第8章

“Yes，sir。Imethimthatnight，andhecallednextdaytoaskifwehadgothomeallsafe，andafterthatwemethim——thatistosay，Mr。Holmes，Imethimtwiceforwalks，butafterthatfathercamebackagain，andMr。HosmerAngelcouldnotcometothehouseanymore。“ “No？“ “Well，youknow，fatherdidn’tlikeanythingofthesort。Hewouldn’thaveanyvisitorsifhecouldhelpit，andheusedtosaythatawomanshouldbehappyinherownfamilycircle。Butthen，asIusedtosaytomother，awomanwantsherowncircletobeginwith，andIhadnotgotmineyet。“ “ButhowaboutMr。HosmerAngel？Didhemakenoattempttoseeyou？“ “Well，fatherwasgoingofftoFranceagaininaweek，andHosmerwroteandsaidthatitwouldbesaferandbetternottoseeeachotheruntilhehadgone。Wecouldwriteinthemeantime，andheusedtowriteeveryday。Itookthelettersinthemorning，sotherewasnoneedforfathertoknow。“ “Wereyouengagedtothegentlemanatthistime？“ “Oh，yes，Mr。Holmes。Wewereengagedafterthefirstwalkthatwetook。Hosmer——Mr。Angel——wasacashierinanofficeinLeadenhallStreet——and——“ “Whatoffice？“ “That’stheworstofit，Mr。Holmes；Idon’tknow。“ “Wheredidhelive，then？“ “Hesleptonthepremises。“ “Andyoudon’tknowhisaddress？“ “No——exceptthatitwasLeadenhallStreet。“ “Wheredidyouaddressyourletters，then？“ “TotheLeadenhallStreetPostOffice，tobelefttillcalledfor。 Hesaidthatiftheyweresenttotheofficehewouldbechaffedbyalltheotherclerksabouthavinglettersfromalady，soIofferedtotypewritethem，likehedidhis，buthewouldn’thavethat，forhesaidthatwhenIwrotethemtheyseemedtocomefromme，butwhentheyweretypewrittenhealwaysfeltthatthemachinehadcomebetweenus。Thatwilljustshowyouhowfondhewasofme，Mr。 Holmes，andthelittlethingsthathewouldthinkof。“ “Itwasmostsuggestive，“saidHolmes。“Ithaslongbeenanaxiomofminethatthelittlethingsareinfinitelythemostimportant。 CanyourememberanyotherlittlethingsaboutMr。HosmerAngel？“ “Hewasaveryshyman，Mr。Holmes。Hewouldratherwalkwithmeintheeveningthaninthedaylight，forhesaidthathehatedtobeconspicuous。Veryretiringandgentlemanlyhewas。Evenhisvoicewasgentle。He’dhadthequinsyandswollenglandswhenhewasyoung，hetoldme，andithadlefthimwithaweakthroatandahesitating，whisperingfashionofspeech。Hewasalwayswelldressed，veryneatandplain，buthiseyeswereweak，justasmineare，andheworetintedglassesagainsttheglare。“ “Well，andwhathappenedwhenMr。Windibank，yourstepfather，returnedtoFrance？“ “Mr。HosmerAngelcametothehouseagain，andproposedthatweshouldmarrybeforefathercameback。Hewasindreadfulearnest，andmademeswear，withmyhandsontheTestament，thatwhateverhappenedIwouldalwaysbetruetohim。Mothersaidhewasquiterighttomakemeswear，andthatitwasasignofhispassion。 Motherwasallinhisfavorfromthefirst，andwasevenfonderofhimthanIwas。Then，whentheytalkedofmarryingwithintheweek，Ibegantoaskaboutfather；buttheybothsaidnevertomindaboutfather，butjusttotellhimafterwardsandmothersaidshewouldmakeitallrightwithhim。Ididn’tquitelikethat，Mr。 Holmes。ItseemedfunnythatIshouldaskhisleave，ashewasonlyafewyearsolderthanme；butIdidn’twanttodoanythingonthesly，soIwrotetofatheratBordeaux，wherethecompanyhasitsFrenchoffices，butthelettercamebacktomeontheverymorningofthewedding。“ “Itmissedhim，then？“ “Yes，sir，forhehadstartedtoEnglandjustbeforeitarrived。“ “Ha！thatwasunfortunate。Yourweddingwasarranged，then，fortheFriday。Wasittobeinchurch？“ “Yes，sir，butveryquietly。ItwastobeatSt。Saviour’s，nearKing’sCross，andweweretohavebreakfastafterwardsattheSt。 PancrasHotel。Hosmercameforusinahansom，butasthereweretwoofus，heputusbothintoit，andsteppedhimselfintoafour- wheeler，whichhappenedtobetheonlyothercabinthestreet。Wegottothechurchfirst，andwhenthefour-wheelerdroveupwewaitedforhimtostepout，butheneverdid，andwhenthecabmangotdownfromtheboxandlooked，therewasnoonethere！Thecabmansaidthathecouldnotimaginewhathadbecomeofhim，forhehadseenhimgetinwithhisowneyes。ThatwaslastFriday，Mr。Holmes，andIhaveneverseenorheardanythingsincethentothrowanylightuponwhatbecameofhim。“ “Itseemstomethatyouhavebeenveryshamefullytreated，“saidHolmes。 “Oh，no，sir！Hewastoogoodandkindtoleavemeso。Why，allthemorninghewassayingtomethat，whateverhappened，Iwastobetrue；andthatevenifsomethingquiteunforeseenoccurredtoseparateus，IwasalwaystorememberthatIwaspledgedtohim，andthathewouldclaimhispledgesoonerorlater。Itseemedstrangetalkforaweddingmorning，butwhathashappenedsincegivesameaningtoit。“ “Mostcertainlyitdoes。Yourownopinionis，then，thatsomeunforeseencatastrophehasoccurredtohim？“ “Yes，sir。Ibelievethatheforesawsomedanger，orelsehewouldnothavetalkedso。AndthenIthinkthatwhatheforesawhappened。“ “Butyouhavenonotionastowhatitcouldhavebeen？“ “None。“ “Onemorequestion。Howdidyourmothertakethematter？“ “Shewasangry，andsaidthatIwasnevertospeakofthematteragain。“ “Andyourfather？Didyoutellhim？“ “Yes，andheseemedtothink，withme，thatsomethinghadhappened，andthatIshouldhearofHosmeragain。Ashesaid，whatinterestcouldanyonehaveinbringingmetothedoorofthechurch，andthenleavingme？Now，ifhehadborrowedmymoney，orifhehadmarriedmeandgotmymoneysettledonhim，theremightbesomereason；butHosmerwasveryindependentaboutmoney，andneverwouldlookatashillingofmine。Andyetwhatcouldhavehappened？Andwhycouldhenotwrite？Oh！itdrivesmehalfmadtothinkof，andIcan’tsleepawinkatnight。“Shepulledalittlehandkerchiefoutofhermuff，andbegantosobheavilyintoit。 “Ishallglanceintothecaseforyou，“saidHolmes，rising，“andI havenodoubtthatweshallreachsomedefiniteresult。Lettheweightofthematterrestuponmenow，anddonotletyourminddwelluponitfurther。Aboveall，trytoletMr。HosmerAngelvanishfromyourmemory，ashehasdonefromyourlife。“ “Thenyoudon’tthinkI’llseehimagain？“ “Ifearnot。“ “Thenwhathashappenedtohim？“ “Youwillleavethatquestioninmyhands。Ishouldlikeanaccuratedescriptionofhim，andanylettersofhiswhichyoucanspare。“ “IadvertisedforhiminlastSaturday’sChronicle，“saidshe。 “Hereistheslip，andherearefourlettersfromhim。“ “Thankyou。Andyouraddress？“ “No。31LyonPlace，Camberwell。“ “Mr。Angel’saddressyouneverhad，Iunderstand。Whereisyourfather’splaceofbusiness？“ “HetravelsforWesthouse&Marbank，thegreatclaretimportersofFenchurchStreet。“ “Thankyou。Youhavemadeyourstatementveryclearly。Youwillleavethepapershere，andremembertheadvicewhichIhavegivenyou。Letthewholeincidentbeasealedbook，anddonotallowittoaffectyourlife。“ “Youareverykind，Mr。Holmes，butIcannotdothat。IshallbetruetoHosmer。Heshallfindmereadywhenhecomesback。“ Forallthepreposteroushatandthevacuousface，therewassomethingnobleinthesimplefaithofourvisitorwhichcompelledourrespect。Shelaidherlittlebundleofpapersuponthetable，andwentherway，withapromisetocomeagainwhenevershemightbesummoned。 SherlockHolmessatsilentforafewminuteswithhisfingertipsstillpressedtogether，hislegsstretchedoutinfrontofhim，andhisgazedirectedupwardtotheceiling。Thenhetookdownfromtheracktheoldandoilyclaypipe，whichwastohimasacounselor，and，havinglightedit，heleanedbackinhischair，withthickbluecloudwreathsspinningupfromhim，andalookofinfinitelanguorinhisface。 “Quiteaninterestingstudy，thatmaiden，“heobserved。“Ifoundhermoreinterestingthanherlittleproblem，which，bytheway，isratheratriteone。Youwillfindparallelcases，ifyouconsultmyindex，inAndoverin’77，andtherewassomethingofthesortatTheHaguelastyear。Oldasistheidea，however，therewereoneortwodetailswhichwerenewtome。Butthemaidenherselfwasmostinstructive。“