Chapter 39 Section VI

The sound of Lowell's footsteps coming down the stairs gradually faded away, and Holmes sat for a long time beside the box containing Dante's manuscript.He went on throwing proofs into the fire, determined to finish the painful business, but he couldn't stop reading Dante while throwing it. "The Clawed Ghost" approached Dante and Virgil...Dante recalled, "I have seen such infantry before, when they came out of Capulona by treaty, and were appalled at seeing themselves among so many enemies." fear." Dante is recalling the capture of the Pisan castle of Caplona, ​​a battle in which he himself took part.Holmes realized that Lowell had left out one thing in enumerating Dante's talents: Dante was also a fighter.Like you, he does everything beautifully.That's what's different from me, Holmes thought.The warrior insists on guilt every step of the way, silently, without thinking.He wondered if Dante had been a better poet for having seen his friends die beside him for the spirit of Florence, for some meaningless edict of the Papal party.

Holmes went over the proofs and read for an hour or so.He is eager to read the second canto of the Inferno, in which Virgil convinces Dante to go on his pilgrimage, but Dante's fears for his own safety resurface.The most courageous moment is when you face the torture of other people's death and think clearly about each person's feelings.He found his Italian version of the "Divine Comedy" and read it: "The day is passing away..." When preparing to enter hell, Dante hesitated: "And I was alone..."—how he Lonely!He said it three times!Alone…… "And I'm alone..." Holmes felt he had to read aloud, "preparing myself to support the two struggles of the long journey...the journey...and pity."

Holmes suddenly stood up from his chair and ran for the stairs to the third floor. "And I'm alone..." he repeated as he climbed the stairs. "What would we do if our Satan sat in his cell and acted dumb?" Fields asked anxiously. "He doesn't know Italian—I can see it in his eyes," said Nicholas Wray decisively, "and he's furious when he sees the note in Italian." They gathered at Cray In Jifu's study.Green, who had been translating all afternoon, was back in Boston for the night at his daughter's house. "Berndy was not educated. And we also found out that none of the circumstances we investigated could be linked to any of the three victims."

"There seemed to be reports in the newspapers that they were gathering evidence," Fields said. Ray nodded, "They found a witness. Just the night before Reverend Talbot was killed, that is, the night Talbot's safe was stolen for a thousand dollars, the witness saw Berndy in the Reverend's safe." There was furtive activity around the house. Several experienced police officers questioned witnesses. Berndy was reluctant to tell me too much. But this was also the usual detective practice: to find a piece of circumstantial evidence and to base it on it. Figure out the whole situation. I have no doubt that it is Langdon Paisley who is leading them by the nose. He will eliminate his main contender for breaking the safe in Boston, and the detective will put most of the bounty. To him. He once tried to propose such a plan to me after the bounty was announced."

"But what if there's something we don't notice?" Fields lamented. "Do you think it's possible that this Mr. Burndy will be responsible for these murders?" Longfellow asked. Fields pursed his pretty lips and shook his head. "I just want to find the answer so we can get back to normal life." Longfellow's servant announced that a Mr. Sheldon from Cambridge was waiting at the door to see Professor Lowell. Lowell hurried to the front hall and led Sheldon into Longfellow's library. Sheldon pulled the hat down tightly on his head. "Forgive me for disturbing you here, Professor, but it seems from your note that you are in a hurry to see me. I found Elwood, and they say you may be found here. Please tell me if we are going to re- Dante class?" he asked, with an earthy smile on his face.

"It's been almost a week since I sent you a note!" Lowell yelled. "Oh, look...I just got your note today." He looked down at the ground. "Is it possible? In a gentleman's house you should take off your hat, Sheldon!" Lowell knocked off Sheldon's hat.One of Sheldon's eyes was swollen and turned purple, and there was a lump on his jaw. Lovell was instantly remorseful. "Uh, Sheldon. What happened?" "A lot of trouble, sir. I was about to tell you that my father sent me to a relative's house to recover from my wounds. Maybe it's my punishment to shut myself up," said Sheldon, with a stiff smile, " That's why I didn't get your note." Sheldon went to the light and picked up his hat, noticing the horror on Lowell's face. "Oh, the lump has gone down quite a bit, Professor. My eye is hardly hurt."

Lowell sat down and said, "Tell me about this, Sheldon." Sheldon bowed her head. "I can't help it! You must know that nasty wanderer, Simon Kemp. If you don't, I won't tell you. He stopped me in the street. I, said he was investigating on behalf of the entire Harvard faculty whether your Dante class might have a negative impact on the personality of the students. You don't know, I was so angry that I almost punched my fist when I heard this hesitant slander Hit him in the face." "Did Kemp beat you up like this?" Lowell asked tremblingly like a father.

"No, no, he went away in disgrace. I happened to meet Pliny Mead the next morning. If ever I knew a traitor, it was him!" "why would you say so?" "He told me triumphantly how he sat down with Kemp and told him how 'terrible' Dante's bad temper was. I fear, Professor Lowell, that the slightest slander will come to you Dante seminars are dangerous. It's clear that the school board will never show mercy. I told Mead he'd better visit Kemp and take back his bad remark, but he refused, And cursed me damned loudly, and besides, he cursed you, professor, can I not be mad with anger? So we quarreled in the old cemetery."

Lovell felt very proud, and asked with a smile: "You hit him first, Mr. Sheldon?" "I did it first, sir," said Sheldon.He frowned and touched his chin with his hand, "But in the end he won." Lowell escorted Sheldon to the door, repeatedly promising him that the Dante seminar would resume soon.Immediately afterwards, he hurried to the study, when there was another hasty knock on the door. "Damn it! Sheldon, didn't I say we'd meet in class!" Lovell yanked the door open. Dr. Holmes stood in the doorway, his face full of excitement. "Holmes?" Lowell was a little carried away with joy, and burst out laughing. Longfellow, who heard the laughter, rushed into the front hall. "You're back, Wendell! We miss you!" Lowell yelled at the others in the study: "Holmes is back!"

"Not only that, my friends," said Holmes, walking toward the study, "but, I think I know where to find our murderer."