[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

"Then," said Holmes, glancing down at Mary's skirt again, "you'd better change into men's clothes, Miss Mary."

It was easy for Mary to change into men's clothes.

A few days later, Mary shook off her workman's gown and trousers, which attracted curious looks from the other ladies in Hale House.

Because of the arrival of the Miss Bennets, the lifeless Hale House became as lively as Longbourne.Not only did this not cause any trouble for Mrs. Hale who was recuperating, but because of the company of several young ladies, Mrs. Hale's homesickness was greatly improved.

It has been more than a month since they first came to Milton, and now Mrs. Hale can not only get out of bed and walk around, but even seeing that the weather is fine today, accompanied by Mr. Hale himself, the couple went for a walk together.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mary hurriedly and secretly took out the laundry that was handed over to the maid.

Catherine touched the fabric of the trousers in surprise: "This is coarse cloth, Mary, where did you get this old clothes?"

Mary: "I bought it from the Butcher family."

Worker Butcher has six children. The son of a relative's family is 14 years old this year, and he is just about to grow up.Mary knocked on the door of the workers' house, politely asking them to sell her a suit of clothes.

Catherine said it was old clothes, but no one had actually worn them.

The housewife who was just running the house moved ahead a few years, saving money and making a few more oversized clothes for her son, and prepared to change them in time when the boy grew up.The clothes have been stored for a long time, and the preservation work of the worker's house is not done very well, so the clothes are naturally not as new and clean as those worn by the ladies on weekdays.

"What are you using it for?" Margaret asked rather surprised.

"Women, women disguised as men?!"

Catherine suddenly regained her spirits. She has read a lot of detective and adventure novels recently. When she saw that the clothes were similar to Mary's figure, she immediately imagined: "Are you going to change clothes, Mary?"

Margaret laughed out loud: "I don't think Mary can play a boy."

See, Mary isn't alone in thinking this way.

In the middle of the night, she couldn't see her face clearly, she was petite and dark, and she could barely mislead others—at least don't recognize who she is because of her dressing habits.

Anyone would have recognized Mary Bennet as a little girl in men's clothing if she had met her in person.

"It's just for the convenience of going out at night," Mary said earnestly. "Someone wants to attack Hamp, so we planned an ambush to arrest him."

Her words were slurred, just saying "we" and "assault".It does not name Sherlock Holmes who has come to Milton, nor does it explain that the so-called attack was actually a sniper.

This leads Margaret to mistake Mary's companion for Mr Thornton.

In this regard, even though Mary said that she was going out at night, Margaret felt relieved: "With Mr. Thornton protecting you, the bad guys will definitely be caught."

Mary blinked: "I didn't say it was Mr. Thornton, what if it was the workers?"

Margaret: "This..."

She blushed at Mary's teasing, and turned her head angrily: "It's tiring to be careful of traps when talking to you!"

Ah!It's not like Jane had a ghost in her heart at that time.

When the case is over, it is necessary to find a chance to create a little chance for Margaret and Mr. Thornton to get along with each other, and to explain clearly.Mary thinks that this pair of lovers is much easier to match than Elizabeth and Darcy - Mr. Thornton has long liked Margaret, and looking at Margaret's appearance, she looks similar.

The matchmaker's occupational disease turned around in her heart, but Mary's attention was still on the trousers.

"Hurry up and try it on!"

Catherine touched left and right, with a look of great anticipation: "There is still a hat missing, let's ask the worker to borrow another hat!"

"Okay, I'll-"

"Wait."

Lydia, who was sitting on the side, interjected abruptly: "The pants are so long, aren't you afraid of falling when you wear them when you go out?"

This is true.

After Lydia reminded her, Mary noticed that the trousers seemed to be longer than her legs.

The housewife prepared clothes for the children when they grew up... Mary silently complained about her height in her heart.Although she doesn't mind how she looks, she still wishes she could grow taller.

Mary had no choice but to take back the raised trousers resentfully.

She hesitated for a while, then turned to look at Lydia, and said, not quite willingly, "Can you help me change it?"

Lydia: "Hmph."

Mary: "I'll pay you."

Lydia: "I don't care about your money."

After returning from Higgins' house, Lydia was not so sad, but she still looked indifferent to Mary.Hearing that she wanted to pay, Lydia rolled her eyes even more.

Although she hates Marie, she is her own sister. There is no reason to count money with her own sister. Lydia is not Grandet or a miser.

However, she was still a little unwilling to let Mary go easily.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Lydia thinks about it, thinks about it, but even though she is superficial and heartless, she is not a person with a vicious heart.The little girl thought hard for a long time, and finally said angrily: "I can change your clothes for you, that's fine. But you have to give me back the hat!"

Mary: "..."

Apart from beautiful clothes and beautiful men, when will she be able to live as carefree as Lydia.

But Mary didn't mind.

The five hats that Lydia lost in a bet are exquisite and exquisite. Mary likes them very much, but she doesn’t wear them often—she usually wears simple and plain clothes, which really don’t match Lydia’s favorite decoration style.

Just pay it back, who told me to ask her for anything.

But Mary is not a good talker: "If you help me once, I will give you back."

Lydia bargained: "Then I'll have to pick one myself."

Mary: "As you wish."

Lydia looked a little better now.

The little girl was already good-looking, her face was sullen on purpose, but there was a look of joy in winning the fight in her eyes, she looked delicate and delicate.

She stretched out her hand triumphantly: "Why don't you give me the clothes before I repent?"

Mary groaned.

It's just Lydia who cares about such trivial matters and declares victory unilaterally.Mary didn't take her child's temper to heart at all, so she handed over the clothes generously.

Seeing that Mary didn't care at all, Lydia lost most of her arrogance.He just snorted again, took the clothes, and began to think about how to modify them.

And in terms of handwork, Lydia can always surprise Mary.

Changing the length of shorts and sleeves is a simple matter for a girl who is good at needlework.Mary remembered that she gave the clothes to the old tailor before crossing, and she could get them back in just one meal.

But Lydia spent a whole day thinking about it and rushing to work.

In the evening, when Mary put on the altered clothes, everyone was amazed at the results of her hard day.

"My God," Catherine covered her mouth, "what do you think, Lydia?"

"This is too dexterous." Margaret couldn't help sighing.

Not only Catherine and Margaret, but even Mary standing in front of the mirror did not expect this effect at all.

The coarse trousers were still coarse trousers, but Lydia didn't just shorten the hems.She gently tucked in from the knee, and sewed a small piece in, so that the whole trousers were gathered at the knees, and then let go at the hems, so that Mary's legs showed an hourglass shape.

This makes for a looser fit and more active trousers.

The same is true for the top. It was shortened and slender, and at the same time as the width of the shoulders was narrowed, Lydia unexpectedly raised the waistline slightly while closing the waist.

The waistline and legs make Mary's figure look elongated in terms of visual effect.

Fortunately, because it is still "immoral" for women to wear trousers in this era, Lydia did not deliberately highlight the figure of women. The clothes fit well and were very loose at the same time. Just looking at the back, I thought she was wearing clothes that did not fit well. little boy.

If Catherine and Margaret were just astonished, Mary couldn't help but marvel at Lydia's talent—this is quite a modern design!In addition, the clothes are made of coarse cloth, which makes Mary feel that she is not only wearing the long-lost trousers, but also wearing the trousers of the Nordic frigid style in the Victorian era.

Although Mary knew that the original intention of Lydia's modification was to hear that she was going to "adventure", and she came up with a plan to maintain the beauty with the main purpose of facilitating activities, which did not represent how pioneering design consciousness she herself had.

In the 21st century, it is not uncommon for women to wear trousers.Mary likes sports on weekdays, she is restless, like a tomboy, so naturally she doesn't like wearing small skirts.

But she also knows that the history of women's trousers has not been more than 100 years since she arrived.

Trousers became popular among women because of the lack of a large number of male labor forces after World War I, which forced women to take up positions that men only held in the past.For the convenience of work, they choose to wear long trousers.

It can be said that the history of women's trousers has almost officially entered the society together with the women's movement.

And now, before they entered the twentieth century, the epoch-making design master Rococo Chanel might still be learning how to cut clothes in school at this time, how dare Lydia dare to make such drastic changes in clothes? !

Fortunately, Jane and Elizabeth were not here, Mary said happily from the bottom of her heart.Such an attire must have terrified the two respectable sisters.

At this moment, far away in Milton, Margaret is a bold girl who goes out alone in the middle of the night to see off her brother. Catherine has read a lot of adventure novels, and it is too late to be happy when she sees new things.As for Lydia, who started to reform, if she was a girl with traditional and conservative thinking, she wouldn't drag Wickham to confess in the middle of the night.

Mary couldn't help but laugh when she thought of this. No one in the room expressed surprise when such a shocking style of clothing appeared.

What a coincidence it must be to get together four "inappropriate" wild girls at the same time.

"If it wasn't for my embarrassment," Margaret said again, "I'd like to try it out. It must be much more convenient to wear pants than a skirt. You see, there are still pockets. You don't need to carry a basket when you go out. "

"You're really amazing," Mary exclaimed. "I'm afraid that you'll be so stupid as to embroider, and you'll be like your hat embroidering. I can't stand it."

Lydia loves flashy and shiny styles, but luckily she's not a fool and knows what her "clients" want.

Hearing the praise from Mary, who had always been diametrically opposed to her, Lydia was very proud: "Where is my hat? Pick out the hat quickly, I want to get back the most beautiful one."

Mary: "..."

I really can't exaggerate three sentences.

Mary preferred her modified trousers to her pretty hats.

The historical change of women wearing trousers was initiated by Chanel.In this day and age, Mary hasn't worn pants in nearly 20 years.Victorian long skirts are of course unique, but she still prefers trousers that are more convenient for walking.

so good.

Mary couldn't help but want to go out in her pants.

And Colonel Sebastian Moran, whom they were waiting for, did not disappoint Mary.

On the morning of the second day after Lydia changed her trousers, the workers of the Hamp Factory sent a message: They saw a stranger dressed in a black trench coat near the factory. He looked around to see his standing posture and behavior. Really like a soldier.

That night, Hamp sent his wife and daughter to Thornton's home, and then, accompanied by Mr. Thornton, turned on the light in the master bedroom tremblingly.

After everything was ready, after the Hales and his wife fell asleep, Mary, who had already changed into shorts and long trousers, had just finished putting on the hat she borrowed from the workers, when she heard a regular knocking from the corridor outside the bedroom window.

——This is the signal she and Mr. Holmes set up.

She hurriedly opened the window, and sure enough, she saw a familiar tall and thin figure standing under the window.

"Wait a minute," Mary lowered her voice, "I'm going out right now."

"Don't startle others."

Holmes shook his head: "Just jump down!"

Mary: "..."

Margaret: "Just jump down?!"

Margaret, who was also awake, was shocked as if she heard something foreign: "Who is coming to pick you up, Mary?"

Well, this is really Mr. Holmes style.

To get out of the bedroom, you have to pass the master bedroom of Mr. and Mrs. Hale, and you may have to alarm the maid.It is convenient to jump down, and besides, the windows of Hale's house are not high, and Mary was a complete tomboy before time travel, so this distance is nothing to her.

But when she estimated the height, Sherlock Holmes took it as hesitation.

The detective simply stretched out his hand and repeated again: "Don't be afraid, jump down! I will catch you!"

Scared?

If Mary had been afraid, she would not have met the unknown Holmes in Meryton, and would not have followed a strange figure.

Hearing his promise, Mary raised the corners of her lips.

She directly opened the window completely, and boldly turned over and jumped down——

The trousers well protected Mary's skin, preventing her from getting naked in mid-air.And more importantly, before she landed, a pair of slender and powerful palms firmly caught her.

The moment her feet touched the ground again, Mary gave a bright smile: "Let's go, Colonel Moran will never get his way again tonight."