[Sherlock Holmes] The Legend of the Nightingale

(Nightingale's Diary)

1886 ended brilliantly with the bloodstain case, and the eventful 1887 began.

At the beginning of February, Holmes took a few too ordinary cases, but Watson didn't follow him, let alone take me there.Then there was the case of the Holland-Sumatra Company and the Baron of Moporteze, which was too important for us to follow.He disappeared for weeks starting in February and was never seen again.

In mid-March I got pneumonia.Watson said that I had nothing to do all winter, but when it got warmer, I started to get sick.Mrs. Adams was afraid of contagion, so she didn't set a time for vacation, and asked me to promise to fully recover before returning, so I stayed at home until April.Watson felt that the storage room was too small and had no windows. This depressing environment was not conducive to the patient's recovery, so he asked me to move to Holmes' room temporarily on his own initiative.Mrs. Hudson didn't think it was at all right for a lady (and she still thought I was a lady) to live in a gentleman's room, whether she was sick or he wasn't home.Watson was supposed to think the same, but for him everything took a backseat to professional responsibility, so I succeeded in shifting ground.

Baker Street has been very quiet these past few days, no one came to consult, and no one came to visit.So much so that one day the doorbell rang suddenly, and we all thought it was a new thing.

"All three are at home, and someone rings the doorbell, which is like the beginning of a horror story." I said sitting on the bed.

"Could it be that Sherlock Holmes has returned?" Watson said. "Then I have to discuss with him which of the two of us will live in the storage room for the next few days. I will answer the door."

Hearing him say that made me feel a little uncomfortable. If Holmes really came back, the situation would be very embarrassing now.Although I am not in danger now, I have a low-grade fever and it will not get better for a long time. Watson will not allow me to move back to the storage room.

By this time Watson had already entered the door.There was a rigid, dumbfounding expression on his face, which I was sure Holmes would not have aroused in him.

"Nightingale, Miss Hatty Dolan has come to visit you."

He had just finished speaking when Hattie walked in.My spirits returned in a flash, and I didn't even notice Hatty's slightly forced smile.

"Sit down, Miss Dolan. Tell me first, I'll go get some drinks." Watson made an excuse and retreated.His attitude of avoiding Hattie made me a little strange, because they had gone out together twice before, and they obviously hoped to develop down.Hattie was the kind of girl who had no character, the type of woman men liked, or she didn't interest anyone.

"How are you doing now?" Hatty sat down on the chair beside the bed.

"It's just a low-grade fever, it's not a problem. It's just that I'm too boring at home."

Hattie kept looking worried. After I finished speaking, she asked some trivial questions, such as what medicine she took, how well she slept, etc., but she didn't seem to know what she was asking, and she didn't hear it. What did I answer.

"Angela, news came from my family yesterday," she finally woke up from the trance, biting every word heavily and said, "My father's business has some problems. You and I can't explain the details. I My mother is very anxious and wants me to go back as soon as possible."

"Back to San Francisco?" I froze.

"Yes. The investment in the UK failed, the funds went to a dead end, the shareholders all retreated as if they had made an appointment, and the banks refused to lend."

She was right, I don't know anything about these business matters.

"What are you going back for?"

"At least share the family's worries." She sighed, "My father is about to go bankrupt, I can't still take a vacation here and let my brother bear all the burdens."

"But he's going to be... the heir to the family?" I thought of the question.Hattie did not go to school, but her brother had a good university education.

"Yes. I know he's better at it than I am, but even if it can't be of much help, I want to..."

She didn't finish.Then there was a silence.It's still hard for me to imagine the shock of a business tycoon's sudden bankruptcy.I saw the emptiness in her green eyes.What does it feel like?Her huge family business determines her own destiny, but she has almost nothing to do with the leadership of the industry, and can only pray in vain for the men in the family to turn the tide on the other side of the ocean.

"Will you come to England again?" I asked with some difficulty.

"If it's true...then I'm afraid I can't afford another transatlantic trip."

I was close to saying she could still make a living in England, live with the Addamses, but soon realized that was the dream.I don't know if what Thackeray said about the one-broke-and-then-against friendship applies to everyone, but anyway—what kind of friendship can one expect from the two of them?If there is an extra millionaire's daughter living in the family, you will tell yourself that it is not much to take care of one more person's basic necessities.But if it's a poor girl, you're going to grumble—it's just human nature to be helpless.

"Maybe we won't see each other again?"

"Perhaps...very likely."

We fell silent again.I suddenly want to cry.I really want to tell her that it's okay, it will get better in the future, we will all miss her, and I hope there is something I can help.But I can't speak.As soon as I open my mouth, tears will flow.Hattie and Rarely Confidential.The grandest shared experience I can think of was trying to hold down a crying Constance together.But there are some people in everyone's life who you see every day, work and talk with each other every day, and live a very ordinary life.When you count your best friends, you also have this one, but you never feel that you will be without this person.One day you learn that this person is going to leave suddenly and never see you again, so all the petty family stories before become inexplicably precious, and inexplicably make you want to cry.

Hattie was a plain girl.It was so ordinary that only the fact that she was leaving made waves in my life.I was the governess of the Addams family, but she helped me at least a third of the work, never complained about Constance's bad temper, and often comforted me when I was out of breath.I used to be secretly jealous of her beauty, consciously or unconsciously compared that I read more books than her and learned more useful things than her, so as to achieve psychological balance.I was just thinking that she has no characteristics.But why should I put her on the opposite side of mine?I never even did anything for her.

"It can't be helped, Angela, we have to be patient," she murmured.I knew she was saying it to comfort herself.

"Are you... leaving soon?" My voice choked up as soon as I asked.I wiped my eyes before the tears came out.

"I have already bought the ticket. I will leave the day after tomorrow."

"So fast." I whispered.

"What's the use of procrastinating for a few more days, it's just a few more sad days. If it's not that things still need to be packed, I'll leave tomorrow."

After hesitating for a while, I finally asked.

"And what about Dr. Watson?"

Hatty's dim green eyes stared at me.

"I rejected him."

"You rejected him? But..." I don't know how to say this clearly, "But, it's not you..."

"I went to him first, I know." She smiled wryly, "It's incredible that the lady took the initiative to talk about this? It's not common in San Francisco. Now I rejected him again."

"But why?"

"My mother wouldn't let me marry a military doctor who shared a flat in London, even if we were soon to be poorer than him. She liked me marrying someone with business sense like my father."

Thinking of Watson's stiff reaction just now, I understand.If it hadn't been for Hattie, I would have been mad, and I still want to be, but I couldn't speak harshly to her under the circumstances.

"You don't know what your mother means now, do you?"

"I understand what you mean... It's wrong for me to do this. But there's no way, I can't control myself to meet someone who suits my heart and not work hard, I can ignore the consequences..." She wiped away her tears. "Besides, it now seems impossible for me to stay in England."

"Did you tell him about your return to America?"

"No, I can't speak, you should tell him." Hattie calmed down, and carefully wiped away the tears on her face with a handkerchief. "That's it, there's nothing to say. I haven't packed my things yet. I'll come and see you again tomorrow."

"I'll see you off at the port the day after tomorrow. Needless to say, I'll definitely go. Don't call Watson, I'll open the door for you."

I got out of bed, walked into the living room with Hattie, and hugged again before saying goodbye.Watson probably heard the door closing before coming down from upstairs.

"It's hard for you to come out to see her off." He said apologetically, "She told you. In fact, we... are not so embarrassed. "

"It won't be embarrassing anymore." I said as calmly as I could. "Her father is about to go bankrupt, and she's leaving for America the day after tomorrow. She probably won't come to England again."

Watson closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, skillfully hiding his emotions at the moment.

"It's a little sad."

"Ok?"

"She came to approach you first, and then told you that it was impossible for you."

Watson smiled, and put his hands in his coat pockets. "You're still a little young, as far as the subject is concerned."

"Young? In my hometown, those who are not married at my age are all because of going to school. You have never been married, have you?"

"No. You weren't married either, were you?"

"of course not!"

Watson was reluctant to talk about it, especially with me.I was still a child to him.In such a mood, he had to force himself to joke with me.I don't want to tell him right now.

"If it's because of her family, maybe we have a way to fight for it. You were worried about not being good enough for her, but now maybe you can help her. We..."

"It's useless. She never thought about what would happen in the future from the very beginning, and she didn't make up her own mind. Do you understand, Nightingale? None of us can do anything about it. Maybe you don't believe it, but I'm not particularly sad now. Really." He said calmly, looked down, then raised his hand.He had a silver cuff button on his cuff, never seen before.Watson's life is not rich, and his dress has always been simple, and he will not have more decent outfits than ordinary bow ties.

"She gave it to you?"

"Yes, it's ridiculous. In fact, just a week ago, when you were sick, we met in a cafe and she asked how you were. She said she wanted to buy me a gold one at first, but thought I would not I would accept it, so I changed it to this. Then that day...I was going to give it back to her at the time, and she insisted that I keep it. She said that no matter what our relationship is, a gift is a gift, or, just as a souvenir. Now , since she is, I think..."

With a wry smile, Watson took off the cufflinks and held them in his hands. The more he talked, the more he had nothing to say.I silently made a "stop" gesture to let him stop talking.

"We've all lost someone important after all," I said, "too fast, unacceptably fast."

"It's not too important, it's too unacceptable. Maybe people should really be like Sherlock Holmes, never fall in love with anyone, and never be troubled by feelings."

I leaned lightly on the door frame, unconsciously showing a bitter smile, like a person who had fallen into a dream and was suddenly awakened.

"That's right, never...never."

The author has something to say: Watson's gossip ends here. . .Did you find out that this piece of gossip compiled is actually the supporting role of the characters in the original book?Hatty Dolan is the one who ran away from marriage among the noble bachelors.However, hardcore Sherlock Holmes texts are used to matching the original characters with Watson Lalang.As well as Watson and Nightingale, don't be sad, it's the author's fault that it happened too quickly, and it has nothing to do with you. . .And, yes, Holmes won't appear until the next chapter.Suddenly found out why his appearance is always squeezed out by Watson?But this should be asking myself...