Not long after I got married, I bought a clinic in Paddington. I bought it from Mr. Farquhar Sr. In fact, Mr. Farquhar Sr.’s medical business was very prosperous for a period, but because of

He was old, and suffered from a kind of chorea, so his clinic gradually fell into neglect. Because people are accustomed to follow a rule, that is, the doctor must first be healthy before he can cure others; if he himself is sick

As he was weak, his medical skills were naturally not trusted by others. Therefore, the weaker Mr. Farquhar's body became, the less his income became. By the time I purchased this clinic, his income had gone from

The annual income of 1,200 pounds has dropped to just over 300 pounds. However, I believe that with my young body and strong energy, I can restore this clinic to its former prosperity within a few years.

Three months after opening, I devoted myself wholeheartedly to my busy medical work, and rarely saw my friend Sherlock Holmes. Because I was too busy, I had no time to go to Baker Street, and Holmes himself, except for his detective business needs,

I rarely take the initiative to go anywhere. One morning in June, after breakfast, I was sitting reading the "British Medical Journal" when the bell suddenly rang, followed by the high-pitched words of my friend Holmes.

It really surprised me.

"Oh, my dear Watson!" Holmes strode into the room and said, "I am so happy to see you! I believe that your ladyship will be completely recovered after being disturbed by the 'Four Signatures' case!"

"Thank you! We are all fine." I said enthusiastically, holding his hand forward.

"I hope so too." He sat down on the rocking chair and continued: "Although you are passionate about medicine, don't forget all about your interest in our little reasoning method!"

"On the contrary." I replied, "Just last night, I read through the original notes again, and also classified our results of solving the case!"

"I guess you don't think the data collection is over, right?"

"Not at all. I hope to have more experiences like this, the better!"

"So, how about we go today?"

"Absolutely, if you are willing, go today."

"Is it possible to go as far as Birmingham?"

"If you are willing, of course there is no problem."

"What about your medical care?"

"My neighbor was away from home, so I helped him practice medicine. He always wanted to have the opportunity to repay me for this kindness!"

"Ha! That's the best!" Holmes leaned back on his chair and squinted his eyes to look at me keenly. "I think you must be in poor health during this period. It's really annoying to catch a cold in the summer."

"I had a bad cold last week and didn't go out for three days. But now I feel completely fine."

"That's right. You look strong."

"So, how did you know I was sick?"

"My dear friend, you know my methods."

"So, it depends on your reasoning again."

"Completely correct."

"Where to begin?"

"From your slippers."

I lowered my head and looked at the new patent leather slippers I was wearing, "How on earth did you..." But before I finished asking, Holmes spoke first.

"You are wearing a new pair of slippers," he said. "You bought them home just a few weeks ago, but I found that the soles facing me were burnt. At first, I thought it was because the shoes were stained with water.

It was burnt when dried on the fire, but the small round piece of paper with the clerk's code written on the shoe told me that this was not the case. If the shoes had been exposed to water, the code piece of paper would have fallen off long ago, so the soles of your shoes must have

It was scorched when I stretched my feet near the stove to warm myself up. If a person is not sick or in trouble, even in such humid weather in June, he will not just go to warm himself up by the fire."

Like all Holmes's reasonings, everything seems simple in itself once it is explained. He sensed my thoughts on my face and smiled, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, if I explain like this, I'm afraid the secret will be revealed!" he said, "If you only focus on the results and not on the causes, you can leave a deeper impression on others. So are you planning to go to Birmingham?"

"Of course. What is this case about?"

"I will tell you all this when we get on the train. My client is waiting in the carriage outside. Can you set off immediately?"

"Wait a moment." I hurriedly wrote a note to the neighbor, ran upstairs to explain to my wife, and then caught up with Holmes on the stone steps outside the door.

"Your neighbor is a doctor," Holmes said, nodding to the brass door sign next door.

"Yes, he bought a clinic just like me."

"Then the clinic has been established for a long time?"

"Similar to mine, these two clinics have been established since the day the house was built."

"Oh! However, it seems that there is more business on your side than on his side."

"That's true. But how do you know?"

"Oh, my friend, I saw it from your front steps. Your steps are a full 3 inches thinner than his. Please allow me to introduce you to this Hall Pike on the carriage.

Mr. Loft is my client. Hey, coachman, if you drive the horse faster, we will have the right time to not miss the train."

Mr. Pycroft is sitting opposite me. He is a young man with a tall figure, majestic appearance, a straightforward and sincere expression, a little curly yellow beard, wearing a shiny top hat, and a

With his simple and neat black clothes, we can guess at a glance that he should be the kind of smart young people in the city. They are the kind of people called "Cockneys", and the most famous volunteer corps in our country is made up of them.

This group of people is composed of outstanding athletes who grew up in the British Isles. There are more athletes than any other class. His round and rosy face showed a natural and happy expression, but the drooping corners of his mouth made me

I felt that there was a special sadness hidden in his heart. However, it was not until we were in the first-class carriage on the way to Birmingham that I learned about the trouble he had encountered. It was precisely because of this that he

I just came to see Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

"We have to sit on the train for seventy minutes," said Holmes. "Mr. Hall Pycroft, please recount to my friend the interesting experiences you have told me, and please give me the details."

Try to be as detailed as possible. I think it would be helpful for me to hear the story of this incident again. Watson, this case may or may not have some merit. But at least it shows that we have

Those extraordinary and absurd features are full of fondness, and now I will trouble you no more, Mr. Pycroft."

The young man in front of me looked at me with shining eyes.

"The most troublesome thing about this matter is..." he said. I seemed to be completely fooled. Of course, on the surface, I didn't seem to be fooled, and I didn't see that I had been fooled. However, if I really lost the job,

If the exchange is in vain, then what a stupid guy I am! Mr. Watson, I am not good at telling stories, but this is what I encountered.

I used to work at Coxon & Woodhouse, right next to Draper Square. But in the early spring of this year, the firm was involved in the Venezuelan bond case and was in a state of decline. You must have remembered this. There are 27 of us.

When the firm went bankrupt, of course all the staff were laid off. I worked there for five years, and the old Coxon gave me a very high appraisal. I traveled here and there for jobs, but my situation was the same as that of many others, so it was quite a long time.

I hit a wall for a while. My weekly salary at Coxon's was £3, and I had saved about £70. However, the little savings I had to live on quickly ran out of money, and I was at the end of my rope. I was almost at the end of my rope.

I couldn't afford envelopes and stamps to reply to the job advertisement. I looked at many companies and shops, and my boots were worn out while walking up and down the stairs, but there was still no news about the position I was looking for.

One day, I heard that there was a vacancy at Molson, Herbert & Williams, a large securities firm in Lombard Street. I said abruptly, you may not be familiar with the situation in the central postal district of east London, but

I can tell you that this firm is the richest in London. The firm stipulated that applications for its job advertisements could only be made by letter. So I sent my testimonial and application, but without high expectations.

Unexpectedly, I received a reply. The letter said that if I get there next Monday and my appearance meets the requirements, I can take up the new position immediately. No one knows how they were selected. Some people said, maybe

The manager picked up one of the piles of applications at random. In any case, I was very lucky this time, and I have never been so happy. The initial salary was 1 pound a week.

The job was the same as in the business firm.

Now, I'm about to get to the weird part of this. My flat was at 17 Porter Lane, just off Hampstead. Oh, yes, on the night I received my offer of appointment, I was in

I was sitting there smoking when the landlady came into the house with a business card. On the business card was printed "Arthur Pinner, financial manager". I had never heard of this name, and I couldn't guess why he came.

Me, but I naturally asked the landlady to invite the man in. This man was of medium build, with black hair, eyes, and beard, except for a slightly shiny nose. He walked briskly and spoke rapidly, as if he was a

People who value time more.

'I suppose you are Mr. Hall Pycroft?' he asked.

'Yes, sir,' I replied, pulling up a chair for him.

'You used to work for Coxon and Woodhouse, right?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Are you the new clerk of Mawson Trading Company now?'

'exactly.'

'Oh!' he said, 'the situation is like this. I heard that you are very capable in financial management and have many outstanding deeds. You should remember Coxon's manager Parker, who has always praised you very much.

.'

'I was naturally happy to hear what he said. I have always been smart and capable in business, but I never thought that someone in the city would praise me so much.'

'You have a great memory, don't you?' he said.

'It's pretty good,' I replied humbly.

"After you lost your job, did you still pay attention to the business situation?" he asked.

'Yes, every morning, I read the price list of the stock exchange on time.'

'You've worked really hard!' he shouted in a loud voice, 'that's the way to make money! You won't be angry if I give you a test, will you? Now, what's the price of Ayrshire shares?'

'106 pounds 5 shillings to 105 pounds 17 shillings and a half.'

'How much is the New Zealand Common Debt?'

'104 pounds.'

'What about the Broken Hill UK share price?'

'Seven pounds to seven pounds six shillings.'
To be continued...