Chapter 5 five or three broken leads

Sherlock Holmes has a high degree of willpower to control his personal emotions.The strangeness that had haunted us seemed to have been forgotten for two hours, and he was absorbed in the paintings of the late Belgian masters.From the time we left the gallery until we reached the Northumberland Hotel he talked of nothing but art.In fact, his understanding of art is very superficial. "Sir Henry Baskerville is waiting for you upstairs," said the accountant. "He told me to take you up as soon as you arrive." "I should like to see your passenger register. You have no objection?" said Holmes.

"not at all." It appears from the register that after Baskerville there were two more guests.One was the Shophaelus Johansen family of Newcastle; the other was Mrs. Omor and her maid from High Rocky, Oton. "This must be the Johnson I know," said Holmes to the porter. "A lawyer, isn't he? Gray-haired, and a little limp." "No, sir, this is Mr. Johnson, the coal mine owner, a lively gentleman, not older than you." "You must have mistaken his occupation?" "No, sir! He has lived in our hotel for many years, and we know him well."

"Ah, that's fine. And Mrs. Omo, I seem to remember this name, please forgive my curiosity, but when visiting a friend, I often meet another friend, this is also a common thing." "She's a very sick lady, sir. Her husband was mayor of Gloucester City. She always comes to live with us when she comes into town." "Thank you. I'm afraid I can't say she is my acquaintance." "The questions we have just asked illustrate a very important fact, Watson," he continued in a low voice, as we went upstairs together, "and we now know that those who are most interested in our friend People, who were not staying in the same hotel as him. That is to say, although they were very keen to spy on him, as we have seen, they were equally very worried about being seen by him. Ah, that's a very telling fact."

"What does it mean?" "It says—God, my dear friend, what's the matter?" We were almost at the top of the stairs when we met Sir Henry Baskerville approaching.His face was flushed with anger, and he held an old dusty high leather shoe in his hand.He was too angry to speak, and when he spoke, his voice was higher-pitched and his Western accent was much stronger than in the morning. "Their hotel people seem to think I'm a bully," he cried. "Let them be careful, or they'll know they've got the wrong man for their joke. What a shame! If he can't find If I've lost my shoes, I'll be in trouble. I'm not afraid of a joke, Mr. Holmes, but they've gone a little too far this time."

"Still looking for your leather shoes?" "Yes, sir, it must be found." "But you said that what you lost was a new high brown leather shoe?" "Yes, sir. But now I've lost an old black shoe." "What, I'm afraid you didn't mean..." "I was just about to say that I have three pairs of shoes—the new brown ones, the old black ones, and the patent leather shoes I'm wearing now. They took one of my brown shoes last night, and today Stole a black one from me—hey, did you find it? Come on, hey, don't just stand and stare!"

A panicked German waiter arrives. "No, sir. I've asked all over the hotel, but I can't find anything." "Well, bring me back the shoes before sunset, or I'll go to the boss and tell him, and I'll leave the hotel immediately." "It will be found, sir, as long as you can bear a little bit, I promise you will find it." "I hope so, for I shall lose no more in this den of thieves—well, Mr. Holmes, please forgive me for troubling you with such trifles..." "I think it's a very noticeable thing." "Oh, you take it too seriously."

"How do you explain this?" "I don't want to explain it at all. It seems like the most annoying and strange thing that has ever happened to me." "Perhaps the strangest thing..." said Holmes meaningfully. "What do you think of the matter?" "Oh, I dare not say that I have understood. This case of yours is very complicated, Sir Henry. When it is connected with your uncle's death, I dare not say that after I have dealt with it Among the 500 important cases that have been handled, is there any such twists and turns? But we have already grasped several clues, and it is expected that one of them will lead us to the truth. We may also be on the wrong road Waste of time, but sooner or later we'll find the right clue."

We went into lunch happily, talking very little about the event that brought us together.After dinner Holmes asked Baskerville in the sitting-room what his intentions were. "To Baskerville Hall." "when to go?" "weekend." "On the whole," said Holmes, "I think your decision is wise. I can fully attest that you have been followed in London, among thousands of people in a city of this size. , it is difficult to know who these people are, or what their purpose is. If they are malicious, they may cause you misfortune, and we are afraid that there is nothing we can do to prevent it. Dr. Mortimer, you do not know Have you been followed since you came out of my house this morning?"

Dr. Mortimer was taken aback. "Being targeted! By whom?" "Unfortunately, that's exactly what I can't tell. Is there anyone in Dart Moor among your neighbors and acquaintances with a long black beard?" "No—well, let me see—oh, yes, Barrymore, Sir Childs steward, has a black beard." "Ah! where is Barrymore?" "He's in charge of the estate." "We'd better check to see if he's actually staying there, maybe he's in London." "How can you prove that?" "Give me a telegram. 'Is everything ready for Sir Henry?' That will do. To Baskerville Hall, to Mr. Barrymore. Where is the nearest telegraph office? Greenpen? Good." Well, let's send another telegram to the postmaster at Greenpen, and write 'Mr. Barrymore's telegram to myself. If not available, please call back and inform Sir Henry Baskerville of the Northumberland Hotel.' We shall find out by evening whether Barrymore is indeed at his post."

"That's all very well," said Baskerville, "but, Doctor Mortimer, what kind of man is this Barrymore?" "He is the son of the late old housekeeper. They have been in charge of the estate for four generations. As far as I know, he and his wife are a very respectable couple in the country." "At the same time," said Baskerville, "it is clear that as long as no one from our family lives on the estate, these people are too comfortable to have anything to do." "This is the truth." "Did Barrymore benefit at all from Sir Childs' will?"

asked Holmes. "He and his wife got five hundred pounds each." "Ah! Did they ever know they were going to get the money?" "You know, Sir Childs is very fond of talking about the contents of his will." "It makes a lot of sense." "I hope," said Dr. Mortimer, "that you will not look suspiciously at anyone who benefits from Sir Childs' will, which left me a thousand pounds." "Really? Who else got it?" "There were also many small sums given to some individuals and large sums given to public charities. The remainder went entirely to Sir Henry." "How much surplus is there?" "Seventy-four thousand pounds." Holmes raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I really did not expect such a large number." "Sir Childs is famously rich, but we didn't know how rich he was until we examined his securities. It turned out that the total value of the whole property was about a million pounds." "Dear me! A man sees such a big stake, and of course he has to bet his life. But there is one more question, Dr. Mortimer, and if any misfortune happens to our young friends--I beg your pardon." My unpleasant assumption—who will inherit the fortune?" "Since Roger Baskerville, brother of Sir Childs, died unmarried, the estate should have passed to his distant cousin, the Desmans. James Desmonds was Wythe An old clergyman in Morland." "Thank you. These details are remarkable. Have you seen Mr. James Desman?" "Yes, he came to visit Sir Childs once. He was a dignified man, and lived a holy life. I also remember that he refused to accept any inheritance from Sir Childs, although Sir Childs He forced him to accept it." "Is this man of no taste to be the heir to Sir Charles's great fortune?" "He will be the heir to the estate, because that is what the law says. He will also inherit the money, unless the present owner makes another will - of course he has the right to do as he pleases." "Sir Henry, have you made a will?" "No, Mr. Holmes. I haven't had time yet, for I learned the truth of the matter only yesterday. But, in any case, I feel that money should not be separated from title and estate. Such is the will of my poor uncle." Yes. How can the master restore the prestige of the Baskervilles if he has not enough money to maintain the estate? Real estate and money must never be separated." "Exactly. Ah, Sir Henry, I agree with you that you should go to Devonshire at once. On one condition, however, that you must not go alone." "Dr. Mortimer will go back with me." "But Dr. Mortimer has his medical staff, and his home is miles away from yours, and in spite of his best wishes for you, I am afraid he can do nothing for you. No, Sir Henry, you You have to find someone else you can trust, someone who will be with you forever." "Is it possible for you to go yourself, Mr. Holmes?" "If it came to a crisis point, I would try to do it myself as much as possible, but as you can see, I have a widely consulted business and frequent requests from all sides, and if I were to leave London indefinitely, I would Impossible. There is at present a most venerable man in England who is being threatened and slandered, and only I can stop this grievous slander. You can see that it is wrong to call me to Dutt Moor now. What an impossibility." "Then who are you going to let go?" Holmes patted the back of my hand and said: "If my friend will undertake the task, there is nothing better than a man to accompany and protect you in your crisis, and nothing more People can speak with more confidence than I can.” This unexpected suggestion left me completely at a loss as to what to do.Before I could answer, Baskerville took my hand, and shook it enthusiastically. "Ah, Dr. Watson, I am most grateful for your kindness," said he. "You know my position, and you know as much about it as I do; if you could come to Baskerville Hall Go with me, I will always remember it in my heart." The adventure I was about to undertake was always attractive to me, not to mention the compliments I received from Holmes, and the sincerity with which the baronet regarded me as a companion. "Sure, I'd love to," I said, "and it's a very worthwhile use of my time." "You will report to me carefully," said Holmes, "and when the crisis comes--as it always will--I will instruct you how to proceed. I suppose Saturday will be ready for departure?" "Is this convenient for Dr. Watson?" "very convenient." "Then, unless I tell you otherwise, we shall meet at the station on Saturday for the ten-thirty train from Paddington." As we rose to take our leave, Baskerville gave a sudden shout of triumph, and dashing to the corner of the room, dragged a brown boot from under a cupboard. "It's my lost shoe," he cried. "May all our difficulties disappear as this incident does!" said Sherlock Holmes. "But it is a curious thing," said Dr. Mortimer. "I searched the room carefully before dinner." "I've searched too!" said Baskerville. "I've searched everywhere." "There were certainly no boots in the house then." "Then the waiter must have put it there while we were at lunch." The German waiter was called, but he said he knew nothing about the matter, and could not understand it no matter how much he asked.Mysterious events with unknown purpose happened one after another, and now there is one more.In addition to the whole gruesome story of Sir Childs' violent death, a series of unexplained and unexplainable accidents happened in the course of two days: among them were letters received in printed letters, The stalker with the black beard, the loss of the new brown shoes and the disappearance of the old black shoes, and the new brown shoes now being returned.As we drove back to Baker Street, Holmes sat in silence, and I could see by his furrowed brows and stern face that his mind, like mine, was busy trying to piece together some explanation for the situation. All the suppositions of strange and apparently unconnected episodes.All afternoon and late into the night he sat immobile, lost in tobacco and deep thought. Just before supper came two telegrams, The first letter is: It is known that Barrymore is indeed at the manor.Baskerville. The second letter is: I went to twenty-three hotels according to the instructions, but the torn "Times" was not found.I'm sorry.Cartley. "My two leads are sort of lost, Watson. There is nothing more annoying than a case when everything goes wrong. We must turn around and find another lead." "We can still find the groom who drives the coach for the follower." "Indeed. I have wired to the Licensing Section to find out his name and address—I should not be surprised if this is the answer to my question." As it turns out, the doorbell's results are more satisfying than the answers we'd hoped for.As soon as the door opened came in a rude fellow who was obviously exactly what we were looking for. "I received a notification from the General Administration that a gentleman here is looking for the driver of No.2704!" he said, "I have been driving a carriage for seven years, and I have never heard a word of dissatisfaction from a passenger; I came here from the parking lot, and I want to ask in person what dissatisfaction you have with me." "I have nothing against you, brother," said Holmes. "On the contrary, if you will answer my question clearly, I will give you a half-pound." The coachman grinned and said: "Oh, I've had a really good day today. What do you want to ask me, sir?" "First of all, I want to ask for your name and address, so that I can go to you again when I need it." "John Clayton, lives at 3 Turpy Street, in the town; my car is hired from Hipbury's, near Waterloo Station." Sherlock Holmes wrote these down. "Now, Clayton, please tell me about the passenger who came to watch the house this morning and then followed the two gentlemen in Regent Street." It seemed that the man was taken aback and was a little bit at a loss. "Well, I don't seem to need to tell you that, because you seem to know as much as I do," said he; "the fact is that the gentleman once told me that he was a detective, and that Don't tell anyone about him." "Boy, this is a serious matter, and if you try to hide anything from me, you're in for some bad luck. Do you think your passenger ever told you he was a detective?" "Yes, he said so." "When did he say that?" "When he left me." "Did he say anything else?" "He mentioned his name." Holmes cast a quick, triumphant glance at me. "Oh, he mentioned his name, didn't he? That was very presumptuous. What did he say his name was?" "His name," said the coachman, "is Sherlock Holmes, sir." I never saw my friend so taken aback by what the coachman said.For a moment he sat there in astonishment without saying a word.Then he laughed again. "Wonderful, Watson, it is wonderful," said he; "I think he is a man as quick and astute as I am. He did a real trick on me last time—his name is Hughes." Rock Holmes, eh?" "Yes, sir, that is the gentleman's name." "Great! Tell me where he hitched up with you and what happened after that." "At nine-thirty he called my car in Trevorgard Square, said he was a detective, and said he would give me the money if I obeyed his instructions absolutely all day without asking any questions. Two quid. I gladly assented. We hurried first to the Northumberland Inn, where we waited until the two gentlemen came out and hired a carriage. We followed their carriage till it stopped near here. " "It is this gate," said Holmes. "Well, I'm not sure of that. But I dare say my passenger knew everything. We stopped in the street for an hour and a half and waited. Then two gentlemen walked past us and we followed along Baker Street." down, and along..." Holmes interjected: "I know that." "We were about three-quarters of the way through Regent Street. Suddenly the gentleman in my car opened the sliding roof window and shouted to me to get the car to Waterloo Station as quickly as possible. .I whipped my horse, and I was there in less than ten minutes. He actually gave me two guineas and went into the station. Just as he was going away, he turned and said: 'If you know It may be of interest that your passenger is Sherlock Holmes.' That is how I learned his name." "I see. Didn't you see him again?" "After he entered the station, he was never seen again." "Now how would you describe Mr. Sherlock Holmes?" The coachman scratched his scalp and said: "Well, he's not so easy to describe. I think he's about forty, of medium height, and two or three inches shorter than you, sir. He's dressed like a gentleman, with a black beard cut to the end, and a pale complexion." . I guess that's about all I can say." "What color are your eyes?" "No, I can't tell." "Can't you remember anything else?" "Well, sir, I can't remember." "Well, then here's your half quid. And if you bring more news later, you'll get another half quid. Good night!" "Good night, sir, and thank you." John Clayton giggled and went away.Holmes shrugged his shoulders and turned to me with a disappointed smile. "Our third clue was broken again, and we blew it again just as we nodded." "The cunning rascal," said he, "has got his hands on us, he knows that Sir Henry Baskerville has been to me, and has spotted me in Regent Street, and considering I have taken down the number of the carriage, he must Will go to the coachman, so he sent this joking message. I tell you, Watson, we've really got a worthy opponent this time. I've been thwarted in London. .I hope you'll have better luck in Devonshire than here, but I'm not sure." "What are you worried about?" "Trouble about the thing that sent you. It's a tricky business, Watson, both tricky and dangerous, and the more I look at it the less I like it. Yes, dear fellow, you may laugh at me, But let me tell you, I should be very glad if you could come back to Baker Street safe and sound."