Mary's Nineteenth Century

On Saturday, September [-], it was sunny to cloudy in London.

The financial city is always bustling and luxurious.But some well-informed people more or less heard the wind, two weeks ago there was almost a big robbery in an underground vault that shocked Europe.

It almost happened, which means that the crime has been killed in the cradle.

President Abel arranged for an arrest team in time to catch all the five robbers who wanted to sneak in from the underground water pipe.

Since then, the London branch of the French AB Bank has fired two more employees and will be held legally responsible for the leak of vault security information.

There is not much news circulating outside.

It is generally rumored that the robbery gang was composed of five British ex-soldiers. They joined forces with the builders of the bank vaults to engage in a robbery.

It is worth mentioning that they are professional diggers.After retiring from the army, because he didn't want to work only from [-] to [-], he had two years of experience in Egyptian pyramid tomb robbery.

It's just that cultural relics and antiques are not easy to do.Appraisal ability is needed, and it is even more necessary to bargain with middlemen. It is better to get gold nuggets directly.This gave rise to the idea of ​​robbing the underground vault safe.Take the risk and make a big ticket, get it done once, and have nothing to worry about for the rest of your life.

It is said that the looters have been digging the cave for two months without any suspicion or temptation.At the last moment, it seemed that he was about to successfully steal the gold, but he was caught off guard by the urn, and he was completely defeated!

Who saw through the secrets of the underground dark world, and who first discovered the danger of the vault?

The answer is unknown.

There is only one abbreviation of the character's name - "M".

In the afternoon, 16:05.

Banque AB France, Office of the President.

Abel briefly described the follow-up of the case, and only briefly mentioned the name and position of the ghost in the bank, because too many personnel secrets were involved and he did not go into details.

On the contrary, it is like acting in a stage play, describing the scene of the arrest vividly and vividly, which is full of gunpowder and thrilling.

In the end, he concluded: "I was only ten meters away from the arresting scene, and I could hear the battle clearly. Thanks to Mr. Minton's reminder, I arranged enough firepower in advance, otherwise we would be honorably injured It's over. Finally the dust has settled, why not go to the newly opened Provence restaurant tonight to celebrate?"

"You are really a model of dedication and bravery, and you went to the front to command the battle regardless of your own safety."

Mary had just received a check for ten thousand pounds as a separate thank you gift.For Watson who worked together and Darcy who came to report, Abel expressed his gratitude in addition.

At the moment, Mary doesn't mind a few more compliments to President Abel.

"That kind of scene sounds extremely dangerous. With a heroic president like you sitting in your bank, I think it will definitely ride the wind and waves and make a lot of money."

However, tonight's dinner invitation doesn't have to be.

Mary declined Abel on the grounds that she had already made an appointment for an important event, so she might as well postpone the celebration banquet for a few days.After gathering together Watson and Darcy, the four of them enjoyed the dinner together.

She did have a serious business to do before dark today.

According to the plan, after receiving the payment from the bank, they will go to the "British Sweets Rainbow House" to buy new limited-edition candy products in early autumn.That was far more important than having dinner with Abel.

The candy house is near Hyde Park, and there should be a long queue on the second day of the new product launch.

Huhu——

A gust of wind blows, and the sky suddenly turns dark.Looking up at the clouds, there is a high probability that there will be rain in the next hour, and the rain will not be small.

This is London.Sometimes it is sunny and sometimes it rains, the nature of the weather is fickle.

Rain is unlikely to stop the candy shop.

Mary didn't bring an umbrella, so she stopped by to buy an umbrella before the raindrops fell.

Umbrella, a top umbrella, must be a long handle umbrella.

The perfect cooperation of the umbrella surface, umbrella ribs, umbrella handle, and umbrella handle allows it to withstand torrential rain and icy winds.

Before the advent of nylon materials, umbrellas were usually made of thick cotton fabric coated with oil and wax, which can be imagined to be heavy.

Or use several layers of woven silk, which must be finely woven to achieve a perfect waterproof effect.Silk makes the umbrella much lighter, and it will give off the unique low-key luster of silk fabrics. The only disadvantage is that it is expensive.

Expensive, not only in the umbrella.The ribs of the umbrella replace the whalebone with a new type of steel, and the umbrella handle and handle are made of a solid wood. The wood is high-grade and strong enough to withstand different degrees of wind and rain.

The craftsmen then carve out the shape of the umbrella handle suitable for palm control according to the different wood grain characteristics of oak, ebony, walnut, etc., which is unique and practical. ①

Faced with a dazzling array of umbrellas, when Mary came out of the quiet "U Ji" umbrella shop, she had four more rectangular paper boxes on her left hand.

Don't be surprised.Adults don't make choices, but they take a fancy to several low-key, elegant, exquisite and durable long-handled umbrellas, and they don't have to choose and they must buy them all.

If you ask if there are any shortcomings?Yes, "U Ji" expensive handmade umbrella store does not sell foldable umbrellas.

Regardless of whether the folding umbrella is fragile and cheap in the eyes of the umbrella shop owner, there is no denying that it is convenient to carry in the bag.

Now is not the time to compare the advantages and disadvantages of umbrellas. Today, when buying candy is the ultimate goal, umbrellas are not the focus.

At 17:02, the clouds in the London sky gradually gathered.

On the west side of Hyde Park, many carriages drove away at a slightly faster speed, most of the passengers were carrying beautifully wrapped paper bags.When you get closer, you can still smell a faintly sweet fragrance, which is a new product from "Little Sweet Candy House".

At this time, the two carriages were not far apart, and they stopped at the intersection one after the other.

Mary saw an old woman get out of the car ahead.

The old woman was originally tall, but now she is slightly hunched.His hair is gray and white, and his clothes are ordinary but meticulously neat.

Carrying two large cloth bags, if you get closer, you can smell the faint smell of ink in the cloth bags, which is the smell of new books or newspapers.

Although the old lady walked slowly, her steps were steady and she was walking into the candy house step by step.

This is truly a candy house for all ages.There is a long line waiting to check out, with guests of all ages.

Then Mary also entered the candy shop.Her attention was immediately on the assortment of sweets and she didn't pay attention to other customers.Just like the previous positioning of the advertisement, I came here to buy candy, not to have an affair.

The buying process is methodical.Choose some of each variety, the price is not important, and put the ones that are pleasing to the eye into the basket.Pick up, line up, wait for payment.

During the queuing process, the wind outside became louder, and the sky became dark visibly to the naked eye.Not long after, the sound of raindrops hitting the eaves sounded.

The rain will eventually fall, and it will not stop.The guests who had bought the candies hurried away in order to get on the carriage earlier.On rainy days, you may have to go to a distant place to take a taxi later.

A long line, someone is always at the end of the line.

Mary was on the tail, but in no hurry.She has long been prepared for a walk in the rain, that is, walking for four to five 10 minutes, just for exercise.

After 10 minutes, I finally paid.Carrying a large bag of various canned candies, holding up a new umbrella, I walked southeast home.

Once in and out of the store, there is only half an hour difference between before and after, but they are two completely different worlds.

The excitement on the street was pressed to eliminate.

The sky was clouded with dark clouds, and before the street lamps could be turned on, the whole city was covered in rain, making it dark.

The crowds that shuttled through the streets and alleys disappeared, and the occasional carriage that passed quickly splashed mud all over the ground, but the wheels showed no intention of stopping.

'Crack! ', 'Stab——'

In the wind and rain, the rib of an umbrella suddenly broke, and the sound of the umbrella being pierced was heard again.

The umbrella was ruined by the wind and rain. It was just a trivial thing.

However, little things happen on a rainy day.

Mary came to the intersection and was about to turn left to cross the road when she saw the unlucky event ten meters away on the right.

The unlucky one was the old woman I just met, and the umbrella she held in her hand suddenly had some minor problems.Half of the ribs were broken, and there was a hole in the canopy.

The old woman could only hide under the eaves of the buildings along the street.

The long street was empty, she was holding a big cloth bag and a rainbow house candy paper bag in one hand, the broken umbrella and the non-stop rain trapped people in the forgotten corner of the city.

At this moment, the slightly hunched silhouette of the old woman seemed to be even more stooped.

Mary looked around. There were no umbrella shops in the nearby streets, and many shops closed early when the heavy rain came.There seems to be no third person around, and it takes more waiting and luck to stop an empty carriage.

According to the diagnosis of her anti-social personality tendency in the previous life, now I should turn a left eye and leave without seeing it, but I said that it must be a misdiagnosis.

A minute later, there was one more person in the forgotten corner where the old woman was.

"Ma'am, can you do me a favor?"

Instead of turning left, Mary walked into the long street on the right, and sped up her pace slightly to come to the old woman.Finally, he saw clearly that it was a wrinkled face.

The old woman had dark gray eyes.

It's a little surprising that these eyes did not show the slightest annoyance after encountering bad luck, but they were extraordinarily calm and peaceful at this time.

Mary ignored the accident and set the cardboard box with the umbrella against the wall.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but do me a favor and don't let the delicious candy in your tote bag rain. There is an umbrella in the box to help with the candy, if you want."

What if you don't want to?

Without waiting for an answer, Mary turned around and was about to leave.

It is impossible for her to hold an umbrella for someone in a very gentlemanly manner, and then escort them all the way to help find a carriage.Anyway, I was in a good mood today and bought a few more umbrellas, and it was just a matter of lifting one to give away.

As for fees, there is no need.

As far as the eye can see, the old woman is dressed simply from head to toe, the most expensive thing on her body is the newly bought candy, and she probably can't afford to buy an umbrella with a three-figure pound.

Under the eaves, the old woman was momentarily stunned.

I seldom feel stunned, but in the past 3 minutes, I have been stunned twice.

Who would have thought that the quality of the temporary umbrellas from the publishing house was so poor that people could not complain. I had never used an umbrella that would die when the wind blown it.

Even though the umbrella is a bit old, judging from its appearance, it will not die quickly.But today's strong wind collided with the angle of the umbrella, and the two umbrella bones died heroically.

Thus triggering a small probability of big unlucky events.There is nothing worse than not having an umbrella on a rainy day, alone with your favorite new candy, but the umbrella is broken, the store is closed, and there is no carriage.

——At this time, I need a new umbrella most urgently, and I am willing to exchange it with the admission gift for my younger brother.

Seeing that the street seemed to be cut off by a gray curtain of rain, the surroundings were suddenly dead silent.

At this time, a stranger broke into him unexpectedly.

The rain is pouring, under the umbrella of the eaves.

In the empty long street, an old woman and a young man, two strangers, stood facing each other.

The strange man left the gift box involuntarily, in the name of keeping the candy from raining.

I saw that the gift box hadn't been opened yet. It was packaged in brand new black hard paper, only the letter "U" was printed on the sealing ribbon.If you have no concept of luxury umbrellas, you will inevitably regard this as a cheap new umbrella.

"gentlemen."

The old woman glanced at the gift box, quickly regained her senses and called out to the umbrella giver who was about to leave, her voice was hoarse like that of ordinary old people, "You..."

How can you run away with an umbrella?

How can an umbrella with a three-digit pound be as arbitrary as giving away a newspaper?

The old lady didn't say that. If it's about money, well-meaning people may run away fast.If you resolutely don't want an umbrella, it violates the real demand.

"Sir, can you do me a favor too. I bought two sets of "Sweet Food Guide" collections of "Big Red Riding Hood". The rain is too heavy, and it is not convenient for me to carry heavy books. Can you please bring Do one of them?"

"Big Red Riding Hood"'s "Sweets" collection?

Mary had a little impression of the author and the title of the book.While investigating the sewer candy wrappers, I asked the maid Sophia about related matters, and chatted about the sweets on the market by the way.

Among them, mentioning the Top list of life books that are popular among housewives and chefs, the dessert books written by "Big Red Riding Hood" have been on the list for the past year, and they are must-have books for many people.

Simply put, it's a bestseller written by a well-known author in the living quarters.

People speculate from between the lines that "Big Red Riding Hood" is an elderly middle-aged housewife who has mastered various dessert cooking skills.The person may be a bit chubby, but not overly fat, and appears kind and approachable.

Mary One wasn't very interested in this, but she turned around anyway.

If reciprocity can make people feel at ease, why not pick up a collection of books. "You are welcome, I am willing to share some weight for you."

"Thank you."

The old woman handed out a large cloth bag in her hand, without saying anything more. "Thanks for not letting the candy rain and have a great weekend."

"You too, have a nice weekend."

Mary took the cloth bag, and it wasn't too heavy.At a glance, the so-called collection has a total of four books.This time, she left without looking back.

No one said goodbye.

The wind and the rain, meet by chance.Like sending umbrellas for good deeds every day and giving books in time for gifts, the two miraculously only said a few words to each other, and even the words of thanks were not eager enough.

It was because they were not eager enough, as if it was a tacit understanding, that the umbrella and the book were accepted by the other party without any excuses.Immediately, the two strangers ran in opposite directions one by one, and walked into the rainy London.

'boom--'

Under the eaves, there is only the echo of opening the umbrella, which is crisp and clear but soon dissipates.

Where there is rain, there is no half footprint left.It seems that apart from the storm in September in London, there is no other evidence that the two people have met here.

Perhaps, there was no real encounter in the first place.

Leaving aside the fact that Mary disguised herself as a man and started a new life as Mr. Minton, half an hour later the old lady who managed to call the carriage also arrived home.

The old woman actually entered the single-family house through the back door.

When entering the door, put the new umbrella first, then put the candy bag and "Sweet Food Guide" together on the table in the living room.Without rushing to unpack, I went to the bathroom first.

The half-length mirror on the wall reflected the face of a wrinkled old woman.But his back is no longer slightly hunchbacked, but rather straight.

The old woman washed her hands, applied some transparent liquid to the hairline, and then even took off the gray-white old lady's wig.He opened the other glass bottles again, and after a while, all the wrinkles and camouflage on his face were completely removed.

It was a remarkably masculine face.

After a brief wash, Mycroft changed back into his suit, looked at his face in the mirror that had regained its original appearance, and remembered that he had received a letter from his dear brother the day before yesterday, mentioning the recent situation of freshmen starting college life.

Sherlock expressed his interest in the drama club, not because the drama itself is so interesting, but because he is interested in mastering camouflage techniques, but he thinks that his beloved and always lazy brother should find it difficult to understand the fun.

Do not understand?

Mycroft smiled half a smile.Go upstairs, sit down in front of the desk, and take out the advertising leaflet of the candy house from his pocket.

It was originally going to be thrown into the trash can, but now it is written at the bottom of the advertisement: "London, a special city, its sky is always blurred. As it is in fog, it is also the same in rainy days, and under the gray rain There are countless secrets shrouded in it. You, me, and him all have secrets, and some secrets are unknown even to the closest and smartest family members.

Young people, old people, umbrellas, books, meet and separate.Life is accompanied by secrets, and many times I am too lazy to find out.I just want to say thank you again, Mr. Strange Kindness. ——recorded on September 1869.9.8, [-]"

The fate of the advertisement sheet being discarded has changed.

It was properly placed in the notebook and locked deep in the drawer, just like locking those encounters unknown to third parties.

Downstairs, a new "U Ji" long-handled ebony umbrella is being dried.

The corner of Mycroft's mouth lightly lifted, he really had a wonderful experience today.He opened the glass jar and took out a candy, peeled off the wrapper, and put the mint-colored candy into his mouth.

Although the banner of encountering sweet love on the advertising sheet is a lie, the taste of the new candy is just as advertised, which is the cool taste of early autumn.It makes people feel like they are in the old Sherlock Holmes house in Yorkshire.In the manor, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the leaves are golden.

The stranger who also tasted the candy didn't know what to think, and would he like the gift he gave in return?