III.A CASE OF IDENTITY

weretwoofusheputusbothintoitandsteppedhimselfintoafour-wheeler,whichhappenedtobetheonlyothercabinthestreet.Wegottothechurchfirst,andwhenthefour-wheelerdroveupwewaitedforhimtostepout,butheneverdid,andwhenthecabmangotdownfromtheboxandlookedtherewasnoonethere!Thecabmansaidthathecouldnotimaginewhathadbecomeofhim,forhehadseenhimgetinwithhisowneyes.ThatwaslastFriday,Mr.Holmes,andIhaveneverseenorheardanythingsincethentothrowanylightuponwhatbecameofhim.” “Itseemstomethatyouhavebeenveryshamefullytreated,”saidHolmes. “Oh,no,sir!Hewastoogoodandkindtoleavemeso.Why,allthemorninghewassayingtomethat,whateverhappened,Iwastobetrueandthatevenifsomethingquiteunforeseenoccurredtoseparateus,IwasalwaystorememberthatIwaspledgedtohim,andthathewouldclaimhispledgesoonerorlater.Itseemedstrangetalkforawedding-morning,butwhathashappenedsincegivesameaningtoit.” “Mostcertainlyitdoes.Yourownopinionis,then,thatsomeunforeseencatastrophehasoccurredtohim?” “Yes,sir.Ibelievethatheforesawsomedanger,orelsehewouldnothavetalkedso.AndthenIthinkthatwhatheforesawhappened.” “Butyouhavenonotionastowhatitcouldhavebeen?” “None.” “Onemorequestion.Howdidyourmothertakethematter?” “Shewasangry,andsaidthatIwasnevertospeakofthematteragain.” “Andyourfather?Didyoutellhim?” “Yesandheseemedtothink,withme,thatsomethinghadhappened,andthatIshouldhearofHosmeragain.Ashesaid,whatinterestcouldanyonehaveinbringingmetothedoorsofthechurch,andthenleavingme?Now,ifhehadborrowedmymoney,orifhehadmarriedmeandgotmymoneysettledonhim,theremightbesomereason,butHosmerwasveryindependentaboutmoneyandneverwouldlookatashillingofmine.Andyet,whatcouldhavehappened?Andwhycouldhenotwrite?Oh,itdrivesmehalf-madtothinkofit,andIcan’tsleepawinkatnight.”Shepulledalittlehandkerchiefoutofhermuffandbegantosobheavilyintoit. “Ishallglanceintothecaseforyou,”saidHolmes,rising,“andIhavenodoubtthatweshallreachsomedefiniteresult.Lettheweightofthematterrestuponmenow,anddonotletyourminddwelluponitfurther.Aboveall,trytoletMr.HosmerAngelvanishfromyourmemory,ashehasdonefromyourlife.” “Thenyoudon’tthinkI’llseehimagain?” “Ifearnot.” “Thenwhathashappenedtohim?” “Youwillleavethatquestioninmyhands.Ishouldlikeanaccuratedescriptionofhimandanylettersofhiswhichyoucanspare.” “IadvertisedforhiminlastSaturday’sChronicle,”saidshe.“Hereistheslipandherearefourlettersfromhim.” “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.Shelaidherlittlebundleofpapersuponthetableandwentherway,withapromisetocomeagainwhenevershemightbesummoned. SherlockHolmessatsilentforafewminuteswithhisfingertipsstillpressedtogether,hislegsstretchedoutinfrontofhim,andhisgazedirectedupwardtotheceiling.Thenhetookdownfromtheracktheoldandoilyclaypipe,whichwastohimasacounsellor,and,havinglitit,heleanedbackinhischair,withthethickbluecloud-wreathsspinningupfromhim,andalookofinfinitelanguorinhisface. “Quiteaninterestingstudy,thatmaiden,”heobserved.“Ifoundhermoreinterestingthanherlittleproblem,which,bytheway,isratheratriteone.Youwillfindparallelcases,ifyouconsultmyindex,inAndoverin’77,andtherewassomethingofthesortatTheHaguelastyear.Oldasistheidea,however,therewereoneortwodetailswhichwerenewtome.Butthemaidenherselfwasmostinstructive.” “Youappearedtoreadagooddealuponherwhichwasquiteinvisibletome,”Iremarked. “Notinvisiblebutunnoticed,Watson.Youdidnotknowwheretolook,andsoyoumissedallthatwasimportant.Icanneverbringyoutorealisetheimportanceofsleeves,thesuggestivenessofthumb-nails,orthegreatissuesthatmayhangfromaboot-lace.Now,whatdidyougatherfromthatwoman’sappearance?Describeit.” “Well,shehadaslate-coloured,broad-brimmedstrawhat,withafeatherofabrickishred.Herjacketwasblack,withblackbeadssewnuponit,andafringeoflittleblackjetornaments.Herdresswasbrown,ratherdarkerthancoffeecolour,withalittlepurpleplushattheneckandsleeves.Herglovesweregreyishandwerewornthroughattherightforefinger.HerbootsIdidn’tobserve.Shehadsmallround,hanginggoldearrings,andageneralairofbeingfairlywell-to-doinavulgar,comfortable,easy-goingway.” SherlockHolmesclappedhishandssoftlytogetherandchuckled. “’Ponmyword,Watson,youarecomingalongwonderfully.Youhavereallydoneverywellindeed.Itistruethatyouhavemissedeverythingofimportance,butyouhavehituponthemethod,andyouhaveaquickeyeforcolour.Nevertrusttogeneralimpressions,myboy,butconcentrateyourselfupondetails.Myfirstglanceisalwaysatawoman’ssleeve.Inamanitisperhapsbetterfirsttotakethekneeofthetrouser.Asyouobserve,thiswomanhadplushuponhersleeves,whichisamostusefulmaterialforshowingtraces.Thedoublelinealittleabovethewrist,wherethetypewritistpressesagainstthetable,wasbeautifullydefined.Thesewing-machine,ofthehandtype,leavesasimilarmark,butonlyontheleftarm,andonthesideofitfarthestfromthethumb,insteadofbeingrightacrossthebroadestpart,asthiswas.Ithenglancedatherface,and,observingthedintofapince-nezateithersideofhernose,Iventuredaremarkuponshortsightandtypewriting,whichseemedtosurpriseher.” “Itsurprisedme.” “But,surely,itwasobvious.Iwasthenmuchsurprisedandinterestedonglancingdowntoobservethat,thoughthebootswhichshewaswearingwerenotunlikeeachother,theywerereallyoddonestheonehavingaslightlydecoratedtoe-cap,andtheotheraplainone.Onewasbuttonedonlyinthetwolowerbuttonsoutoffive,andtheotheratthefirst,third,andfifth.Now,whenyouseethatayounglady,otherwiseneatlydressed,hascomeawayfromhomewithoddboots,half-buttoned,itisnogreatdeductiontosaythatshecameawayinahurry.” “Andwhatelse?”Iasked,keenlyinterested,asIalwayswas,bymyfriend’sincisivereasoning. “Inoted,inpassing,thatshehadwrittenanotebeforeleavinghomebutafterbeingfullydressed.Youobservedthatherrightglovewastornattheforefinger,butyoudidnotapparentlyseethatbothgloveandfingerwerestainedwithvioletink.Shehadwritteninahurryanddippedher