Mary's Nineteenth Century

In addition to the mountain rose, Mycroft also brought a badge of the Scarab Society.

The badge is made of gilt copper and has rusted over the past 20 years.The production date and number are on the front, showing "1848,11—NO.5"

This coincides with the time when the revolving door murderer Harlan Tori was studying at the University of Berlin, when he was just a freshman.

The notches on the back are not neat, and it is very easy to see that there is not much professional engraving technology.

It is currently impossible to decipher the little poem, "I stretched out two fingers and held the flag at half-mast. At this moment, I saw a strange bird rushing towards the sun."

Is it the second half of the nursery rhyme of the red shoes?

Or, has no special relationship with it, but expresses some hidden meaning alone?

These questions need more clues to be answered.

London is a city with secrets.Most people don't care about obscure secrets, but about the excitement that can be seen.

April is coming to an end, and when May is approaching, it means that another important festival is coming.

——May Day, it is said that it was introduced to England in the 1st century BC.

On this holiday, there can be many elements of celebration.

For example, pick fresh rowan branches and hang them in the shape of a cross on the gate with woolen thread to drive away evil spirits.

For example, collecting wood for burning, lighting a bonfire on the night of May Day, singing and dancing, celebrating the arrival of the warm and bright spring.

The city of London in the 19th century has also formed a unique way of celebrating over the decades.

The city cannot do without chimney workers.On May Day, they no longer have the usual black and soot-covered appearance.

Change into the cleanest clothes, embellished with shiny ribbons.Calling for friends, groups of three or four, dancing while playing music, started a parade of street performances.

Today, it is not only chimney workers who participate in the performance parade. Laborers of other types can join as long as they are willing.

They dress more fancy, pretending to be kings, queens, wizards and even clowns.Usually, passers-by who watch the street dance will give some tips.

For the past four years, Mary has not attended any May Day events.

It's not that I'm so busy that I can't spare a few days, it's just because I don't think it's necessary.Celebrating spring and driving away evil spirits doesn't sound like much.

Why is Mary interested in paying attention to May Day this year?

Lie: Life inevitably needs a sense of ritual, and festivals are also

is necessary;

Truth: When there is someone who makes you feel interesting, it becomes more enjoyable for two people to do meaningless things together.

She specifically asked Bentley who was actively participating in various activities.

Even if it is as easy-going as Bentley, there is one piece of advice given, don't easily become an audience of street dance parades without any psychological preparation.

In recent years, there have been some overly 'enthusiastic' performers.

They will dance around the audience in circles until the audience gives a satisfactory reward.

"Mr. Holmes, you have lived in London for several years. Do you have any better advice for celebrating May Day?"

Mary sat down at the Diogenes Club at tea time, and greeted Mycroft by the way, chatting about the upcoming May Day.

"Stranger's Room", the only place where conversations are allowed in the Diogenes Club.

At the beginning of the establishment of the club, Mycroft thought that he would set foot in this room only infrequently, but now he actually wanted to make an exception clause.

When Mr. Minton came to see him, the two were allowed to chat in the exclusive reading room instead of in the stranger's room.

Fortunately, sanity survived.

If an exception is made for Mr. Minton, it will be unfair to other members, and it will be more likely to cause a situation where one has two.

Other members also wanted to make an exception, and the Diogenes Club's rule of quietness would be completely broken, and the meaning of the club's establishment and existence would be lost.

Mycroft was glad that he was still able to stick to his principles when it came to the club.

However, the turning word appeared again.

In terms of celebrating May Day, he couldn't say firmly, "Mr. Minton, you are not joking. Holiday celebrations, that kind of thing has no value at all. It's just a bunch of noisy people doing worthless things." thing."

Although he has lived in London for several years, he has never specially celebrated May Day in the past.

Certainly not going to participate in an overly noisy hip-hop parade, the sound of gongs and drums is no less than a murder.

Bonfire parties are usually held in the outskirts or villages.How could it be possible to run so far just to watch a group of idiots sitting in a circle, clapping their hands, waiting for the fire to consume a pile of dry wood.

As for decorating the gate with rowan branches, that is also a matter for the servants to worry about.

It’s different in the past.

Mycroft feels that as he grows older, he becomes more and more mature.

, and live a more active life.

"I don't think it's necessary to make it too complicated. May Day is to drive away evil spirits, and the most important thing is the heart."

Mycroft wasn't crazy enough to watch a street performance, but chose the quietest of several ways. “How about making your own rowan branch cross?”

Mary nodded, "You're right. Your heart is the most important thing. You don't have to choose activities that are too noisy. Rowan branch crosses are good."

Collecting rowan branches sounds simple, but there are also a set of rules.

People believe that the rowan tree has magical powers to drive away evil, and the way of making the Mayday rowan cross was established long ago.

Wait until late at night, don't care how long the journey is, and come to the edge of the living rowan tree.No knives and axes are allowed, and the branches must be broken by hand in order to maintain the purity of the magic power.

"Now there is no need to travel far outside the city. In order to welcome May Day, there are rowan trees available for picking in London's parks or specific private gardens."

Mycroft reported a series of legal picking locations, some free, and some need to pay a certain entrance fee. "Mr. Minton, where do you think is more suitable?"

If you expect to go to a destination with less traffic, a paid private garden is more appropriate.

"Regent's Park."

Mary chose the public garden, "I heard that during such festivals, street food is sold outside the park at night. I want to see it."

Yes, look, it's not buying and eating.

Mary is wary of the food of this era, but that doesn't stop her from observing and learning about real London nightlife dynamics.

The two made an appointment for a night walk the day after tomorrow.

On April 4th, depart for Regent's Park at 30:09 in the evening.

The moment the time was set, Mary and Mycroft looked at each other and smiled.

Please believe that no matter who it is, it is very easy to smile.

Just as the reason for choosing to make a rowan cross is very simple, it is to choose the most quiet way of celebration, and it is not a night date for two people.

"Dating, that's impossible to date."

In Scotland Yard, Lestrade looked at the overtime schedule. Once a major festival comes, it means overtime for new police officers.There is no dating at all, and the possibility of going out and having fun is basically bid farewell.

Lestrade glanced at Grayson, "Hey! Your patrol schedule seems to be one day less than mine. Why do you still have a bitter face?"

The two participated in the detection of the hunting homicide, but they did not know each other.

Means they are famous.

In the previous cases, because the victims had special identities, such as noble heirs like Ferencz, they tried their best to block the adverse effects of the case from the outside world.

There is no honorary reward, but there are some material bonuses.

Several survivors volunteered a sum of money to thank the search and rescue team for their help. After all, the search and rescue work is really hard and dangerous.

Of course, that also has a hint of hush money. I hope that the scandal of being hunted as an animal naked will not spread.

This money can be accepted with peace of mind.

At this moment, Gregson was not in a good mood because of the windfall last week, but instead stared at the letter in his hand with a frown. "Lestrade, I think you will feel a little uncomfortable after reading it."

"Look at what you said, it's not possible."

Lestrade took it. There were only two or three short sentences on the letter paper, but it was dark red.

"Bonfires, flowers, and dances are not enough for May Day. Those sinful people, the devil will not be deterred until they bleed. The purge begins! -Hulk"

This letter looks like a protest letter.

It smelled of blood, not written in red ink, but some kind of blood.

"Oh! I think it's good news."

Lestrade leaned closer and sniffed it, "Based on my experience of seeing bloody incidents every now and then when I traveled all over the East District, this thing is not human blood, but more like sheep blood. The smell is quite strong, without the salty smell of human blood. "

As for anything else?

There is no need to make a big fuss.

It cannot be said that Scotland Yard receives strange letters every day, but it also receives some letters from unknown sources and with strange contents every month.

In fact, there are not many police forces to investigate the authenticity of all the letters. What is certain is that the contents of none of the letters have come true so far.

"Greyson, when did you become so timid?"

Lestrade seized the opportunity to mock, "In the past, you have seen many threatening letters that are more straightforward than this one. Today, you are so cautious about it."

Grayson snatched back the letter with a half-smile, and decided to find someone to test it to determine whether the composition of the blood had nothing to do with human blood.

"I'm being cautious. Don't talk to me about the past. Before, could you think that it was not a cheetah that ate people, but a human imitating a cheetah to kill people?"

amount……

Lestrade was suddenly speechless, this example was so damn reasonable

Reason, so that he has no way to refute.

**

The night of May Day came as scheduled.

Tonight, London is a little more lively than ever.

Many people will go out to pick rowan branches at night, and some people are hurrying to rehearse.

Tomorrow is the street dance parade.Decades ago, it was a self-organized niche event, but it has evolved to such a large scale that it must be rehearsed in advance and walked on the road of the upcoming parade.

In the streets and alleys, mobile vendors can be seen from time to time.

Some peddled gadgets, others peddled food of all kinds.The latter is more popular, because many people get off work late and will make do with a meal on the street.

Hot potatoes, pies, fried fish and more, the aromas of street food mix together.

The customers who patronize the stalls are often not particular, and eat while walking.Most of the time, that's not what gentlemen do.

Night, 09:30.

Mary and Mycroft left Pall Mall without a carriage, and went for a walk to Regent's Park.

I also smelled all kinds of food aromas along the way. The snacks made on the spot looked pretty good, but they couldn't guarantee how hygienic they were.

Don't forget, London is called the city of smog, how clean can the streets be?

Not to mention anything else, the carriage is parked by the side of the road, can you manage a horse that can't help but excrete?

Mary kept smiling and didn't comment on the food maker's hand hygiene.

Due to the limited conditions, she can't ask too much to let the cheap street stall owners keep their hands clean.She should just pretend she didn't see the black substance in those nail crevices.

What if I saw it?

Nowadays, there are no popular plastic products, and disposable plastic gloves do not exist at all. How about allowing small stall owners to keep their hands clean at all times?

That cannot be done.The cost of alcohol disinfection is too high, not to mention that it is impossible to use running water and soap.

Coming to the streets of London in the 19th century can cure a person's cleanliness.

Mary is glad that she doesn't have a cleanliness obsession, and just lives a more comfortable life when she can choose.

If you are in the deep mountains and old forests, such as when you go to X forest to find people, you have to compromise on the standards of diet and rest.

At this moment, Mycroft glanced quietly at the people around him, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Mr. Minton didn't show interest in street food, otherwise he didn't know whether to sacrifice his stomach and try it with him.

It must be praised, it is Mr. Minton who knows how to read

It's a smart move to look at.

The two continued their walk.

Then a "woof!" was heard.Ten meters away, Tanner's shopkeeper was out with his dog on a leash.

Not surprising, bumping into someone you know on the streets of London tonight, you don't have to be surprised at all.

The two sides smiled and nodded in greeting, and went their separate ways, heading for different target gardens.

Walked a few more streets.

When he was about to turn a corner, Mycroft suddenly stopped and quickly took half a step back, as if avoiding something.

A hip-hop rehearsal team walked by on the street.

The team members are dressed in exotic costumes. The difference from tomorrow's performance is that there will be no make-up in the rehearsal tonight.

"what happened?"

Mary glanced curiously at the rehearsal line, then at Mycroft.

"Mr. Holmes, your current appearance, to use an inappropriate analogy, is very similar to the appearance of fearing being discovered by adults after stealing candy."

How can anyone steal candy!

Mycroft was not guilty, it was just the two of them walking on the street in a serious manner.On the eve of May Day, good friends went to pick rowan branches together, and there was nothing shady about it.

If it was Sherlock who appeared on the street, there was no need to worry about what he was thinking.

But, take a look at the rehearsal team, there is a very incredible character.It is obviously a hip-hop parade composed of laborers. Why would His Excellency Matthew be in it?

In this world, apart from Mr. Minton, only Matthew knows the true identity of Mrs. Roman.But don't forget, Matthew once doubted whether Mrs. Roman and Mr. Minton's fake show was real.

"Mr. Minton, please allow me to correct you."

Mycroft said righteously, "It's not that I'm guilty of fear of being discovered, but I'm thinking of others, and I don't want them to be embarrassed. I seem to see my boss in the strange hip-hop queue."

"Wow! That's a real zest for life."

Mary observed carefully again, and located a middle-aged man among dozens of people.If there is anything different about him, there will always be some differences in temperament after being pampered for a long time.

Mary couldn't help laughing, "Mr. Holmes, is your boss wearing a suit with wings? He is also carrying an arrow. Is he playing the middle-aged and old version of Cupid? People in Whitehall, are they all so interesting?" ?”

Mycroft: He's also a member of Whitehall, so is that a compliment after all?