\t\tMusgrave Ceremony

Sherlock Holmes's personality is a bit different from that of ordinary people. What bothers me as his friend is that he is extremely quick in thinking, organized and dressed cleanly, but his lifestyle is messy, which makes people living with him very upset. I also have many shortcomings in this regard. The messy work in Afghanistan, coupled with his wild temperament, made me develop a sloppy habit, which is very inconsistent with a doctor. But I have a minimum limit on this. I saw someone put cigarette rolls in a coal bucket and putting the tobacco leaves.

When he stuck some unanswered letters in Persian slippers, he inserted a large folding knife into the middle of the wooden mantel, I felt that I would never do this. In addition, I always thought that practicing pistols was an outdoor sport, but if Sherlock Holmes was interested, he would sit in an armchair, holding his pistol and a hundred boxes of bullets, holding Queen Victoria's patriotism, leaving bullet marks on the opposite wall. I deeply felt that doing so would not change the atmosphere in the room nor improve the appearance of the house.

Our room is often filled with chemicals and criminal relics, which are placed in unpredictable places, such as in butter plates or places that are not easy to find. His documents are the most troublesome. He dislikes destroying documents, especially those related to past cases, which he only carefully summarizes and deals with once a year or two. He only has the energy to do so when he has achieved remarkable achievements in his career, which has been mentioned in my past fragmentary records. But this enthusiasm cannot last long, and he will be cold again. He is passionate about reading books and playing violin every day, or sits on the sofa at the table and stays motionless. In this way, day by day, his documents accumulate more and more, and every corner of the house is filled with bundles of manuscripts, which he never burns, and no one has the right to move them elsewhere except their owners.

One night in winter this year, we sat by the fireplace together, and I suggested to him that since he had copied the summary of the case into the memorandum, after the end, it would take two hours to clean the room more comfortable. He could not refute my legitimate request, and walked into the bedroom with some unhappy, and then walked back with a large iron box. He placed the box on the floor, squatted in front of the big box with a small stool, and suddenly opened the box lid. I saw one third of the box containing small bundles of documents tied with red straps.

"Warson, there are many documents here," said Holmes, looking at me mischievously, "If you know what documents are installed here, you will ask me to take them out without letting me load other documents in it."

I asked: "Are these records of your early case handling? I have always wanted to take notes on these cases."

"Okay, my friend, these are all cases I handled before I became famous." Sherlock Holmes carefully took out bundles of documents. "Not all of them were done perfectly, Watson," he said. "There are many interesting things here. This is the report of the Talton murder case, the Fan Beixing wine business case, the Russian old woman's adventure case, the aluminum crutch case, and the case of the cripple Ricorit and his evil wife. Oh, there is one, this is a bit bizarre case."

He reached his hand to the bottom of the box and took out a wooden box that could be pushed, much like a box containing children's toys. He pulled out a piece of crumpled paper, an old-fashioned copper key, a wooden nail wrapped in a small ball of thread and three rusty metal round plates.

"Hey, my friend, guess what these things are for?" Sherlock Holmes said with a smile when he saw the expression on my face.

“This looks like some weird collection.”

"It's very weird, and the stories surrounding these happenings will surprise you even more."

"Why, do these things have a history?"

"Not only is there a piece of history, they are history in themselves."

"How do you say this?"

Sherlock Holmes took them out one by one, placed them on the edge of the table, and sat on the chair with a satisfied expression and looked at the things.

"These things are used to me to recall the case," he said.

I heard him talk about this case many times before, but I couldn't understand it in more detail. I said to him, "It would be great if you told me in detail."

"Are these things put here in a mess?" Holmes said mischievously, "Warson, your neatness cannot be achieved. I am so happy that this case can be added to your case. This case is quite special in domestic crime records, and I believe it is extremely rare abroad. It would be a pity if I collect my unworthy achievements but do not record this case.

"You still remember the 'Gloria Scott' sailing incident. I told you about the unlucky man. I talked to him. The first time I thought of my career, and I really regarded detectives as my lifelong career. You see, I am now well-known, both the public and the police regard me as the highest court of appeals for difficult cases. Not long after we met, I took over the case you named "Snow-Text Research". Although the business was not very prosperous at that time, many people asked me for help to solve the case. You can't imagine how difficult it was at the beginning. I went through a lot of efforts to succeed.

"When I first came to London, I lived on Monta Street near the British Museum. I was idle and focused on studying various sciences to prepare for future achievements. At that time, people often asked me to solve cases, most of which were introduced by my old classmates. Because in the last few years of my college years, people were very concerned about me and my reasoning methods. The Musgrave Etiquette case was the third case I took over. That series of strange events made people very excited, and the ending of the investigation proved that this case was extremely important, which gave me confidence to take a big step in the detective industry.

"Reginard Musgrave and I were studying in the same college, and I just met him and nodded. He was not popular among his classmates because he felt that he was amazing. But I think his arrogance was actually to hide his natural inferiority. He had some aristocratic temperament, slim figure, high nose, big eyes, slow speech and calm behavior. His origin was indeed the descendant of the oldest aristocrat in the UK. But in the sixteenth century, they were descendants of the second son of the family.

The Musgrave family in the north and settled in the west of Sussex, their Helston Manor was the oldest building still inhabited in that area. His birthplace seemed to have a great influence on him, and every time I saw his pale and solemn face and the posture of his head, I could not help but associate him with the gray archways, mullions windows and the remains of feudal castles. We talked once or twice, and I remember that he was interested in my observation and reasoning methods more than once.

"Four years after we parted, one morning he suddenly came to Monta Street to look for me. He had not changed much, dressed like an upper class person (he was dressed) and still maintained his unique quiet and elegant demeanor.

"I shook hands affectionately with him and asked, 'Musgrave, you've been very good in the past few years, are you?'

"He said, 'You may have heard of my poor father who passed away two years ago. Since then, the Helstone Manor has to be managed by me. I am a councillor of our district, and I'm busy all day. But, Holmes, I heard you are applying the special talents you admire to life, right?"

"I said, 'No, I've made a living by relying on this skill!"

"'I'm glad to hear you say this, because I'm in need of your advice now. I encountered some strange things in Helstone and the police found nothing. This is indeed a very unusual case that is difficult to explain."

"Warson, you know how excited I was when I listened to him. I haven't done anything for a few months. The opportunity I'm eagerly looking forward to is coming. I have long believed in my heart that I can succeed where others fail. Now I finally have the opportunity to try my skills. I shouted: 'Please tell me more in detail.'

"Reginard Musgrave sat down opposite me and lit the cigarette I handed him. He said, "You know I'm not married, I have many servants at Helston Manor, because it was a messy and remote old manor that needed these people to take care of. I didn't want to fire them. During the pheasant hunting season, I often gathered at home, and kept guests for a few days at a time, and no one could do it. I hired eight maids, a chef, a housekeeper, two servants and a small listener. Of course, the garden and the stable were taken care of by others.

"'Among these servants, the longest-time job was the butler Brenton. When my father hired him, he was a bad elementary school teacher. But he had personality and energy, and soon he was valued by our whole family. He was burly, handsome, and had a high forehead. He had been with us for twenty years, but he was less than forty years. He had many advantages and extraordinary talents. He could speak several languages ​​and played almost all kinds of musical instruments. What is puzzling is that such a talented person had been at ease with a servant for a long time. However, I think he was content with the status quo and was unwilling to do anything else. Anyone who came to our family remembered this butler.

"'This person who is good in all aspects also has shortcomings. He is a bit romantic. Think about it, it is not difficult for a person like him to be a slutty boy in a remote countryside. He didn't have such a thing when he first got married. After his wife passed away, he caused us a lot of trouble. A few months ago, he got engaged to my second-class maid, Rachel Howells. We originally hoped that he would restrain himself this time, but he didn't expect that he abandoned Rachel and guarded the head of the team with the hunting ground.

Silk is getting better. Rachel has a Welsh-like personality. She is a good girl. She has meningitis for this and can't walk around until yesterday. Compared to before she was sick, she now has become a ghost with black eyes. This is the first dramatic thing that happened to our Helstone Manor. Unexpectedly, a second dramatic thing happened, and we temporarily put the previous one behind us. The second thing was caused by the disgraceful incident of the butler Brenton and his dismissal.

"'That's how it happened. I said that the housekeeper was very smart, but unfortunately it was this intelligence that ruined him, because his intelligence made him become insatiable curiosity about things that had nothing to do with him. If it weren't for the unexpected discovery, I wouldn't have known that his curiosity would be so strong.

"'I said that our manor was very messy. Last Thursday night, after dinner, I silly drank a cup of strong coffee. I lay in bed until two o'clock in the morning and couldn't fall asleep. So I lit a candle and prepared to continue reading the novel that I had not finished reading. But I forgot the novel in the staple room, so I put on my dressing gown and went there to pick up the book.

"'Go to the Danzi Room, I have to go down a staircase first, and then walk through a corridor that leads to the study and the gun library. I looked to the end of the corridor and suddenly saw the door of the study open, and a faint light appeared in the door. I was surprised to see it. I remember that before I went to bed, I turned off the study light and closed the door. I first thought that it must be a thief inside. The walls of the corridor of Helstone Manor were decorated with some ancient weapons. I picked a battle axe from them, and then I put down the candle, walked through the corridor lightly, and looked into the door.

"'It turned out that the butler Brenton was staying in the study. He was dressed neatly in an easy chair, with a piece of paper spreading on his knees, which looked like a map, with his forehead holding his hands, and in contemplation. I stood there in surprise, quietly watching what he was doing. There was a small candle by the table, and I saw his clothes neatly dressed in a tidy manner in the faint light. Suddenly, he stood up from the chair, walked towards the desk, opened the lock, and opened a drawer. He took out a document from it, returned to the chair, spread the document flat beside the candle by the table, and then studied it very much. Looking at him looking at our house documents as openly as possible, I couldn't help but get angry and stepped forward at the door. As soon as he saw me, his face turned pale and hurriedly stuffed the nautical chart like he had just peeked into his arms.

"'I said, "Okay! You just repay our trust in you. Just leave here tomorrow."

"'He bowed listlessly and slipped away from me without saying anything. The candles on the table were still lit. With the help of the candlelight, I glanced at the documents Brenton took out from the desk. I was surprised to find that the document was useless, just a piece of paper that transcribed the question and answers from the strange ancient ritual. This ceremony was called the Musgrave Etiquette," which is unique to our family. For hundreds of years, everyone from the Musgrave family had to hold such rituals when they were adults. This was just a private matter of our family, just like the usual private stamps, which might have had some effect on archaeologists.

“I said, ‘Let’s talk about that document.’

"'If you think it is necessary,' he paused and continued, 'Okay, I will lock the desk again with the key left by Brenton. When I turned around and left, my housekeeper suddenly stood in front of me.

"'He was unstable and shouted hoarsely: "Mr. Musgrave, I cannot lose this face. Sir. Although I am a low-ranking person, I have always valued face. If I am so embarrassed, I will take my life. If you cut off my life and you will bear my death, I will do this. Sir, if you refuse to keep me, then please let me apply to you for leaving within a month, just like voluntarily resigning. Mr. Musgrave, it doesn't matter. I don't want you to drive me away in front of an acquaintance."

"'I said to him: 'Brenton, your behavior is very bad, and you don't deserve so much care. However, you have been in our house for too long, and I don't want you to lose face in front of everyone. But a month has been a bit long, so you can leave within a week, and you can find any reason."

"'He said desperately: "Sir, don't give me only one week, two weeks."

“‘I said again: “It’s only one week. You should feel that this is enough tolerant to you.”

“‘He lowered his head in despair and left listlessly. I blew out the candle and returned to my room.

"'For the next two days, Brenton acted conscientiously and hardworking. I didn't mention this, but just looked curiously at how he would keep his whole life. But on the third day, he did not finish breakfast and go to my day of greetings as usual. After I left the dining room, I happened to meet the maid Rachel Howells. I said that the maid had just recovered from a serious illness and had no blood on her face, so I advised her not to work anymore.

“‘I said, “You should lie in bed and rest, and do something else when you are well.”

"'She looked at me with a strange look. I was a little doubtful that her brain disease had been dealt with again. She said she was strong enough. Then I told her that we were going to listen to the doctor and that she could not work yet. I asked her to go downstairs to find Brenton.

"'She said: "The housekeeper has left here."

“‘I asked her, “Where has he been?”

"'She said: "He left, no one saw where he went. He was not in the room, he left!" Rachel said, then leaned against the wall, bursts of screams and laughed wildly. Seeing this sudden hysterical attack, I was frightened and hurriedly asked someone to help. The servants helped the girl into the room. I asked Brenton's whereabouts, and she screamed while crying. No need to ask, Brenton was really missing. He hadn't last night.

After sleeping in bed, no one has seen him since he returned to the room the night before. I can't find out how he walked out of the house, because the doors and windows were locked in the morning. Except for the black clothes he often wore, he did not take his clothes, watches, or even money. He left his boots, but put on his slippers. What I wondered about was where the butler Brenton went at night? What was his situation now?

"'We looked for him everywhere in the entire manor from the basement to the attic, and even his shadow was not found. I said that this was an old house like a maze, especially those old rooms that are no longer inhabited. We searched all the rooms, but still no trace of him. I couldn't believe that he would throw away all his property and leave. Where would he go now? I called the local police, but it still didn't work. It rained the night before yesterday, and we went to the lawns and trails around the manor, and we still returned empty-handed. This was the case, but later there was a new change, and our attention left the mystery.

"'The maid was sick for two days, sometimes unconscious, sometimes screaming in horror. I invited a nurse to take care of her at night. On the third night after Brenton's disappearance, the nurse saw the patient sleeping quietly, and she fell asleep in the armchair. When she woke up in the morning, she saw that there was no one on the bed and the window was open, and the girl was missing. The nurse woke me up quickly, and I led the two maids to find the missing girl immediately. Her whereabouts were easy to identify, so we followed her footprints under the window, and soon passed through the lawn and came to the small lake. The footprints disappeared by the gravel road leading to the manor. The water in this small lake was eight feet deep. When I saw the poor crazy girl's footprints disappear by the lake, we could imagine how we felt at that time.

"'We took action immediately, salvage and searched for the body, but found nothing. Unexpectedly, we took out a bag of things that we could never imagine. It was a linen bag containing some old rusty and faded metal pieces, as well as a pile of dull crystals and glass products. There was nothing else except to catch these weird things. We searched and inquired yesterday, but we still knew nothing about the whereabouts of the two missing people. The police officers of the district police station had done their best and had to come to you with a glimmer of hope.'

"'Warson, you know how eager I listened to his strange events one after another, and wanted to string them together and sort out the main line of the incident. The housekeeper disappeared, and the maid disappeared. The maid once loved the housekeeper, but later had reason to hate him. The girl has Welsh blood and is irritable. After the housekeeper disappeared, she became extremely excited. She threw her pockets of broken things into the lake. These factors need to be considered, but none of them touched the essence of the problem. Now I only know the result, but not the cause of the incident.

"I said, 'Musgrave, your housekeeper takes a risk of peeping at the document that he lost his work ethics.'

"'There is nothing to see, our family's ritual is ridiculous,' replied Musgrave.' It is left by its predecessors and has some merit. If you want to see it, I copied the ritual question and answer here.'

"Warson, Musgrave gave me this document, and this is the weird question and answer that every adult in his family must remember. Listen together.

“‘Who does it belong to?’

“‘It belongs to the one who has left.’

“‘Who will get it?’

“‘That person is coming.’

“‘Where is the sun?’

“‘On the oak tree.’

“‘Where is the shadow?’

“‘Below the elm.’

“‘How do you measure it?’

"'Ten steps north, ten steps again, five steps east, five steps again, two steps south and two steps west, one step further, and one step further, just below."

“‘What should we trade for it?’

“‘Take all of us.’

“‘Why should we take it out?’

“'Because you have to keep your promise.'

"Musgrave said: 'The original is not dated, but it can be seen that the text is spelled from the mid-17th century. However, I don't think it will be of any help to solve the case."

"I said, 'Not necessarily, it can help us solve another mystery, which is more interesting than the original mystery. If this mystery is solved, the other mystery will not be difficult to solve. Musgrave, please forgive me for saying this. Your housekeeper is such a clever man, and he is more flexible than his master's family for ten generations."

“‘I don’t understand what you said,’ said Musgrave. ‘I don’t think this document has any significance.’

"'I think this document is important, and I dare say Brenton is the same as mine, he probably had seen it before you caught him that night.'

“‘It’s very likely. We never took it seriously.’

"'According to my guess, he just wanted to remember the contents of it last time. When you came in, he was comparing various maps with originals. He was scared and quickly stuffed those things into his pocket.'

"'That's true. But what does he have to do with this old custom of our family? And what is the meaning of this worthless family gift?'

“‘I don’t think it’s hard to find out this problem,’ I said, “If you want, we take the first train to Sussex and investigate it in depth on the spot.’

"'We went to Helston that afternoon. Maybe you have seen photos and records of this famous ancient building. I won't introduce it in detail here. I just want to say that it is an L-shaped building. The long row of houses is relatively close to the modern style, and the short row of houses is the center of ancient houses, and other houses are expanded from here. On the low and heavy lintel in the middle of this ancient house, this 1607 year old is engraved on the low and heavy lintel in the middle of this ancient house.

Date. But experts generally believe that the actual age of the beams and stone components is even older. The walls of the old houses are both tall and thick, and the windows are very small. This family built a row of new houses for living in the last century, and the old houses have long been used as warehouses and wine cellars. The building is surrounded by lush ancient trees, like a quiet little garden. The small lake next to the tree-lined road mentioned by my client is about 200 meters away from the house.

"'Warson, I dare to guarantee that these puzzles are not isolated, but are actually a mystery. If I had understood the 'Musgrave Etiquette' clearly, I would have grasped the clues to find out the case related to the butler Brenton and the maid Howells. So I tried my best to complete this matter. Why was this butler eager to master the ancient rituals? It was because he wanted to see the secret, which had never been valued by this family throughout the ages. Brenton was eager to make personal gain from this secret. So what kind of secret is this? What impact will it have on the fate of the butler?

"I read this ceremony and felt a little clear. This measurement must have been obtained from a certain location reminded by the ritual. If we can find this place, we can crack the mystery. Musgrave's ancestors believed that this secret must be remembered in this unique way. To do this, we have learned two directional tips: an oak tree and an elm tree. The oak tree is right in front of the house and on the left side of the driveway. For the first time in my life, I have seen such an old and tall tree.

“‘Did this oak tree exist when drafting the ceremony?’ I asked as we walked past the oak in a carriage.

"'It may have existed when the Normans conquered England, and the oak was twenty-three feet thick."
To be continued...