[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

Miss Morstan did not explain the situation to Mary until she was walking on the road.

Dawson, the young Irish worker who first questioned Mary in the slums, was very angry when he heard what had happened to Henry Deckard.

When the two of them came to Mr. Hamp's factory in London, several Irish youths were still stopped by the overseers.

"We want to see Hamp!" said Dawson in the lead, angrily.

"Mr. Hamp is busy meeting guests," the supervisor said unceremoniously, "I don't have time to see you, get out of here, and I'll call the police if the trouble continues!"

"If Hamp doesn't give us an explanation," Dawson retaliated, "we won't leave. Isn't the dignity of the workers a dignity? Why should Henry be accused of innocence for no reason?!"

"Correct!"

"That's right!"

"Give us an explanation!"

Miss Morstan pulled Mary and approached the crowd, just as the echoes echoed one after another.The red-haired Irish girl pushed aside the workers crowding the door and walked over to Dawson.

"The overseer won't let you in yet?" Miss Morstan asked.

"What a watchdog," Dawson said sarcastically, "a very dedicated watchdog."

"you--"

The supervisor was so angry that he almost wanted to hit someone: "Don't think that I can't do anything to you because you work on the other side of the river, boy!"

Miss Morstan frowned: "You are here to ask for an explanation, why attack others if you have nothing to do?"

Apparently the Irish girl also disapproves of her companion's personal attacks.She turned her head to look at the supervisor. Mary Morstan, like Henry Deckard, was also a worker in the Hamp Factory.

She said politely: "My friend is just passionate, don't take it to heart, we have no intention of breaking the law."

"You Irishmen."

The overseer disagreed, pointing to a group of outraged workers behind Dawson.

"After such a big battle, you still say that you have no intention to break the law?"

"Or else," said Miss Morstan, conceding, "we can wait outside, but this Miss Mary Bennet is a friend of Mr. Bingley's, and he gave me fivepence to send for Miss Bennet. What about the factory?"

"Don't make excuses, Morstan," the overseer refused to give in, "you are the most troublesome when you are at work on weekdays!"

"Miss Morstan is telling the truth."

Mary had no choice but to speak: "She also brought Mr. Bingley's souvenir, sir, take a look if you don't believe me."

As she spoke, she handed the note written by Mr. Bingley to the supervisor.

Only then did the supervisor notice Mary who was overwhelmed by the workers in the front row.Miss Morstan took the opportunity to push Dawson hard: "Get out of the way, how can you stand with the single lady?"

Mary stepped forward consciously, and the overseer saw that she was dressed expensively, and she looked like a decent unmarried lady. Coupled with Mr. Bingley's note, he immediately fell silent.

He wiped his trouser legs hesitantly: "It's not that I don't want to let you go, miss, but that I have to guard the gate and let you enter the factory alone, and you don't know the way."

"I know."

Miss Morstan took it for granted, "I didn't come here with these stinky men, I just took Miss Mary Bennet to find Hamp."

"You?" The supervisor was very suspicious.

Mary stole a glance at Miss Morstan, saw the red-haired girl glance at her out of the corner of her eye, and immediately understood.

"Just let her take me in," Mary tried to speak cautiously, "Is the factory dirty? I don't want my skirt to get dirty."

Hearing the speech of this perfectly standard single lady, the supervisor believed Ms. Morstan's words.

He sighed and said to Miss Morstan: "Okay, you go and come back quickly. If you talk too much in front of Mr. Hamp, Morstan, you will be kicked out like Henry, don't blame me for not reminding you before!"

"I have my measure."

Speaking of which, Miss Morstan even lifted her skirt and bowed to Mary: "Let's go, Miss Mary Bennet."

Several Irish youths watched as the two women entered the factory gate.After confirming that they were far away from the gathered workers and the supervisor could not hear them at all, the red-haired Irish girl laughed out loud.

"Worried about getting dirt on your skirt?"

It seemed that Miss Morstan had been holding back her laughter for a long time: "I think you should tell the maid who does your laundry to hear this, Miss Mary, you are really lying and don't write drafts."

Mary blinked her eyes, and raised the corners of her mouth: "You don't have to give up too much. You used me as a shield to sneak into the gate to meet Mr. Hamp. Did you collude with other people a long time ago?"

Miss Morstan wasn't upset after her little thought was punctured, instead she tilted her head chicly and confessed frankly.

"Not really," she said. "Dawson is not a bad guy, but he doesn't think about things. A dozen people are blocking the factory gate. It's no wonder the supervisor let them in. But they didn't listen to me, so we had to let us in." A few girls have come to use their brains."

"The overseer is not bad."

In Mary's impression, factory supervisors and workers have always been incompatible. Fantine in "Les Miserables" was kicked out of the gate without saying anything, but Jean Valjean, the master, knew nothing about it. The kind and gentle Fantine lived in the slums and became a prostitute. The plot is really unforgettable.

But Mr. Hamp's factory situation seems to be a little better than the story.

"I don't deny that," Miss Morstan nodded. "Compared to other factories, our supervisor is really good. Even though he kept saying that he was thinking of Hamp, I knew he was worried that I would be fired."

Presumably even the overseer understood that the reason Henry Deckard was fired was not for stealing, but for keeping his mouth shut because of his own livelihood.

Mary felt that people always have to eat.Although it is not "justice" for the supervisor to choose silence, when survival and morality are chosen, it is great to choose the latter, but the former is not something that should be discussed.

"Anyway, we're coming in." Mary shook the note in her hand, "Just don't tell me that even Mr. Bingley's hand letter is a fake?"

"Of course it's true!"

Even though Miss Morstan is quick-witted, she has her own bottom line: "I am determined not to forge souvenirs. Mr. Bingley originally planned to invite Hamp to Mr. Holmes' apartment, and then invite you to go over to discuss together." How to solve the trouble. It’s just that when I heard about it, I went to tell Mr. Holmes first.”

"..."

So smart!

Tell Mr. Holmes first, according to the character of the detective, he will definitely call the carriage to Mr. Hamp's factory immediately, so that he can get useful clues at the first time.

For Mr. Bingley, discussions were left and right, everywhere.

But not for the Irish workers, it's about Henry Deckard's work!Didn't Miss Morstan just follow Mary into the door now and get a chance to face the factory owner?

For Mostan's little "use", Mary was not only not angry, but felt a little appreciative: the lady who was able to capture Dr. Watson was really extraordinary. She was not only righteous, but also very intelligent, which some ordinary workers did not knowledge.Even without the status of the decent lady in the original book, in Mary's eyes, she is still a very valuable girl.

And she felt that this Miss Morstan really had the same temperament as her.Miss Morstan's scheming, Mary usually plays it a lot.

"Then don't waste your design," Mary said with a smile, "let's go in quickly."

Mr. Bingley and the others have been waiting in the office of the Hamp Factory for a long time.

When Miss Morstan brought Mary in, she saw Mr. Sherlock Holmes pacing up and down the room. When he saw Mary, he stopped abruptly.

Today's detective changed back to his usual gentleman's attire. He didn't take his cane and his hat was put aside. Under his black hair, his stern face was full of impatience.

"It's finally here!"

He complained directly: "From Greynorth Church Street to here, you are at least 10 minutes slower."

"The overseer stopped us," Mary said. "There are still a lot of Irish workers downstairs. He's just finishing his work—"

"—miscellaneous excuses."

Mr. Holmes directly interrupted Mary's words: "Now you can start, Mr. Hamp."

Mary: "..."

The detective's rough behavior really embarrassed the others present.Those who reacted even more, such as Miss Morstan, raised her eyebrows when she saw that he directly interrupted an unmarried girl. Even if it was her respected detective who interrupted, she seemed to be about to refute.

But Mary was not angry. She tugged Miss Morstan who was about to speak, and said with a smile, "Then let's start. I have been curious about the case for a long time."

What are you angry about?You must know that the reason Mr. Detective is impatient is because he is waiting for himself.

—In other words, Sherlock Holmes has been waiting for her arrival.

What an honorable treatment!

In the eyes of others, Holmes does not respect Mary, but Mary knows that it is precisely because Holmes recognizes her and respects her demands for answers that she reacts in this way.Otherwise Sherlock Holmes would never have waited for her to begin.

Not to mention being interrupted to speak, Mary felt that being scolded would not be too much for having such a status in the heart of the male god.

Seeing that Mary didn't care, Miss Morstan couldn't say anything, so she had to look at Mr. Hamp like everyone else.

As one of the characters who knew the mastermind behind the scenes, Mr. Hamp had a kind face and shrewd eyes, just as the workers described, but his complexion was not very good-looking. It seemed that he had not had a good rest for a long time and was full of worries.

When Holmes finally spoke, he breathed a sigh of relief unconsciously.

"You must help me, sir," Mr. Hamp looked very urgent, he even showed a bit of despair, "you must help me! Now the 'professor' knows everything, my factory, My property, and even my life, may be lost!"