Yes, I like how Holmes knows she won't be dissuaded from taking the job so he doesn't even bother to try and as soon as he says he's a telegram away and would come as soon as she asks him she's like "cool, the money's good, I've got backup, let's do it."InspectorCaracal wrote: ↑Sun 12 Mar, 2023, 10:50 pmThis story has a special place in my list of Holmes stories because it features one of the two Violets, who deserve much more attention than they get because everyone loves Irene Adler more, lol. I've read this one more than most, so there wasn't a whole lot for me to notice this time around that I hadn't already thought to death. I love Violet Hunter, tho, and how she basically takes charge of her whole situation and really just calls them in as back-up, and I enjoy the characterization bit of how Holmes feels morally obligated to help because Miss Hunter has no one else available, even though there isn't actually much of a mystery involved.
I love that she smuggles a piece of a broken hand mirror in to get a look at what's going on behind her back.
Speaking of gothic horror, people make a big deal of characters in horror stories always going towards danger, but you can easily justify that by having them have the kind of personality that just goes around poking around all the time, like here.