[Sherlock Holmes] The Legend of the Nightingale

(Nightingale's notes)

The sixth day of rehearsal was over, and all the actors had to go to Scotland Yard.When Holmes and I saw Lestrade together again, the Inspector's reaction was flat.

"Come to London without saying anything, Miss Nightingale," said he. "As a reminder, I hear your parents are very unhappy with your business in Manchester."

"I'm also very dissatisfied with their arrangements for my brother," I said. "I heard that they took back their promise to continue their education and used the money for business instead."

"Ah, and last time your mother asked me when you were getting married, it was hard to find words to prevaricate her."

"Then say you don't know, Inspector. It's easiest to tell the truth. She's just been refusing to believe that I really refused Mr. Openshaw."

"Mr. Holmes, you won't let her steal your job here?" Lestrade asked Holmes with a hint of reproach.

"There is no need to steal my case," said Holmes. "There are other arrangements for today's business."

"What did you say?" I blurted out, "Are there any questions? After we discussed our ideas, we have resolved all possible doubts."

"Oh, it's not that there's a problem with reasoning."

Then Holmes refused to pursue the subject any longer.No matter how I questioned him, he just smiled inexplicably, as if comforting an anxious person.It is more appropriate to leave this to director Schlesinger.He managed to leave some time to bring the actors back to the theater for an emergency meeting.The culprit was arrested and brought to justice. Although a series of troublesome legal procedures cannot be avoided, there is no danger after all.But the director's current breakdown is no less than intimidation.

"There was one last rehearsal, and it turned out that the actors were criminals. It turned out that the performance had to be canceled anyway."

Count Dracula and Lucy disappeared from the cast.Everyone is a hundred times more serious than before.I know what it feels like, and it's emptier than a theater without an audience.

"Is there no substitute, Mr. Director?"

"Say it straight, Miss Nightingale." Schlesinger feebly raised his hand and drew a circle towards the actors, "plus the two who are unfortunately not here now, what you see is the only one in London who is willing to play this The cast of the show. This place you are in is also the only theater that is not on the sidelines, because the manager and I are old friends for many years."

"Mr. Director, with all due respect, the plot of this play is relatively simple, and there are not many missing character lines. Even Nightingale and I have been able to memorize the lines after listening to it for a week."

Hearing what Holmes said here, I looked up at him, and Holmes showed his signature smile indicating the birth of a ghost idea.

"Holmes," I almost jumped up, "you don't mean to..."

"That's right." Holmes said to the inexplicable director, "Did Count Dracula and Lucy?"

"Yes." The director replied blankly.

"Will you let Miss Nightingale and I have a try, Director Schlesinger?"

The actors exploded at once.Only now did Schlesinger understand, and he was immediately in a mess.I admit that I am on the side of them.I was too shocked to express myself.

"My God, you... no, Mr. Holmes, it's not going to work. I don't mean to offend, but it's a matter of reputation for the troupe. It's a pity that all the hard work was wasted, but the premiere took place in less than sixty hours." ..."

"Speaking of reputation, Mr. Schlesinger, do you think the better choice in the present situation is to have two understudies to complete the trick, or to let the residents of London only relish the two main works of the Schlesinger Company? Actors were arrested for writing threatening letters to the director, and one of them was a criminal who stabbed someone two years ago but was not arrested, which led to the cancellation of the show?"

"Well, Mr. Holmes, you must know that the Schlesinger Troupe is a new one, and the lineup is not particularly strong, so..."

"I would still prefer to hear your answer to my question."

"Regarding this issue, it is directly related to whether the audience will not watch the show at all."

"If the performance is cancelled, there is no discussion with the audience."

"That's not the same, sir, the quality of a performance can determine the audience for future plays.

In fact, many people are here for the Reginalds, they are relatively well-known in London, if they are replaced..."

Finally calmed down, I pointed to Holmes and then to myself.

"The detective Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street and his students who are famous for causing trouble, most people are still very curious about these two mysterious people."

Holmes glanced at me, which revealed that he was not as confident in my unconditional support as he appeared to be.

The poor director's expression changed for dozens of rounds in front of the two wicked detectives.

"I understand what you mean. But we don't know if the two of you have any acting experience, or... It's still difficult for someone who has never been on stage to complete a role in a short period of time."

"Holmes was in Hamlet at university," I said, "and more than once it has been said that his entry into the detective business was a loss to the stage. As for me... well, I..."

"Miss Nightingale, I can assure you." The detective took over the conversation, "Mr. Director can judge her unintentional performance in the past two days. Schlesinger, I believe you are not willing to give up this opportunity just like that. Pretty much the only chance you'll get for Dracula."

"As long as the main business of the two of you is not delayed, I think it's okay." Schlesinger finally made a major decision, "But I still need to ask the actors for their opinions."

The actors looked at each other, and the theater was extremely quiet for a while.In the end, Jonathan stepped forward and spoke:

"We all believe that actors completely obey the director on stage, including how to change actors. No matter how many other interfering factors there are, this is a matter of principle. As long as you agree, we have no objection."

"Do you all think so?" the director asked, watching them.Right now he can't afford to lose any of his remaining actors.

"I agree," Mina said. "It can't be any worse than it is now anyway. Besides, we've all had suggestions and demonstrations from two audience members this week. They understand the script as well as Any one of us. I personally admire the acting talents of the two detectives. I agree with Miss Nightingale that it is a loss to the theater that Mr. Holmes chose the detective industry. She is also an excellent student."

I thanked Miss Mina, and Holmes nodded to her.

"Since everyone agrees, we still have less than sixty hours. I will arrange props and costumes. It is too sudden, and my mind is in a mess. Everyone, except Mr. Holmes and Miss Nightingale, You can all leave the scene first, these chores have already taken up too much of your time. Mr. Holmes, there are still some small things to ask, and you have to start rehearsing tonight. I admire your memory, but memorizing words and acting are two different things. You are amateurs so relax the standards. Just forgot to say, dear actors, you are the most noble members of the theater world, I don't know how to thank you for sticking around!"

The actors left one after another, and Schlesinger went backstage to sort things out.At this time I asked Holmes:

"Why do you want to play this?"

"Let it be."

"You already knew it was Reginald, and you knew that the manipulator behind him was the professor's remnant party. You are investigating him. There is no need for me to come to London."

I'm not joking this time with a tone of caution.Holmes lowered his head and picked up the collar of Dracula's cloak, pulled up the black hem and gestured at himself, then said casually: "I thought you would like to perform on stage. You are not the kind of person who loves drama but despises the theater profession." Bar."

"Thanks, I'm just not into the theater business as a whole," I said. "You really know every stranger in the world, but you never know me."

"I understand." Holmes freed his hands and took off his coat, grabbed the costume and put it on his body. He raised his chin slightly and buttoned it up. His serious expression made people want to laugh, but now I can't laugh. "I know you like this book, just like you like some of that American author's..." He paused, and made a confused gesture impatiently, "Same."

"Poe."

"And that little girl dreamed about something whimsical..."

"Lewis Carroll. Alice."

Holmes frowned and smoothed out a wrinkle in his costume from his shoulders.

"By the way, in fact, you will think that Douglas Dodgson is quite a boring person. I always believe that he is a genius."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Oh...you don't know?" Holmes finally looked up at me. "Lewis Carroll is Douglas Dodgson, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford."

I looked at him without speaking.

"You don't look too surprised."

"I always knew Carol was a genius. Did he tell you?"

Holmes grinned at me, and I realized I had asked a stupid question.

"Sorry. No need for him to tell you."

"I didn't tell him when I found out."

That might be an interesting story.Young Sherlock Holmes discovers that the Mathematics Department has received a letter addressed to a Carroll, but no one named Carroll has ever sent it.This envelope was written by the contributor as a reply to the letter when he sent the letter himself, and it was clearly in Dodgson's handwriting.He shouldn't have written his address in Oxford.

"Perhaps you should see him." Holmes smiled. "He is one of the few friends I have at the university. I heard he has not been very good in recent years. But as a professor of mathematics, he never admits that he is a writer. He doesn't even recognize the Queen of England. If I remember correctly, Alice should be in Cavnoll now—Alice Liddell, and later Hargreaves."

"I don't need to see Dodgson," I said.

There was a brief silence.

"I thought you looked down on these." I pointed to the stage, "and the math professor who wrote fairy tales."

"Perhaps, but when they asked me to play Horatio I did."

"Do you remember who Horatio was?"

"forget."

When Holmes' mind and his urge to create drama collide, the latter surprisingly often wins.

"Nightingale, I find it harder and harder to please you as you get older."

"Holmes—" I raised my voice.

"Are you raising your age again? Sorry."

"We're not young anymore, kid," I said sarcastically.

"As I said just now." Holmes did not finish.I sighed and glanced at Lucy's gorgeous costume spread out on the table.

"This is your little trick, Holmes? You have discovered the trick of the Reginalds a long time ago, and you also know that they can't perform this scene at all. If Schlesinger doesn't want to give up the opportunity, he must find two people to replace him. What do you think? Would make a wonderful gift for me. You brought me up from Manchester to watch rehearsals and end up on stage with you. Yes, I love the book and I would love to play it, but Lucy is the one I'm here for Most hated character in the book. She did nothing wrong, I just hate her."

As we looked at each other like this, I could hear the breathing of two people, both of whom were very lonely.

"But I will act." I said, taking off my coat and grabbing Lucy's clothes, "Indeed, I support all your ideas unconditionally. And you don't know, standing in front of me now is a person I imagined Dracula at its best. Director Schlesinger, I know you're listening. We can rehearse."

The author has something to say: so that you may guess what to play next...