Bingley's contract. As for the crime of someone manipulating the cotton textile market behind the scenes, it is still in the stage of suspicion.

Secondly, Captain Carter acted cautiously and only stayed with the officers during this period. Even Sherlock Holmes, without any clues, could not find out the motive of him instigating little Jeffrey.

Fortunately, no crime is invulnerable.

Just a few days ago, Holmes found out that the factory owner who secretly met with Captain Carter was Mr. Hamp, another partner of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Thornton.

Now, it's time to investigate.

Mary couldn't hold back the excitement in her heart. She hadn't seen Mr. Holmes for several months, and this was her first visit. When she got off the carriage, she was so excited that she didn't know which foot to take.

The present Mr. Sherlock Holmes had not yet moved into Baker Street, and they parked in a street that was somewhat unfamiliar to Mary.

Mr. Bingley knocked on the door of the apartment, and after a while, a caretaker in his fifties came out.

As soon as he heard that he was looking for "Mr. Sherlock Holmes", the porter's face immediately fell down, showing a look of indignation: "He is here, you go and knock on the door yourself."

Mr. Bingley: "..."

Mary: "Well, we won't disturb Mr. Holmes, will we?"

"I have already made an appointment," said Mr. Bingley inexplicably. "I don't think Mr. Holmes is a man who does not keep his word."

But Mary wasn't referring to bad faith.

Seeing that Mr. Bingley didn't mean to say more, she didn't intend to explain.Let the future eldest brother-in-law go straight into the apartment and knock on the door on the second floor.

"Mr. Holmes?"

Mr. Bingley said, "Are you there?"

After a while, there was a sound of hurried footsteps in the room.

The door swung open with a "click". Before Mr. Bingley could react, he saw a tall and thin figure passing by the door, and walked back to the table in the living room with incredible agility.

Mary had no idea what a London bachelor's drawing-room should look like, but at least she was sure it wasn't Sherlock Holmes-like.

It was supposed to be a place for guests to communicate and chat, but except for a sofa, the rest of the place was filled with various instruments.The table placed in the center is not a reception table, but a large experimental table with a variety of glass test tubes and strange bottles on it.

This array startled Mr. Bingley: "Sir?"

Mr. Holmes took his seat again in front of the chemical equipment, and he did not forget to say unceremoniously: "Close the door, thank you!"

Bentley: "..."

Mary raised her eyebrows, and looked at Mr. Bingley calmly: Let me tell you!

Although she has never seen the living environment of Mr. Sherlock Holmes with her own eyes, as a fan who has read novels, she knew what it would be like when the janitor changed his face when he heard the word "Holmes" It worked out.

In all fairness, the famous Mr. Detective is not a friendly roommate and resident. I am afraid that only Dr. John Watson can tolerate him.

No wonder Mr. Darcy said that he was thinking of moving when he was at Netherfield Manor - I'm afraid he was annoyed by the many complaints from the neighbors or the landlord!

"You have come at a very good time," Holmes complained aloud, without turning his head. "Please take your cigarettes from the Persian box yourself, and I will entertain you later."

Mr. Bingley's eyes circled around, and finally fell on the Persian box thrown on the sofa, on the plate already stuffed with cigarette butts.

The Persian box was empty. Holmes had already smoked all the cigarettes. Where did the cigarettes come from?

Bentley: "..."

Mary couldn't help laughing out loud.

In novels and film and television dramas, the screenwriters and directors used various methods to show Mr. Sherlock Holmes's informality, so Mary had already guessed the general idea when she saw the janitor's gloomy face.

She had been mentally prepared for a long time, but she didn't expect that the real picture was more interesting than Mary imagined.

Mr. Holmes concentrated his attention, and took a few drops of liquid from the test tube in which the chemical reaction took place, and placed them on the test paper with incomparable speed.

"If the test paper turns blue, then nothing happens (*see note)," he said to the test paper, not sure whether he was muttering to himself or explaining to Mary and Mr. Bingley, "if it is red, then nothing happened." Someone is dying*."

The chemical reagent fell on the test paper, and it did not appear to be a red reaction as expected.

The detective hooked the corner of his mouth: "Sure enough."

He turned his head and suddenly raised his voice: "Mr. Dodgson? Mr. Dodgson!"

It was the name of the apartment janitor who was shouting.

Mr. Sherlock Holmes rose from his chair and strode towards the door.The janitor came in with a gloomy face, looking alert, as if he was afraid that the detective would make something wrong again: "What are you going to do again, Mr. Holmes?"

The detective stuffed a letter into the gatekeeper's arms: "Send a telegram to the sheriff. The murderer is the man who fainted at the beginning."

After finishing speaking, he ignored the janitor's expression and his low-pitched complaints, and closed the door with a bang, then walked to the sofa unhurriedly, sat down, and solemnly announced: "So, we can now investigate gone."

Mr. Bingley showed a curious expression: "Were you investigating another case just now?"

Holmes said, "A very boring murder case. The matter of cotton raw materials has not been progressed for several months. I must not allow my mind to be idle for so long."

Mary was extremely curious: "Did you get any new clues, sir?"

Holmes glanced at Mary.

They hadn't seen each other for a few months, there was no polite greeting, no fake familiarity, the eyes met, the detective's sharp eyes met Mary's expectant eyes, he quickly inspected the girl from the country, and then looked away.

"I got the news."

Perhaps it was because Mary directly omitted the useless greetings and social etiquette, and Mr. Holmes seemed quite satisfied.

"The last time Captain Carter had a secret meeting with Mr. Hamp, he was bumped into by an Irish worker," he said. "I got word the day before yesterday that the worker had been fired."

Bentley froze: "He wants to hide the secret meeting?"

Mary: "What's next?"

Holmes: "I need you to meet Hamp, Mr. Bingley, and explain to him the almost stolen contract, and see how he will react."

Yes, this is also a kind of temptation.

After all, Mr. Bingley is his partner, and he should tell his friends about this matter in a reasonable way.If he is upright, that's fine. If he has ghosts in his heart, we have to watch how he responds.

This is still very necessary.

"What about me?" Mary asked, blinking her eyes, "I don't think you asked Mr. Bingley to bring me here because you want me to visit alone?"

Mr. Holmes rose to his feet.

He picked up a coat from the hanger—it was completely different from the gray coat at Netherfield Manor. It was outdated in style, old in fabric, and even curled at the corners.

"Miss Bennet," he said, "you come with me."

"Huh?" Mary's expression was blank.

And Sherlock Holmes put on the clothes for today's trip at a frightening speed: a worn coat is just one of them, coupled with a brown soft hat and worn shoes, he is a gentleman who appeared in Meryton , In an instant, he became a simple and thin poor man.

He walked to the door, paused after opening the door, turned around and looked straight at Mary.

"What are you still doing?"

"..."

It wasn't until this moment that Mary finally realized that Sherlock Holmes wanted her to assist in the investigation!

oh my god!

Mary was still in a kind of unrealistic dream when she followed Mr. Holmes out of the apartment.

She was just regarded as a companion by Sherlock Holmes... To put it more shamelessly, she was an assistant? !How could things be so easy, you know this is Sherlock Holmes!

She wondered when Dr. John Watson would meet him, and now Mary even hoped that they would meet later, so that she could occupy the invaluable position of "the detective's companion" to herself.

——Yes, it is honor, even if Mary is seduced by Queen Victoria's distinguished guests, she will not change it.

Thinking of this, she came back to her senses, and hurriedly followed Holmes who was striding forward with her skirt in her hand: "Are you looking for an apartment where the landlord and neighbors get along well, sir?"

Holmes raised his eyebrows: "I don't think it's a good thing to live with the landlord and have neighbors." This is the plan to live alone.

Mary: "I can't say enough."

The place where Sherlock Holmes lives now is a single-family apartment, but it has three floors, and it probably lives in several families.And the janitor obviously doesn't like Holmes, the resident. Judging from his gloomy face, he doesn't know how many times he has been harassed by Mr. Detective.

She smiled and said, "What if there is a good-tempered landlord and a roommate who loves your temper?"

The detective then relaxed his pace a little and cast his gaze on Mary.

Thoughts flashed through his light-colored eyes: "You seem to have a suitable proposal."

Mary's expression remained unchanged: "No, I just think there are still many good people in the world. Where are we going? Are we going to look for the worker who was fired?"

How could the detective not understand such an obvious change of subject?

But whether he didn't pierce Mary's little thoughts, the case is still the most important at present.

So Mr. Holmes just looked away calmly: "Go to the worker who was fired."

They used looking instead of seeing. It seems that the detective now only has clues and has not seen him in person.Mary's thoughts wandered, and she finally spoke rather uneasily.

"That," she asked expectantly but cautiously, "Is it really okay for me to accompany you, sir? I'm afraid I will drag you back or disrupt your plan."

"Not quite." Holmes paused.

"..."

Mary stopped after him, and when she realized where they were going next, she knew at once that Sherlock Holmes said it was inappropriate, not because of herself, but because of Miss Mary Bennet's dress today.

Mr. Detective put on a suit of shabby clothes, and Mary, even though she was used to simple and comfortable clothes, was still a lady, the daughter of a squire.

The place they are about to enter is a slum.

The author has something to say: ["If the test paper turns blue, then nothing happens (*see note)," he opened his mouth to the test paper, not sure whether he was muttering to himself or explaining to Mary and Mr. Bingley, "If it's red, someone died*."]

↑↑The scenes where the detectives appear in this chapter pay tribute to the jb version of "The Detective Sherlock Holmes".