"The Widow" Bertha

In the past, old Jesse gave a lot of usurious loans. Bertha didn't intend to do such a thing. After discussing with Ned Morrison, it was decided to recover the principal according to the normal profit of the bank, and stop lending in the future——Before Jesse The loan recovered by Sy Pine was not used in gang operations, and he spent all of it on his own, which proved that even without usury, the gang could maintain normal operations.

Therefore, Ned has already sorted out the list of people who are currently in arrears. As soon as Bertha mentioned Dr. Bartz, Ned immediately opened the record.

"France Butts—here, ma'am," began Ned the accountant, "I borrowed a thousand pounds, but the interest has been rolled over for three months, and now I should pay... this amount."

Ned made a rather exaggerated number with his fingers.

Bertha: "..."

So usury harms people!If it goes on like this, even Bertha may not be able to pay back the money.

"We haven't informed him about the high interest rate yet?" she asked.

"Uh."

After so many years of struggling in the rivers and lakes, when Bertha said this, Ned's little calculations were crackling, and he asked tentatively: "I haven't informed you yet, ma'am, this Barbara?" Isn't Dr. Ci your friend, do you need to cut interest rates?"

Bertha clapped her hands happily when she heard the words: "Not yet? Good! Don't give him a rate cut yet."

Ned: "Huh??"

Bertha smiled and said, "Bring me the man, and I will talk with him in person."

Because of loan sharks, Bertha has almost all the information about Dr. Frans Butz here, not to mention his family tree, wishing to know the breed of the dog at home and who the parents are: this person is especially good at observing words and expressions The doctor has long been married, and his wife is not of high family background, but she is very hardworking and shrewd. She also runs a small business and earns a lot of money. Unfortunately, the family is fully subsidized by usury.

The couple have a son and a daughter under their knees, and the son is just about the age of going to college.

It is unlucky for him to fail in investment, but he is really confused when his descendants come to borrow usury when they are using the money.

But it was a good thing for Bertha.

But for Dr. Butz, Bertha's understatement of orders was a disaster that almost scared him to pee his pants.

The next morning, when he came to the clinic, before he had time to take out his keys, several young men in red scarves and red gloves surrounded Dr. Butz, and two strong young men on the left and right simply supported him. With his arm, he directly "lifted" such a big man onto the carriage, the movement was so fast that the neighbors of the clinic did not react at all.

Before Dr. Bartz could shout out, he was pinned into the carriage.

"Don't yell! You'll suffer if you yell!"

Who would dare to say anything? Dr. Butz raised his head tremblingly. He knew that this kind of thing would happen to him one day if his debts were still outstanding, but he didn't expect it to come so soon.

"I, I will pay back the money, everyone, discuss it carefully, and tell Mr. Jesse Pyne—"

"Mr. Jesse Pyne?"

Dr. Butz didn't expect that his words would be greeted with laughter from the carriage.

"Get up, doctor." A young man also wearing a red scarf and red gloves pulled him up from the ground, "Your news is really poor, there is no Jesse Pine and his Jesse gang now. "

what?

Dr. Bartz was pushed down on the seat of the carriage again by the young man in shock. He took a closer look and found that the person sitting directly opposite him was not a thug with a vicious expression. There is also a pen pinned to the gray suit jacket, which looks like a person who is reading and writing.

This put him at ease.

"Who are you?" asked Dr. Butts.

"Ned Morrison, Lady Thames' accountant," began the young man with a smile, "Whitechapel has changed, doctor."

"You said nothing about the Jesse Gang, what do you mean, then you are...?"

"We," Ned answered slowly, adjusting the frame, "we are Mrs. Thames' boys."

Lady Thames?

Who is this?

Dr. Butts didn't quite understand what gang wars were all about, and he had never heard of a "Mrs. Thames" anywhere.He just knew that this lady had probably taken Old Jesse's place, but the debt still existed.

Thinking about it carefully, although this lady didn't find someone to go to the clinic to beat up and force her to pay back the money, it was even more terrifying to put herself directly into the carriage.He couldn't help but swallowed his saliva, and looked at the young man who claimed to be an accountant for help: "Then, where shall we go?"

Ned tilted his head: "Madam invites you to come and visit me, doctor."

Dr. Bartz: "..."

He is in debt, what is there to invite as a guest!

The black-painted carriage drove for nearly 10 minutes, and Dr. Bartz had completely lost his direction.He sat blankly in the carriage and let them stare at him, and when he arrived at the place, he let them lift him out of the carriage... Wait, isn't this the Whitechapel district?

Ok? ? ?

Don't need a sack, he recognizes the street and the detailed address!

Dr. Bartz was brought into the office with the Thames sign in a daze, and was urged to go up to the second floor. He hesitated for a moment on the stairs, and finally mustered up the courage to take the last step.

The second floor of the office is not the purgatory on earth that he imagined. There are chains, whips and other instruments of torture. As soon as he stepped out of the stairs, Dr. Bartz stepped on the soft carpet. He turned his head and fell into the What he saw was a very familiar face.

"Mrs. Thames" sitting on the sofa has dark hair and a neat long skirt, holding a gold-rimmed coffee cup. When she heard the movement, she only slightly raised her dark golden eyes, and then said in a hoarse voice: " Long time no see, Doctor Butts."

——It was the mysterious lady who had recovered from "hysteria" that Dr. Bartz had consulted at the White Horse Hotel before.

At that moment, Dr. Bartz, who was completely relaxed, felt his feet go limp, and he directly leaned on the stairs and collapsed to the ground.

Even though she was putting on airs, Bertha couldn't help being taken aback: "Are you all right, doctor?"

Dr. Bartz hurriedly waved his hand: "It's okay, it's okay, let me take a breath, ma'am, let me take a breath."

Bertha: "..."

Five minutes later, Dr. Bartz, who had regained his strength, finally sat across from Bertha.

"I really didn't expect," Dr. Butz said with emotion, "Madam, you have such a big background. How are you doing recently?"

"very good."

Bertha wanted to laugh when she thought of Dr. Bartz's astonishing speech: "You are right, I am free and at ease without my husband. It is true that people feel refreshed on happy occasions. Not to mention hysteria, I have never suffered from minor ailments or pains again. .”

Dr. Bartz rubbed his hands with a smile: "That's good, that's good! I don't know why Madam is looking for me today...?"

Bertha put down her coffee cup: "Talk about the debt."

Dr. Bartz's smile immediately disappeared from his face.

"Jesse Pine's shitty business is now all taken over by my people. To be honest, doctor," Bertha naturally knew what he was thinking, but she still said in a hurry, "this kind of harmful loan shark I don't do things that ruin people's lives. If you don't invite you here today, tomorrow my boy will come to your door to inform you that the debts owed will be repaid at the average bank interest rate. As for the extra money, we will not pursue it gone."

"Wh-madame, you really have the heart of an angel!"

"Don't rush to praise me," said Bertha sarcastically. "Even if it's a thousand pounds, can you afford it now, doctor?"

Bertha had never heard of people who borrowed money from only one family, and they were all in debt to usury. If they borrowed to the end, who would deal with street gangs?

"I'm not in a hurry," Bertha knew he was in trouble. "If you still have to go, I won't ask you to come here. It's just that I have a way to pay back the money. Would you like to hear it?"

"Madam, please tell me," Dr. Bartz understood at this point, "If I can do it, I will do my best to help you."

"You don't need to be loyal."

Bertha said indifferently, "It's just for your wife's use."

Doctor Butz's face turned green immediately.

He hesitated for a while, as if he didn't know how to answer, and saw Bertha bewildered: Is there any difficulty in making a decision?

In the end, Dr. Bartz stammered and said, "Husband, madam, my wife looks, uh, average in appearance. If you have this kind of, uh, small hobby, I have rich experience in practicing medicine, uh, I know a few ladies... …Just like you."

Bertha: "..."

Dr. Bartz: "..."

Bertha nearly spit the coffee out of her mouth.

"I don't mean that," she couldn't laugh or cry, "Your wife, Mrs. Butts, has business experience. I just happen to have a pub that has just been renovated. I want to hire her as the bar manager. If the business is good, the net profit of one thousand pounds will be one thousand pounds." Years will suffice—where do you want to be, Doctor!"

That's what it meant!

Dr. Bartz breathed a sigh of relief, finally letting go of the last worry in his heart.

"That……"

There was a misunderstanding, and Dr. Bartz was also embarrassed: "Then just pretend that I didn't say anything just now, ma'am."

Bertha still thought it was funny, the doctor was also a wonderful person, and he had uttered golden sentences more than once.

To tell the truth, Bertha's original idea was to invite Dr. Bartz to be the bar manager.He is so good at dealing with affairs and knows how to read words and demeanor. It is probably no problem to run a bar.But when Ned the accountant brought the records over, he didn't expect an unexpected bonus on the doctor's side: his wife had more experience in business than he did.

That being the case, Bertha would not force people to change careers.

"You have rich experience in medical practice. Maybe I will need your help in the future," Bertha said. "If you are free, can you invite your wife to come? I will not treat her badly in terms of salary."

"I'll tell that guy when I get home!"

Speaking of this, Dr. Bartz finally let go of his guard completely, knowing that Bertha did not come to collect debts, but instead provided a great opportunity.

You can't offend your creditors. Before leaving, Dr. Butts did not forget to say goodbye to Bertha: "Say hello to Miss Jane Eyre for me, ma'am!"

Bertha couldn't help laughing: As expected, something will happen, Dr. Bartz and them only met once, and they remember it clearly.

After returning to South Bank Street, Miss Jane Eyre also sighed similarly: "I didn't expect Dr. Bartz to remember me."

Bertha: "You see, Edward recommended this doctor to me, and it was useful after all."

It’s okay not to mention it, but as soon as Jane said it, she remembered the situation on the day of the “consultation”, and she couldn’t hold back her smile, so she lowered her head: “It’s my fault, but I didn’t expect to rely on Franz Baron’s medical skills Ci, but his wife was a great help."

"Thanks to Edward."

"..."

"how?"

Miss Jane Eyre had eyes that could not be concealed, and when Rochester was mentioned, her expression flickered, and Bertha caught it immediately.

"It's nothing," Jane said softly, "It's just that when we parted last time, Mr. Rochester mentioned that he wanted to sit down and have dinner with friends in London, and hoped that I would join him. Of course, he also planned to invite you and Mr. Holmes... . . . but I don't think Mr. Holmes will go."

Bertha raised an eyebrow.

Since the murder at Northfield Manor, Bertha and Mycroft resumed their daily communication consisting only of letters.

She admitted that she was a little upset on the day she went home, but she was not to the point of being angry. After so long, she had already forgotten about this unhappiness.

but……

Bertha is a very "vengeful" person.

"He'll go." So she laughed.

Miss Jane Eyre was right. Mr. Mycroft Holmes naturally despised Rochester's friends.But if it weren't for that, she wouldn't take him—after being used as a pawn for so long, and even met the old Mrs. Holmes, in turn, if Mycroft didn't give himself this face, it would be unreasonable, wouldn't it?

Due to the cooperative relationship, it is impossible to take revenge, and Bertha will not ask for benefits from Holmes because of such a trivial matter, but it doesn't matter if it is a little bit of trouble.

"If I don't go, I'm afraid you won't go either. I have to agree to Edward's invitation for you," Bertha said presumptuously, "As for him? As long as I nod, he will nod too."