X.THE ADVENTURE OF THE NOBLE BACHELOR
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ew.Therewasamoment’sdelay,butthegentlemaninthepewhandedituptoheragain,anditdidnotappeartobetheworseforthefall.YetwhenIspoketoherofthematter,sheansweredmeabruptlyandinthecarriage,onourwayhome,sheseemedabsurdlyagitatedoverthistriflingcause.”
“Indeed!Yousaythattherewasagentlemaninthepew.Someofthegeneralpublicwerepresent,then?”
“Oh,yes.Itisimpossibletoexcludethemwhenthechurchisopen.”
“Thisgentlemanwasnotoneofyourwife’sfriends?”
“No,noIcallhimagentlemanbycourtesy,buthewasquiteacommon-lookingperson.Ihardlynoticedhisappearance.ButreallyIthinkthatwearewanderingratherfarfromthepoint.”
“LadySt.Simon,then,returnedfromtheweddinginalesscheerfulframeofmindthanshehadgonetoit.Whatdidshedoonre-enteringherfather’shouse?”
“Isawherinconversationwithhermaid.”
“Andwhoishermaid?”
“Aliceishername.SheisanAmericanandcamefromCaliforniawithher.”
“Aconfidentialservant?”
“Alittletoomuchso.Itseemedtomethathermistressallowedhertotakegreatliberties.Still,ofcourse,inAmericatheylookuponthesethingsinadifferentway.”
“HowlongdidshespeaktothisAlice?”
“Oh,afewminutes.Ihadsomethingelsetothinkof.”
“Youdidnotoverhearwhattheysaid?”
“LadySt.Simonsaidsomethingabout‘jumpingaclaim.’Shewasaccustomedtouseslangofthekind.Ihavenoideawhatshemeant.”
“Americanslangisveryexpressivesometimes.Andwhatdidyourwifedowhenshefinishedspeakingtohermaid?”
“Shewalkedintothebreakfast-room.”
“Onyourarm?”
“No,alone.Shewasveryindependentinlittlematterslikethat.Then,afterwehadsatdownfortenminutesorso,sherosehurriedly,mutteredsomewordsofapology,andlefttheroom.Shenevercameback.”
“Butthismaid,Alice,asIunderstand,deposesthatshewenttoherroom,coveredherbride’sdresswithalongulster,putonabonnet,andwentout.”
“Quiteso.AndshewasafterwardsseenwalkingintoHydeParkincompanywithFloraMillar,awomanwhoisnowincustody,andwhohadalreadymadeadisturbanceatMr.Doran’shousethatmorning.”
“Ah,yes.Ishouldlikeafewparticularsastothisyounglady,andyourrelationstoher.”
LordSt.Simonshruggedhisshouldersandraisedhiseyebrows.“Wehavebeenonafriendlyfootingforsomeyears—Imaysayonaveryfriendlyfooting.SheusedtobeattheAllegro.Ihavenottreatedherungenerously,andshehadnojustcauseofcomplaintagainstme,butyouknowwhatwomenare,Mr.Holmes.Florawasadearlittlething,butexceedinglyhot-headedanddevotedlyattachedtome.ShewrotemedreadfulletterswhensheheardthatIwasabouttobemarried,and,totellthetruth,thereasonwhyIhadthemarriagecelebratedsoquietlywasthatIfearedlesttheremightbeascandalinthechurch.ShecametoMr.Doran’sdoorjustafterwereturned,andsheendeavouredtopushherwayin,utteringveryabusiveexpressionstowardsmywife,andeventhreateningher,butIhadforeseenthepossibilityofsomethingofthesort,andIhadtwopolicefellowsthereinprivateclothes,whosoonpushedheroutagain.Shewasquietwhenshesawthattherewasnogoodinmakingarow.”
“Didyourwifehearallthis?”
“No,thankgoodness,shedidnot.”
“Andshewasseenwalkingwiththisverywomanafterwards?”
“Yes.ThatiswhatMr.Lestrade,ofScotlandYard,looksuponassoserious.ItisthoughtthatFloradecoyedmywifeoutandlaidsometerribletrapforher.”
“Well,itisapossiblesupposition.”
“Youthinkso,too?”
“Ididnotsayaprobableone.Butyoudonotyourselflookuponthisaslikely?”
“IdonotthinkFlorawouldhurtafly.”
“Still,jealousyisastrangetransformerofcharacters.Praywhatisyourowntheoryastowhattookplace?”
“Well,really,Icametoseekatheory,nottopropoundone.Ihavegivenyouallthefacts.Sinceyouaskme,however,Imaysaythatithasoccurredtomeaspossiblethattheexcitementofthisaffair,theconsciousnessthatshehadmadesoimmenseasocialstride,hadtheeffectofcausingsomelittlenervousdisturbanceinmywife.”
“Inshort,thatshehadbecomesuddenlyderanged?”
“Well,really,whenIconsiderthatshehasturnedherback—Iwillnotsayuponme,butuponsomuchthatmanyhaveaspiredtowithoutsuccess—Icanhardlyexplainitinanyotherfashion.”
“Well,certainlythatisalsoaconceivablehypothesis,”saidHolmes,smiling.“Andnow,LordSt.Simon,IthinkthatIhavenearlyallmydata.MayIaskwhetheryouwereseatedatthebreakfast-tablesothatyoucouldseeoutofthewindow?”
“WecouldseetheothersideoftheroadandthePark.”
“Quiteso.ThenIdonotthinkthatIneedtodetainyoulonger.Ishallcommunicatewithyou.”
“Shouldyoubefortunateenoughtosolvethisproblem,”saidourclient,rising.
“Ihavesolvedit.”
“Eh?Whatwasthat?”
“IsaythatIhavesolvedit.”
“Where,then,ismywife?”
“ThatisadetailwhichIshallspeedilysupply.”
LordSt.Simonshookhishead.“Iamafraidthatitwilltakewiserheadsthanyoursormine,”heremarked,andbowinginastately,old-fashionedmannerhedeparted.
“ItisverygoodofLordSt.Simontohonourmyheadbyputtingitonalevelwithhisown,”saidSherlockHolmes,laughing.“IthinkthatIshallhaveawhiskyandsodaandacigarafterallthiscross-questioning.Ihadformedmyconclusionsastothecasebeforeourclientcameintotheroom.”
“MydearHolmes!”
“Ihavenotesofseveralsimilarcases,thoughnone,asIremarkedbefore,whichwerequiteasprompt.Mywholeexaminationservedtoturnmyconjectureintoacertainty.Circumstantialevidenceisoccasionallyveryconvincing,aswhenyoufindatroutinthemilk,toquoteThoreau’sexample.”
“ButIhaveheardallthatyouhaveheard.”
“Without,however,theknowledgeofpre-existingcaseswhichservesmesowell.TherewasaparallelinstanceinAberdeensomeyearsback,andsomethingonverymuchthesamelinesatMunichtheyearaftertheFranco-PrussianWar.Itisoneofthesecases—but,hullo,hereisLestrade!Good-afternoon,Lestrade!Youwillfindanextratumbleruponthesideboard,andtherearecigarsinthebox.”
Theofficialdetectivewasattiredinapea-jacketandcravat,whichgavehimadecidedlynauticalappearance,andhecarriedablackcanvasbaginhishand.Withashortgreetingheseatedhimselfandlitthecigarwhichhadbeenofferedtohim.
“What’sup,then?”askedHolmeswithatwinkleinhiseye.“Youlookdissatisfied.”
“AndIfeeldissatisfied.ItisthisinfernalSt.Simonmarriagecase.Icanmakeneitherheadnortailofthebusiness.”
“Really!Yousurpriseme.”
“Whoeverheardofsuchamixedaffair?Everyclueseemstoslipthroughmyfingers.Ihavebeenatworkuponitallday.”
“Andverywetitseemstohavemadeyou,”saidHolmeslayinghishanduponthearmofthepea-jacket.
“Yes,IhavebeendraggingtheSerpentine.”
“InHeaven’sname,whatfor?”
“InsearchofthebodyofLadySt.Simon.”
SherlockHolmesleanedbackinhischairandlaughedheartily.
“HaveyoudraggedthebasinofTrafalgarSquarefountain?”heasked.
“Why?Whatdoyoumean?”
“Becauseyouhavejustasgoodachanceoffindingthisladyintheoneasintheother.”
Lestradeshotanangryglanceatmycompanion.“Isupposeyouknowallaboutit,”hesnarled.
“Well,Ihaveonlyjustheardthefacts,butmymindismadeup.”
“Oh,indeed!ThenyouthinkthattheSerpentineplaysnopartinthematter?”
“Ithinkitveryunlikely.”
“Thenperhapsyouwillkindlyexplainhowitisthatwefoundthisinit?”Heopenedhisbagashespoke,andtumbledontothefloorawedding-dressofwateredsilk,apairofwhitesatinshoesandabride’swreathandveil,alldiscolouredandsoakedinwater.“There,”saidhe,puttinganewwedding-ringuponthetopofthepile.“Thereisalittlenutforyoutocrack,MasterHolmes.”
“Oh,indeed!”saidmyfriend,blowingblueringsintotheair.“YoudraggedthemfromtheSerpentine?”
“No.Theywerefoundfloatingnearthemarginbyapark-keeper.Theyhavebeenidentifiedasherclothes,anditseemedtomethatiftheclothesweretherethebodywouldnotbefaroff.”
“Bythesamebrilliantreasoning,everyman’sbodyistobefoundintheneighbourhoodofhiswardrobe.Andpraywhatdidyouhopetoarriveatthroughthis?”
“AtsomeevidenceimplicatingFloraMillarinthedisappearance.”
“Iamafraidthatyouwillfinditdifficult.”
“Areyou,indeed,now