[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

"Sir Blackwood proposed to me."

Recalling the scene of that day, Mary can still feel deep embarrassment.

Before Holmes could respond, Mrs. Hudson covered her mouth in surprise. The old lady said with concern, "I never expected this. It was so sudden. You didn't promise him, did you, Miss Mary?"

Mary: "..."

From the beginning, I hoped that she didn't agree to the other party. Those who didn't know thought that Mrs. Hudson didn't want Mary Bennet to marry a good man from the bottom of her heart.

In all fairness, Sir Blackwood is kind and respects Mary. More importantly, he is good-looking and rich, and he also has a modest title.For a single lady from the southern countryside, Jazz's marriage proposal is simply a gift from heaven, and a girl with poor ability to bear it might faint.

Mrs. Hudson did not know exactly what Sir Blackwood had done. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Sherlock Holmes would never let this kind and gentle old lady get involved in danger.

"Don't look at me like that, Miss Mary," Mrs. Hudson said firmly when she saw Mary was a little surprised, "Although I don't know Sir Blackwood very well, you have to trust the eyes of an old lady I am not as smart as Sherlock Holmes, but I am older than him, and I have seen more marriages and gentlemen than you. In this world, there are two reasons for a man to propose to a woman, either property and status, or sincere love You, Sir Blackwood's confession, I'm afraid you didn't expect it."

"Yes."

Mary nodded: "I was taken aback because Sir Blackwood didn't show any kindness beyond friendship."

Mrs. Hudson blinked: "So he is definitely not for love, but with all due respect, miss, you don't have any property. Such a perfect golden bachelor does not seek love or material things, so what he is planning It's terrible, so you must not promise him."

Ok.

Among other things, now Mary finally understands why Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who is so "unhuman" in the original book, loves his seemingly ordinary landlady so much.

This is all about the great wisdom in life!

Mrs. Hudson didn't know what Sir Blackwood was doing, but she got to the point in one sentence-no money or people, so Mary must not be able to give what Sir Blackwood is planning.

Mary closed her eyes, and she smiled.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Hudson," she said, "my two sisters married their husbands for love, and it's my turn to marry someone who doesn't love for material choice. No."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Mrs. Hudson felt relieved: "When it comes to life-long events, no matter how smart a single girl is, she will be confused and hesitate. I don't want you to regret it after making a hasty decision. Sir Blackwood is fine, but you must not promise him .”

Mary couldn't help laughing: "I won't!"

With Mary's repeated approval, Mrs. Hudson seemed to be relieved.She glanced contentedly at Mary with a sincere expression, then at Holmes who seemed indifferent on the surface, and put down the teapot: "Although you two can talk alone, I don't think Watson will come back for a while."

That's not it.

The sweetheart lost his best friend, whether it was out of love or out of politeness, Watson would not leave Miss Morstan for half a step at this time.After Mrs. Hudson put down the tea set and left the room, the whole living room immediately fell silent.

Only then did Holmes put away his hands on his chin, and looked at Mary with his pale eyes.

"When did it happen?" he asked.

"Just yesterday," answered Mary, "I was invited by Sir Blackwood to visit young Oliver at Mr. Brownlow's house, during which time little Oliver ... misunderstood my relationship with Sir. On the way back, he took advantage of this opportunity, He even planned to propose to me, and even expressed that he wanted to invite me to join the Illuminati."

Holmes nodded thoughtfully.

"It makes sense," he said.

"what?"

"For aristocrats, there is no better way to express their position than marriage," Holmes explained calmly. "If he wants to recruit you into the group, he doesn't know much about a single lady whom he hasn't seen a few times. For the most part, marriage is the best cooperation contract. First, after you have a husband and wife relationship, you will become a community of interests. Blackwood’s life and death honor and disgrace are your life and death honor and disgrace. Second, the members of the Illuminati are either nobles or rich men, even if Blackwood takes a fancy to your talents, your background is not worthy of joining the organization, marrying him is the easiest way to improve your class."

Mary was very speechless: "Then should I thank him for helping me solve a major problem in my life so considerately?"

Holmes said: "Please don't belittle yourself, Miss Mary, your vision and studious are far better than those of the so-called aristocrats. Class cannot determine the whole of a person, whether or not he is motivated is the fundamental definition of a person."

Mary: "...Thank you, Detective."

Holmes turned his head disapprovingly.

He stretched his body, no longer maintaining the thinking posture just now.Holmes lowered his head and took out a pipe and tobacco from the drawer of the laboratory table.

"However," he stuffed the tobacco, and the sharp color that Mary was very familiar with flashed in his eyes, "If Blackwood does this, he probably already knows how far we have gone in the investigation."

"Aren't you curious about my reasons for rejecting Lord Blackwood?"

Holmes paused, then continued to grope around in the drawer.

"A refusal is a refusal. If you agree to his proposal," he said quietly, "you will not assist me in further investigations. This is no inscrutable reasoning, Miss Mary, and I do not think I have asked. necessary."

Mary smiled: "Yes."

Holmes: "But—"

"but?"

He didn't look at her, but was seriously looking for something in the drawer.Mary waited for a while, but did not get the content after the "but".Impatiently, she sighed, and pushed the matches on the experiment table directly in front of Holmes.

Holmes: "...Thank you."

The detective lit his pipe, and when the smell of tobacco rose from the room, he said calmly and unhurriedly: "But I agree with Mrs. Hudson, Miss Mary. If a gentleman asks for If you can't afford it, don't marry him, such a marriage is never happy. Besides, even if Sir Blackwood's conditions are excellent, any single lady should not miss such a bachelor, but I don't think he suits you."

Since when did Sherlock Holmes work part-time as a marriage expert?

To be reasonable, Mrs. Hudson said these words with the expression of an old god, which is somewhat convincing. The detective said these words as a bachelor. If it were any other girl, he would definitely sneer back and say what do you know.

But Mary just raised an eyebrow.

She still had a smile on her face, and asked calmly: "Really, then I would like to hear your reason, sir."

After lighting his pipe, Holmes leaned back in his chair and changed into a comfortable position.

"First of all," he waited for Mary's words, "as I said just now, you are of different classes. This is not to slander you, Miss Mary. Blackwood owns a lot of fields and has established many factories In terms of property, he is not inferior to your brother-in-law, Mr. Darcy. But because of this, he, as an exploiting class, cannot understand your deep understanding and sympathy for the workers."

"Mr. Bingley and Mr. Thornton are also exploiting classes." Mary could not help defending her brother-in-law and friend's lover.

"But Blackwood is still a member of the Illuminati. Do you think a person who believes in elitism would agree with Marx's theory?"

"..."

Damn, he was actually right in one sentence.

Taking a step back, even if Mary really had such a slight liking for Blackwood, when he said that Marx was unrealistic, this person was completely out of the game.Even if Mary doesn't believe in Marxism so much, her friends-Miss Morstan and Higgins, the worker's representative, are all proletarians.Is it necessary to abandon precious friendship for the sake of personal happiness?Mary couldn't do it.

"Secondly."

Seeing that Mary was silent, Holmes continued on his own: "I don't think you can bear the life of a noble lady. If what you like are salons, balls, and the luxury and wealth of having no worries about food and clothing and relying on other people's services, why change to Maids and workmen's clothes go around for the poor and workmen. If you want to marry a rich and respectable gentleman like Blackwood, you don't choose to move to London and live a life of your own."

"Maybe I endured the hardships to climb higher, after all, after my two sisters got married, they had a way to enter the upper class in London."

"So, what about your writing career?"

Mr. Holmes had a rare patience and debated with Mary these supposedly meaningless things in his opinion: "Nominally, the apartment on Serpentine Street is a real estate invested by your eldest sister, Mrs. Jane Bingley. Blackwood doesn't know you It’s Philip Luther, Miss Mary, I don’t think that after you become a noble lady, you still have the energy to create while taking care of the family business and spending time socializing.”

"…………"

However, if Sherlock Holmes raised any questions, even if the position of the Illuminati was different from theirs, if Mary wanted to cheat, she would have a hundred thousand reasons to refute.But only these two points are not enough. Mary is completely speechless when only mentioning Marx and Philip Luther.

"so."

Holmes also concluded in a serious manner: "According to these three reasons, I don't think Sir Blackwood is suitable for you. From the standpoint of... my friend, I agree with you to reject his marriage proposal at the first time, and I hope that you will When dealing with him, don't be swayed by outside opinions and positions."

After all, the central idea is one: Blackwood is not suitable, don't let him seduce you.

For some reason, when she heard Sherlock Holmes use a long speech to state her point of view—about the future of Mary’s marriage, her mood, which had been heavy all the time, suddenly cleared the dark clouds and saw the sun, and became lighter.

It was only at this stage that the shadow of death that weighed on her heart dissipated a little.

"You have said so much, sir," Mary's smile also added a bit of sincerity, "but the most important point is left behind. If there is this point, all the 'inappropriate' you said will also change. flimsy and meaningless."

Holmes turned his head immediately.

He stared at Mary for a while, and confirmed that she was not urging her words, but had a plan in mind, and then asked while smoking a pipe, "Although I don't think I've missed anything, I still hope to hear your rebuttal."

Mary: "I don't love him."

Holmes paused suddenly.

Mary: "If I am deeply in love with Sir Blackwood, everything you said will not be an obstacle to my pursuit of love freedom. But I don't love him, I have nothing to Sir Blackwood, and I will never feel beyond The love of friendship, so even if all the factors you listed do not exist, and he is the only husband suitable for me in the world, I will not change my mind. So Mr. Holmes, I think your worries are completely superfluous, and I will not shaken."

"..."

Mary who said these words was sincere and serious, and she looked back at Sherlock Holmes' light-colored eyes calmly and calmly.Their eyes met, and neither of them continued talking for a moment.

At last it was Holmes who broke the silence.

He laughed out loud, and the detective shook his head as if he knew it, but also as if he was surprised.

"Even if you are clever and quick-witted, Miss Mary," he said, "you still have a feminine sensibility about you."

"Isn't that bad?"

"No, on the contrary, it's fine."

Holmes said earnestly: "This enables ladies to cut into the truth more directly, and can always say priceless proverbs. I apologize to you, Miss Mary, I have said so much, just because I am afraid that you will fall into the opponent's trap by mistake." You are a trap, but you have never considered that inferring you like this completely underestimates your independent personality and free soul."

Mary tilted her head indifferently: "It's okay, I didn't feel offended."

Not only did she not, but she was very happy.

What could be more honored than Sherlock Holmes showing genuine interest?Now Mary is no longer cheering for the detective's praise and affirmation, she is used to it, okay?But Mary was still happy with her relationship—at least for now it was friendship, not wishful thinking.Mr. Detective also has a place in his heart for her to consider her feelings and future, and to give serious advice and care.

And, in Mary's private heart, she also sincerely hoped that this advice would come from a detective as well as a friend...and didn't want her to marry anyone else.

Of course, Mary wouldn't say that.

"However, you are right to be concerned."

Mary successfully refuted Holmes, and he did not continue to dwell on this issue, but ended this little episode and returned to her original question.

"The existence of the Illuminati is not a secret. Although they did not disclose themselves with great fanfare, at least it is not a secret to those around the members of the organization," Holmes explained, "Blackwood tried to invite me, and he also invited you. Even James Moriarty was well aware of their existence. Yet we have had few clues as to what the Illuminati actually do."

"Could it be that they never acted before."

"That's what I'm thinking of, miss."

Holmes nodded approvingly: "Before Henry Deckard, I had never heard that devil's heels were popular in the slums. Assuming that the Illuminati took action within the past year, it must be when we tracked down Professor Moriarty. Organize actions at the same time."

"Will it be because you investigated the Irish workers, and Henry Deckard happened to be related to them, that the Illuminati would mistakenly think that you were investigating them?" Mary asked.

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

As Holmes spoke, he raised his finger again.

His index finger was lightly pressed against his lips, which was a standard action for detectives when they were lost in thought.

"But we still need more evidence to prove our idea." After a long time, Holmes said.

That's right.

Mary quickly ran through the clues they had so far in her mind—from the Irish workers, to the deaths of Sykes and Henry Deckard, to the destroyed altar and Henry's notebook, not to mention the illumination. of several members.

It's a bit difficult to investigate...

"After the altar was destroyed," Mary was very distressed, "the clues were broken again. The directions are completely different, and it will take a lot of work to investigate."

"We have to split up and act."

Holmes said in a firm tone: "Since Watson is devoted to Miss Morstan, I don't think he would mind being temporarily her assistant to bring justice to her friend. I would like to ask him to make a few trips to the Parish of Whitechapel, and cooperate with Ireland. The workers surveyed the slums to see how many people had been exposed to the Illuminati, or Devil's Heels."

Mary: "Well, the altar and... and..."

Holmes cast a quick glance at Mary.

"Leave me the study of totem symbols and reptiles," he said.

Anyone could see that Mary was a little apprehensive, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Holmes say this.

To be honest, Mary is really not afraid of bugs, she is not even afraid of corpses and ghosts, let alone reptiles that are not even vertebrates?However, whether it is the crawling marks on the wall or thousands of dehydrated reptile corpses, it is enough for Mary to drink a pot-normal people will have scalp numbness due to trysophobia!

Only a mentally strong person like Sherlock Holmes would remain indifferent.

"As for you, Miss Mary," said Holmes, "I am glad to hear that you have not been seduced by Sir Blackwood at all, and understand that there may be awkward feelings between you and him. But the internal structure of the Illuminati is still very important to us. It’s a mystery. Since Blackwood knows that I’m investigating him, even if you personally refuse him, he won’t let go of the opportunity to find out clues through you.”

Mary understood immediately.

"So you want me to keep in touch with Blackwood," she continued Holmes, "even, if necessary, with the members of the Illuminati."

"I know you don't like society," said Holmes, "but I trust you to do it, Miss Mary."

"I will do my best."

"I'm also sorry for delaying your creation time because of the case."

"..."

Marie never complained that she didn't have time to think up novel serials.

Even the case of the Illuminati, as the detective said, took up Mary's days of conceiving and creating.

It has been a while since I settled down in London.You must know that the ideas of "King of Carnival" and "Serial Killer Chess Game" are almost connected together.And now the second serial of "The King of Carnival" is about to be published and printed, but Mary just confirmed what she will write in her new serial a few days ago.

She never complained, and yet Sherlock Holmes found it.

This made Mary's expression suddenly ease down.

"No need to apologize, sir," she said, "if all I want is to be a writer, I'll just sit in my flat and never go out. I was the one who stepped out of Serpentine Street into the slums. Henry Decker was my friend." , his friend Mary Morstan is also my friend. For whatever reason, I must help them. And..."

"and?"

"Thank you for worrying about me," Mary said softly, "whether it is my creation or my future life, sir."

Holmes looked at her quietly for a moment, then hooked the corners of his lips.

"You're welcome."

He opened his mouth to respond: "No matter what your identity is, Miss Mary, I sincerely hope that you can live a better life."

The two ended their discussion, and Mary politely said goodbye to Holmes.At this time, Dr. Watson has not come back. The detective kindly sent Mary out and stopped a carriage for her.

On the way back, Mary looked at the ever-changing street scene outside the window, and felt very complicated inside.

Henry Deckard's death swayed before her eyes from time to time, making Mary uneasy.This is not the first time she has seen a dead body. Captain Carter was headshot and Sykes fell to his death at the bottom of the bridge.But it's nothing compared to Henry scratching his belly.

Regardless of the reason for investigating the Illuminati before, at the moment of Henry's death, it was just as Watson said, it was a personal grievance.

And besides that...Mr. Holmes' reaction after hearing Blackwood's proposal also caught Mary's attention.

He said that no matter what his status is, he hopes that his life will be better.

So what exactly is "in what capacity"?

Holmes did not explain, and Mary did not ask.

When the carriage turned into Serpentine Avenue, it was already evening.Mary got out of the carriage just in time to see the faint lights in the house.

She walked to the door, just about to enter the house, when she accidentally caught a glimpse of a carriage parked in front of Irene's villa next door.The carriage looked extraordinarily luxurious, and Mary recognized at a glance that it was definitely not a vehicle on the street, but belonged to the nobleman's own family.

Erin has guests?Still a person with a head and a face.

But... She has been in London for so long, and she has never seen her entertain anyone.

The author has something to say: When I wrote this chapter, I deeply felt that, to be reasonable, this is Mary. Any Victorian girl would have been abducted by the jazz long ago. Lao Fu could only sit by the fireplace in 221b and bless silently =. =!

By the way, Mr. Wang Qianyuan's "Big Shot" is in theaters recently, let's do some tap water Amway.Jiang Hua was okay after watching it today, it's a well-localized remake.If you want to watch a movie after watching Bumblebee Creed White Snake animation and other series of movies recently, you can go to [You.You Jiang Hua especially like Mr. Wang Qianyuan's "Rescue Mr. My" and "The Piano of Steel"!