I admit that the character of my friend Sherlock Holmes is simply a little different, and this often troubles me. Although his thinking methods are very sharp, he handles cases in an orderly manner, and his clothes are simple and neat, his living habits are completely different.

Zhang Li was an annoyance to those who lived with him. As for myself, I am not blameless in this regard. When I was in Afghanistan, the messy work and bohemian temperament had already made me

Quite careless, not what a doctor should look like at all. However, for me there is still a limit. When I witnessed a man put the cigarette into the pipe, put the tobacco leaves to the top of the Persian slippers, and used a big folding

I felt good about myself when I stabbed some unanswered letters with my knife in the middle of the wooden mantelpiece. Besides, I had always felt that pistol practice was an obvious outdoor pastime, but Holmes would sit in an armchair when the mood struck.

above, using his precious pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition, carrying forward the patriotism of Queen Victoria, and decorating the opposite wall with bullet marks. I thought that this would neither improve the atmosphere inside nor the appearance of the house.

Our rooms are often filled with chemicals and criminal relics, often placed in unexpected places, occasionally in butter dishes, or popping up in other places where no one even notices them. However, I

The biggest problem is his files. Holmes doesn't like to destroy files, especially those related to his previous cases. He will only concentrate on summarizing and processing those files once every two years. Because of this kind of energy, just like me in these

As mentioned in some places in the scattered memoirs, he could only be famous when he achieved outstanding achievements. But this enthusiasm will soon disappear, and then he will react very coldly.

For a while, he only kept company with the violin and books every day, and his range of activities was limited to the sofa to the table. Over time, bundles of his manuscript documents were piled up in every corner of the room, and he would definitely not burn them.

, and only he himself has the power to move them even an inch.

One winter night, as we were sitting around the fire, I suddenly suggested to him that after he had copied the summary into the memo, he would spend two hours tidying up the room and making the living environment more comfortable. He

There was no way to refuse this reasonable request, but with an unhappy face, he walked into the dormitory alone and came back a few minutes later, holding a large iron box in his hand. He placed the box in the middle of the floor and picked up a small stool.

, then I squatted in front of the big box and opened the lid. I found that one-third of the space inside the box was filled with documents, all of which were tied into small bundles with red ribbons.

"Watson, there are many cases stored here." Holmes looked at me and said, "I think if you knew what was in my box, you would ask me to take them all out instead of asking

I’ll put in what I haven’t put in.”

"So, these are all the records of your early cases?" I asked, "I have always wanted to take some notes on these cases!"

"Yes, Watson, these are all cases I handled before I became famous." Holmes carefully took out bundles of documents. "These are not all records of successful cases, my friend," he said, "but some of them are

There are quite a few that are very charming. This one is about the Tarleton Murders, this one is about the Vanberg Liquor Case, this one is The Adventures of the Old Russian Woman, and this one is about the Curious Case of the Aluminum Cane

records, the abominable case of lame Ricorit. And this one, oh, this is a somewhat novel case."

Holmes reached into the box and took out a small wooden box from the bottom of the box. The lid of the box could be moved, much like a children's toy box. From the box he took out a crumpled piece of paper and an old-fashioned copper key.

, a wooden peg wrapped in a ball of string, and three old rusty metal round plates.

"Hey, Watson, can you guess what these things are about?" Holmes asked with a smile on my face.

"These are some rare collectibles."

"Yes, they are very strange, but what happens around them will make you even more amazed!"

“So do these things have a history?”

"Not only do they have history, but they are history themselves." "What do you mean?"

My friend Holmes took them out one by one and arranged them in a line along the edge of the table. Then he sat back in his chair and looked at these items with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

"These..." he said, "are all things I intentionally left as memories of the Masklev Ceremony."

I had heard him mention this case more than once, but I had never been able to understand the details. "If you would tell me about it in detail..." I said, "I would be very happy!"

"Then this clutter is just immobile?" Holmes loudly said calmly: Oh, your neatness is impossible again, Watson. But if this case can be added to your case record, I will

I am very happy. Because this case is not only rare in domestic criminal records, but I believe it is also very unique even abroad. It would be a great pity if I were to collect my insignificant achievements but miss this strange case.

Regarding the 'Gloria Scott' sailing ship incident, I think you have certainly not forgotten that I told you about the unfortunate man's life experience. My chat with him gave me the first idea of ​​​​a career.

problem, and then my life-long career became a consulting detective. Now I have become world-famous. Both the public and the police regard me as the highest court of appeal for difficult cases. Even at the beginning of your relationship with me,

When I was working on the case of "exploring the secret of scarlet letters" that you later wrote about, although my business was not very large at the time, I already had a lot of customers. However, it was so difficult for me at the beginning.

I think it is hard for you to imagine how long it took to achieve success.

I first came to London, the capital, and lived on Montague Street next to the British Museum. Since I had nothing to do, I devoted myself to studying various sciences to lay the foundation for future achievements. At that time, I was asked to solve crimes intermittently, usually mainly

Introduced by some of my old classmates. Since in the last few years of my college life, I and my thinking methods were often discussed by people, the third case I solved was the Masklev Ceremony case.

And it also gave me the first step towards the career I have today.

Reginald Masklev and I were students at the same school. We had met once. Because he looked very arrogant, he was not very popular with everyone. However, I always felt that his arrogance was actually trying to hide it.

He is shy in his bones. He has the appearance of a typical aristocratic child, with a tall and thin body, a tall nose, and big bright eyes. He speaks and does things in a leisurely and gentle manner. Of course, he is indeed a big man.

Descendants of the most traditional aristocratic family in England. But in the 16th century, their descendants, belonging to the second son, left the Muscliff family in the north and settled in western Sussex. The Hermitage

Alstone Manor is probably the oldest building still inhabited by people in the area. He was born in Sussex, and the environment there seems to have had a great impact on him. Every time I look at his pale face

And his clever face, or the unique posture of his head, can't help but be associated with those gray archways, mullioned windows and all the remains of the ancient castle. Once or twice, we chatted unconsciously

When I woke up, I still remember him repeatedly emphasizing that he was very interested in learning about my method of observation and reasoning.

We had not seen each other for four years, and one morning he came to see me on Montague Street. He had hardly changed, and he looked like an upper-class young man. He was already very particular about his clothes, and he still maintained his old unique style.

Quiet and elegant demeanor.

'Masklev, have you been well?' I asked after we shook hands warmly.

'You may have heard that my father passed away. Masklev said with a hint of sadness that it has been two years since he left. Since then, I naturally had to take over Helstone Manor. Since I am our

The councilors in that district are very busy because of this. But, Holmes, I heard that in actual life, your amazing skills have begun to be used?'

'That's right,' I said, 'I've started to make a living from this little cleverness!'

'I'm so glad to hear you say that, because your advice is very valuable to me at the moment. I have encountered many strange things in Helstone, and the police have not been able to find any clues. This is indeed the most unusual thing.

's unspeakable case.'

Watson, you can imagine how impatient I was when I heard him talk about the case. Since I had been idle for several months, the opportunity I had been eagerly awaiting finally came. In the bottom of my heart,

I believe that I can succeed where others have failed, and now I finally have a chance to try my hand at it.

‘Please tell me the details.’ I said loudly.

Masklev sat down opposite me and lit the cigarette I handed him.

'You should know.' He said, although I am single, there is no shortage of people around me. Helstone Manor has a lot of servants. Since it is a remote and messy old manor, it naturally needs a lot of people to take care of it.

I don't want to fire them either, and whenever it's pheasant hunting season, I often hold family dinners in the villa to keep my guests overnight. It's not possible to be short of manpower. I have a total of 8 maids, 2 male servants, and a cook.

There is one steward and one footman each; of course, there is another team for the garden and the stables.

My butler, Brenton, was the longest-serving servant. When he was first hired by my father, he was an unqualified elementary school teacher. But he was full of energy and personality, and soon gained the respect of the whole family. He

He is of medium stature, has a handsome face, and has a handsome forehead. Although he has been in my family for 20 years, he is still less than 40 years old. He has many advantages and outstanding talents. He can speak several languages ​​and can play almost every song.

It is indeed a bit incredible that he is willing to be a servant for a long time but is very satisfied with his musical instrument. But I think Brenton is content with the status quo and lacks enough energy to change anything. Indeed, as long as anyone who has visited our home

, all have deep memories of this housekeeper.

But Brenton also has flaws, that is, he is tainted with the style of Don Juan. It is not difficult to imagine that in a remote place, it would be easy for him to play the role of a libertine. During the period when he first got married, his performance was quite good.

Yes, but he has been in trouble ever since his wife died. A few months ago, he was engaged to Rachel Howells, the second-in-command of my estate.

We had hoped that he would regain some composure, but he soon abandoned Rachel for Janet Tregellis, the daughter of the head gamekeeper. Rachel was a very

A nice girl, but she has the excitable character of a Welsh person. She suffered from meningitis not long ago and could only walk yesterday. Compared with her before, she has become a sad ghost. This is what happened.

The first dramatic incident in Helstone is followed by the second dramatic incident, which makes us forget the first incident, this time caused by the fall from grace and dismissal of the butler Brenton.

The thing is this: yes, this person is very smart, but his intelligence is mistaken for his cleverness. Because his intelligence makes him too curious about other people's affairs. I really didn't expect that he would be so deeply attracted by curiosity, until something happened

It was an accidental incident that caught my attention.

As I said, this is a messy old manor. One day last week, to be precise, it was last Thursday night. After dinner, I foolishly drank a cup of strong coffee. As a result, I couldn't sleep for a long time.

I worked hard until 2 o'clock in the morning. I really felt that there was no possibility of falling asleep, so I got up from the bed, lit a candle, and prepared to continue reading an unfinished novel. However, I left the book in the billiard room.

inside, so I put on my pajamas and walked out of the bedroom to get them.

When I went to the billiard room, I had to go down a flight of stairs and then pass through a corridor, which at the end led to the library and gun storage room. Then I walked into the corridor and suddenly noticed a faint light coming from the open library door**

At that time, you can easily guess how surprised I was. Before going to bed, I personally turned off the lights in the library and closed the door. Of course, my first instinct was that a burglar had sneaked in.

In Helstone Manor, many trophies of ancient weapons were decorated on the walls of the corridor. I picked out a battle ax from among them, then dropped the candle, walked quietly through the corridor, and peeked into the door.

Staying in the library is actually the butler Brenton. He is sitting neatly on an easy chair, with a piece of paper that looks like a map spread out on his knees, holding his hand on his forehead, and is deep in thought.

.I stood there dumbfounded, secretly spying on his actions. There was a small lit candle beside the table. With the help of the candlelight, I saw him stand up from the chair and walk to the nearby writing desk.

He opened a locked drawer, took out a document from it, sat back to his previous seat, spread the document on the table against the candle, and began to study the contents on it with concentration. Seeing him flip through it so calmly

Our family's documents, I suddenly became angry, and I rushed forward. At this time, Brenton suddenly raised his head and found that it was me standing at the door. He jumped up, his face changed color with fright, and he hurriedly

He stuffed the chart-like document he had just explored into his arms.

I said: 'Wow! You are actually repaying the trust we have given you. You don't have to stay here tomorrow.'

He bowed in great frustration and slipped away from me without saying a word. The candle on the table was still lit, and I took a look with the help of the weak candlelight to see what document he had taken out of the desk. I had no idea at all.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be an insignificant document, just a copy of some questions and answers in a strange ancient ritual. This ritual was called the "Maskeleff Rite" and was a ritual exclusive to our family. It used to be

For hundreds of years, as long as we, members of the Masklev family, have grown up, we will perform this ritual. To put it bluntly, this is only a private matter related to our family, just like our personal heraldry.

It may be of some importance to archaeologists, but it really has no practical use.'

"Let's continue talking about that document now!" I said. 'If you think it is really necessary.' Masklev also replied with a slight hesitation, OK, I will continue to talk: I took the cloth

I locked the desk again with the key left by Renton, and was about to turn around and leave. Suddenly I saw that Brenton had returned and stood in front of me, which surprised me.

He was very excited and shouted with a trembling voice: "Master, Master Masklev, I can't lose this face. Master, although I have a humble status, I value face the most in this life. Losing this face is equivalent to killing me."

Master, if you want to end your life, you will be responsible for my death. I will do this. This is true. Master, if you never want to keep me after this happens, then for the sake of God

Please allow me to apply to you to leave within a month, as if I resigned voluntarily. Master Masklev, it is okay to resign, but it is absolutely unacceptable for me to be kicked out in front of all my acquaintances.

of.'

I replied: 'Brenton, you don't deserve to be taken care of at all. Your behavior is really bad. However, since you have been in our family for so long, I have no intention of making you embarrassed in public. But a month is too long, and you can't wait for a week.

Just go away, you can find any excuse.'

He shouted in despair: 'Just one week? Master, give me two weeks, I say, at least two weeks!'

I repeated: 'Just one week. You should understand that this is the greatest tolerance for you.'

He seemed to have fallen into despair and walked away in dejected silence. I blew out the lamp and returned to the bedroom.

In the next two days, Brenton behaved diligently and focused on his responsibilities. I also kept silent about what happened that night. Instead, I was curious and waited to see how he would perform a face-saving trick. He usually

He has a habit of accepting the day's work arrangements I gave him after breakfast, but he didn't come over on the third morning. When I walked out of the dining room, I happened to run into the maid Rachel. As I said just now, this maid has recently

She had just recovered, but she still looked tired and pale, so I advised her not to go to work now.

I said: 'What you need to do most now is to rest in bed and wait until your strength has fully recovered before you can work again.'

She looked at me with a very strange expression, which made me worried that she was suffering from encephalopathy again.

She said: 'My strength has recovered very well, Master.'

I replied: 'We want to hear what the doctor has to say. You must stop working now, and when you get downstairs, please tell Brenton that I'm looking for him.'

She said: 'The housekeeper has left.'

I asked: 'Gone! Where did you go?'

She said: 'He left, no one saw him. He was not in the room at all, oh, yes, he really left, he left!' As Rachel spoke, she suddenly leaned against the wall.

I laughed wildly. This sudden hysterical attack made my hair stand on end. I hurriedly rang the bell to call for help, and Rachel was helped back to the room by the servants. I asked her about Brenton, but she was still crazy.

Screaming and sobbing. There is no doubt that Brenton is indeed gone. No one slept on his bed last night, and no one has seen him since he returned to the room the night before. How he left is unknown.

It was difficult to find out because the doors and windows were all bolted in the morning. His clothes, watch, and even money were all untouched in the house. The only thing missing was the black clothes he usually wore, and his

The slippers and boots were also left indoors. So where did the butler Brenton go? What is happening to him now?

We searched the entire manor from the basement to the attic, but there was no trace of him. As I said before, this is a maze-like old house, especially the old wing rooms. In fact, there are no traces of him now.

However, we searched all the rooms and basements more than once, and found no trace of the missing person. I really doubt that he would leave all his belongings and leave empty-handed. Besides, where could he go? I put

The local police were called, but the missing person was not found. It rained the night before, and we surveyed all the lawns and paths near the manor, but it still didn't help. That was the situation. Then, something new happened.

Our attention was drawn away from this mystery.

Rachel had been very ill for two days, either in a coma or screaming hysterically, so I hired a nurse to stay with her overnight. On the third night after Brenton's mysterious departure, the nurse

Seeing that the patient was sleeping deeply, I took a nap in the armchair. But when I woke up the next morning, I found that the window was wide open and the bed was empty. The patient was missing. The nurse quickly reported it to me, and I immediately led two servants to search for him.

The missing Rachel. Her whereabouts were easy to identify because her footprints were found under her window. We followed her footprints and soon crossed the lawn to the edge of the small lake. However,

However, the footprints disappeared around the gravel path by the lake, which leads to the garden next to the house. We found that the footprints of the poor crazy girl disappeared by the lake with a water depth of 8 feet. It is not difficult to guess how we felt at that time.

Of course, we immediately started salvaging and tried hard to find the poor body, but there was no sign of the body at all. In addition, we fished out an unexpected item, which was a linen bag containing a bunch of old, rusty and dull items.

Metal parts, some dull crystal, some glass. That was the only thing we fished out of the lake, nothing else. Also, despite all our searching and inquiries yesterday, there was no news about Rachel and Brenton

, and still found nothing. The police officers in the district police station are at their wits end. I came to you with my last hope. This is all I can do.'

Watson, it is not difficult to imagine how eagerly I listened to this series of bizarre stories and tried my best to string them together to find the common thread of this series of events. The housekeeper disappeared, the maid also disappeared, and the maid had been fanatically

She loved the butler, but later she had every reason to resent him. The maid was of Welsh descent and had a unique Welsh irritable character. When she found out that the butler was missing, she immediately became emotional and threw the bag containing strange items into the lake.

These factors cannot be ignored, but none of them really touches the actual issue. Where did this series of events start? What is before us now is just the inexplicable end of this series of strange events.

I said: 'Masklev, I must take a look at that document first, the one your butler actually risked losing his job to read.'

"Actually, our family's ritual is a very ridiculous thing." Masklev replied a little embarrassed, "But because it is a thing left by the ancients, at least it has some merits. If you are interested in taking a look, I

Here is a copy of the ceremonial questions and answers.'

Watson, Masklev then handed me the document that is in my hand at this moment. This is the weird catechism manual that all adults in the Masklev family must obey. Please listen to it.

Listen to the original text of this question and answer!

'Who does it belong to?'

'Belongs to the one who's gone.'

'Who deserves it?'

'The one who is coming.'

'Where is the sun?'

'On top of the oak tree.'

'Where are the shadows?'

'Under the elms.'

'How to measure it?'

'Ten steps to the north and 10 steps to the east, 5 steps to the east and 5 steps to the east, 2 steps to the south and 2 steps to the west, and 1 step to the west. It's down there.'

'What should we give in exchange for it?'

'All of us.'

'Why should we take it out?'

'Because we have to keep our word.'

'The original document is not dated, but the text is written in plain writing in the mid-17th century.' Masklev said, 'But I'm afraid it won't be of much use to you in investigating the mystery.'

'At least,' I said, 'it throws another unsolvable mystery to us, and it is more fascinating than the original one. Perhaps when we solve this mystery, the other one will also be solved. Masklev

, please forgive me, as far as I can see, your butler seems to be extremely smart, even clearer than 10 generations of his master's family.'

'I don't quite understand what you mean.' Masklev said with a puzzled face. 'As for this document, I don't seem to think it has any actual important value.'

'But I don't think so. I do think this document is of great practical significance. I think Brenton shares my opinion. He may have seen the document before you caught him red-handed that night.'

'This is possible because we never bothered to preserve it.'

'According to my speculation, this last time, he just wanted to remember the contents of this document. I understand that he was using various maps, sketches and comparisons with the original manuscripts. When he found you coming in, he hurriedly put those

Put it in your pocket.'

'Indeed. But what does this old custom of our family have to do with him? And what is the significance of this ridiculous family ritual?'

'I don't think it will be very difficult to find out this problem.' I said, 'If you have no objection, we will take the first train to Sussex and go to the scene to conduct an in-depth investigation.'

That afternoon, we arrived at Helstone together. You may have seen photos and records about this famous ancient building, so I don’t need to introduce it in detail. I just want to add that it is an L

It is a shaped building. The long row of houses is more modern in style, and the short row of houses is the center of the houses left by the ancestors. The other houses are all expanded from here. The middle part of the old houses has low and heavy lintels.

The date '1607' is engraved on it. However, insiders believe that the actual age of the roof beams and stone components should be older. The walls of ancient houses are high and thick, and all the windows are small, which prompted this family to

Later generations built that row of new houses in the last century. Now the old houses have become warehouses and wine cellars, and have no other uses. The houses are surrounded by ancient trees, forming a quiet and elegant small garden.

The small lake Sklev mentioned is located near the boulevard, about 200 meters away from the house.

Watson, I am convinced that these are not three isolated mysteries, but just one mystery. If I can correctly understand the 'Masclev Ceremony', I will definitely find clues to connect the butler Brenton and the maid Rachel.

The truth of the matter was investigated and the truth came to light. So I devoted myself wholeheartedly to detecting the matter. Why was the butler so eager to master the words of those ancient rituals? It was obvious that he discovered the secret hidden in it, and this family

The squire has never been aware of this secret for generations. Brunton is trying to make huge personal profits from this secret. So, what is this secret? What impact will it have on the fate of the butler?

After I read the ceremony, I felt it was very clear. This measurement method must refer to a certain place that some sentences in the ceremony imply. If we can find this place, we will be on the right path to reveal the secret, and

Masklev's ancestors felt that only in this wonderful way can future generations remember this secret. If we start, we need to understand two azimuth signs: an oak tree and an elm tree. Oak tree

It is not difficult to find. There is one of the oldest and tallest oak trees in the oak bushes on the left side of the driveway directly in front of the house.

‘Did your family have this oak tree when they drafted the ceremony?’ I said as we drove past the oak tree.

'Well, this oak tree existed almost at the time of the Norman conquest of England,' replied Masklev, 'and it is a full twenty-three feet of baize!'

My guess was confirmed, so I asked again: 'Have you ever planted old elm trees in your home?'

'There used to be an old elm tree over there. It was destroyed by lightning 10 years ago and the trunk has been sawed off.'

‘Can you point out the old site of that elm tree?’ ‘Ah, of course it’s no problem.’

'Are there no other elms?'

'The old elms are gone, but there are many newly planted elms.'

'I would like to see the site of this old elm tree.'

We were riding in a single carriage, and Masklev immediately took me to a hollow in the lawn, where the old elm tree once grew. This place was almost halfway between the oak tree and the house. In this way, my investigation

There is progress again.

‘I think we have no way of knowing the height of this elm tree?’ I asked.

'I can tell you right now that the tree is 64 feet tall.'

‘How did you know?’ I asked in surprise.

‘When I was a child, my tutor often asked me to do trigonometry exercises and often measure the height. I measured every tree and all the buildings in the manor when I was a teenager.’

It was an unexpected blessing that my data came in so quickly.

'Please tell me.' I asked, 'Has the housekeeper asked about the elm tree?'

Reginald Masklev looked at me in surprise. 'I really remembered it when you reminded me.' He replied, 'A few months ago, Brenton and the groom had a small incident.

Argument, at that time, he did ask me the height of the elm tree.'

This is wonderful news, Watson, because it shows that I am on the right track. I looked up at the sun, which was already in the west. I figured that in less than an hour, it would reach the top branches of the old oak tree.

above, then, one of the conditions mentioned in the ceremony has been fulfilled. And the shadow of the elm tree must refer to the far end of the shadow, otherwise why not choose the trunk as the benchmark? Now, we need to know that when the sun passes over the top of the oak tree, the elm tree

Where the farthest end of the shadow falls.

'It must not be easy to know, Holmes, since the elm tree no longer exists,' said Masklev.

But I understand that since Brenton can be found, I can also find it. Besides, this is not difficult in itself. I walked into his study with my client, whittled the wooden peg in front of me, and put the wood in front of me.

The long rope was tied to a wooden peg, and knots were tied every one meter. Then two fishing rods were taken out and tied together. The total length happened to be 6 feet. We returned to the site of the old elm tree. The sun was just right at this time.

I missed the top of the oak tree. I inserted the end of the fishing rod into the soil and found the direction and length of the shadow. The length of the shadow was about 9 feet.

Then, the following calculation is naturally not troublesome. If the projection is 9 feet when the rod is 6 feet long, then the projection when the tree is 64 feet tall is 96 feet, and the direction of the shadow of the fishing rod is of course the direction of the elm tree.

After I measured this distance, it almost reached the base of the wall of the manor, and I nailed a wooden nail here. Watson, I found a cone on the ground a little more than an inch away from the wooden nail.

When I made the small hole, you can easily imagine my excitement and joy at that time. I knew that this mark was left by Brenton when he measured it, and I was walking on his original path!

We started our walk test from this point: I set my direction with a pocket compass, then walked 20 steps north along the manor house wall and hammered a new peg in. Then I carefully walked 10 steps east, heading south.

After walking 4 steps, I arrived at the threshold of the old house's gate. According to the location indicated in the ceremony, I walked 2 steps westward and walked to the stone-paved corridor.

Watson, at that time, I was so disappointed for the first time. In an instant, I seemed to have completely rejected my calculations. The pavement of the corridor was very brightly illuminated by the setting sun, and I found that the gray stone slabs paved on the corridor, although very old,

, and passers-by had trampled it thin, but it was still firmly cast in cement. It was obvious that no one had moved it for many years. This is definitely not where Brenton started. I knocked on the stone slab, and the sound was the same everywhere.

It shows that there will be no caves or cracks under the stone slab. However, fortunately, Masklev realized the purpose of my doing this, and he was so excited that he took out the manuscript to check my calculation results.

'It's right down there,' he shouted excitedly, 'you skipped one sentence: it's right down there.'

I initially thought this was a hint for us to dig, but of course I immediately knew that I was wrong. 'So, there is a basement under the corridor?' I couldn't hide my excitement and said loudly to him.

'Exactly! The basement is as old as these houses, and is just below, entered through this door.'

We walked down the winding stone steps together, and he struck a match and lit the lantern above the barrel in the corner. In an instant, we saw clearly that this was the place we were looking for, and there was someone nearby.

Been here a few days.

This place was used as a warehouse for stacking lumber a long time ago, but the small short logs that were once thrown randomly on the ground were obviously piled on both sides to facilitate him to create an open space in the center of the basement. There are

A large and heavy stone slab, with a rusty iron ring in the middle, and a thick black and white plaid scarf tied to the iron ring.

'My God!' exclaimed Masklev, 'that scarf is Brenton's, I assure you I have seen him wearing it. What is this scoundrel doing here?'

Following my suggestion, we called two local policemen. Then I grabbed the scarf and lifted the stone slab hard. But my strength only made it move a little. Fortunately, with the assistance of a policeman, the stone slab was lifted with difficulty.

Moved aside. Under the stone slab was a dark cellar, and we all looked down. Masklev knelt on the edge of the cellar, holding a lantern and looking inside.

We found that the cellar was about seven feet deep and four feet square. There was a short wooden box with a brass ring on one side. The lid had been opened, and a strange old-fashioned key was inserted in the keyhole. The box

The outside is covered with a thick layer of dust, the wooden boards have been worn out by moths and moisture, and the inside is covered with blue-gray wood fungus. At the bottom of the box, there are some metal discs like old coins scattered, which should be

They are old-fashioned coins, like the ones I hold in my hands now, and nothing else.

However, at this moment our eyes were suddenly attracted by something, which was curled up near the wooden box, like a human figure, squatting there in black clothes, with its forehead touching the edge of the wooden box and its arms hugging the wooden box.

Box. This posture caused all the blood in his body to condense on his face, which was twisted like a pig liver. Who was this person? No one recognized it. However, when we pulled up the body, regardless of its head,

The clothes and hair showed to Masklev that the deceased was the missing butler. The man had been dead for several days, but there were no wounds on his body, which was enough to explain how he ended up like this. The body

We were carried out of the basement, but there was still a problem before us, which was just as difficult to solve as the one we encountered at the beginning.

Watson, I still do not deny that I was deeply frustrated by my investigation. When I found this place according to the hints of the ceremony, I thought I would solve the problem. But I am already here

, it is obviously not clear why the Masklev family took such carefully planned precautions. Yes, I have figured out Brenton’s fate, but now I need to figure out how he encountered this fate;

What role did the missing girl play in this matter? I sat down on a small bucket in the corner and thought about the whole case carefully.

You know how I would handle this situation, Watson. I put myself in this person's shoes and think about it. Of course, I must first measure his intelligence and imagine what I would do in the same situation.

Do. If you encounter this situation, it will be easy. Because the butler is a super smart person, there is no need to worry about any "personal observation errors" he may make. He knew that there was a treasure and found this place very accurately.

He found that the slate cover was too heavy to move by himself. What would he do next? Even if he had a trustworthy friend outside the manor, if he asked that person for help, he would have to open the door and bring that person in. This is

It is likely to attract the attention of others. The best way is naturally to find a helper within the manor. But who can he turn to for help? The maid Rachel once loved him passionately. No matter how bad a man treats a woman, he

He will always believe that he will not lose the woman's love. He may have taken the initiative to please the girl several times, hoping to get back together with her, and then made an appointment to act together. The two of them should have come to this basement together at night

, and worked together to lift the stone slab. At this point, I traced their actions as if I was personally there.

However, it would be quite difficult for the two of them to lift this heavy stone slab, especially if one of them is a woman. Because even if I and the tough Sussex policeman work together, we can lift the heavy stone slab.

I still didn’t feel relaxed! What should I do if the slate still couldn’t be moved? What would I do if it were me? I stood up and looked at the various short logs scattered around on the ground. I immediately discovered

What I expected to appear was a piece of wood about 3 feet long. There was an obvious flaw on one end of the wood, and there were several other pieces of wood that were all compressed on the sides, as if they were being pressed down by something very heavy. Very heavy.

Obviously, the housekeeper and the girl were lifting the stone slab upwards and stuffing some wood into the exposed gap in time. When a person could crawl into the gap, they used a piece of wood to hold the stone slab upright to prevent it from falling.

Go back. Since this piece of wood carried the weight of the stone slab, it pressed against the edge of the other stone slab, which caused a flaw to appear on the end of the wood. My evidence is still reliable up to this point.

The problem at hand is how I can reconstruct what happened that night. Obviously, only one person can fit into this cellar, and that is of course Brenton, the butler. Rachel must be waiting above. Brenton is there

The wooden box was opened below and the items in the box were handed over. As for what happened next, what happened next?

I think that the impetuous girl standing above may be able to control herself when she sees this person who has wronged her, and is even more evil to her than we imagined. The pent-up anger in her chest suddenly bursts

It is also possible that the wood suddenly slipped and the stone slab fell back to its original place, suffocating the housekeeper Brenton to death in the stone tomb he asked for. Is the girl's fault simply concealing the truth and not repaying it? Or did she put the stone on her head herself?

The wood suddenly pushed open, causing the stone slab to fall? No matter what the situation was, what appeared in front of my eyes anyway was a girl grabbing the treasure and running up the winding stone stairs in panic and desperately, completely ignoring what was coming from behind her.

There were muffled shouts and the sound of hands pounding on the stone slab. It was the stone slab that suffocated the unfaithful lover.

No wonder she looked so pale the next morning, trembling with fear, and laughing hysterically. So the secret was here! But what kind of things were in the box? What did these objects have to do with her? Of course.

, the contents of the box must have been salvaged by Masklev from the lake, those ancient metals and crystal stones. As soon as she found the opportunity, she threw all these things into the lake, so that they could be wiped out.

I sat there motionless for about 20 minutes, thinking about the case thoroughly. Masklev was still standing there, his face a little pale, swinging the lantern and looking into the cave.

'These coins are from the time of Charles I.' He picked up a few gold coins from the wooden box and said, 'Look, we have accurately calculated the time when the liturgy was written.'

"We can also find other objects from the time of Charles I." Regarding the first two questions and answers in this ceremony, I suddenly thought that they might have some meaning, so I shouted excitedly: "The objects in the pockets you fished out from the lake,

Let's go take a look!'

We returned to Masklev's study, and he placed those old items in front of me. As soon as I saw those rags, I knew that Masklev didn't value them, because the metal almost turned black, and the stone

The stone had no luster at all. However, when I picked up one and wiped it with my sleeve, the stone shone brightly in my hand. The shape of the metal product seemed to be a double ring, but it had been bent and twisted.

It has long lost its original shape.

'You must still remember.' I said: 'After the death of King Charles I, the royalists even staged an armed resistance in England. When they finally had to flee, many extremely precious treasures were likely to be stolen.

They secretly buried it so that they could dig it up when they returned to China in the future.'

'During the time of Charles I, my ancestor, Sir Ralph Masclef, was a well-known Royalist. He was Charles II's most trusted assistant during his escape. 'My friend Masclef

Husband said.

'Oh, yes!' I replied, 'Well now, the last link we were looking for has finally surfaced. I must congratulate you, you got this priceless relic, although the search process took a long time.

It is somewhat tragic, but it is still a priceless treasure. As a historical treasure, its significance is even more extraordinary.'

‘So, what exactly is this thing?’ Masklev asked urgently in surprise.

'It is nothing but an ancient British crown.' 'Crown!'

That's right. Think back to the words in the ceremony! How it was said! 'To whom did it belong? To the man who was gone.' This was in reference to the execution of Charles I. And then 'Which man should

Get it? The one who is coming." This refers to Charles II, who has predicted that Charles II will come to Helstone Manor. I think there is no doubt that this worn-out crown was once Stuart's

Worn by special emperors.

'How did it end up in the lake?'

‘Oh, it will take some time to answer this question.’ Then, I told him my speculations and arguments from beginning to end, and the story didn’t end until night fell and the moon was bright in the sky.

"Then, why didn't Charles II come and get the crown after he returned to the country?" Masklev put the relic back into the linen bag and asked.

'Oh, you accurately pointed out a question that we may never be able to answer. Maybe Masklev, who mastered the top secret, was no longer alive at that time. He passed on this ritual as a guide to future generations, and for a while

The neglect did not explain its meaning. From the beginning to today, this ceremony has been passed down from generation to generation, until finally someone saw through it, uncovered this ancient secret, and died in the adventure with ulterior motives.'

My dear friend, this is the story of the Maskelover Ceremony. The crown is still in Helstone, but they went through a lot of legal troubles and paid a lot of money to keep it.

I have no doubt that as long as you mention my name to them, they will definitely show you the crown. As for the missing girl, there has been no news. She may have left the UK and fled with the memory of the crime.

Overseas.

【Legal Commentary】

When housekeepers Brenton and Rachel went to steal the Musclef family's treasure, Brenton died of suffocation in the secret room where the treasure was stored, while Rachel threw away the treasure and disappeared. So what did Rachel need to bear?

What about legal liability? According to the "Criminal Law": secretly stealing a large amount of public or private property for the purpose of illegal possession or secretly stealing public or private property multiple times is the crime of theft. According to the "General Principles of the Civil Law": the owner is unknown

Buried objects and hidden objects are owned by the state. Those who rob tombs and steal relatively large amounts of property will be punished as theft. The "Cultural Relics Protection Law" stipulates that anyone who excavates ancient cultural sites or ancient tombs privately will be punished as theft. Although Rachel

The stolen goods were discarded afterwards, but her and Brenton's theft of the Musclef family's treasures had constituted the crime of theft. According to Holmes's inference, if the fleeing Rachel was really an impatient girl, she might have failed him when she saw this person.

People, even people who were far more evil to her than we thought, were now at her mercy. The pent-up rage of revenge suddenly broke out, trapping Brenton in a secret room and suffocating to death. According to the provisions of the "Criminal Law"
Chapter completed!