X.THE ADVENTURE OF THE NOBLE BACHELOR

vedonemydutybyhim.Wecan’tcommandourlove,butwecanouractions.Iwenttothealtarwithhimwiththeintentiontomakehimjustasgoodawifeasitwasinmetobe.ButyoumayimaginewhatIfeltwhen,justasIcametothealtarrails,IglancedbackandsawFrankstandingandlookingatmeoutofthefirstpew.IthoughtitwashisghostatfirstbutwhenIlookedagaintherehewasstill,withakindofquestioninhiseyes,asiftoaskmewhetherIweregladorsorrytoseehim.IwonderIdidn’tdrop.Iknowthateverythingwasturninground,andthewordsoftheclergymanwerejustlikethebuzzofabeeinmyear.Ididn’tknowwhattodo.ShouldIstoptheserviceandmakeasceneinthechurch?Iglancedathimagain,andheseemedtoknowwhatIwasthinking,forheraisedhisfingertohislipstotellmetobestill.ThenIsawhimscribbleonapieceofpaper,andIknewthathewaswritingmeanote.AsIpassedhispewonthewayoutIdroppedmybouquetovertohim,andheslippedthenoteintomyhandwhenhereturnedmetheflowers.Itwasonlyalineaskingmetojoinhimwhenhemadethesigntometodoso.OfcourseIneverdoubtedforamomentthatmyfirstdutywasnowtohim,andIdeterminedtodojustwhateverhemightdirect. “WhenIgotbackItoldmymaid,whohadknownhiminCalifornia,andhadalwaysbeenhisfriend.Iorderedhertosaynothing,buttogetafewthingspackedandmyulsterready.IknowIoughttohavespokentoLordSt.Simon,butitwasdreadfulhardbeforehismotherandallthosegreatpeople.Ijustmadeupmymindtorunawayandexplainafterwards.Ihadn’tbeenatthetabletenminutesbeforeIsawFrankoutofthewindowattheothersideoftheroad.HebeckonedtomeandthenbeganwalkingintothePark.Islippedout,putonmythings,andfollowedhim.SomewomancametalkingsomethingorotheraboutLordSt.Simontome—seemedtomefromthelittleIheardasifhehadalittlesecretofhisownbeforemarriagealso—butImanagedtogetawayfromherandsoonovertookFrank.Wegotintoacabtogether,andawaywedrovetosomelodgingshehadtakeninGordonSquare,andthatwasmytrueweddingafterallthoseyearsofwaiting.FrankhadbeenaprisoneramongtheApaches,hadescaped,cameonto’Frisco,foundthatIhadgivenhimupfordeadandhadgonetoEngland,followedmethere,andhadcomeuponmeatlastontheverymorningofmysecondwedding.” “Isawitinapaper,”explainedtheAmerican.“Itgavethenameandthechurchbutnotwheretheladylived.” “Thenwehadatalkastowhatweshoulddo,andFrankwasallforopenness,butIwassoashamedofitallthatIfeltasifIshouldliketovanishawayandneverseeanyofthemagain—justsendingalinetoPa,perhaps,toshowhimthatIwasalive.Itwasawfultometothinkofallthoselordsandladiessittingroundthatbreakfast-tableandwaitingformetocomeback.SoFranktookmywedding-clothesandthingsandmadeabundleofthem,sothatIshouldnotbetraced,anddroppedthemawaysomewherewherenoonecouldfindthem.ItislikelythatweshouldhavegoneontoParisto-morrow,onlythatthisgoodgentleman,Mr.Holmes,cameroundtousthisevening,thoughhowhefoundusismorethanIcanthink,andheshowedusveryclearlyandkindlythatIwaswrongandthatFrankwasright,andthatweshouldbeputtingourselvesinthewrongifweweresosecret.ThenheofferedtogiveusachanceoftalkingtoLordSt.Simonalone,andsowecamerightawayroundtohisroomsatonce.Now,Robert,youhavehearditall,andIamverysorryifIhavegivenyoupain,andIhopethatyoudonotthinkverymeanlyofme.” LordSt.Simonhadbynomeansrelaxedhisrigidattitude,buthadlistenedwithafrowningbrowandacompressedliptothislongnarrative. “Excuseme,”hesaid,“butitisnotmycustomtodiscussmymostintimatepersonalaffairsinthispublicmanner.” “Thenyouwon’tforgiveme?Youwon’tshakehandsbeforeIgo?” “Oh,certainly,ifitwouldgiveyouanypleasure.”Heputouthishandandcoldlygraspedthatwhichsheextendedtohim. “Ihadhoped,”suggestedHolmes,“thatyouwouldhavejoinedusinafriendlysupper.” “Ithinkthatthereyouaskalittletoomuch,”respondedhisLordship.“Imaybeforcedtoacquiesceintheserecentdevelopments,butIcanhardlybeexpectedtomakemerryoverthem.IthinkthatwithyourpermissionIwillnowwishyouallaverygood-night.”Heincludedusallinasweepingbowandstalkedoutoftheroom. “ThenItrustthatyouatleastwillhonourmewithyourcompany,”saidSherlockHolmes.“ItisalwaysajoytomeetanAmerican,Mr.Moulton,forIamoneofthosewhobelievethatthefollyofamonarchandtheblunderingofaministerinfar-goneyearswillnotpreventourchildrenfrombeingsomedaycitizensofthesameworld-widecountryunderaflagwhichshallbeaquarteringoftheUnionJackwiththeStarsandStripes.” “Thecasehasbeenaninterestingone,”remarkedHolmeswhenourvisitorshadleftus,“becauseitservestoshowveryclearlyhowsimpletheexplanationmaybeofanaffairwhichatfirstsightseemstobealmostinexplicable.Nothingcouldbemorenaturalthanthesequenceofeventsasnarratedbythislady,andnothingstrangerthantheresultwhenviewed,forinstance,byMr.LestradeofScotlandYard.” “Youwerenotyourselfatfaultatall,then?” “Fromthefirst,twofactswereveryobvioustome,theonethattheladyhadbeenquitewillingtoundergotheweddingceremony,theotherthatshehadrepentedofitwithinafewminutesofreturninghome.Obviouslysomethinghadoccurredduringthemorning,then,tocausehertochangehermind.Whatcouldthatsomethingbe?Shecouldnothavespokentoanyonewhenshewasout,forshehadbeeninthecompanyofthebridegroom.Hadsheseensomeone,then?Ifshehad,itmustbesomeonefromAmericabecauseshehadspentsoshortatimeinthiscountrythatshecouldhardlyhaveallowedanyonetoacquiresodeepaninfluenceoverherthatthemeresightofhimwouldinducehertochangeherplanssocompletely.Youseewehavealreadyarrived,byaprocessofexclusion,attheideathatshemighthaveseenanAmerican.ThenwhocouldthisAmericanbe,andwhyshouldhepossesssomuchinfluenceoverher?Itmightbealoveritmightbeahusband.Heryoungwomanhoodhad,Iknew,beenspentinroughscenesandunderstrangeconditions.SofarIhadgotbeforeIeverheardLordSt.Simon’snarrative.Whenhetoldusofamaninapew,ofthechangeinthebride’smanner,ofsotransparentadeviceforobtaininganoteasthedroppingofabouquet,ofherresorttoherconfidentialmaid,andofherverysignificantallusiontoclaim-jumping—whichinminers’parlancemeanstakingpossessionofthatwhichanotherpersonhasapriorclaimto—thewholesituationbecameabsolutelyclear.Shehadgoneoffwithaman,andthemanwaseitheraloverorwasaprevioushusband—thechancesbeinginfavourofthelatter.” “Andhowintheworlddidyoufindthem?” “Itmighthavebeendifficult,butfriendLestradeheldinformationinhishandsthevalueofwhichhedidnothimselfknow.Theinitialswere,ofcourse,ofthehighestimportance,butmorevaluablestillwasittoknowthatwithinaweekhehadsettledhisbillatoneofthemostselectLondonhotels.” “Howdidyoudeducetheselect?” “Bytheselectprices.Eightshillingsforabedandeightpenceforaglassofsherrypointedtooneofthemostexpensivehotels.TherearenotmanyinLondonwhichchargeatthatrate.InthesecondonewhichIvisitedinNorthumberlandAvenue,IlearnedbyaninspectionofthebookthatFrancisH.Moulton,anAmericangentleman,hadleftonlythedaybefore,andonlookingovertheentriesagainsthim,IcameupontheveryitemswhichIhadseenintheduplicatebill.Hislettersweretobeforwardedto226GordonSquaresothitherItravelled,andbeingfortunateenoughtofindthelovingcoupleathome,IventuredtogivethemsomepaternaladviceandtopointouttothemthatitwouldbebetterineverywaythattheyshouldmaketheirpositionalittleclearerbothtothegeneralpublicandtoLordSt.Simoninparticular.Iinvitedthemtomeethimhere,and,asyousee,Imadehimkeeptheappointment.” “Butwithnoverygoodresult,”Iremarked.“Hisconductwascertainlynotverygracious.” “Ah,Watson,”saidHolmes,smiling,“perhapsyouwouldnotbeverygraciouseither,if,afterallthetroubleofwooingandwedding,youfoundyourselfdeprivedinaninstantofwifeandoffortune.IthinkthatwemayjudgeLordSt.Simonverymercifullyandthankourstarsthatweareneverlikelytofindourselvesinthesameposition.Drawyourchairupandhandmemyviolin,fortheonlyproblemwehavestilltosolveishowtowhileawaythesebleakautumnalevenings.”