"I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed them," Watson says, fairly beaming. He's flattered, and pleased, and there's a pleasant nostalgia about the whole thing for him. "My little tales were only just starting to get attention, honestly. It's still hard for me to believe that anyone so long after my time knows them."

But at the mention of the revelation again, his face darkens. "'Bittersweet' is not quite the word," he says. "'Complicated,' perhaps."