[Sherlock Holmes] The Legend of the Nightingale

(Nightingale's Diary)

We cannot leave Edinburgh until the matter is settled in court.Since he went to the police station every day, Holmes was already very familiar with the Edinburgh police, which directly led to almost everyone in Edinburgh hearing about the stories from Scotland Yard.Watson and Merry are closer than ever because of the hardships they have gone through together.The sharp professional scouting eyes on the case had already seen something significant in us.I swear I overheard two officers on duty say something like this one day at lunchtime:

"I bet two shillings that the doctor will propose."

"You bet with the devil, a fool can see it."

During this period, Holmes would explain the case to us intermittently when he was in a good mood.One day in the carriage (only me and Holmes in this car, Watson and Merry in the other) he claimed to have known that Lal Jorda was the man we were looking for, his red hair knew it It is dyed for camouflage, and the technique is clumsy, which makes people feel awkward.The rest of the reasoning process is basically the same as what I said that day.The scene of normal life left by Joda may not be the scene where he was kidnapped without knowing it. It is entirely possible that he left after living a normal life for a period of time, but most people would not think in this direction .So, in fact, after Meryl and Thaddeus escaped separately, their loyal servants quickly followed to London with their little helpers, and killed Sedious with the primitive but miraculously effective gunpowder they learned while serving in India. Dieus, everyone knows what happened next.Holmes's proud words made me very angry at the time.

"Do you have any reason now?"

"reason?"

"Why didn't you tell Meili in advance?" I said angrily, "You know that she has a heart problem, and if you face the truth without any psychological preparation, it is likely to kill her!"

"Unfortunately, I have no other choice." Holmes said softly. "This is the most effective. There are parties, witnesses, and the murderer's detailed statement, and he was caught on the spot. There is also a more troublesome point. The relationship between the murderer and the client is very close." As usual, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, with all due respect, I doubt that no matter how powerful the proof we can produce, even if the conviction is completed through normal legal means, Miss Meili will never believe that Joda is the murderer.”

"We've been with Merry for so long, you don't really think she's such a fool, do you?" I yelled in despair, forgetting that I was in the carriage, and the carriage was still driving down the street.Wearing a top hat and dressed in gray, Holmes raised his index finger to his lips and made a silent gesture. The movement was elegant, as if deliberately contrasting to highlight my surprise.I was dumb for two seconds, speechlessly raised my hands in a desperate gesture.Holmes raised his hand through a perfect arc, grabbed one of my hands and pressed it down, looking up from our interlocking hands.The rain-like eyes made the surrounding air calm.I can't believe I was only confused for a second when I looked into those eyes.I drew my hand back.

"I appreciate your willingness to put your airs down to comfort me," I said, "but if it doesn't happen again—well, I know it's no use talking about it."

"I will try," said Holmes, "that there will be something waiting for us when we get back to London, and that it will not be too dull."

"what?"

"You remember Whitechapel, don't you?"

"I remember," I said, "I saw it in your newspaper clippings."

"Did you touch my newspaper clippings?"

"Uh……"

Finally came the last day, the four of us stood at the gate of the police station, everything was dealt with, and the nightmare was over.Along with the relief, we all inevitably felt a sense of embarrassment.

"That's it." Watson forced himself to bring up the subject. "To be honest, the weather in Edinburgh is better than in London."

"Actually, it's about the same." Meili replied in the same dry tone.

"No, it rains a lot in London."

"There's not much here. And it's more windy."

I couldn't get a word out of this nonsense like a stranger hitting on a conversation.Holmes was languidly chatting courtesies with a police officer, paying no attention to us.The doctor repeatedly shifted his weight in front of his feet, and unconsciously tapped the ground with his cane, not daring to look at Mei Li, anyone could see that he had something to say.

"I'm going to think about what I'm going to do now," said Merry suggestively. "I can't go back to that house."

"Uh...that's right."

"But where can I go?"

"You have no relatives to go to?"

"As I said, they are all in India."

There was another silence.Watson evidently realized that this was his chance, and possibly the only one.We're going to the station at once to start our journey back to London, and it doesn't matter whether the passengers will be three or four.I'm not surprised that the poor doctor got stuck at this crucial moment.Just when he stared blankly at Meili's gentle sea-blue eyes and opened his tongue, I coughed and whispered behind him:

"The ring was hard to come by."

The doctor woke up like a dream, fumbled for a long time in the coat pockets on both sides, and finally took out a small box from his arms in a hurry.At this time, in the doctor's mind, which had become a little confused due to love, the literary feelings that had been lurking for too long finally woke up in due course.

"Merry, I'm just a veteran doctor." Watson finally recovered his normal calm, his own temperament re-precipitated, reflected in the blue eyes.

"The income of my clinic is enough to pay the rent and life. In order to survive in London, I have to share the rent with two detectives. I don't have any friends except the partners of 221B. I know, I can't give you anything, you You don’t need me to give you anything. But as long as I am here, there will always be a home waiting for you.”

Meili's eyes, which were originally clear as water, are now as deep as the deep sea.She stood up slightly, folded her hands in front of her, and subconsciously grasped her handbag tightly.

The doctor calmly opened the box in front of her.

"Merry, will you marry me?"

There was a bright diamond ring lying in the simple dark box, the ordinary weather did not affect its simple beauty.I've never felt it so strongly that it has a sincerity and warm texture that goes so well with Merry.

Meili's sea blue eyes set off soft waves.

Edinburgh's police station magically witnessed this legendary, even comical love affair.Marriage proposal at the gate of the police station, a crazy move that has become a matter of course for the tenants of Baker Street.

"Yes! Of course I would! My God, I almost thought you'd never say a word!"

Meili suddenly jumped up and hugged Watson and shouted. The doctor stretched out his hand and gently placed it on her blond hair when he was almost strangled from lack of oxygen.The scene was comical and inappropriate, but those lucky enough to witness it just smiled knowingly.

The above description does not contain the whole truth. The reactions of the remaining tenants of 221B are completely out of touch with the hero and heroine of this story.

Yes, this "other tenants" refers to Holmes.

Just when Watson said the words "Will you marry me", he dismissed the police officer impatiently, and ignored Holmes on Watson's side, as if hearing the name of a habitual criminal who had been at large for many years He glanced over, leaving the officer behind him.

"What is this—what?!" (Please make up your mind about the English Whatthedevil and the like. It is very impolite to say devil in front of a lady, and a gentleman with a higher education should not do this, So even though Holmes was so surprised that he blurted out, he refrained from speaking.)

I jumped back two steps and made a "quiet" sign to Holmes.It was a rare turn for me to deliver this message to him.Perhaps for the first time in his life, Holmes was frightened by Watson, and looked at the two speechless.

"Yes! Of course I would!" Mei Li smiled and jumped up and hugged Watson's neck. A gentleman and a lady ignored themselves at the gate of the police station and hugged each other tightly.

"Oh... my God, Mr. Holmes, your friends are really extraordinary." The police officer was startled, and immediately smiled.He thought the four of us were quite familiar with each other, but it didn't occur to him that Holmes knew less about the matter than he did.

"Wait, that's not the case!" The detective lowered his voice a little, his tone still fierce, looking at me like a traitor, "When did they start?"

"Start what?"

"You know! He won't propose marriage suddenly, will he?"

"According to normal logic, it really won't."

"And you haven't told me at all?!"

"Good heavens, Holmes, is there anything we need to tell you? Don't tell me you don't know?"

I admit my malice.It was pleasant to see Holmes like this once in a while.The detective puts his head down and puts his hand over his eyes, not because he didn't notice the roommate's romance, but because a female client sneaked in among them to abduct the doctor, and he didn't see it.

"Okay, great, I knew I'd never meet a single man who was committed. No one takes sanity seriously."

"Although you don't like these things, I have to say that the two lines you just said are very similar to a line in "Much Ado About Nothing"."

This sentence inexplicably reminded Holmes that the current state was extremely abnormal.He breaks down uncharacteristically, I laugh beside him, our roles are reversed.He coughed, calmed down, and his eyes turned cold.

"Miss Nightingale, please explain. Is that my ring?" Holmes pointed to the small box in Watson's hand and raised his eyebrows.

"I think, probably, that's the case."

"nightingale."

"Uh, I'm sorry. It's not easy to open your drawer and restore it to its original shape without you noticing any traces."

"nightingale!"

"You said I could..."

"I'm saying my stuff is only used in emergencies when there's no substitute."

"I'm sorry. This time, maybe everyone but you can see that it is only a matter of time before Watson proposes to her. I noticed it when I was in London. Watson needed a proposal ring and couldn't find a substitute. It’s a rare opportunity, and you also said that he can use that ring, so it’s still in compliance with the rules.”

"I can understand that since you can find a reason for every sentence, then you are not apologizing." Holmes said in a gentle tone, but his emotions were cold. "According to the logic of those of you who take marriage too seriously, this reason is still Barely acceptable. But..."

He paused.

"What's wrong?" I think he was thinking about something absently.

"It's nothing. I thought it might be useful for something else in the future." He waved his hand, as if shaking away a little illusion in front of him.I saw a little soft emotion flowing out of control in his eyes.Watson could not afford a diamond ring.Merry would have married him even without the ring.But Holmes cared nothing as long as it pleased them both.A diamond was to him only a rock, and worse than a rock, it was as burnable as coal—but it was a diamond after all.Holmes smiled faintly, apparently aware of his unwilling tenderness.

However, I would never have imagined that he would actually say something cruel to me with such an expression, and I will never forget it:

"The carefree sightseeing in Edinburgh is over, Miss Nightingale, I hope next time you can contribute your intellect instead of private calculations, or, if your mind can't keep up, use some violence also."

There was too much contrast between the atmosphere before and after, and I went blank without any reaction.

At this time, Watson and Meili finally thought of us.The doctor came up excitedly and shook hands with Holmes.

"Congratulate me, Holmes. Merry has accepted my proposal."

"It is not my intention, but it does not matter if it pleases you. Congratulations, old friend," said Holmes slowly. "By the way, are you going to move out of Baker Street?"

Watson raised his hand and punched Holmes on the shoulder.

"I must expose you, Mr. Great Detective. You don't want me to go, do you?"

"Doctor, please be serious."

"Well, that's how it is." Watson said brightly, "We can't afford our own house yet, so we won't leave 221B for the time being. Mei Li said that she doesn't mind sharing the rent with us, and the house is fine." Still fits. I think Mrs. Hudson is drawing up a new contract this month, and we're all four. But I'd love to see if you'd be like a piece the day I actually move out. Send us away as lightly as ice, and then be too sad to work properly for three days."

"You should realize what you've said, Watson. But it sounds good, Sign Four." Holmes turned to me. "What do you think, Nightingale?"

"With the landlord himself, it's five." I replied.

The author has something to say: I would like to express my deep apologies for the sudden turnaround after the plot.The original plan was not like this, I just wanted to end it easily.But there should be conflicts buried before the development to the present.Someone said that Sherlock Holmes didn't even need Watson, but readers needed a storyteller.So he couldn't tolerate a redundant subordinate who didn't have the ability to be an independent detective forever.Nightingale had no role in this case, and secretly helped her teammate get away... Let's see if you guessed the meaning of the last sentence of this chapter.