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貴族單身漢案 The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
聖西蒙勳爵的婚事及其奇怪的結局，長久以來已不再是他這位不幸的新郎與之周旋的上流社會人士所感興趣的話題了。新的醜聞已經使之黯然失色，它們那些更加妙趣橫生的細情，已將四年前的這一戲劇性事件推嚮幕後。然而，由於我有理由認為這件案子的全部從未嚮大衆透露過，而我的朋友歇洛剋·福爾摩斯又曾為弄清這事件作出過重大貢獻，所以，我覺得如果不對這一很不尋常的事件作一簡要的描述，那對他的業績的記錄將是不夠完整的。
那還是我和福爾摩斯一起住在貝剋街的時候，我結婚前幾個星期的一天，福爾摩斯午後散步回來，看到桌子上有他的一封信。那天突然陰雨綿綿，加上秋風勁吹，我的胳臂由於殘留着作為我當年參加阿富汗戰役的紀念品的那顆阿富汗步槍子彈，又隱隱作痛不止，因此我整天呆在傢裏。我躺在一張安樂椅裏，把雙腿搭在另一張椅子上，埋頭在擺滿身邊的報紙堆裏，直到最後，腦袋裏裝滿了當天的新聞，我纔把報紙丟開，無精打采地躺在那裏，看着桌子上那封信的信封上端的巨大飾章和交織字母，一面懶洋洋地揣度着是哪位貴族給我的朋①友寫了這封信。
在他進屋時，我說：“這兒有一封非常時髦的書信。如果我沒有記錯的話，你早晨的那些來信是一個魚販子和一個海關檢查員寫的。”
“對，我的信件肯定具有豐富多彩引人入勝的地方，"他笑着回答說，“通常越是普通的人寫來的信越是有趣。可是這封看來象是一張不受歡迎的社交上用的傳票式的信，叫你不是感到厭煩就是要說謊纔行。”
他拆開了信封，瀏覽了信的內容。
“噢，你來瞧，說不定倒是一件有趣的事呢！”
“那麽不是社交的了？”
“不，顯而易見是業務性的。”
“一位貴族的委托人寫來的？”
“英國地位最高的貴族之一。”
“老兄，我祝賀你。”
“說實話，華生，我可以肯定對你說，對我來說，這位委托人的社會地位不是什麽了不起的事情，我更感興趣是他的案情。然而，在這件新案件的調查中，很可能關於他的社會地位的情況也還是不可或缺的。你最近一直很仔細地在看報，是嗎？”
“看來好象是這樣。"我指了指角落裏的一大堆報紙沮喪
①指印在信封或信箋上盾形紋章上端的飾章和姓名等起首字母相互交織成的圖案。——譯者註地說，“我沒有別的事可做。”
“真走運，也許你能嚮我提供一些最新的情況。我是除了犯罪的消息和尋人廣告欄之外，別的一概不看。尋人廣告欄總是很啓發人的。你既然那麽留心最近發生的事，你必定看到過關於聖西蒙勳爵和他婚禮的消息吧？”
“噢，是的，我是懷着莫大的興趣來閱讀這消息的。”
“那很好，我手中這封信就是聖西蒙勳爵寫來的。我讀給你聽聽，你則一定要翻一遍這些報紙，嚮我提供所有關於這件事的消息。他是這麽寫的：‘親愛的歇洛剋·福爾摩斯先生：
據巴剋沃特勳爵告知，我可以絶對信賴您的分析和判斷力。因此我决定登門拜訪，就有關我舉行婚禮而發生的令人非常痛心的意外事件嚮您請教。蘇格蘭場的雷斯垂德先生已經受理這一案件。但是他嚮我聲明，他認為沒有理由不和您合作。他甚至認為您的合作可能會有所幫助。下午四點，我將登門求教，屆時您如另有約會，希望稍後仍能惠予接見為荷，因為這件事至關重要。
您忠實的聖西蒙'
“這封信發自格羅夫納大廈，是用鵝毛筆寫的。尊貴的勳爵不小心在他右小指的外側沾上了一滴墨水。"福爾摩斯一邊疊着信一邊說。
“他約定四點鐘來。現在是三點，他即將在一小時內到這裏來。”
“那麽，有你的幫助，我還來得及把這件事弄明白。翻一下這些報紙，按時間順序把有關的摘錄排好，我來看一下我們這位委托人的身世。"他從壁爐架旁的一排參考書中抽出一本紅皮書。"在這兒呢，”他說着坐下來，把書平鋪在膝蓋上，“羅伯特·沃爾辛厄姆·德維爾·聖西蒙勳爵，巴爾莫拉爾公爵的次子。喝！勳章！天藍的底色，黑色的中帶上三個鐵蒺藜。生於一八四六年，現年四十一歲，這已是成熟的結婚年齡。在上屆政府中擔任過殖民地事務副大臣。他的父親，那位公爵，有一時期當過外交大臣。他們繼承了安茹王朝的血統，是它的直係後裔。母係血統為都鐸王朝。哈！這些並沒有什麽指導意義。我看，華生，我還得請你提供一些更實在的情況。”
“我沒怎麽費事就找到了想要找的情況，"我說，“事情發生不久，給我的印象又很深。然而，我過去沒敢對你說。因為我知道你手頭正有一件案子，而你又不喜歡有其它事打擾你。”
“噢，你指的是格羅夫納廣場傢具搬運車的那件小事吧。現在已完全搞清楚了——其實從一開始就很明白。請你把翻檢報紙的結果告訴我吧。”
“這是我能找到的第一條消息，登在《晨郵報》的起事欄裏。日期是，你瞧，幾周以前：'（據說）巴爾莫拉爾公爵的次子，羅伯特·聖西蒙勳爵，與美國加利福尼亞州舊金山阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生的獨生女哈蒂·多蘭小姐的婚事，已經安排就緒，如果傳聞屬實，最近即將舉行婚禮。'就這些。”
“簡明扼要，”福爾摩斯說。他把他那又瘦又長的腿伸嚮火爐旁邊。
“同一周內一份社交界的報紙上對這件事有一段更詳細的記載。啊，在這兒：'在婚姻市場上不久將會出現要求采取保護政策的呼聲，因為目前這種自由貿易式的婚姻政策，看來對我們英國同胞極為不利。大不列顛名門望族大權旁落，一個接一個地為來自大西洋彼岸的女表親所掌握。上周這些嫵媚的入侵者在她們奪走的勝利品名單中，又添上了一位重要人物。聖西蒙勳爵二十多年來從未墮入情網，現在卻明確地宣佈即將與加利福尼亞百萬富翁的令人一見傾心的女兒哈蒂·多蘭小姐結婚。多蘭小姐是一位獨生女。她優雅的體態和驚人的美貌在韋斯特伯裏宮的慶典歡宴上，引起了人們極大的註意。最近傳說，她的嫁妝將大大超過六位數字，預期將來還會有其它增益。由於巴爾莫拉爾公爵近年來不得不出賣自己的藏畫，這已成為公開的秘密，而聖西蒙勳爵除伯奇穆爾荒地那菲薄的産業之外，一無所有，所以這位加利福尼亞的女繼承人通過這一聯煙使她由一位女共和黨人輕而易舉地一躍而成為不列顛的貴婦，顯然這不衹是她這一方面占了便宜。'”
“還有什麽別的嗎？"福爾摩斯打着呵欠問道。
“噢，有，多着呢。《晨郵報》上還有另一條短訊說：婚禮將絶對從簡；並預定在漢諾佛廣場的聖喬治大教堂舉行；屆時將僅僅邀請幾位至親好友參加；婚禮後，新婚夫婦及親友等將返回阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生在蘭開斯特蓋特租賃的備有傢具的寓所。兩天後，也就是上星期三，有一個簡單的通告，宣告婚禮已經舉行。新婚夫婦將在彼得斯菲爾德附近的巴剋沃特勳爵別墅歡度蜜月。這是新娘失蹤以前的全部報道。”
“在什麽以前？"福爾摩斯吃驚地問道。
“在這位小姐失蹤以前。”
“那麽她是在什麽時候失蹤的呢？”
“在婚禮後吃早餐的時候。”
“確實，比原來想象的要有趣得多。事實上，是十分戲劇性的。”
“是的，正是由於不同尋常，纔引起了我的註意。”
“她們常常在舉行結婚儀式之前失蹤，偶爾也有在蜜月期間失蹤的。但是我還想不起來有哪一件象這次那麽幹脆的，請你把細節全說給我聽聽。”
“我可有言在先，這些材料是很不完整的。”
“也許我們可以把它們湊起來。”
“就是這樣，昨天晨報上的一篇文章談得還比較詳細，讓我讀給你聽聽。標題是：《上流社會婚禮中的奇怪事件》。'羅伯特·聖西蒙勳爵在舉行婚禮時發生的奇怪的不幸事件，使他們全家驚恐萬狀。正如昨天報紙上簡要地報道的，婚禮儀式是在前天上午舉行的；可是直至日前，始有可能對不斷到處流傳的奇怪傳聞予以證實。儘管朋友們設法遮掩，此事卻已引起公衆的極大註意。因此對已經成為公衆談話資料之事，故作不予理睬的姿態，是毫無裨益的。
婚禮是在漢諾佛廣場的聖喬治大教堂舉行，儀式簡單，極力不予張揚。除了新娘的父親，阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生、巴爾莫拉爾公爵夫人、巴剋沃特勳爵、尤斯塔斯勳爵和剋拉拉·聖西蒙小姐（新郎的弟弟和妹妹）以及艾麗西亞·惠延頓夫人外，別無他人參加。婚禮後，一行人即前往在蘭開斯特蓋特的阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生寓所。寓所裏早餐已經準備就緒。此時似乎有一個女人引起了某些小麻煩。目前她的姓名未詳。她跟隨在新娘及其親友之後，試圖強行闖入寓所，聲稱她有權嚮聖西蒙勳爵提出要求。衹是經過長時間煞費其力的糾纏，管傢和氣役纔把她攆走。幸虧新娘在發生這件不愉快的糾紛之前已經進入室內，同親友一起就座共進早餐，可是她說突然感到不適，就回到自己的房間去了。她離席久久不歸引起了人們的議論，她父親即去找她。但據她的女僕告知，她衹到她的臥室逗留片刻，很快拿了一件長外套和一頂無邊軟帽，就急急忙忙下樓到走廊去了。一個男僕聲稱他看到一個這樣裝束的太太離開寓所，但是不敢相信那就是他的女主人，以為她還和大傢在一起。阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生在肯定女兒確實是失蹤了以後，就立刻和新郎一起同警方聯繫。目前正在大力調查。這件離奇的事情可能很快就會水落石出。然而，直到昨天深夜，這位失蹤的小姐依然下落不明。出現了許多關於這件事的謠言，認為新娘可能遇害。據說警方拘留了那個最初引起糾紛的女人，認為她出於爐忌或其它動機，可能與新娘奇怪的失蹤有牽連。'”
“就這些嗎？”
“在另一份晨報上衹有一小條消息，但是卻很有啓發性。”
“內容是……”
“弗洛拉·米勒小姐，也就是肇事的那個女人，實際上已被逮捕。她以前似乎在阿利格羅當過芭蕾舞女演員。她和新郎相識已有多年。再沒有更多的細節了。現在就報紙已發表的消息而論，整個案情你已經都知道了。”
“看來真是一件非常有趣的案子。我無論如何也不能把它放過。華生，你聽，門鈴響了，四點鐘剛過一點兒，我肯定這一定是我們高貴的委托人來了。別老想走，華生，因為我非常希望有一個見證人，即使衹是為了檢驗一下我的記憶力也好。”
“羅伯特·聖西蒙勳爵到！"我們的小僮僕推開房門報告說。一位紳士走了進來。他的相貌喜人，顯得頗有教養。高高的鼻子，面色蒼白，嘴角微露慍意，有着生來就發號施令那類人所具有的一雙神色鎮靜、睜得大大的眼睛。他舉止敏捷，然而他整個外表卻給人一種與年齡很不相稱的印象。當他走路時，略有點彎腰駝背，還有點屈膝。頭髮也是如此，當他脫去他那頂帽檐高高捲着的帽子時，衹見頭部周圍一圈灰白的頭髮，頭頂上頭髮稀稀拉拉。至於他的穿着，那是考究得近於浮華：高高的硬領，黑色的大禮服，白背心，黃色的手套，漆皮鞋和淺色的綁腿。他慢慢地走進房內，眼睛從左邊看到右邊，右手裏晃動着係金絲眼鏡的鏈子。
“你好，聖西蒙勳爵。"福爾摩斯說着站起身來，鞠了個躬。"請坐在這把柳條椅上。這位是我的朋友和同事、華生醫生。往火爐前靠近一點，讓我們來談談這件事吧。”
“你很容易就能想象到這是一件對我來說十分痛苦的事，福爾摩斯先生。真叫我痛心疾首。我知道，先生，你曾經處理過幾件這類微妙的案子，儘管我估計這些案子的委托人的社會地位和這件案子不可同日而語。”
“但是，委托人的社會地位是在下降了。”
“對不起請再說一遍。”
“我上次這類案子的委托人是一位國王。”
“噢，真的嗎？我沒想到，哪位國王？”
“斯堪的納維亞國王。”
“什麽！他的妻子也失蹤了嗎？”
“你明白，"福爾摩斯和藹地說，“我對其他委托人的事情保守秘密，就象我答應對你的事情保守秘密一樣。”
“當然是這樣，很對！很對！一定要請你原諒。至於我這個案子，我準備告訴你一切有助於你作出判斷的情況。”
“謝謝，我已經看到了報紙上的全部報道，也就是這麽些而已。我想，我可以把這些報道看作是屬實的——例如這篇有關新娘失蹤的報道。”
聖西蒙勳爵看了看，“是的，這篇報道所說的情況完全屬實。”
“但是，無論是誰在提出他的看法以前，都需要大量的補充材料。我想我可以通過嚮你提問而直接得到我所要知道的事實。”
“請提問吧。”
“你第一次見到哈蒂·多蘭小姐是在什麽時候？”
“一年以前，在舊金山。”
“當時你正在美國旅行？”
“是的。”
“你們那時候訂婚了嗎？”
“沒有。”
“但是有着友好的往來？”
“我能和她交往感到很高興，她能夠看出我很高興。”
“她的父親很有錢？”
“據說他是太平洋彼岸最有錢的人。”
“他是怎樣發財的呢？”
“開礦。幾年以前，他還一無所有。有一天，他挖到了金礦，於是投資開發，從此飛黃騰達成了暴發戶。”
“現在談談你對這位年輕的小姐——你的妻子的性格的印象怎麽樣？”
這位貴族目不轉睛地看着壁爐，係在他眼鏡上的鏈子晃動得更快了。"你知道，福爾摩斯先生，”他說，“我的妻子在她的父親發財以前，已經是二十歲了。在這時期，她在礦鎮上無拘無束，整天在山上或樹林裏遊蕩，所以她所受的教育，與其說是教師傳授的，還不如說是大自然賦予的。她是一個我們英國人所說的頑皮姑娘。她性格潑辣、粗野，而又任性，放蕩不羈，不受任何習俗的約束。她很性急，我幾乎想說是暴躁。她輕易地作出决定，幹起來天不怕、地不怕。另一方面，要不是我考慮她到底是一位高貴的女人，"他莊重地咳嗽了一聲，“我是决不會讓她享受我所享有的高貴稱號的。我相信，她是能夠做出英勇的自我犧牲，任何不名譽的事情都是她所深惡痛絶的。”
“你有她的照片嗎？”
“我隨身帶着。"他打開表鏈上的小金盒，讓我們看一位非常漂亮的女人的整個面容。那不是一張照片，而是一個象牙袖珍像。藝術傢充分發揮了那光亮的黑發、又大又黑的眼睛和優美的小嘴的感染力。福爾摩斯長時間認真地端詳那畫像，然後闔上小盒，把它遞還聖西蒙勳爵。
“那麽，是這位年輕的小姐來到倫敦後，你們重敘舊情？”
“是的，她父親偕同她來參加這一次倫敦歲末的社交活動。我和她數度聚晤，並且締結了婚約，現在又和她結了婚。”
“我聽說她帶來了一份相當可觀的嫁妝？”
“嫁妝是相當豐富的，和我們傢族通常的情況差不多。”
“既然婚禮事實上已經舉行過了，這份嫁妝當然歸你了？”
“我確實沒有去過問這件事。”
“沒有去過問是自然的。婚禮的前一天你見過多蘭小姐嗎？”
“見過。”
“她心情愉快吧？”
“她心情再愉快也沒有了，她一直談着我們在未來的生活中應當做些什麽。”
“真的！非常有趣。那麽在結婚那天早上呢？”
“她喜氣洋洋，高興極了，至少直到婚禮結束始終是這樣。”
“那麽這以後你註意到她有什麽變化嗎？”
“啊，老實說，這時候我看到了我從前沒有看見過的第一個跡象。她的脾氣有些急躁。不過那是件小事，不值一提，並且不可能與這個案件有什麽關係。”
“儘管這樣，還是請你講講。”
“唉，簡直是孩子氣。那是當我們去嚮教堂的法衣室的時候，她手裏的花束掉落了。當時她正走過前排座位，花束就掉在座位前面。稍微過了一會兒，座位上的先生把花束拾起來遞給她。看來這束花依然完好如初。可是當我和她談起這件事時，她回答我的話很生硬。回傢途中在馬車裏，她似乎為這件微不足道的小事而心煩意亂，實在令人可笑。”
“真的！你是說在前排座位裏坐着一位先生，那麽當時在座的也有一般群衆了？”
“哦，是的，教堂開門的時候，是不可能不讓他們進去的。”
“這位先生不會是你妻子的一位朋友嗎？”
“不會，不會，我稱呼他作先生是出於禮貌，他衹不過是一個看上去很平常的人。我幾乎沒有註意到他的容貌。但是，我想，真的，我們談得離題太遠了。”
“聖西蒙夫人婚禮結束回來時遠沒有她去時那麽心情愉快。那麽，當她重新回到她爸爸寓所的時候，她做了什麽事？”
“我看到她和她的女傭人在說話。”
“她的女傭人是什麽人？”
“她名叫艾麗絲，是個美國人，從加利福尼亞和她一起來的。”
“一名心腹傭人？”
“這麽說也許有點過份。在我看來似乎她的女主人對她非常隨便，不拘禮儀。可是，當然在美國他們對這一類事情有不同看法。”
“她和這位艾麗絲談了多久？”
“哦，幾分鐘。當時我正在考慮一些別的事。”
“你沒有聽到她們說些什麽？”
“聖西蒙夫人談到些'強占別人土地'的話，她總是慣於說這一類的俚語。我不理解她指的是什麽。”
“美國的俚語有時是很形象化的。你的妻子和女傭人談過話後做了些什麽事？”
“她走進吃早餐的房間。”
“你輓着她走進去的嗎？”
“不，她一個人。象這一類小節，她是一嚮不講究的。接着，在我們就座大約十分鐘以後，她急急忙忙地站起身來，咕噥了幾句道歉的話，就離開了房間。她就這樣一去不復返了。”
“但是，據我瞭解，那位女傭人艾麗絲作證說，女主人走進自己的房間，用一件長外套罩在新娘的禮服上，戴上一頂軟帽，就出去了。”
“正是這樣。過後，有人看到她和弗洛拉·米勒一道走進海德公園。弗洛拉·米勒就是現在被拘留的那個女人。那天早上，她曾經在多蘭的寓所裏惹起一場風波。”
“啊，是的。關於這位年輕的婦女，我想知道她的一點具體情況，還有你和她的關係。”
聖西蒙勳爵聳了聳肩，眉毛一揚，“我們已有多年交情了，可以說是非常友好的關係。她過去常在阿利格羅。我對待她並不吝嗇，她對我也沒有什麽可抱怨的。但是，福爾摩斯先生，你知道女人是怎麽一回事，弗洛拉是個可愛的小東西，但是個非常急性子的人，而且熱切地依戀着我。當她聽說我要結婚的時候，給我寫過幾封可怕的信。老實說，我之所以這樣悄悄地舉行婚禮，原因就是我怕萬一在教堂裏出醜。她剛好在我們回來的時候來到多蘭先生的門前，極力想闖進去，公然用非常難聽的話辱駡我的妻子，甚至還威脅她。但是我預先估計到可能會發生這類事情，在那裏安排了兩名便衣。他們很快就把她重新趕出門去，當她明白吵架决不會有什麽好結果時，就安靜了下來。”
“你妻子聽到了這一切了嗎？”
“沒有，謝天謝地，她沒有聽到。”
“後來，有人見到她正是和這個女人走在一起？”
“是的，這正是蘇格蘭場的雷斯垂德先生為什麽把這件事看得如此嚴重的緣故。據認為，弗洛拉把我的妻子誘騙出去，並且對她設下了某種可怕的圈套。”
“噢，這是一種可能的推測。”
“你也這樣想嗎？”
“我並沒有說很可能是這樣，但是你自己也並不把這看作是可能的吧？”
“我認為弗洛拉是連衹蒼蠅都不肯傷害的。”
“可是，妒忌是能奇妙地改變人的性格的。請你告訴我，對於這件事，你自己是怎麽分析的呢？”
“哦，真是，我到這裏來是尋求解答的，不是來提出見解的。我已經把全部事實告訴你了。既然你問我，我也許可以說，在我看來可能是由於這件事對她的刺激，以及她意識到她的社會地位一下子提高了那麽多，這就造成我妻子精神有點錯亂。”
“簡單地說，她突然精神錯亂了？”
“哦！真的，當我考慮到她拋棄了——我不想說我，但這是那麽許多女人熱切地想得而得不到的——我不能做其它的解釋。”
“噢，當然，這也是一種可能的假設。"福爾摩斯微笑着說。"現在，聖西蒙勳爵，我想我已經幾乎有了全部的材料。我想再問一下，你們是不是坐在早餐桌的周圍就可以看到窗外的情況？”
“我們能夠看到馬路的另一邊和公園。”
“正是這樣，那麽我想沒必要再耽擱你了，我以後會再跟你聯繫。”
“但願你有足夠的運氣來解决這個問題，"我們的委托人說着站了起來。
“我已經解决了。”
“是嗎？怎麽一回事？”
“我是說我已經解决了這案件。”
“那麽，我的妻子在哪兒？”
“那是一個我很快就能提供的細節。”
聖西蒙勳爵搖了搖頭，“我恐怕需要一個比你或我更聰明的腦袋。"他說着，行了一個莊嚴的老式鞠躬禮便邁步走了。
“承蒙聖西蒙勳爵將我的腦袋和他自己的腦袋相提並論，真是不勝榮幸之至。"歇洛剋·福爾摩斯說着，笑了起來。"經過這麽長時間的盤問，我想我得來一杯蘇打威士忌和一支雪茄。在我們的委托人進門以前，我就已經做出了這個案子的結論。”
“老兄，真有你的！”
“我有好幾個類似案件的記錄，衹是象我曾經說過的那樣，沒有一個象這個這麽幹脆。我的全部調查有助於肯定我的推測。旁證有時是非常有說服力的。用梭洛的話來說，就象①你在牛奶裏發現了一條鱒魚一樣。”
“但是，我也聽到了你所聽到的一切。”
“然而，缺少對我起了很大作用的過去發生過的案例的知識。若幹年前在阿伯丁有一個相似的例子。普法戰爭後一年，在慕尼黑又有一件極為相似的事情。這就是這類案例中的一個。但是，喂，雷斯垂德來了！你好，雷斯垂德！餐具櫃上有一隻特大的酒杯，盒裏有雪茄煙。"這位官廳偵探身穿一件水手的粗呢上衣，戴着一條老式領帶，顯然一副水手形象。他手裏提着一隻黑色的帆布提包，簡單地寒暄了幾句就坐下，點着了一根遞給他的雪茄。
“出了什麽事啦？啊？"福爾摩斯眨了眨眼睛問道，“看你這樣子似乎很不遂心。”
“我的確是感到很不稱心。就是聖西蒙勳爵婚事這件倒黴的案子。對這件案子我是一點頭緒也沒有。”
“真的嗎？你真叫我感到吃驚。”
“誰聽說過這樣一團亂糟糟的事情？每一條綫索似乎都從我的手指中溜掉了。我一整天都在忙着搞這件事。”
“看來把你搞得渾身都濕透了。"福爾摩斯說着，一隻手搭
①原名為ＨｅｎｒｙＤａｖｉｄＴｈｏｒｅu，美國作傢，１８１７——１８６２。——譯者註在他那件粗呢上衣的胳膊上。
“是的，我正在塞彭廷湖裏打撈。"①
“天哪，那是為什麽？”
“尋找聖西蒙夫人的屍體。”
福爾摩斯仰身靠在椅子上，捧腹大笑起來。
“你沒有在特拉德爾加廣場的噴水池裏打撈吧？"他問道。
“唔，你這是什麽意思？”
“因為在那裏尋找這位夫人的機會和在另一處尋找的機會一樣多。”
雷斯垂德氣得瞪了我的同伴一眼，“你好象全知道，"他咆哮着說。
“唔，我剛剛纔聽說事情的經過，不過我已經作出了判斷。”
“噢，真的！那麽你認為塞彭廷湖和這件事毫無關係了？”
“我認為根本不可能有關係。”
“那麽，請你解釋解釋，我們在那裏找到這些東西是怎麽一回事？"他一邊說一邊打開他的提包，將一件波紋綢結婚禮服，一雙白緞子鞋以及一頂新娘的花冠和面紗，亂糟糟地倒在地板上。這些東西全都浸透了水，並且褪了色。"還有，”他說，把一隻嶄新的結婚戒指放到這堆東西上面。“這可是要你來解决的難題啦，福爾摩斯大師。”
“噢，是真的嗎？"我的朋友說着，嚮空中噴出一個個藍色的煙圈。"這些東西是你從塞彭廷湖中打撈上來的？”
①原文為Ｓｅｒｐｅｎｔｉｎｅ，倫敦海德公園內的一個人形池。——譯者註
“不是，是一個園丁發現這些東西在湖邊漂浮着的。已經認出這些是她的衣服，我認為既然衣服在那兒，屍體也不會太遠了。”
“通過同樣英明的推論，每個人的屍體，都應該在他的衣櫥附近找到。請問你想通過這個得出什麽結論？”
“已找到弗洛拉·米勒與失蹤有牽連的證據。”
“我恐怕你很難做到。”
“目前，你是真的這樣想嗎？"雷斯垂德生氣地喊了起來。"我恐怕，福爾摩斯先生，你的演繹法和推理並不很實用。在兩分鐘內你就已經犯了兩個大錯誤，這些衣服確實與弗洛拉·米勒小姐有牽連。”
“怎麽講？”
“衣服上有個口袋，口袋裏有個名片盒，名片盒裏有張便條。這就是那張便條。"他把便條一下子扔到他面前的桌子上，"你聽我念念看這寫的是些什麽：‘一切準備就緒之後，你會看到我的。到時候請馬上就來。
EＨＭ．．．'
“我一直認為聖西蒙夫人是被弗洛拉·米勒誘騙出去的。毫無疑問，她和她的同謀者，應該對這一失蹤負責。這就是那張用她名字的起首字母簽署的便條。無疑這是在門口悄悄地塞給這位夫人的，誘使她落入她們的控製之中。”
“妙極了，雷斯垂德，”福爾摩斯說着笑了起來，“你真不簡單，讓我看一下。"他不在意地拿起那張紙條，但他的註意力立刻又被吸引住，並且滿意地叫了一聲。"這的確非常重要，"他說。
“哈哈，你也發現是這麽一回事了？”
“極其重要。我熱烈地祝賀你。”
雷斯垂德洋洋得意地站了起來，又低下頭去看一眼。"這是怎麽一回事？"他失聲地叫了起來，“你看反了！”
“恰恰相反，這纔是正面。”
“正面？你瘋了！這兒纔是用鉛筆寫的便條。”
“哦，這兒，這兒看來是一張旅館的帳單，這使我很感興趣。”
“那上面沒有什麽，我也看過。"雷斯垂德說，"'１０月４日，房間８先令，早飯２先令６便士，雞尾酒１先令，午飯２先令６便士，葡萄酒８便士。'
我看不出這說明什麽問題。”
“你可能看不出什麽來，但它還是十分重要的。至於便條，也很重要。或者說，至少這些起首字母的簽字是很重要的，所以我再次嚮你祝賀。”
“我時間浪費得夠多了，"雷斯垂德說着站了起來，“我相信艱苦的工作，不相信坐在壁爐邊編造出色的理論。再見，福爾摩斯先生，讓我們瞧瞧是誰先把事情弄個水落石出。"他收拾起衣服，把它們塞進提包，嚮門口走去。
“給你一點暗示，雷斯垂德，"在他的對手走出去之前，福爾摩斯懶洋洋地說，“我可以把這件事的真正答案告訴你。聖西蒙夫人是位神話式的人物。現在沒有，過去嚮來也沒有過這樣一個人。”
雷斯垂德陰鬱地看了我的同伴一眼，接着回過頭來瞧瞧我，輕輕地在前額上拍了三下，一本正經地搖了搖頭，就急急忙忙地走了。
他剛一關上身後的房門，福爾摩斯就站了起來，穿上外衣。“這傢夥說的戶外工作有點道理，”他說，“所以我想，華生，我得把你撇下一會兒。你看報吧。”
歇洛剋·福爾摩斯離開我的時候是五點多鐘，但是我根本沒有感到寂寞。因為還不到一個小時，就來了一個點心鋪的夥計，送來一個很大的平底食盒。他帶來的一個年輕人幫助他打開食盒，我立即十分驚奇地看到一份十分豐盛的冷食晚餐擺在我們寒酸的寓所的餐桌上。兩對山鷸，一隻野雞，一塊肥鵝肝餅和幾瓶陳年老酒。這些佳餚美酒擺放停當之後，那兩位不速之客，就象天方夜譚裏的精靈那樣，倏忽消逝，除了聲明這些東西已經付過帳了，他們是按照吩咐送到這個地方之外，沒有再作什麽解釋。
剛好在九點鐘以前，福爾摩斯腳步輕盈地走進房間。他神情很嚴肅，但他兩眼閃閃發光，這使我相信，他所做的結論並沒有使他失望。
“那麽，他們已經把晚餐擺上了。"他搓着手說。
“你好象有客人要來。他們擺了五份。”
“是的，我相信，會有客人順便來訪的，”他說。"我很奇怪為什麽聖西蒙勳爵還沒有到。哈哈，我敢說我聽到了他在樓梯上的腳步聲。”
確實是我們上午來過的客人。他急急忙忙地走了進來，更起勁地晃動着他的眼鏡，在他那貴族氣派的面容上，顯出非常不安的表情。
“那麽說我的信差到你那裏去過了？"福爾摩斯問道。
“是的，我承認信的內容使我感到無比的震驚。你有充分的根據證明你的話嗎？”
“最充分的根據。”
聖西蒙勳爵一屁股坐在椅子上，一隻手按着前額。
“如果公爵聽說他的家庭成員之中有人受到這般的羞辱，他會怎麽說呢？"他小聲地嘟噥着。
“這純粹是一場誤會，我不認為這是一種羞辱。”
“啊？你是從另外一個觀點看待這些問題的。”
“我看不出有誰該受到責備，我難以想象這位小姐除此之外還有別的什麽辦法，雖然她處理這件事的方法有點突然。無疑這是令人感到遺憾的。在這樣的關鍵時刻，沒有母親在跟前，是沒有別人給她出主意的。”
“這是一種蔑視，先生，公然的蔑視。"聖西蒙勳爵用手指敲着桌子說。
“你一定要原諒這位可憐的姑娘，她的處境是誰也沒有經歷過的。”
“我决不能原諒她，我被可恥地玩弄了，我確實非常生氣。”
“我好象聽到門鈴響，”福爾摩斯說，"對，樓梯口有腳步聲。如果我勸說不了你對這件事要寬大為懷的話，聖西蒙勳爵，我請來了一位支持我的見解的人，這個人也許更能胜任。”他打開門，讓進了一位女士和一位先生。“聖西蒙勳爵，”他說，
“請允許我嚮你介紹，這是弗朗西斯·海·莫爾頓先生和夫人。這位女士，我想你已經見過。”
一見到新來的人，我們的委托人從椅子上一躍而起，筆直地站在那裏，雙眼下垂，一隻手插進大禮服的前胸，一副尊嚴受到傷害的樣子。那位女士嚮前緊走幾步，嚮他伸出手，但是他還是不肯擡起頭來看她，這樣做或許是為了表示他的决心，因為她那懇求的臉色是很難拒絶的。
“你生氣了，羅伯特，"她說，“是的，我想你是完全有理由生氣的。”
“請你不必嚮我道歉，"聖西蒙勳爵滿懷妒忌地說。
“哦，是的，我知道我是太對不起你了。我在出走之前應當對你說一聲，但是當時我有點心慌意亂。從我在這裏又見到弗蘭剋時期，我簡直不知道我說了些什麽和做了些什麽。我當時竟沒在聖壇前摔倒和昏過去，真有點奇怪。”
“莫爾頓太太，也許你在解釋的時候，希望我和我的朋友離開這房間一下吧？”
“如果我可以談談我的看法，"那位陌生的先生說道，“對於這件事，我們已經保密得有些太過份了。就我來說，我倒願意整個歐洲和美洲的人都來聽聽事情的。"這位先生是一位瘦長結實、皮膚曬得黝黑的人，臉上颳得幹幹淨淨，面部輪廓分明，舉止顯得很機警的樣子。
“那麽，我現在就來把事情的經過說給你們聽吧，"那位女士說道，“我和這位弗蘭剋是一八八四年在落磯山附近的麥圭爾營地認識的。爸爸當時正在經營一個礦場。我和弗蘭剋訂了婚。後來有一天爸爸突然挖到了一個富礦，從此發了財。可是這位可憐的弗蘭剋所占有的土地上的礦脈卻漸漸變小，以至於完全消失了。我的爸爸越來越富，弗蘭剋卻越來越窮。所以，後來爸爸硬是不同意我們的婚約繼續下去。他把我帶到舊金山去。儘管如此，弗蘭剋不願意放手，於是，他接着也到了那裏，並且瞞着爸爸和我見面。讓爸爸知道衹會使他生氣，所以，我們就自己做了安排。弗蘭剋說，他也要去發一筆財，直到他象爸爸一樣富有，他纔回來跟我結婚。我當時答應等他一輩子，並且發誓衹要他活着，我就不嫁給別人。'那麽，為什麽我們不馬上就結婚呢？'他說，‘這樣我對你就感到放心了，無須在我回來以後要求人傢承認我是你的丈夫。'哦，就這樣，我們經過了商量，他把一切都安排得那麽妥貼，請好了一位牧師，我們當即舉行了婚禮。過後，弗蘭剋就離開了我去奔前程，而我則回到了爸爸身邊。
“我再次聽到弗蘭剋的消息是他到了蒙大拿，接着在亞利桑那探礦。以後我又聽說他在新墨西哥。在那以後報上登出過一篇長期報道，說有一個礦工營地如何遭到亞利桑那印第安人的襲擊，死亡者的名單中有我的弗蘭剋的名字。我看了以後昏厥過去。接着我纏綿病床達數月之久，病得非常厲害。爸爸以為我得了癆病，帶我去找遍了整個舊金山大約一半的醫生。一年多來，音信杳然，因而我從不懷疑弗蘭剋是真的死了。以後，聖西蒙勳爵來到舊金山，我們到了倫敦。婚事定了下來，爸爸非常高興。但是我總覺得我的心已經給了我可憐的弗蘭剋，世界上再沒有哪一個男人能代替他。
“話雖如此，要是我嫁給聖西蒙勳爵，當然我會盡我對他的義務。我們不能勉強我們的愛情，但是我們卻可以勉強我們的行動。我和他一起步嚮聖壇時是懷着盡我所能來作他的好妻子的意願的。但是你們可以想象，我當時的感覺如何，那就是：正當我走到聖壇欄桿前的時候，我回首一瞥，忽然看到弗蘭剋站在第一排座位那裏望着我。起初我還以為是他的鬼魂出現。但是當我再往那兒看時，發現他仍在那裏，眼睛裏露出幾分疑惑的神色，好象在問，我見到了他，是高興還是難過。我奇怪我怎麽沒有昏過去。我衹感到天旋地轉，牧師的話，就象一隻蜜蜂嗡嗡地在我的耳朵裏響着。我不知道該怎麽辦纔好。難道我應該打斷儀式的進行，在教堂裏鬧出一場風波來嗎？我又瞧了他一眼，他看來好象知道我在想些什麽，因為他把手指貼在嘴唇上，示意我不要作聲。接着我看到他在一張紙上草草地寫了幾個字，我明白他是在寫一張便條給我。我在出來的路上經過那排座位時，讓花束掉落在他的座位前面，當他撿起花束給我時，悄悄把紙條塞在我的手裏。紙條上衹有一行字，要我在他嚮我發出信號時，就跟着他走。當然，我絶無絲毫懷疑我首要的義務是嚮他盡責，並且决心完全按照他的要求去做。
“回到寓所，我告訴了我的女傭人。她在加利福尼亞時就認識他，並且一直和他很友好。我囑咐她什麽也不要說，衹要收拾一些東西，準備好我的長外套。我知道我應該嚮聖西蒙勳爵說明一下，但是在他母親和那些大人物面前難以張口，我衹好下决心不辭而別，以後再作解釋。我到餐桌就座還不到十分鐘，就看見弗蘭剋站在窗外馬路的另一邊。他嚮我招了招手，隨即走進了公園，我穿戴好溜了出來，跟上他。這時有一個女人過來跟我談了些聖西蒙勳爵的閑話，從她的隻言片語中透露，似乎他在結婚前也有他自己的一點兒秘密，但是我設法擺脫了她，很快就趕上了弗蘭剋。我們一起坐上了一輛出租馬車，駛往他在戈登廣場租下的寓所。在盼了那麽些歲月之後，這次我纔真的算是結婚了。弗蘭剋在亞利桑那被印地安人囚禁過，後來他越獄逃跑，長途跋涉來到舊金山。他發現我以為他死了，並且已經到英國去了。他追蹤到了這裏，終於在我舉行第二次婚禮的當天早上找到了我。”
“我是在一張報紙上看到的，"這位美國人補充說。"報紙上登着教堂的名字，但沒有提到女方的住處。”
“接着我們就商量該怎麽辦，弗蘭剋主張完全公開。但是我對這一切感到非常的慚愧，我但願從此銷聲匿跡，永遠不再見到他們之中的任何一個人——也許，給爸爸寫張條子，表明我尚在人間就是了。我一想起那些爵士們、夫人們正圍坐在早餐桌旁等我回去，心裏就忐忑不安。於是，弗蘭剋為了使別人找不到我，就把我的結婚禮服和氣它東西收拾起來捆成一包，扔到一個沒有人找得到的地方。本來我們明天就可能到巴黎去了，要不是這位好心的福爾摩斯先生今天晚上來找我們的話。雖然我想象不出他是怎樣發現我們的地址的，但是他善意和清楚地開導了我們，指出我是錯了，弗蘭剋是對的，而我們這樣怕人傢知道，那要犯很大的錯誤。然後，他提出給我們一個跟聖西蒙勳爵單獨談話的機會，所以，我們就立即到這裏來了。好了，羅伯特，你現在什麽都明白了吧。如果我使你感到痛苦，那我就太抱歉了。希望你不要把我想得太卑鄙。”
聖西蒙勳爵一點沒有放鬆他那僵硬的姿勢，而是皺着眉頭，緊綳着嘴唇，在聽着這篇冗長的敘述。
“對不起，”他說，“這樣公開地討論純屬我個人的私事，我是很不習慣的。”
“那麽說，你不肯原諒我了？你不肯在我走以前和我握一下手嗎？”
“噢，當然可以，如果這樣做會使你高興的話。"他伸出他的手，冷淡地握了一個她伸過來的手。
“我本來希望，"福爾摩斯提議說，“你能和我們共進一頓友好的晚餐。”
“我覺得，你的要求有點過份了，"勳爵回答說，“我可能默認最近的事態發展，但也別指望我會很高興。我想如果你們許可的話，我現在祝你們各位晚安。"他嚮我們大傢很快地鞠了個躬，就昂首闊步地走出了房間。
“那麽，我相信，至少你們不會不給我點面子吧，"歇洛剋·福爾摩斯說，“結交一個美國人，總是令人愉快的，莫爾頓先生，許多人包括我在內相信，多年以前的一位君王的愚蠢行為和一位大臣的錯誤，將不會妨礙我們的子孫在某一天成為同一世界大國的公民，在這個國土上，飄揚着米字旗和星條旗鑲嵌在一起的國旗。”
“這是一件非常有趣的案子。"我們的客人走後福爾摩斯說，“因為它非常清楚地說明，一件在開始時看起來幾乎無法解釋的事情，後來解釋起來卻又是多麽的簡單。沒有任何事情比這位女士所敘述的事情發生的先後次序更自然的了。可是另一些人，比如說蘇格蘭場的雷斯垂德先生，依他看來，就沒有什麽事情比這事情的結局更奇怪的了。”
“那麽，你一直就一點都沒有弄錯嗎？”
“從一開始，對我來說就有兩件事情非常清楚。一件是那位女士原來非常願意舉行婚禮；另一件是但她在回傢後還不到幾分鐘的時間就後悔了。那麽很明顯，一定是早上發生了點什麽事，使得她改變了主意。這件事可能是什麽呢？出了門以後，她不可能同任何人說過話，因為新郎一直在陪着她。那麽，她有沒有看到什麽熟人呢？如果有的話，這個人必然是從美國來的。因為她來到這個國傢的日子很短，不可能會有什麽人給她造成這麽深刻的影響，以致衹是看了那麽一眼，就會使她完全改變她的計劃。你瞧，經過一係列的去偽存真，我們已經得到這樣一個結論，就是她可能看到了一個美國人。那末，這個美國人又能是誰呢？他為什麽對她具有那麽大的影響呢？可能是個情人，也可能是她的丈夫。我知道，她年輕時是在艱難而奇特的環境中度過的。在我聽到聖西蒙勳爵的敘述之前，我衹瞭解這麽一些。當他告訴我們以下這些情況：在一排座位裏有一位男人，新娘的態度起了變化，顯然是為了取得字條而從手裏掉下了花束的這麽一個把戲，她求助於她的心腹女僕以及她提到的侵占土地——這在采礦者的行話中意味着占據別人原來已占有的探礦權——這一很有含意的暗示，整個情況就十分清楚了。她跟一個男人走了，那麽這個男人不是她的情人，就一定是她過去的丈夫，丈夫的可能性要大一些。”
“你究竟是怎麽找到他們的呢？”
“本來可能是很難找到的，可是雷斯垂德老兄手裏已經掌握了他自己還不知道評價值的情報。當然，那幾個姓名的起首字母是最重要的，但是比這更有價值的是，知道了他在一周之內曾經在倫敦一所最高級的旅館結過帳這個事實。”
“你怎麽推斷出來是最高級的旅館呢？”
“根據這麽昂貴的價格推斷出來的：八先令一個床位，八便士一杯葡萄酒，由此可以看出那是一傢最豪華的旅館。倫敦收費這麽高的旅館並不多。在諾森伯蘭大街我訪問的第二傢旅館裏，通過查閱登記簿，我發現有一位美國先生弗朗西斯·Ｈ·莫爾頓，剛剛在前一天離開。在查看他名下的帳目時，我又恰巧發現我在復寫的收據上已經看到過的那些帳目。這位美國先生留下話要求將他的信件轉到戈登廣場２２６號。於是，我就趕到那裏，很幸運地發現這對愛侶正好在傢。我冒昧地以長輩的身份嚮他們提出了一點意見。我嚮他們指出，不論從哪方面來說，他們都最好嚮公衆，特別是嚮聖西蒙勳爵將他們的處境表白得更清楚一點。我邀請他們到這裏來和他見面，並且，正如你所看到的，我使他遵守了約會。”
“但是，結局不夠理想，"我說道，"他的舉止肯定不夠大方。”
“哈，華生，"福爾摩斯微笑着說，“假如你經過求婚、結婚等一係列的麻煩事之後，卻發現瞬刻之間妻子和財富不翼而飛了，恐怕你也不會很大方的。我想我們看待聖西蒙勳爵不妨寬容一些，並且謝天謝地不要有一天讓我們落到同樣的地步。請你將椅子嚮前挪挪，把那小提琴遞給我。現在還需要我們解决的唯一問題是，如何消磨這以後的凄涼的秋夜。”
It was a few weeks before my own marriage, during the days when I was still sharing rooms with Holmes in Baker Street, that he came home from an afternoon stroll to find a letter on the table waiting for him. I had remained indoors all day, for the weather had taken a sudden turn to rain, with high autumnal winds, and the Jezail bullet which I had brought back in one of my limbs as a relic of my Afghan campaign throbbed with dull persistence. With my body in one easy-chair and my legs upon another, I had surrounded myself with a cloud of newspapers until at last, saturated with the news of the day, I tossed them all aside and lay listless, watching the huge crest and monogram upon the envelope upon the table and wondering lazily who my friend's noble correspondent could be.
"Here is a very fashionable epistle," I remarked as he entered. "Your morning letters, if I remember right, were from a fish-monger and a tide-waiter."
"Yes, my correspondence has certainly the charm of variety," he answered, smiling, "and the humbler are usually the more interesting. This looks like one of those unwelcome social summonses which call upon a man either to be bored or to lie."
He broke the seal and glanced over the contents.
"Oh, come, it may prove to be something of interest, after all."
"Not social, then?"
"No, distinctly professional."
"And from a noble client?"
"One of the highest in England."
"My dear fellow, I congratulate you."
"I assure you, Watson, without affectation, that the status of my client is a matter of less moment to me than the interest of his case. It is just possible, however, that that also may not be wanting in this new investigation. You have been reading the papers diligently of late, have you not?"
"It looks like it," said I ruefully, pointing to a huge bundle in the corner. "I have had nothing else to do."
"It is fortunate, for you will perhaps be able to post me up. I read nothing except the criminal news and the agony column. The latter is always instructive. But if you have followed recent events so closely you must have read about Lord St. Simon and his wedding?"
"Oh, yes, with the deepest interest."
"That is well. The letter which I hold in my hand is from Lord St. Simon. I will read it to you, and in return you must turn over these papers and let me have whatever bears upon the matter. This is what he says:
"'MY DEAR MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES:--Lord Backwater tells me that I may place implicit reliance upon your judgment and discretion. I have determined, therefore, to call upon you and to consult you in reference to the very painful event which has occurred in connection with my wedding. Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, is acting already in the matter, but he assures me that he sees no objection to your co-operation, and that he even thinks that it might be of some assistance. I will call at four o'clock in the afternoon, and, should you have any other engagement at that time, I hope that you will postpone it, as this matter is of paramount importance. Yours faithfully, ST. SIMON.'
"It is dated from Grosvenor Mansions, written with a quill pen, and the noble lord has had the misfortune to get a smear of ink upon the outer side of his right little finger," remarked Holmes as he folded up the epistle.
"He says four o'clock. It is three now. He will be here in an hour."
"Then I have just time, with your assistance, to get clear upon the subject. Turn over those papers and arrange the extracts in their order of time, while I take a glance as to who our client is." He picked a red-covered volume from a line of books of reference beside the mantelpiece. "Here he is," said he, sitting down and flattening it out upon his knee. "'Lord Robert Walsingham de Vere St. Simon, second son of the Duke of Balmoral.' Hum! 'Arms: Azure, three caltrops in chief over a fess sable. Born in 1846.' He's forty-one years of age, which is mature for marriage. Was Under-Secretary for the colonies in a late administration. The Duke, his father, was at one time Secretary for Foreign Affairs. They inherit Plantagenet blood by direct descent, and Tudor on the distaff side. Ha! Well, there is nothing very instructive in all this. I think that I must turn to you Watson, for something more solid."
"I have very little difficulty in finding what I want," said I, "for the facts are quite recent, and the matter struck me as remarkable. I feared to refer them to you, however, as I knew that you had an inquiry on hand and that you disliked the intrusion of other matters."
"Oh, you mean the little problem of the Grosvenor Square furniture van. That is quite cleared up now--though, indeed, it was obvious from the first. Pray give me the results of your newspaper selections."
"Here is the first notice which I can find. It is in the personal column of the Morning Post, and dates, as you see, some weeks back: 'A marriage has been arranged,' it says, 'and will, if rumour is correct, very shortly take place, between Lord Robert St. Simon, second son of the Duke of Balmoral, and Miss Hatty Doran, the only daughter of Aloysius Doran. Esq., of San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A.' That is all."
"Terse and to the point," remarked Holmes, stretching his long, thin legs towards the fire.
"There was a paragraph amplifying this in one of the society papers of the same week. Ah, here it is: 'There will soon be a call for protection in the marriage market, for the present free-trade principle appears to tell heavily against our home product. One by one the management of the noble houses of Great Britain is passing into the hands of our fair cousins from across the Atlantic. An important addition has been made during the last week to the list of the prizes which have been borne away by these charming invaders. Lord St. Simon, who has shown himself for over twenty years proof against the little god's arrows, has now definitely announced his approaching marriage with Miss Hatty Doran, the fascinating daughter of a California millionaire. Miss Doran, whose graceful figure and striking face attracted much attention at the Westbury House festivities, is an only child, and it is currently reported that her dowry will run to considerably over the six figures, with expectancies for the future. As it is an open secret that the Duke of Balmoral has been compelled to sell his pictures within the last few years, and as Lord St. Simon has no property of his own save the small estate of Birchmoor, it is obvious that the Californian heiress is not the only gainer by an alliance which will enable her to make the easy and common transition from a Republican lady to a British peeress.'"
"Anything else?" asked Holmes, yawning.
"Oh, yes; plenty. Then there is another note in the Morning Post to say that the marriage would be an absolutely quiet one, that it would be at St. George's, Hanover Square, that only half a dozen intimate friends would be invited, and that the party would return to the furnished house at Lancaster Gate which has been taken by Mr. Aloysius Doran. Two days later--that is, on Wednesday last--there is a curt announcement that the wedding had taken place, and that the honeymoon would be passed at Lord Backwater's place, near Petersfield. Those are all the notices which appeared before the disappearance of the bride."
"Before the what?" asked Holmes with a start.
"The vanishing of the lady."
"When did she vanish, then?"
"At the wedding breakfast."
"Indeed. This is more interesting than it promised to be; quite dramatic, in fact."
"Yes; it struck me as being a little out of the common."
"They often vanish before the ceremony, and occasionally during the honeymoon; but I cannot call to mind anything quite so prompt as this. Pray let me have the details."
"I warn you that they are very incomplete."
"Perhaps we may make them less so."
"Such as they are, they are set forth in a single article of a morning paper of yesterday, which I will read to you. It is headed, 'Singular Occurrence at a Fashionable Wedding':
"'The family of Lord Robert St. Simon has been thrown into the greatest consternation by the strange and painful episodes which have taken place in connection with his wedding. The ceremony, as shortly announced in the papers of yesterday, occurred on the previous morning; but it is only now that it has been possible to confirm the strange rumours which have been so persistently floating about. In spite of the attempts of the friends to hush the matter up, so much public attention has now been drawn to it that no good purpose can be served by affecting to disregard what is a common subject for conversation.
"'The ceremony, which was performed at St. George's, Hanover Square, was a very quiet one, no one being present save the father of the bride, Mr. Aloysius Doran, the Duchess of Balmoral, Lord Backwater, Lord Eustace and Lady Clara St. Simon (the younger brother and sister of the bridegroom), and Lady Alicia Whittington. The whole party proceeded afterwards to the house of Mr. Aloysius Doran, at Lancaster Gate, where breakfast had been prepared. It appears that some little trouble was caused by a woman, whose name has not been ascertained, who endeavoured to force her way into the house after the bridal party, alleging that she had some claim upon Lord St. Simon. It was only after a painful and prolonged scene that she was ejected by the butler and the footman. The bride, who had fortunately entered the house before this unpleasant interruption, had sat down to breakfast with the rest, when she complained of a sudden indisposition and retired to her room. Her prolonged absence having caused some comment, her father followed her, but learned from her maid that she had only come up to her chamber for an instant, caught up an ulster and bonnet, and hurried down to the passage. One of the footmen declared that he had seen a lady leave the house thus apparelled, but had refused to credit that it was his mistress, believing her to be with the company. On ascertaining that his daughter had disappeared, Mr. Aloysius Doran, in conjunction with the bridegroom, instantly put themselves in communication with the police, and very energetic inquiries are being made, which will probably result in a speedy clearing up of this very singular business. Up to a late hour last night, however, nothing had transpired as to the whereabouts of the missing lady. There are rumours of foul play in the matter, and it is said that the police have caused the arrest of the woman who had caused the original disturbance, in the belief that, from jealousy or some other motive, she may have been concerned in the strange disappearance of the bride.'"
"And is that all?"
"Only one little item in another of the morning papers, but it is a suggestive one."
"And it is--"
"That Miss Flora Millar, the lady who had caused the disturbance, has actually been arrested. It appears that she was formerly a danseuse at the Allegro, and that she has known the bridegroom for some years. There are no further particulars, and the whole case is in your hands now--so far as it has been set forth in the public press."
"And an exceedingly interesting case it appears to be. I would not have missed it for worlds. But there is a ring at the bell, Watson, and as the clock makes it a few minutes after four, I have no doubt that this will prove to be our noble client. Do not dream of going, Watson, for I very much prefer having a witness, if only as a check to my own memory."
"Lord Robert St. Simon," announced our page-boy, throwing open the door. A gentleman entered, with a pleasant, cultured face, high-nosed and pale, with something perhaps of petulance about the mouth, and with the steady, well-opened eye of a man whose pleasant lot it had ever been to command and to be obeyed. His manner was brisk, and yet his general appearance gave an undue impression of age, for he had a slight forward stoop and a little bend of the knees as he walked. His hair, too, as he swept off his very curly-brimmed hat, was grizzled round the edges and thin upon the top. As to his dress, it was careful to the verge of foppishness, with high collar, black frock-coat, white waistcoat, yellow gloves, patent-leather shoes, and light-coloured gaiters. He advanced slowly into the room, turning his head from left to right, and swinging in his right hand the cord which held his golden eyeglasses.
"Good-day, Lord St. Simon," said Holmes, rising and bowing. "Pray take the basket-chair. This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson. Draw up a little to the fire, and we will talk this matter over."
"A most painful matter to me, as you can most readily imagine, Mr. Holmes. I have been cut to the quick. I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of society."
"No, I am descending."
"I beg pardon."
"My last client of the sort was a king."
"Oh, really! I had no idea. And which king?"
"The King of Scandinavia."
"What! Had he lost his wife?"
"You can understand," said Holmes suavely, "that I extend to the affairs of my other clients the same secrecy which I promise to you in yours."
"Of course! Very right! very right! I'm sure I beg pardon. As to my own case, I am ready to give you any information which may assist you in forming an opinion."
"Thank you. I have already learned all that is in the public prints, nothing more. I presume that I may take it as correct-- this article, for example, as to the disappearance of the bride."
Lord St. Simon glanced over it. "Yes, it is correct, as far as it goes."
"But it needs a great deal of supplementing before anyone could offer an opinion. I think that I may arrive at my facts most directly by questioning you."
"Pray do so."
"When did you first meet Miss Hatty Doran?"
"In San Francisco, a year ago."
"You were travelling in the States?"
"Yes."
"Did you become engaged then?"
"No."
"But you were on a friendly footing?"
"I was amused by her society, and she could see that I was amused."
"Her father is very rich?"
"He is said to be the richest man on the Pacific slope."
"And how did he make his money?"
"In mining. He had nothing a few years ago. Then he struck gold, invested it, and came up by leaps and bounds."
"Now, what is your own impression as to the young lady's--your wife's character?"
The nobleman swung his glasses a little faster and stared down into the fire. "You see, Mr. Holmes," said he, "my wife was twenty before her father became a rich man. During that time she ran free in a mining camp and wandered through woods or mountains, so that her education has come from Nature rather than from the schoolmaster. She is what we call in England a tomboy, with a strong nature, wild and free, unfettered by any sort of traditions. She is impetuous--volcanic, I was about to say. She is swift in making up her mind and fearless in carrying out her resolutions. On the other hand, I would not have given her the name which I have the honour to bear"--he gave a little stately cough--"had not I thought her to be at bottom a noble woman. I believe that she is capable of heroic self-sacrifice and that anything dishonourable would be repugnant to her."
"Have you her photograph?"
"I brought this with me." He opened a locket and showed us the full face of a very lovely woman. It was not a photograph but an ivory miniature, and the artist had brought out the full effect of the lustrous black hair, the large dark eyes, and the exquisite mouth. Holmes gazed long and earnestly at it. Then he closed the locket and handed it back to Lord St. Simon.
"The young lady came to London, then, and you renewed your acquaintance?"
"Yes, her father brought her over for this last London season. I met her several times, became engaged to her, and have now married her."
"She brought, I understand, a considerable dowry?"
"A fair dowry. Not more than is usual in my family."
"And this, of course, remains to you, since the marriage is a fait accompli?"
"I really have made no inquiries on the subject."
"Very naturally not. Did you see Miss Doran on the day before the wedding?"
"Yes."
"Was she in good spirits?"
"Never better. She kept talking of what we should do in our future lives."
"Indeed! That is very interesting. And on the morning of the wedding?"
"She was as bright as possible--at least until after the ceremony."
"And did you observe any change in her then?"
"Well, to tell the truth, I saw then the first signs that I had ever seen that her temper was just a little sharp. The incident however, was too trivial to relate and can have no possible bearing upon the case."
"Pray let us have it, for all that."
"Oh, it is childish. She dropped her bouquet as we went towards the vestry. She was passing the front pew at the time, and it fell over into the pew. There was a moment's delay, but the gentleman in the pew handed it up to her again, and it did not appear to be the worse for the fall. Yet when I spoke to her of the matter, she answered me abruptly; and in the carriage, on our way home, she seemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause."
"Indeed! You say that there was a gentleman in the pew. Some of the general public were present, then?"
"Oh, yes. It is impossible to exclude them when the church is open."
"This gentleman was not one of your wife's friends?"
"No, no; I call him a gentleman by courtesy, but he was quite a common-looking person. I hardly noticed his appearance. But really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point."
"Lady St. Simon, then, returned from the wedding in a less cheerful frame of mind than she had gone to it. What did she do on re-entering her father's house?"
"I saw her in conversation with her maid."
"And who is her maid?"
"Alice is her name. She is an American and came from California with her."
"A confidential servant?"
"A little too much so. It seemed to me that her mistress allowed her to take great liberties. Still, of course, in America they look upon these things in a different way."
"How long did she speak to this Alice?"
"Oh, a few minutes. I had something else to think of."
"You did not overhear what they said?"
"Lady St. Simon said something about 'jumping a claim.' She was accustomed to use slang of the kind. I have no idea what she meant."
"American slang is very expressive sometimes. And what did your wife do when she finished speaking to her maid?"
"She walked into the breakfast-room."
"On your arm?"
"No, alone. She was very independent in little matters like that. Then, after we had sat down for ten minutes or so, she rose hurriedly, muttered some words of apology, and left the room. She never came back."
"But this maid, Alice, as I understand, deposes that she went to her room, covered her bride's dress with a long ulster, put on a bonnet, and went out."
"Quite so. And she was afterwards seen walking into Hyde Park in company with Flora Millar, a woman who is now in custody, and who had already made a disturbance at Mr. Doran's house that morning."
"Ah, yes. I should like a few particulars as to this young lady, and your relations to her."
Lord St. Simon shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. "We have been on a friendly footing for some years--I may say on a very friendly footing. She used to be at the Allegro. I have not treated her ungenerously, and she had no just cause of complaint against me, but you know what women are, Mr. Holmes. Flora was a dear little thing, but exceedingly hot-headed and devotedly attached to me. She wrote me dreadful letters when she heard that I was about to be married, and, to tell the truth, the reason why I had the marriage celebrated so quietly was that I feared lest there might be a scandal in the church. She came to Mr. Doran's door just after we returned, and she endeavoured to push her way in, uttering very abusive expressions towards my wife, and even threatening her, but I had foreseen the possibility of something of the sort, and I had two police fellows there in private clothes, who soon pushed her out again. She was quiet when she saw that there was no good in making a row."
"Did your wife hear all this?"
"No, thank goodness, she did not."
"And she was seen walking with this very woman afterwards?"
"Yes. That is what Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, looks upon as so serious. It is thought that Flora decoyed my wife out and laid some terrible trap for her."
"Well, it is a possible supposition."
"You think so, too?"
"I did not say a probable one. But you do not yourself look upon this as likely?"
"I do not think Flora would hurt a fly."
"Still, jealousy is a strange transformer of characters. Pray what is your own theory as to what took place?"
"Well, really, I came to seek a theory, not to propound one. I have given you all the facts. Since you ask me, however, I may say that it has occurred to me as possible that the excitement of this affair, the consciousness that she had made so immense a social stride, had the effect of causing some little nervous disturbance in my wife."
"In short, that she had become suddenly deranged?"
"Well, really, when I consider that she has turned her back--I will not say upon me, but upon so much that many have aspired to without success--I can hardly explain it in any other fashion."
"Well, certainly that is also a conceivable hypothesis," said Holmes, smiling. "And now, Lord St. Simon, I think that I have nearly all my data. May I ask whether you were seated at the breakfast-table so that you could see out of the window?"
"We could see the other side of the road and the Park."
"Quite so. Then I do not think that I need to detain you longer. I shall communicate with you."
"Should you be fortunate enough to solve this problem," said our client, rising.
"I have solved it."
"Eh? What was that?"
"I say that I have solved it."
"Where, then, is my wife?"
"That is a detail which I shall speedily supply."
Lord St. Simon shook his head. "I am afraid that it will take wiser heads than yours or mine," he remarked, and bowing in a stately, old-fashioned manner he departed.
"It is very good of Lord St. Simon to honour my head by putting it on a level with his own," said Sherlock Holmes, laughing. "I think that I shall have a whisky and soda and a cigar after all this cross-questioning. I had formed my conclusions as to the case before our client came into the room."
"My dear Holmes!"
"I have notes of several similar cases, though none, as I remarked before, which were quite as prompt. My whole examination served to turn my conjecture into a certainty. Circumstantial evidence is occasionally very convincing, as when you find a trout in the milk, to quote Thoreau's example."
"But I have heard all that you have heard."
"Without, however, the knowledge of pre-existing cases which serves me so well. There was a parallel instance in Aberdeen some years back, and something on very much the same lines at Munich the year after the Franco-Prussian War. It is one of these cases--but, hullo, here is Lestrade! Good-afternoon, Lestrade! You will find an extra tumbler upon the sideboard, and there are cigars in the box."
The official detective was attired in a pea-jacket and cravat, which gave him a decidedly nautical appearance, and he carried a black canvas bag in his hand. With a short greeting he seated himself and lit the cigar which had been offered to him.
"What's up, then?" asked Holmes with a twinkle in his eye. "You look dissatisfied."
"And I feel dissatisfied. It is this infernal St. Simon marriage case. I can make neither head nor tail of the business."
"Really! You surprise me."
"Who ever heard of such a mixed affair? Every clue seems to slip through my fingers. I have been at work upon it all day."
"And very wet it seems to have made you," said Holmes laying his hand upon the arm of the pea-jacket.
"Yes, I have been dragging the Serpentine."
"In heaven's name, what for?"
"In search of the body of Lady St. Simon."
Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily.
"Have you dragged the basin of Trafalgar Square fountain?" he asked.
"Why? What do you mean?"
"Because you have just as good a chance of finding this lady in the one as in the other."
Lestrade shot an angry glance at my companion. "I suppose you know all about it," he snarled.
"Well, I have only just heard the facts, but my mind is made up."
"Oh, indeed! Then you think that the Serpentine plays no part in the matter?"
"I think it very unlikely."
"Then perhaps you will kindly explain how it is that we found this in it?" He opened his bag as he spoke, and tumbled onto the floor a wedding-dress of watered silk, a pair of white satin shoes and a bride's wreath and veil, all discoloured and soaked in water. "There," said he, putting a new wedding-ring upon the top of the pile. "There is a little nut for you to crack, Master Holmes."
"Oh, indeed!" said my friend, blowing blue rings into the air. "You dragged them from the Serpentine?"
"No. They were found floating near the margin by a park-keeper. They have been identified as her clothes, and it seemed to me that if the clothes were there the body would not be far off."
"By the same brilliant reasoning, every man's body is to be found in the neighbourhood of his wardrobe. And pray what did you hope to arrive at through this?"
"At some evidence implicating Flora Millar in the disappearance."
"I am afraid that you will find it difficult."
"Are you, indeed, now?" cried Lestrade with some bitterness. "I am afraid, Holmes, that you are not very practical with your deductions and your inferences. You have made two blunders in as many minutes. This dress does implicate Miss Flora Millar."
"And how?"
"In the dress is a pocket. In the pocket is a card-case. In the card-case is a note. And here is the very note." He slapped it down upon the table in front of him. "Listen to this: 'You will see me when all is ready. Come at once. F.H.M.' Now my theory all along has been that Lady St. Simon was decoyed away by Flora Millar, and that she, with confederates, no doubt, was responsible for her disappearance. Here, signed with her initials, is the very note which was no doubt quietly slipped into her hand at the door and which lured her within their reach."
"Very good, Lestrade," said Holmes, laughing. "You really are very fine indeed. Let me see it." He took up the paper in a listless way, but his attention instantly became riveted, and he gave a little cry of satisfaction. "This is indeed important," said he.
"Ha! you find it so?"
"Extremely so. I congratulate you warmly."
Lestrade rose in his triumph and bent his head to look. "Why," he shrieked, "you're looking at the wrong side!"
"On the contrary, this is the right side."
"The right side? You're mad! Here is the note written in pencil over here."
"And over here is what appears to be the fragment of a hotel bill, which interests me deeply."
"There's nothing in it. I looked at it before," said Lestrade. "'Oct. 4th, rooms 8s., breakfast 2s. 6d., cocktail 1s., lunch 2s. 6d., glass sherry, 8d.' I see nothing in that."
"Very likely not. It is most important, all the same. As to the note, it is important also, or at least the initials are, so I congratulate you again."
"I've wasted time enough," said Lestrade, rising. "I believe in hard work and not in sitting by the fire spinning fine theories. Good-day, Mr. Holmes, and we shall see which gets to the bottom of the matter first." He gathered up the garments, thrust them into the bag, and made for the door.
"Just one hint to you, Lestrade," drawled Holmes before his rival vanished; "I will tell you the true solution of the matter. Lady St. Simon is a myth. There is not, and there never has been, any such person."
Lestrade looked sadly at my companion. Then he turned to me, tapped his forehead three times, shook his head solemnly, and hurried away.
He had hardly shut the door behind him when Holmes rose to put on his overcoat. "There is something in what the fellow says about outdoor work," he remarked, "so I think, Watson, that I must leave you to your papers for a little."
It was after five o'clock when Sherlock Holmes left me, but I had no time to be lonely, for within an hour there arrived a confectioner's man with a very large flat box. This he unpacked with the help of a youth whom he had brought with him, and presently, to my very great astonishment, a quite epicurean little cold supper began to be laid out upon our humble lodging-house mahogany. There were a couple of brace of cold woodcock, a pheasant, a p?té de foie gras pie with a group of ancient and cobwebby bottles. Having laid out all these luxuries, my two visitors vanished away, like the genii of the Arabian Nights, with no explanation save that the things had been paid for and were ordered to this address.
Just before nine o'clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the room. His features were gravely set, but there was a light in his eye which made me think that he had not been disappointed in his conclusions.
"They have laid the supper, then," he said, rubbing his hands.
"You seem to expect company. They have laid for five."
"Yes, I fancy we may have some company dropping in," said he. "I am surprised that Lord St. Simon has not already arrived. Ha! I fancy that I hear his step now upon the stairs."
It was indeed our visitor of the afternoon who came bustling in, dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever, and with a very perturbed expression upon his aristocratic features.
"My messenger reached you, then?" asked Holmes.
"Yes, and I confess that the contents startled me beyond measure. Have you good authority for what you say?"
"The best possible."
Lord St. Simon sank into a chair and passed his hand over his forehead.
"What will the Duke say," he murmured, "when he hears that one of the family has been subjected to such humiliation?"
"It is the purest accident. I cannot allow that there is any humiliation."
"Ah, you look on these things from another standpoint."
"I fail to see that anyone is to blame. I can hardly see how the lady could have acted otherwise, though her abrupt method of doing it was undoubtedly to be regretted. Having no mother, she had no one to advise her at such a crisis."
"It was a slight, sir, a public slight," said Lord St. Simon, tapping his fingers upon the table.
"You must make allowance for this poor girl, placed in so unprecedented a position."
"I will make no allowance. I am very angry indeed, and I have been shamefully used."
"I think that I heard a ring," said Holmes. "Yes, there are steps on the landing. If I cannot persuade you to take a lenient view of the matter, Lord St. Simon, I have brought an advocate here who may be more successful." He opened the door and ushered in a lady and gentleman. "Lord St. Simon," said he "allow me to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Francis Hay Moulton. The lady, I think, you have already met."
At the sight of these newcomers our client had sprung from his seat and stood very erect, with his eyes cast down and his hand thrust into the breast of his frock-coat, a picture of offended dignity. The lady had taken a quick step forward and had held out her hand to him, but he still refused to raise his eyes. It was as well for his resolution, perhaps, for her pleading face was one which it was hard to resist.
"You're angry, Robert," said she. "Well, I guess you have every cause to be."
"Pray make no apology to me," said Lord St. Simon bitterly.
"Oh, yes, I know that I have treated you real bad and that I should have spoken to you before I went; but I was kind of rattled, and from the time when I saw Frank here again I just didn't know what I was doing or saying. I only wonder I didn't fall down and do a faint right there before the altar."
"Perhaps, Mrs. Moulton, you would like my friend and me to leave the room while you explain this matter?"
"If I may give an opinion," remarked the strange gentleman, "we've had just a little too much secrecy over this business already. For my part, I should like all Europe and America to hear the rights of it." He was a small, wiry, sunburnt man, clean-shaven, with a sharp face and alert manner.
"Then I'll tell our story right away," said the lady. "Frank here and I met in '84, in McQuire's camp, near the Rockies, where pa was working a claim. We were engaged to each other, Frank and I; but then one day father struck a rich pocket and made a pile, while poor Frank here had a claim that petered out and came to nothing. The richer pa grew the poorer was Frank; so at last pa wouldn't hear of our engagement lasting any longer, and he took me away to 'Frisco. Frank wouldn't throw up his hand, though; so he followed me there, and he saw me without pa knowing anything about it. It would only have made him mad to know, so we just fixed it all up for ourselves. Frank said that he would go and make his pile, too, and never come back to claim me until he had as much as pa. So then I promised to wait for him to the end of time and pledged myself not to marry anyone else while he lived. 'Why shouldn't we be married right away, then,' said he, 'and then I will feel sure of you; and I won't claim to be your husband until I come back?' Well, we talked it over, and he had fixed it all up so nicely, with a clergyman all ready in waiting, that we just did it right there; and then Frank went off to seek his fortune, and I went back to pa.
"The next I heard of Frank was that he was in Montana, and then he went prospecting in Arizona, and then I heard of him from New Mexico. After that came a long newspaper story about how a miners' camp had been attacked by Apache Indians, and there was my Frank's name among the killed. I fainted dead away, and I was very sick for months after. Pa thought I had a decline and took me to half the doctors in 'Frisco. Not a word of news came for a year and more, so that I never doubted that Frank was really dead. Then Lord St. Simon came to 'Frisco, and we came to London, and a marriage was arranged, and pa was very pleased, but I felt all the time that no man on this earth would ever take the place in my heart that had been given to my poor Frank.
"Still, if I had married Lord St. Simon, of course I'd have done my duty by him. We can't command our love, but we can our actions. I went to the altar with him with the intention to make him just as good a wife as it was in me to be. But you may imagine what I felt when, just as I came to the altar rails, I glanced back and saw Frank standing and looking at me out of the first pew. I thought it was his ghost at first; but when I looked again there he was still, with a kind of question in his eyes, as if to ask me whether I were glad or sorry to see him. I wonder I didn't drop. I know that everything was turning round, and the words of the clergyman were just like the buzz of a bee in my ear. I didn't know what to do. Should I stop the service and make a scene in the church? I glanced at him again, and he seemed to know what I was thinking, for he raised his finger to his lips to tell me to be still. Then I saw him scribble on a piece of paper, and I knew that he was writing me a note. As I passed his pew on the way out I dropped my bouquet over to him, and he slipped the note into my hand when he returned me the flowers. It was only a line asking me to join him when he made the sign to me to do so. Of course I never doubted for a moment that my first duty was now to him, and I determined to do just whatever he might direct.
"When I got back I told my maid, who had known him in California, and had always been his friend. I ordered her to say nothing, but to get a few things packed and my ulster ready. I know I ought to have spoken to Lord St. Simon, but it was dreadful hard before his mother and all those great people. I just made up my mind to run away and explain afterwards. I hadn't been at the table ten minutes before I saw Frank out of the window at the other side of the road. He beckoned to me and then began walking into the Park. I slipped out, put on my things, and followed him. Some woman came talking something or other about Lord St. Simon to me--seemed to me from the little I heard as if he had a little secret of his own before marriage also--but I managed to get away from her and soon overtook Frank. We got into a cab together, and away we drove to some lodgings he had taken in Gordon Square, and that was my true wedding after all those years of waiting. Frank had been a prisoner among the Apaches, had escaped, came on to 'Frisco, found that I had given him up for dead and had gone to England, followed me there, and had come upon me at last on the very morning of my second wedding."
"I saw it in a paper," explained the American. "It gave the name and the church but not where the lady lived."
"Then we had a talk as to what we should do, and Frank was all for openness, but I was so ashamed of it all that I felt as if I should like to vanish away and never see any of them again--just sending a line to pa, perhaps, to show him that I was alive. It was awful to me to think of all those lords and ladies sitting round that breakfast-table and waiting for me to come back. So Frank took my wedding-clothes and things and made a bundle of them, so that I should not be traced, and dropped them away somewhere where no one could find them. It is likely that we should have gone on to Paris to-morrow, only that this good gentleman, Mr. Holmes, came round to us this evening, though how he found us is more than I can think, and he showed us very clearly and kindly that I was wrong and that Frank was right, and that we should be putting ourselves in the wrong if we were so secret. Then he offered to give us a chance of talking to Lord St. Simon alone, and so we came right away round to his rooms at once. Now, Robert, you have heard it all, and I am very sorry if I have given you pain, and I hope that you do not think very meanly of me."
Lord St. Simon had by no means relaxed his rigid attitude, but had listened with a frowning brow and a compressed lip to this long narrative.
"Excuse me," he said, "but it is not my custom to discuss my most intimate personal affairs in this public manner."
"Then you won't forgive me? You won't shake hands before I go?"
"Oh, certainly, if it would give you any pleasure." He put out his hand and coldly grasped that which she extended to him.
"I had hoped," suggested Holmes, "that you would have joined us in a friendly supper."
"I think that there you ask a little too much," responded his Lordship. "I may be forced to acquiesce in these recent developments, but I can hardly be expected to make merry over them. I think that with your permission I will now wish you all a very good-night." He included us all in a sweeping bow and stalked out of the room.
"Then I trust that you at least will honour me with your company," said Sherlock Holmes. "It is always a joy to meet an American, Mr. Moulton, for I am one of those who believe that the folly of a monarch and the blundering of a minister in far-gone years will not prevent our children from being some day citizens of the same world-wide country under a flag which shall be a quartering of the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes."
"The case has been an interesting one," remarked Holmes when our visitors had left us, "because it serves to show very clearly how simple the explanation may be of an affair which at first sight seems to be almost inexplicable. Nothing could be more natural than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady, and nothing stranger than the result when viewed, for instance, by Mr. Lestrade of Scotland Yard."
"You were not yourself at fault at all, then?"
"From the first, two facts were very obvious to me, the one that the lady had been quite willing to undergo the wedding ceremony, the other that she had repented of it within a few minutes of returning home. Obviously something had occurred during the morning, then, to cause her to change her mind. What could that something be? She could not have spoken to anyone when she was out, for she had been in the company of the bridegroom. Had she seen someone, then? If she had, it must be someone from America because she had spent so short a time in this country that she could hardly have allowed anyone to acquire so deep an influence over her that the mere sight of him would induce her to change her plans so completely. You see we have already arrived, by a process of exclusion, at the idea that she might have seen an American. Then who could this American be, and why should he possess so much influence over her? It might be a lover; it might be a husband. Her young womanhood had, I knew, been spent in rough scenes and under strange conditions. So far I had got before I ever heard Lord St. Simon's narrative. When he told us of a man in a pew, of the change in the bride's manner, of so transparent a device for obtaining a note as the dropping of a bouquet, of her resort to her confidential maid, and of her very significant allusion to claim-jumping--which in miners' parlance means taking possession of that which another person has a prior claim to--the whole situation became absolutely clear. She had gone off with a man, and the man was either a lover or was a previous husband--the chances being in favour of the latter."
"And how in the world did you find them?"
"It might have been difficult, but friend Lestrade held information in his hands the value of which he did not himself know. The initials were, of course, of the highest importance, but more valuable still was it to know that within a week he had settled his bill at one of the most select London hotels."
"How did you deduce the select?"
"By the select prices. Eight shillings for a bed and eightpence for a glass of sherry pointed to one of the most expensive hotels. There are not many in London which charge at that rate. In the second one which I visited in Northumberland Avenue, I learned by an inspection of the book that Francis H. Moulton, an American gentleman, had left only the day before, and on looking over the entries against him, I came upon the very items which I had seen in the duplicate bill. His letters were to be forwarded to 226 Gordon Square; so thither I travelled, and being fortunate enough to find the loving couple at home, I ventured to give them some paternal advice and to point out to them that it would be better in every way that they should make their position a little clearer both to the general public and to Lord St. Simon in particular. I invited them to meet him here, and, as you see, I made him keep the appointment."
"But with no very good result," I remarked. "His conduct was certainly not very gracious."
"Ah, Watson," said Holmes, smiling, "perhaps you would not be very gracious either, if, after all the trouble of wooing and wedding, you found yourself deprived in an instant of wife and of fortune. I think that we may judge Lord St. Simon very mercifully and thank our stars that we are never likely to find ourselves in the same position. Draw your chair up and hand me my violin, for the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away these bleak autumnal evenings."
那還是我和福爾摩斯一起住在貝剋街的時候，我結婚前幾個星期的一天，福爾摩斯午後散步回來，看到桌子上有他的一封信。那天突然陰雨綿綿，加上秋風勁吹，我的胳臂由於殘留着作為我當年參加阿富汗戰役的紀念品的那顆阿富汗步槍子彈，又隱隱作痛不止，因此我整天呆在傢裏。我躺在一張安樂椅裏，把雙腿搭在另一張椅子上，埋頭在擺滿身邊的報紙堆裏，直到最後，腦袋裏裝滿了當天的新聞，我纔把報紙丟開，無精打采地躺在那裏，看着桌子上那封信的信封上端的巨大飾章和交織字母，一面懶洋洋地揣度着是哪位貴族給我的朋①友寫了這封信。
在他進屋時，我說：“這兒有一封非常時髦的書信。如果我沒有記錯的話，你早晨的那些來信是一個魚販子和一個海關檢查員寫的。”
“對，我的信件肯定具有豐富多彩引人入勝的地方，"他笑着回答說，“通常越是普通的人寫來的信越是有趣。可是這封看來象是一張不受歡迎的社交上用的傳票式的信，叫你不是感到厭煩就是要說謊纔行。”
他拆開了信封，瀏覽了信的內容。
“噢，你來瞧，說不定倒是一件有趣的事呢！”
“那麽不是社交的了？”
“不，顯而易見是業務性的。”
“一位貴族的委托人寫來的？”
“英國地位最高的貴族之一。”
“老兄，我祝賀你。”
“說實話，華生，我可以肯定對你說，對我來說，這位委托人的社會地位不是什麽了不起的事情，我更感興趣是他的案情。然而，在這件新案件的調查中，很可能關於他的社會地位的情況也還是不可或缺的。你最近一直很仔細地在看報，是嗎？”
“看來好象是這樣。"我指了指角落裏的一大堆報紙沮喪
①指印在信封或信箋上盾形紋章上端的飾章和姓名等起首字母相互交織成的圖案。——譯者註地說，“我沒有別的事可做。”
“真走運，也許你能嚮我提供一些最新的情況。我是除了犯罪的消息和尋人廣告欄之外，別的一概不看。尋人廣告欄總是很啓發人的。你既然那麽留心最近發生的事，你必定看到過關於聖西蒙勳爵和他婚禮的消息吧？”
“噢，是的，我是懷着莫大的興趣來閱讀這消息的。”
“那很好，我手中這封信就是聖西蒙勳爵寫來的。我讀給你聽聽，你則一定要翻一遍這些報紙，嚮我提供所有關於這件事的消息。他是這麽寫的：‘親愛的歇洛剋·福爾摩斯先生：
據巴剋沃特勳爵告知，我可以絶對信賴您的分析和判斷力。因此我决定登門拜訪，就有關我舉行婚禮而發生的令人非常痛心的意外事件嚮您請教。蘇格蘭場的雷斯垂德先生已經受理這一案件。但是他嚮我聲明，他認為沒有理由不和您合作。他甚至認為您的合作可能會有所幫助。下午四點，我將登門求教，屆時您如另有約會，希望稍後仍能惠予接見為荷，因為這件事至關重要。
您忠實的聖西蒙'
“這封信發自格羅夫納大廈，是用鵝毛筆寫的。尊貴的勳爵不小心在他右小指的外側沾上了一滴墨水。"福爾摩斯一邊疊着信一邊說。
“他約定四點鐘來。現在是三點，他即將在一小時內到這裏來。”
“那麽，有你的幫助，我還來得及把這件事弄明白。翻一下這些報紙，按時間順序把有關的摘錄排好，我來看一下我們這位委托人的身世。"他從壁爐架旁的一排參考書中抽出一本紅皮書。"在這兒呢，”他說着坐下來，把書平鋪在膝蓋上，“羅伯特·沃爾辛厄姆·德維爾·聖西蒙勳爵，巴爾莫拉爾公爵的次子。喝！勳章！天藍的底色，黑色的中帶上三個鐵蒺藜。生於一八四六年，現年四十一歲，這已是成熟的結婚年齡。在上屆政府中擔任過殖民地事務副大臣。他的父親，那位公爵，有一時期當過外交大臣。他們繼承了安茹王朝的血統，是它的直係後裔。母係血統為都鐸王朝。哈！這些並沒有什麽指導意義。我看，華生，我還得請你提供一些更實在的情況。”
“我沒怎麽費事就找到了想要找的情況，"我說，“事情發生不久，給我的印象又很深。然而，我過去沒敢對你說。因為我知道你手頭正有一件案子，而你又不喜歡有其它事打擾你。”
“噢，你指的是格羅夫納廣場傢具搬運車的那件小事吧。現在已完全搞清楚了——其實從一開始就很明白。請你把翻檢報紙的結果告訴我吧。”
“這是我能找到的第一條消息，登在《晨郵報》的起事欄裏。日期是，你瞧，幾周以前：'（據說）巴爾莫拉爾公爵的次子，羅伯特·聖西蒙勳爵，與美國加利福尼亞州舊金山阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生的獨生女哈蒂·多蘭小姐的婚事，已經安排就緒，如果傳聞屬實，最近即將舉行婚禮。'就這些。”
“簡明扼要，”福爾摩斯說。他把他那又瘦又長的腿伸嚮火爐旁邊。
“同一周內一份社交界的報紙上對這件事有一段更詳細的記載。啊，在這兒：'在婚姻市場上不久將會出現要求采取保護政策的呼聲，因為目前這種自由貿易式的婚姻政策，看來對我們英國同胞極為不利。大不列顛名門望族大權旁落，一個接一個地為來自大西洋彼岸的女表親所掌握。上周這些嫵媚的入侵者在她們奪走的勝利品名單中，又添上了一位重要人物。聖西蒙勳爵二十多年來從未墮入情網，現在卻明確地宣佈即將與加利福尼亞百萬富翁的令人一見傾心的女兒哈蒂·多蘭小姐結婚。多蘭小姐是一位獨生女。她優雅的體態和驚人的美貌在韋斯特伯裏宮的慶典歡宴上，引起了人們極大的註意。最近傳說，她的嫁妝將大大超過六位數字，預期將來還會有其它增益。由於巴爾莫拉爾公爵近年來不得不出賣自己的藏畫，這已成為公開的秘密，而聖西蒙勳爵除伯奇穆爾荒地那菲薄的産業之外，一無所有，所以這位加利福尼亞的女繼承人通過這一聯煙使她由一位女共和黨人輕而易舉地一躍而成為不列顛的貴婦，顯然這不衹是她這一方面占了便宜。'”
“還有什麽別的嗎？"福爾摩斯打着呵欠問道。
“噢，有，多着呢。《晨郵報》上還有另一條短訊說：婚禮將絶對從簡；並預定在漢諾佛廣場的聖喬治大教堂舉行；屆時將僅僅邀請幾位至親好友參加；婚禮後，新婚夫婦及親友等將返回阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生在蘭開斯特蓋特租賃的備有傢具的寓所。兩天後，也就是上星期三，有一個簡單的通告，宣告婚禮已經舉行。新婚夫婦將在彼得斯菲爾德附近的巴剋沃特勳爵別墅歡度蜜月。這是新娘失蹤以前的全部報道。”
“在什麽以前？"福爾摩斯吃驚地問道。
“在這位小姐失蹤以前。”
“那麽她是在什麽時候失蹤的呢？”
“在婚禮後吃早餐的時候。”
“確實，比原來想象的要有趣得多。事實上，是十分戲劇性的。”
“是的，正是由於不同尋常，纔引起了我的註意。”
“她們常常在舉行結婚儀式之前失蹤，偶爾也有在蜜月期間失蹤的。但是我還想不起來有哪一件象這次那麽幹脆的，請你把細節全說給我聽聽。”
“我可有言在先，這些材料是很不完整的。”
“也許我們可以把它們湊起來。”
“就是這樣，昨天晨報上的一篇文章談得還比較詳細，讓我讀給你聽聽。標題是：《上流社會婚禮中的奇怪事件》。'羅伯特·聖西蒙勳爵在舉行婚禮時發生的奇怪的不幸事件，使他們全家驚恐萬狀。正如昨天報紙上簡要地報道的，婚禮儀式是在前天上午舉行的；可是直至日前，始有可能對不斷到處流傳的奇怪傳聞予以證實。儘管朋友們設法遮掩，此事卻已引起公衆的極大註意。因此對已經成為公衆談話資料之事，故作不予理睬的姿態，是毫無裨益的。
婚禮是在漢諾佛廣場的聖喬治大教堂舉行，儀式簡單，極力不予張揚。除了新娘的父親，阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生、巴爾莫拉爾公爵夫人、巴剋沃特勳爵、尤斯塔斯勳爵和剋拉拉·聖西蒙小姐（新郎的弟弟和妹妹）以及艾麗西亞·惠延頓夫人外，別無他人參加。婚禮後，一行人即前往在蘭開斯特蓋特的阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生寓所。寓所裏早餐已經準備就緒。此時似乎有一個女人引起了某些小麻煩。目前她的姓名未詳。她跟隨在新娘及其親友之後，試圖強行闖入寓所，聲稱她有權嚮聖西蒙勳爵提出要求。衹是經過長時間煞費其力的糾纏，管傢和氣役纔把她攆走。幸虧新娘在發生這件不愉快的糾紛之前已經進入室內，同親友一起就座共進早餐，可是她說突然感到不適，就回到自己的房間去了。她離席久久不歸引起了人們的議論，她父親即去找她。但據她的女僕告知，她衹到她的臥室逗留片刻，很快拿了一件長外套和一頂無邊軟帽，就急急忙忙下樓到走廊去了。一個男僕聲稱他看到一個這樣裝束的太太離開寓所，但是不敢相信那就是他的女主人，以為她還和大傢在一起。阿洛伊修斯·多蘭先生在肯定女兒確實是失蹤了以後，就立刻和新郎一起同警方聯繫。目前正在大力調查。這件離奇的事情可能很快就會水落石出。然而，直到昨天深夜，這位失蹤的小姐依然下落不明。出現了許多關於這件事的謠言，認為新娘可能遇害。據說警方拘留了那個最初引起糾紛的女人，認為她出於爐忌或其它動機，可能與新娘奇怪的失蹤有牽連。'”
“就這些嗎？”
“在另一份晨報上衹有一小條消息，但是卻很有啓發性。”
“內容是……”
“弗洛拉·米勒小姐，也就是肇事的那個女人，實際上已被逮捕。她以前似乎在阿利格羅當過芭蕾舞女演員。她和新郎相識已有多年。再沒有更多的細節了。現在就報紙已發表的消息而論，整個案情你已經都知道了。”
“看來真是一件非常有趣的案子。我無論如何也不能把它放過。華生，你聽，門鈴響了，四點鐘剛過一點兒，我肯定這一定是我們高貴的委托人來了。別老想走，華生，因為我非常希望有一個見證人，即使衹是為了檢驗一下我的記憶力也好。”
“羅伯特·聖西蒙勳爵到！"我們的小僮僕推開房門報告說。一位紳士走了進來。他的相貌喜人，顯得頗有教養。高高的鼻子，面色蒼白，嘴角微露慍意，有着生來就發號施令那類人所具有的一雙神色鎮靜、睜得大大的眼睛。他舉止敏捷，然而他整個外表卻給人一種與年齡很不相稱的印象。當他走路時，略有點彎腰駝背，還有點屈膝。頭髮也是如此，當他脫去他那頂帽檐高高捲着的帽子時，衹見頭部周圍一圈灰白的頭髮，頭頂上頭髮稀稀拉拉。至於他的穿着，那是考究得近於浮華：高高的硬領，黑色的大禮服，白背心，黃色的手套，漆皮鞋和淺色的綁腿。他慢慢地走進房內，眼睛從左邊看到右邊，右手裏晃動着係金絲眼鏡的鏈子。
“你好，聖西蒙勳爵。"福爾摩斯說着站起身來，鞠了個躬。"請坐在這把柳條椅上。這位是我的朋友和同事、華生醫生。往火爐前靠近一點，讓我們來談談這件事吧。”
“你很容易就能想象到這是一件對我來說十分痛苦的事，福爾摩斯先生。真叫我痛心疾首。我知道，先生，你曾經處理過幾件這類微妙的案子，儘管我估計這些案子的委托人的社會地位和這件案子不可同日而語。”
“但是，委托人的社會地位是在下降了。”
“對不起請再說一遍。”
“我上次這類案子的委托人是一位國王。”
“噢，真的嗎？我沒想到，哪位國王？”
“斯堪的納維亞國王。”
“什麽！他的妻子也失蹤了嗎？”
“你明白，"福爾摩斯和藹地說，“我對其他委托人的事情保守秘密，就象我答應對你的事情保守秘密一樣。”
“當然是這樣，很對！很對！一定要請你原諒。至於我這個案子，我準備告訴你一切有助於你作出判斷的情況。”
“謝謝，我已經看到了報紙上的全部報道，也就是這麽些而已。我想，我可以把這些報道看作是屬實的——例如這篇有關新娘失蹤的報道。”
聖西蒙勳爵看了看，“是的，這篇報道所說的情況完全屬實。”
“但是，無論是誰在提出他的看法以前，都需要大量的補充材料。我想我可以通過嚮你提問而直接得到我所要知道的事實。”
“請提問吧。”
“你第一次見到哈蒂·多蘭小姐是在什麽時候？”
“一年以前，在舊金山。”
“當時你正在美國旅行？”
“是的。”
“你們那時候訂婚了嗎？”
“沒有。”
“但是有着友好的往來？”
“我能和她交往感到很高興，她能夠看出我很高興。”
“她的父親很有錢？”
“據說他是太平洋彼岸最有錢的人。”
“他是怎樣發財的呢？”
“開礦。幾年以前，他還一無所有。有一天，他挖到了金礦，於是投資開發，從此飛黃騰達成了暴發戶。”
“現在談談你對這位年輕的小姐——你的妻子的性格的印象怎麽樣？”
這位貴族目不轉睛地看着壁爐，係在他眼鏡上的鏈子晃動得更快了。"你知道，福爾摩斯先生，”他說，“我的妻子在她的父親發財以前，已經是二十歲了。在這時期，她在礦鎮上無拘無束，整天在山上或樹林裏遊蕩，所以她所受的教育，與其說是教師傳授的，還不如說是大自然賦予的。她是一個我們英國人所說的頑皮姑娘。她性格潑辣、粗野，而又任性，放蕩不羈，不受任何習俗的約束。她很性急，我幾乎想說是暴躁。她輕易地作出决定，幹起來天不怕、地不怕。另一方面，要不是我考慮她到底是一位高貴的女人，"他莊重地咳嗽了一聲，“我是决不會讓她享受我所享有的高貴稱號的。我相信，她是能夠做出英勇的自我犧牲，任何不名譽的事情都是她所深惡痛絶的。”
“你有她的照片嗎？”
“我隨身帶着。"他打開表鏈上的小金盒，讓我們看一位非常漂亮的女人的整個面容。那不是一張照片，而是一個象牙袖珍像。藝術傢充分發揮了那光亮的黑發、又大又黑的眼睛和優美的小嘴的感染力。福爾摩斯長時間認真地端詳那畫像，然後闔上小盒，把它遞還聖西蒙勳爵。
“那麽，是這位年輕的小姐來到倫敦後，你們重敘舊情？”
“是的，她父親偕同她來參加這一次倫敦歲末的社交活動。我和她數度聚晤，並且締結了婚約，現在又和她結了婚。”
“我聽說她帶來了一份相當可觀的嫁妝？”
“嫁妝是相當豐富的，和我們傢族通常的情況差不多。”
“既然婚禮事實上已經舉行過了，這份嫁妝當然歸你了？”
“我確實沒有去過問這件事。”
“沒有去過問是自然的。婚禮的前一天你見過多蘭小姐嗎？”
“見過。”
“她心情愉快吧？”
“她心情再愉快也沒有了，她一直談着我們在未來的生活中應當做些什麽。”
“真的！非常有趣。那麽在結婚那天早上呢？”
“她喜氣洋洋，高興極了，至少直到婚禮結束始終是這樣。”
“那麽這以後你註意到她有什麽變化嗎？”
“啊，老實說，這時候我看到了我從前沒有看見過的第一個跡象。她的脾氣有些急躁。不過那是件小事，不值一提，並且不可能與這個案件有什麽關係。”
“儘管這樣，還是請你講講。”
“唉，簡直是孩子氣。那是當我們去嚮教堂的法衣室的時候，她手裏的花束掉落了。當時她正走過前排座位，花束就掉在座位前面。稍微過了一會兒，座位上的先生把花束拾起來遞給她。看來這束花依然完好如初。可是當我和她談起這件事時，她回答我的話很生硬。回傢途中在馬車裏，她似乎為這件微不足道的小事而心煩意亂，實在令人可笑。”
“真的！你是說在前排座位裏坐着一位先生，那麽當時在座的也有一般群衆了？”
“哦，是的，教堂開門的時候，是不可能不讓他們進去的。”
“這位先生不會是你妻子的一位朋友嗎？”
“不會，不會，我稱呼他作先生是出於禮貌，他衹不過是一個看上去很平常的人。我幾乎沒有註意到他的容貌。但是，我想，真的，我們談得離題太遠了。”
“聖西蒙夫人婚禮結束回來時遠沒有她去時那麽心情愉快。那麽，當她重新回到她爸爸寓所的時候，她做了什麽事？”
“我看到她和她的女傭人在說話。”
“她的女傭人是什麽人？”
“她名叫艾麗絲，是個美國人，從加利福尼亞和她一起來的。”
“一名心腹傭人？”
“這麽說也許有點過份。在我看來似乎她的女主人對她非常隨便，不拘禮儀。可是，當然在美國他們對這一類事情有不同看法。”
“她和這位艾麗絲談了多久？”
“哦，幾分鐘。當時我正在考慮一些別的事。”
“你沒有聽到她們說些什麽？”
“聖西蒙夫人談到些'強占別人土地'的話，她總是慣於說這一類的俚語。我不理解她指的是什麽。”
“美國的俚語有時是很形象化的。你的妻子和女傭人談過話後做了些什麽事？”
“她走進吃早餐的房間。”
“你輓着她走進去的嗎？”
“不，她一個人。象這一類小節，她是一嚮不講究的。接着，在我們就座大約十分鐘以後，她急急忙忙地站起身來，咕噥了幾句道歉的話，就離開了房間。她就這樣一去不復返了。”
“但是，據我瞭解，那位女傭人艾麗絲作證說，女主人走進自己的房間，用一件長外套罩在新娘的禮服上，戴上一頂軟帽，就出去了。”
“正是這樣。過後，有人看到她和弗洛拉·米勒一道走進海德公園。弗洛拉·米勒就是現在被拘留的那個女人。那天早上，她曾經在多蘭的寓所裏惹起一場風波。”
“啊，是的。關於這位年輕的婦女，我想知道她的一點具體情況，還有你和她的關係。”
聖西蒙勳爵聳了聳肩，眉毛一揚，“我們已有多年交情了，可以說是非常友好的關係。她過去常在阿利格羅。我對待她並不吝嗇，她對我也沒有什麽可抱怨的。但是，福爾摩斯先生，你知道女人是怎麽一回事，弗洛拉是個可愛的小東西，但是個非常急性子的人，而且熱切地依戀着我。當她聽說我要結婚的時候，給我寫過幾封可怕的信。老實說，我之所以這樣悄悄地舉行婚禮，原因就是我怕萬一在教堂裏出醜。她剛好在我們回來的時候來到多蘭先生的門前，極力想闖進去，公然用非常難聽的話辱駡我的妻子，甚至還威脅她。但是我預先估計到可能會發生這類事情，在那裏安排了兩名便衣。他們很快就把她重新趕出門去，當她明白吵架决不會有什麽好結果時，就安靜了下來。”
“你妻子聽到了這一切了嗎？”
“沒有，謝天謝地，她沒有聽到。”
“後來，有人見到她正是和這個女人走在一起？”
“是的，這正是蘇格蘭場的雷斯垂德先生為什麽把這件事看得如此嚴重的緣故。據認為，弗洛拉把我的妻子誘騙出去，並且對她設下了某種可怕的圈套。”
“噢，這是一種可能的推測。”
“你也這樣想嗎？”
“我並沒有說很可能是這樣，但是你自己也並不把這看作是可能的吧？”
“我認為弗洛拉是連衹蒼蠅都不肯傷害的。”
“可是，妒忌是能奇妙地改變人的性格的。請你告訴我，對於這件事，你自己是怎麽分析的呢？”
“哦，真是，我到這裏來是尋求解答的，不是來提出見解的。我已經把全部事實告訴你了。既然你問我，我也許可以說，在我看來可能是由於這件事對她的刺激，以及她意識到她的社會地位一下子提高了那麽多，這就造成我妻子精神有點錯亂。”
“簡單地說，她突然精神錯亂了？”
“哦！真的，當我考慮到她拋棄了——我不想說我，但這是那麽許多女人熱切地想得而得不到的——我不能做其它的解釋。”
“噢，當然，這也是一種可能的假設。"福爾摩斯微笑着說。"現在，聖西蒙勳爵，我想我已經幾乎有了全部的材料。我想再問一下，你們是不是坐在早餐桌的周圍就可以看到窗外的情況？”
“我們能夠看到馬路的另一邊和公園。”
“正是這樣，那麽我想沒必要再耽擱你了，我以後會再跟你聯繫。”
“但願你有足夠的運氣來解决這個問題，"我們的委托人說着站了起來。
“我已經解决了。”
“是嗎？怎麽一回事？”
“我是說我已經解决了這案件。”
“那麽，我的妻子在哪兒？”
“那是一個我很快就能提供的細節。”
聖西蒙勳爵搖了搖頭，“我恐怕需要一個比你或我更聰明的腦袋。"他說着，行了一個莊嚴的老式鞠躬禮便邁步走了。
“承蒙聖西蒙勳爵將我的腦袋和他自己的腦袋相提並論，真是不勝榮幸之至。"歇洛剋·福爾摩斯說着，笑了起來。"經過這麽長時間的盤問，我想我得來一杯蘇打威士忌和一支雪茄。在我們的委托人進門以前，我就已經做出了這個案子的結論。”
“老兄，真有你的！”
“我有好幾個類似案件的記錄，衹是象我曾經說過的那樣，沒有一個象這個這麽幹脆。我的全部調查有助於肯定我的推測。旁證有時是非常有說服力的。用梭洛的話來說，就象①你在牛奶裏發現了一條鱒魚一樣。”
“但是，我也聽到了你所聽到的一切。”
“然而，缺少對我起了很大作用的過去發生過的案例的知識。若幹年前在阿伯丁有一個相似的例子。普法戰爭後一年，在慕尼黑又有一件極為相似的事情。這就是這類案例中的一個。但是，喂，雷斯垂德來了！你好，雷斯垂德！餐具櫃上有一隻特大的酒杯，盒裏有雪茄煙。"這位官廳偵探身穿一件水手的粗呢上衣，戴着一條老式領帶，顯然一副水手形象。他手裏提着一隻黑色的帆布提包，簡單地寒暄了幾句就坐下，點着了一根遞給他的雪茄。
“出了什麽事啦？啊？"福爾摩斯眨了眨眼睛問道，“看你這樣子似乎很不遂心。”
“我的確是感到很不稱心。就是聖西蒙勳爵婚事這件倒黴的案子。對這件案子我是一點頭緒也沒有。”
“真的嗎？你真叫我感到吃驚。”
“誰聽說過這樣一團亂糟糟的事情？每一條綫索似乎都從我的手指中溜掉了。我一整天都在忙着搞這件事。”
“看來把你搞得渾身都濕透了。"福爾摩斯說着，一隻手搭
①原名為ＨｅｎｒｙＤａｖｉｄＴｈｏｒｅu，美國作傢，１８１７——１８６２。——譯者註在他那件粗呢上衣的胳膊上。
“是的，我正在塞彭廷湖裏打撈。"①
“天哪，那是為什麽？”
“尋找聖西蒙夫人的屍體。”
福爾摩斯仰身靠在椅子上，捧腹大笑起來。
“你沒有在特拉德爾加廣場的噴水池裏打撈吧？"他問道。
“唔，你這是什麽意思？”
“因為在那裏尋找這位夫人的機會和在另一處尋找的機會一樣多。”
雷斯垂德氣得瞪了我的同伴一眼，“你好象全知道，"他咆哮着說。
“唔，我剛剛纔聽說事情的經過，不過我已經作出了判斷。”
“噢，真的！那麽你認為塞彭廷湖和這件事毫無關係了？”
“我認為根本不可能有關係。”
“那麽，請你解釋解釋，我們在那裏找到這些東西是怎麽一回事？"他一邊說一邊打開他的提包，將一件波紋綢結婚禮服，一雙白緞子鞋以及一頂新娘的花冠和面紗，亂糟糟地倒在地板上。這些東西全都浸透了水，並且褪了色。"還有，”他說，把一隻嶄新的結婚戒指放到這堆東西上面。“這可是要你來解决的難題啦，福爾摩斯大師。”
“噢，是真的嗎？"我的朋友說着，嚮空中噴出一個個藍色的煙圈。"這些東西是你從塞彭廷湖中打撈上來的？”
①原文為Ｓｅｒｐｅｎｔｉｎｅ，倫敦海德公園內的一個人形池。——譯者註
“不是，是一個園丁發現這些東西在湖邊漂浮着的。已經認出這些是她的衣服，我認為既然衣服在那兒，屍體也不會太遠了。”
“通過同樣英明的推論，每個人的屍體，都應該在他的衣櫥附近找到。請問你想通過這個得出什麽結論？”
“已找到弗洛拉·米勒與失蹤有牽連的證據。”
“我恐怕你很難做到。”
“目前，你是真的這樣想嗎？"雷斯垂德生氣地喊了起來。"我恐怕，福爾摩斯先生，你的演繹法和推理並不很實用。在兩分鐘內你就已經犯了兩個大錯誤，這些衣服確實與弗洛拉·米勒小姐有牽連。”
“怎麽講？”
“衣服上有個口袋，口袋裏有個名片盒，名片盒裏有張便條。這就是那張便條。"他把便條一下子扔到他面前的桌子上，"你聽我念念看這寫的是些什麽：‘一切準備就緒之後，你會看到我的。到時候請馬上就來。
EＨＭ．．．'
“我一直認為聖西蒙夫人是被弗洛拉·米勒誘騙出去的。毫無疑問，她和她的同謀者，應該對這一失蹤負責。這就是那張用她名字的起首字母簽署的便條。無疑這是在門口悄悄地塞給這位夫人的，誘使她落入她們的控製之中。”
“妙極了，雷斯垂德，”福爾摩斯說着笑了起來，“你真不簡單，讓我看一下。"他不在意地拿起那張紙條，但他的註意力立刻又被吸引住，並且滿意地叫了一聲。"這的確非常重要，"他說。
“哈哈，你也發現是這麽一回事了？”
“極其重要。我熱烈地祝賀你。”
雷斯垂德洋洋得意地站了起來，又低下頭去看一眼。"這是怎麽一回事？"他失聲地叫了起來，“你看反了！”
“恰恰相反，這纔是正面。”
“正面？你瘋了！這兒纔是用鉛筆寫的便條。”
“哦，這兒，這兒看來是一張旅館的帳單，這使我很感興趣。”
“那上面沒有什麽，我也看過。"雷斯垂德說，"'１０月４日，房間８先令，早飯２先令６便士，雞尾酒１先令，午飯２先令６便士，葡萄酒８便士。'
我看不出這說明什麽問題。”
“你可能看不出什麽來，但它還是十分重要的。至於便條，也很重要。或者說，至少這些起首字母的簽字是很重要的，所以我再次嚮你祝賀。”
“我時間浪費得夠多了，"雷斯垂德說着站了起來，“我相信艱苦的工作，不相信坐在壁爐邊編造出色的理論。再見，福爾摩斯先生，讓我們瞧瞧是誰先把事情弄個水落石出。"他收拾起衣服，把它們塞進提包，嚮門口走去。
“給你一點暗示，雷斯垂德，"在他的對手走出去之前，福爾摩斯懶洋洋地說，“我可以把這件事的真正答案告訴你。聖西蒙夫人是位神話式的人物。現在沒有，過去嚮來也沒有過這樣一個人。”
雷斯垂德陰鬱地看了我的同伴一眼，接着回過頭來瞧瞧我，輕輕地在前額上拍了三下，一本正經地搖了搖頭，就急急忙忙地走了。
他剛一關上身後的房門，福爾摩斯就站了起來，穿上外衣。“這傢夥說的戶外工作有點道理，”他說，“所以我想，華生，我得把你撇下一會兒。你看報吧。”
歇洛剋·福爾摩斯離開我的時候是五點多鐘，但是我根本沒有感到寂寞。因為還不到一個小時，就來了一個點心鋪的夥計，送來一個很大的平底食盒。他帶來的一個年輕人幫助他打開食盒，我立即十分驚奇地看到一份十分豐盛的冷食晚餐擺在我們寒酸的寓所的餐桌上。兩對山鷸，一隻野雞，一塊肥鵝肝餅和幾瓶陳年老酒。這些佳餚美酒擺放停當之後，那兩位不速之客，就象天方夜譚裏的精靈那樣，倏忽消逝，除了聲明這些東西已經付過帳了，他們是按照吩咐送到這個地方之外，沒有再作什麽解釋。
剛好在九點鐘以前，福爾摩斯腳步輕盈地走進房間。他神情很嚴肅，但他兩眼閃閃發光，這使我相信，他所做的結論並沒有使他失望。
“那麽，他們已經把晚餐擺上了。"他搓着手說。
“你好象有客人要來。他們擺了五份。”
“是的，我相信，會有客人順便來訪的，”他說。"我很奇怪為什麽聖西蒙勳爵還沒有到。哈哈，我敢說我聽到了他在樓梯上的腳步聲。”
確實是我們上午來過的客人。他急急忙忙地走了進來，更起勁地晃動着他的眼鏡，在他那貴族氣派的面容上，顯出非常不安的表情。
“那麽說我的信差到你那裏去過了？"福爾摩斯問道。
“是的，我承認信的內容使我感到無比的震驚。你有充分的根據證明你的話嗎？”
“最充分的根據。”
聖西蒙勳爵一屁股坐在椅子上，一隻手按着前額。
“如果公爵聽說他的家庭成員之中有人受到這般的羞辱，他會怎麽說呢？"他小聲地嘟噥着。
“這純粹是一場誤會，我不認為這是一種羞辱。”
“啊？你是從另外一個觀點看待這些問題的。”
“我看不出有誰該受到責備，我難以想象這位小姐除此之外還有別的什麽辦法，雖然她處理這件事的方法有點突然。無疑這是令人感到遺憾的。在這樣的關鍵時刻，沒有母親在跟前，是沒有別人給她出主意的。”
“這是一種蔑視，先生，公然的蔑視。"聖西蒙勳爵用手指敲着桌子說。
“你一定要原諒這位可憐的姑娘，她的處境是誰也沒有經歷過的。”
“我决不能原諒她，我被可恥地玩弄了，我確實非常生氣。”
“我好象聽到門鈴響，”福爾摩斯說，"對，樓梯口有腳步聲。如果我勸說不了你對這件事要寬大為懷的話，聖西蒙勳爵，我請來了一位支持我的見解的人，這個人也許更能胜任。”他打開門，讓進了一位女士和一位先生。“聖西蒙勳爵，”他說，
“請允許我嚮你介紹，這是弗朗西斯·海·莫爾頓先生和夫人。這位女士，我想你已經見過。”
一見到新來的人，我們的委托人從椅子上一躍而起，筆直地站在那裏，雙眼下垂，一隻手插進大禮服的前胸，一副尊嚴受到傷害的樣子。那位女士嚮前緊走幾步，嚮他伸出手，但是他還是不肯擡起頭來看她，這樣做或許是為了表示他的决心，因為她那懇求的臉色是很難拒絶的。
“你生氣了，羅伯特，"她說，“是的，我想你是完全有理由生氣的。”
“請你不必嚮我道歉，"聖西蒙勳爵滿懷妒忌地說。
“哦，是的，我知道我是太對不起你了。我在出走之前應當對你說一聲，但是當時我有點心慌意亂。從我在這裏又見到弗蘭剋時期，我簡直不知道我說了些什麽和做了些什麽。我當時竟沒在聖壇前摔倒和昏過去，真有點奇怪。”
“莫爾頓太太，也許你在解釋的時候，希望我和我的朋友離開這房間一下吧？”
“如果我可以談談我的看法，"那位陌生的先生說道，“對於這件事，我們已經保密得有些太過份了。就我來說，我倒願意整個歐洲和美洲的人都來聽聽事情的。"這位先生是一位瘦長結實、皮膚曬得黝黑的人，臉上颳得幹幹淨淨，面部輪廓分明，舉止顯得很機警的樣子。
“那麽，我現在就來把事情的經過說給你們聽吧，"那位女士說道，“我和這位弗蘭剋是一八八四年在落磯山附近的麥圭爾營地認識的。爸爸當時正在經營一個礦場。我和弗蘭剋訂了婚。後來有一天爸爸突然挖到了一個富礦，從此發了財。可是這位可憐的弗蘭剋所占有的土地上的礦脈卻漸漸變小，以至於完全消失了。我的爸爸越來越富，弗蘭剋卻越來越窮。所以，後來爸爸硬是不同意我們的婚約繼續下去。他把我帶到舊金山去。儘管如此，弗蘭剋不願意放手，於是，他接着也到了那裏，並且瞞着爸爸和我見面。讓爸爸知道衹會使他生氣，所以，我們就自己做了安排。弗蘭剋說，他也要去發一筆財，直到他象爸爸一樣富有，他纔回來跟我結婚。我當時答應等他一輩子，並且發誓衹要他活着，我就不嫁給別人。'那麽，為什麽我們不馬上就結婚呢？'他說，‘這樣我對你就感到放心了，無須在我回來以後要求人傢承認我是你的丈夫。'哦，就這樣，我們經過了商量，他把一切都安排得那麽妥貼，請好了一位牧師，我們當即舉行了婚禮。過後，弗蘭剋就離開了我去奔前程，而我則回到了爸爸身邊。
“我再次聽到弗蘭剋的消息是他到了蒙大拿，接着在亞利桑那探礦。以後我又聽說他在新墨西哥。在那以後報上登出過一篇長期報道，說有一個礦工營地如何遭到亞利桑那印第安人的襲擊，死亡者的名單中有我的弗蘭剋的名字。我看了以後昏厥過去。接着我纏綿病床達數月之久，病得非常厲害。爸爸以為我得了癆病，帶我去找遍了整個舊金山大約一半的醫生。一年多來，音信杳然，因而我從不懷疑弗蘭剋是真的死了。以後，聖西蒙勳爵來到舊金山，我們到了倫敦。婚事定了下來，爸爸非常高興。但是我總覺得我的心已經給了我可憐的弗蘭剋，世界上再沒有哪一個男人能代替他。
“話雖如此，要是我嫁給聖西蒙勳爵，當然我會盡我對他的義務。我們不能勉強我們的愛情，但是我們卻可以勉強我們的行動。我和他一起步嚮聖壇時是懷着盡我所能來作他的好妻子的意願的。但是你們可以想象，我當時的感覺如何，那就是：正當我走到聖壇欄桿前的時候，我回首一瞥，忽然看到弗蘭剋站在第一排座位那裏望着我。起初我還以為是他的鬼魂出現。但是當我再往那兒看時，發現他仍在那裏，眼睛裏露出幾分疑惑的神色，好象在問，我見到了他，是高興還是難過。我奇怪我怎麽沒有昏過去。我衹感到天旋地轉，牧師的話，就象一隻蜜蜂嗡嗡地在我的耳朵裏響着。我不知道該怎麽辦纔好。難道我應該打斷儀式的進行，在教堂裏鬧出一場風波來嗎？我又瞧了他一眼，他看來好象知道我在想些什麽，因為他把手指貼在嘴唇上，示意我不要作聲。接着我看到他在一張紙上草草地寫了幾個字，我明白他是在寫一張便條給我。我在出來的路上經過那排座位時，讓花束掉落在他的座位前面，當他撿起花束給我時，悄悄把紙條塞在我的手裏。紙條上衹有一行字，要我在他嚮我發出信號時，就跟着他走。當然，我絶無絲毫懷疑我首要的義務是嚮他盡責，並且决心完全按照他的要求去做。
“回到寓所，我告訴了我的女傭人。她在加利福尼亞時就認識他，並且一直和他很友好。我囑咐她什麽也不要說，衹要收拾一些東西，準備好我的長外套。我知道我應該嚮聖西蒙勳爵說明一下，但是在他母親和那些大人物面前難以張口，我衹好下决心不辭而別，以後再作解釋。我到餐桌就座還不到十分鐘，就看見弗蘭剋站在窗外馬路的另一邊。他嚮我招了招手，隨即走進了公園，我穿戴好溜了出來，跟上他。這時有一個女人過來跟我談了些聖西蒙勳爵的閑話，從她的隻言片語中透露，似乎他在結婚前也有他自己的一點兒秘密，但是我設法擺脫了她，很快就趕上了弗蘭剋。我們一起坐上了一輛出租馬車，駛往他在戈登廣場租下的寓所。在盼了那麽些歲月之後，這次我纔真的算是結婚了。弗蘭剋在亞利桑那被印地安人囚禁過，後來他越獄逃跑，長途跋涉來到舊金山。他發現我以為他死了，並且已經到英國去了。他追蹤到了這裏，終於在我舉行第二次婚禮的當天早上找到了我。”
“我是在一張報紙上看到的，"這位美國人補充說。"報紙上登着教堂的名字，但沒有提到女方的住處。”
“接着我們就商量該怎麽辦，弗蘭剋主張完全公開。但是我對這一切感到非常的慚愧，我但願從此銷聲匿跡，永遠不再見到他們之中的任何一個人——也許，給爸爸寫張條子，表明我尚在人間就是了。我一想起那些爵士們、夫人們正圍坐在早餐桌旁等我回去，心裏就忐忑不安。於是，弗蘭剋為了使別人找不到我，就把我的結婚禮服和氣它東西收拾起來捆成一包，扔到一個沒有人找得到的地方。本來我們明天就可能到巴黎去了，要不是這位好心的福爾摩斯先生今天晚上來找我們的話。雖然我想象不出他是怎樣發現我們的地址的，但是他善意和清楚地開導了我們，指出我是錯了，弗蘭剋是對的，而我們這樣怕人傢知道，那要犯很大的錯誤。然後，他提出給我們一個跟聖西蒙勳爵單獨談話的機會，所以，我們就立即到這裏來了。好了，羅伯特，你現在什麽都明白了吧。如果我使你感到痛苦，那我就太抱歉了。希望你不要把我想得太卑鄙。”
聖西蒙勳爵一點沒有放鬆他那僵硬的姿勢，而是皺着眉頭，緊綳着嘴唇，在聽着這篇冗長的敘述。
“對不起，”他說，“這樣公開地討論純屬我個人的私事，我是很不習慣的。”
“那麽說，你不肯原諒我了？你不肯在我走以前和我握一下手嗎？”
“噢，當然可以，如果這樣做會使你高興的話。"他伸出他的手，冷淡地握了一個她伸過來的手。
“我本來希望，"福爾摩斯提議說，“你能和我們共進一頓友好的晚餐。”
“我覺得，你的要求有點過份了，"勳爵回答說，“我可能默認最近的事態發展，但也別指望我會很高興。我想如果你們許可的話，我現在祝你們各位晚安。"他嚮我們大傢很快地鞠了個躬，就昂首闊步地走出了房間。
“那麽，我相信，至少你們不會不給我點面子吧，"歇洛剋·福爾摩斯說，“結交一個美國人，總是令人愉快的，莫爾頓先生，許多人包括我在內相信，多年以前的一位君王的愚蠢行為和一位大臣的錯誤，將不會妨礙我們的子孫在某一天成為同一世界大國的公民，在這個國土上，飄揚着米字旗和星條旗鑲嵌在一起的國旗。”
“這是一件非常有趣的案子。"我們的客人走後福爾摩斯說，“因為它非常清楚地說明，一件在開始時看起來幾乎無法解釋的事情，後來解釋起來卻又是多麽的簡單。沒有任何事情比這位女士所敘述的事情發生的先後次序更自然的了。可是另一些人，比如說蘇格蘭場的雷斯垂德先生，依他看來，就沒有什麽事情比這事情的結局更奇怪的了。”
“那麽，你一直就一點都沒有弄錯嗎？”
“從一開始，對我來說就有兩件事情非常清楚。一件是那位女士原來非常願意舉行婚禮；另一件是但她在回傢後還不到幾分鐘的時間就後悔了。那麽很明顯，一定是早上發生了點什麽事，使得她改變了主意。這件事可能是什麽呢？出了門以後，她不可能同任何人說過話，因為新郎一直在陪着她。那麽，她有沒有看到什麽熟人呢？如果有的話，這個人必然是從美國來的。因為她來到這個國傢的日子很短，不可能會有什麽人給她造成這麽深刻的影響，以致衹是看了那麽一眼，就會使她完全改變她的計劃。你瞧，經過一係列的去偽存真，我們已經得到這樣一個結論，就是她可能看到了一個美國人。那末，這個美國人又能是誰呢？他為什麽對她具有那麽大的影響呢？可能是個情人，也可能是她的丈夫。我知道，她年輕時是在艱難而奇特的環境中度過的。在我聽到聖西蒙勳爵的敘述之前，我衹瞭解這麽一些。當他告訴我們以下這些情況：在一排座位裏有一位男人，新娘的態度起了變化，顯然是為了取得字條而從手裏掉下了花束的這麽一個把戲，她求助於她的心腹女僕以及她提到的侵占土地——這在采礦者的行話中意味着占據別人原來已占有的探礦權——這一很有含意的暗示，整個情況就十分清楚了。她跟一個男人走了，那麽這個男人不是她的情人，就一定是她過去的丈夫，丈夫的可能性要大一些。”
“你究竟是怎麽找到他們的呢？”
“本來可能是很難找到的，可是雷斯垂德老兄手裏已經掌握了他自己還不知道評價值的情報。當然，那幾個姓名的起首字母是最重要的，但是比這更有價值的是，知道了他在一周之內曾經在倫敦一所最高級的旅館結過帳這個事實。”
“你怎麽推斷出來是最高級的旅館呢？”
“根據這麽昂貴的價格推斷出來的：八先令一個床位，八便士一杯葡萄酒，由此可以看出那是一傢最豪華的旅館。倫敦收費這麽高的旅館並不多。在諾森伯蘭大街我訪問的第二傢旅館裏，通過查閱登記簿，我發現有一位美國先生弗朗西斯·Ｈ·莫爾頓，剛剛在前一天離開。在查看他名下的帳目時，我又恰巧發現我在復寫的收據上已經看到過的那些帳目。這位美國先生留下話要求將他的信件轉到戈登廣場２２６號。於是，我就趕到那裏，很幸運地發現這對愛侶正好在傢。我冒昧地以長輩的身份嚮他們提出了一點意見。我嚮他們指出，不論從哪方面來說，他們都最好嚮公衆，特別是嚮聖西蒙勳爵將他們的處境表白得更清楚一點。我邀請他們到這裏來和他見面，並且，正如你所看到的，我使他遵守了約會。”
“但是，結局不夠理想，"我說道，"他的舉止肯定不夠大方。”
“哈，華生，"福爾摩斯微笑着說，“假如你經過求婚、結婚等一係列的麻煩事之後，卻發現瞬刻之間妻子和財富不翼而飛了，恐怕你也不會很大方的。我想我們看待聖西蒙勳爵不妨寬容一些，並且謝天謝地不要有一天讓我們落到同樣的地步。請你將椅子嚮前挪挪，把那小提琴遞給我。現在還需要我們解决的唯一問題是，如何消磨這以後的凄涼的秋夜。”
It was a few weeks before my own marriage, during the days when I was still sharing rooms with Holmes in Baker Street, that he came home from an afternoon stroll to find a letter on the table waiting for him. I had remained indoors all day, for the weather had taken a sudden turn to rain, with high autumnal winds, and the Jezail bullet which I had brought back in one of my limbs as a relic of my Afghan campaign throbbed with dull persistence. With my body in one easy-chair and my legs upon another, I had surrounded myself with a cloud of newspapers until at last, saturated with the news of the day, I tossed them all aside and lay listless, watching the huge crest and monogram upon the envelope upon the table and wondering lazily who my friend's noble correspondent could be.
"Here is a very fashionable epistle," I remarked as he entered. "Your morning letters, if I remember right, were from a fish-monger and a tide-waiter."
"Yes, my correspondence has certainly the charm of variety," he answered, smiling, "and the humbler are usually the more interesting. This looks like one of those unwelcome social summonses which call upon a man either to be bored or to lie."
He broke the seal and glanced over the contents.
"Oh, come, it may prove to be something of interest, after all."
"Not social, then?"
"No, distinctly professional."
"And from a noble client?"
"One of the highest in England."
"My dear fellow, I congratulate you."
"I assure you, Watson, without affectation, that the status of my client is a matter of less moment to me than the interest of his case. It is just possible, however, that that also may not be wanting in this new investigation. You have been reading the papers diligently of late, have you not?"
"It looks like it," said I ruefully, pointing to a huge bundle in the corner. "I have had nothing else to do."
"It is fortunate, for you will perhaps be able to post me up. I read nothing except the criminal news and the agony column. The latter is always instructive. But if you have followed recent events so closely you must have read about Lord St. Simon and his wedding?"
"Oh, yes, with the deepest interest."
"That is well. The letter which I hold in my hand is from Lord St. Simon. I will read it to you, and in return you must turn over these papers and let me have whatever bears upon the matter. This is what he says:
"'MY DEAR MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES:--Lord Backwater tells me that I may place implicit reliance upon your judgment and discretion. I have determined, therefore, to call upon you and to consult you in reference to the very painful event which has occurred in connection with my wedding. Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, is acting already in the matter, but he assures me that he sees no objection to your co-operation, and that he even thinks that it might be of some assistance. I will call at four o'clock in the afternoon, and, should you have any other engagement at that time, I hope that you will postpone it, as this matter is of paramount importance. Yours faithfully, ST. SIMON.'
"It is dated from Grosvenor Mansions, written with a quill pen, and the noble lord has had the misfortune to get a smear of ink upon the outer side of his right little finger," remarked Holmes as he folded up the epistle.
"He says four o'clock. It is three now. He will be here in an hour."
"Then I have just time, with your assistance, to get clear upon the subject. Turn over those papers and arrange the extracts in their order of time, while I take a glance as to who our client is." He picked a red-covered volume from a line of books of reference beside the mantelpiece. "Here he is," said he, sitting down and flattening it out upon his knee. "'Lord Robert Walsingham de Vere St. Simon, second son of the Duke of Balmoral.' Hum! 'Arms: Azure, three caltrops in chief over a fess sable. Born in 1846.' He's forty-one years of age, which is mature for marriage. Was Under-Secretary for the colonies in a late administration. The Duke, his father, was at one time Secretary for Foreign Affairs. They inherit Plantagenet blood by direct descent, and Tudor on the distaff side. Ha! Well, there is nothing very instructive in all this. I think that I must turn to you Watson, for something more solid."
"I have very little difficulty in finding what I want," said I, "for the facts are quite recent, and the matter struck me as remarkable. I feared to refer them to you, however, as I knew that you had an inquiry on hand and that you disliked the intrusion of other matters."
"Oh, you mean the little problem of the Grosvenor Square furniture van. That is quite cleared up now--though, indeed, it was obvious from the first. Pray give me the results of your newspaper selections."
"Here is the first notice which I can find. It is in the personal column of the Morning Post, and dates, as you see, some weeks back: 'A marriage has been arranged,' it says, 'and will, if rumour is correct, very shortly take place, between Lord Robert St. Simon, second son of the Duke of Balmoral, and Miss Hatty Doran, the only daughter of Aloysius Doran. Esq., of San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A.' That is all."
"Terse and to the point," remarked Holmes, stretching his long, thin legs towards the fire.
"There was a paragraph amplifying this in one of the society papers of the same week. Ah, here it is: 'There will soon be a call for protection in the marriage market, for the present free-trade principle appears to tell heavily against our home product. One by one the management of the noble houses of Great Britain is passing into the hands of our fair cousins from across the Atlantic. An important addition has been made during the last week to the list of the prizes which have been borne away by these charming invaders. Lord St. Simon, who has shown himself for over twenty years proof against the little god's arrows, has now definitely announced his approaching marriage with Miss Hatty Doran, the fascinating daughter of a California millionaire. Miss Doran, whose graceful figure and striking face attracted much attention at the Westbury House festivities, is an only child, and it is currently reported that her dowry will run to considerably over the six figures, with expectancies for the future. As it is an open secret that the Duke of Balmoral has been compelled to sell his pictures within the last few years, and as Lord St. Simon has no property of his own save the small estate of Birchmoor, it is obvious that the Californian heiress is not the only gainer by an alliance which will enable her to make the easy and common transition from a Republican lady to a British peeress.'"
"Anything else?" asked Holmes, yawning.
"Oh, yes; plenty. Then there is another note in the Morning Post to say that the marriage would be an absolutely quiet one, that it would be at St. George's, Hanover Square, that only half a dozen intimate friends would be invited, and that the party would return to the furnished house at Lancaster Gate which has been taken by Mr. Aloysius Doran. Two days later--that is, on Wednesday last--there is a curt announcement that the wedding had taken place, and that the honeymoon would be passed at Lord Backwater's place, near Petersfield. Those are all the notices which appeared before the disappearance of the bride."
"Before the what?" asked Holmes with a start.
"The vanishing of the lady."
"When did she vanish, then?"
"At the wedding breakfast."
"Indeed. This is more interesting than it promised to be; quite dramatic, in fact."
"Yes; it struck me as being a little out of the common."
"They often vanish before the ceremony, and occasionally during the honeymoon; but I cannot call to mind anything quite so prompt as this. Pray let me have the details."
"I warn you that they are very incomplete."
"Perhaps we may make them less so."
"Such as they are, they are set forth in a single article of a morning paper of yesterday, which I will read to you. It is headed, 'Singular Occurrence at a Fashionable Wedding':
"'The family of Lord Robert St. Simon has been thrown into the greatest consternation by the strange and painful episodes which have taken place in connection with his wedding. The ceremony, as shortly announced in the papers of yesterday, occurred on the previous morning; but it is only now that it has been possible to confirm the strange rumours which have been so persistently floating about. In spite of the attempts of the friends to hush the matter up, so much public attention has now been drawn to it that no good purpose can be served by affecting to disregard what is a common subject for conversation.
"'The ceremony, which was performed at St. George's, Hanover Square, was a very quiet one, no one being present save the father of the bride, Mr. Aloysius Doran, the Duchess of Balmoral, Lord Backwater, Lord Eustace and Lady Clara St. Simon (the younger brother and sister of the bridegroom), and Lady Alicia Whittington. The whole party proceeded afterwards to the house of Mr. Aloysius Doran, at Lancaster Gate, where breakfast had been prepared. It appears that some little trouble was caused by a woman, whose name has not been ascertained, who endeavoured to force her way into the house after the bridal party, alleging that she had some claim upon Lord St. Simon. It was only after a painful and prolonged scene that she was ejected by the butler and the footman. The bride, who had fortunately entered the house before this unpleasant interruption, had sat down to breakfast with the rest, when she complained of a sudden indisposition and retired to her room. Her prolonged absence having caused some comment, her father followed her, but learned from her maid that she had only come up to her chamber for an instant, caught up an ulster and bonnet, and hurried down to the passage. One of the footmen declared that he had seen a lady leave the house thus apparelled, but had refused to credit that it was his mistress, believing her to be with the company. On ascertaining that his daughter had disappeared, Mr. Aloysius Doran, in conjunction with the bridegroom, instantly put themselves in communication with the police, and very energetic inquiries are being made, which will probably result in a speedy clearing up of this very singular business. Up to a late hour last night, however, nothing had transpired as to the whereabouts of the missing lady. There are rumours of foul play in the matter, and it is said that the police have caused the arrest of the woman who had caused the original disturbance, in the belief that, from jealousy or some other motive, she may have been concerned in the strange disappearance of the bride.'"
"And is that all?"
"Only one little item in another of the morning papers, but it is a suggestive one."
"And it is--"
"That Miss Flora Millar, the lady who had caused the disturbance, has actually been arrested. It appears that she was formerly a danseuse at the Allegro, and that she has known the bridegroom for some years. There are no further particulars, and the whole case is in your hands now--so far as it has been set forth in the public press."
"And an exceedingly interesting case it appears to be. I would not have missed it for worlds. But there is a ring at the bell, Watson, and as the clock makes it a few minutes after four, I have no doubt that this will prove to be our noble client. Do not dream of going, Watson, for I very much prefer having a witness, if only as a check to my own memory."
"Lord Robert St. Simon," announced our page-boy, throwing open the door. A gentleman entered, with a pleasant, cultured face, high-nosed and pale, with something perhaps of petulance about the mouth, and with the steady, well-opened eye of a man whose pleasant lot it had ever been to command and to be obeyed. His manner was brisk, and yet his general appearance gave an undue impression of age, for he had a slight forward stoop and a little bend of the knees as he walked. His hair, too, as he swept off his very curly-brimmed hat, was grizzled round the edges and thin upon the top. As to his dress, it was careful to the verge of foppishness, with high collar, black frock-coat, white waistcoat, yellow gloves, patent-leather shoes, and light-coloured gaiters. He advanced slowly into the room, turning his head from left to right, and swinging in his right hand the cord which held his golden eyeglasses.
"Good-day, Lord St. Simon," said Holmes, rising and bowing. "Pray take the basket-chair. This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson. Draw up a little to the fire, and we will talk this matter over."
"A most painful matter to me, as you can most readily imagine, Mr. Holmes. I have been cut to the quick. I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of society."
"No, I am descending."
"I beg pardon."
"My last client of the sort was a king."
"Oh, really! I had no idea. And which king?"
"The King of Scandinavia."
"What! Had he lost his wife?"
"You can understand," said Holmes suavely, "that I extend to the affairs of my other clients the same secrecy which I promise to you in yours."
"Of course! Very right! very right! I'm sure I beg pardon. As to my own case, I am ready to give you any information which may assist you in forming an opinion."
"Thank you. I have already learned all that is in the public prints, nothing more. I presume that I may take it as correct-- this article, for example, as to the disappearance of the bride."
Lord St. Simon glanced over it. "Yes, it is correct, as far as it goes."
"But it needs a great deal of supplementing before anyone could offer an opinion. I think that I may arrive at my facts most directly by questioning you."
"Pray do so."
"When did you first meet Miss Hatty Doran?"
"In San Francisco, a year ago."
"You were travelling in the States?"
"Yes."
"Did you become engaged then?"
"No."
"But you were on a friendly footing?"
"I was amused by her society, and she could see that I was amused."
"Her father is very rich?"
"He is said to be the richest man on the Pacific slope."
"And how did he make his money?"
"In mining. He had nothing a few years ago. Then he struck gold, invested it, and came up by leaps and bounds."
"Now, what is your own impression as to the young lady's--your wife's character?"
The nobleman swung his glasses a little faster and stared down into the fire. "You see, Mr. Holmes," said he, "my wife was twenty before her father became a rich man. During that time she ran free in a mining camp and wandered through woods or mountains, so that her education has come from Nature rather than from the schoolmaster. She is what we call in England a tomboy, with a strong nature, wild and free, unfettered by any sort of traditions. She is impetuous--volcanic, I was about to say. She is swift in making up her mind and fearless in carrying out her resolutions. On the other hand, I would not have given her the name which I have the honour to bear"--he gave a little stately cough--"had not I thought her to be at bottom a noble woman. I believe that she is capable of heroic self-sacrifice and that anything dishonourable would be repugnant to her."
"Have you her photograph?"
"I brought this with me." He opened a locket and showed us the full face of a very lovely woman. It was not a photograph but an ivory miniature, and the artist had brought out the full effect of the lustrous black hair, the large dark eyes, and the exquisite mouth. Holmes gazed long and earnestly at it. Then he closed the locket and handed it back to Lord St. Simon.
"The young lady came to London, then, and you renewed your acquaintance?"
"Yes, her father brought her over for this last London season. I met her several times, became engaged to her, and have now married her."
"She brought, I understand, a considerable dowry?"
"A fair dowry. Not more than is usual in my family."
"And this, of course, remains to you, since the marriage is a fait accompli?"
"I really have made no inquiries on the subject."
"Very naturally not. Did you see Miss Doran on the day before the wedding?"
"Yes."
"Was she in good spirits?"
"Never better. She kept talking of what we should do in our future lives."
"Indeed! That is very interesting. And on the morning of the wedding?"
"She was as bright as possible--at least until after the ceremony."
"And did you observe any change in her then?"
"Well, to tell the truth, I saw then the first signs that I had ever seen that her temper was just a little sharp. The incident however, was too trivial to relate and can have no possible bearing upon the case."
"Pray let us have it, for all that."
"Oh, it is childish. She dropped her bouquet as we went towards the vestry. She was passing the front pew at the time, and it fell over into the pew. There was a moment's delay, but the gentleman in the pew handed it up to her again, and it did not appear to be the worse for the fall. Yet when I spoke to her of the matter, she answered me abruptly; and in the carriage, on our way home, she seemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause."
"Indeed! You say that there was a gentleman in the pew. Some of the general public were present, then?"
"Oh, yes. It is impossible to exclude them when the church is open."
"This gentleman was not one of your wife's friends?"
"No, no; I call him a gentleman by courtesy, but he was quite a common-looking person. I hardly noticed his appearance. But really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point."
"Lady St. Simon, then, returned from the wedding in a less cheerful frame of mind than she had gone to it. What did she do on re-entering her father's house?"
"I saw her in conversation with her maid."
"And who is her maid?"
"Alice is her name. She is an American and came from California with her."
"A confidential servant?"
"A little too much so. It seemed to me that her mistress allowed her to take great liberties. Still, of course, in America they look upon these things in a different way."
"How long did she speak to this Alice?"
"Oh, a few minutes. I had something else to think of."
"You did not overhear what they said?"
"Lady St. Simon said something about 'jumping a claim.' She was accustomed to use slang of the kind. I have no idea what she meant."
"American slang is very expressive sometimes. And what did your wife do when she finished speaking to her maid?"
"She walked into the breakfast-room."
"On your arm?"
"No, alone. She was very independent in little matters like that. Then, after we had sat down for ten minutes or so, she rose hurriedly, muttered some words of apology, and left the room. She never came back."
"But this maid, Alice, as I understand, deposes that she went to her room, covered her bride's dress with a long ulster, put on a bonnet, and went out."
"Quite so. And she was afterwards seen walking into Hyde Park in company with Flora Millar, a woman who is now in custody, and who had already made a disturbance at Mr. Doran's house that morning."
"Ah, yes. I should like a few particulars as to this young lady, and your relations to her."
Lord St. Simon shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. "We have been on a friendly footing for some years--I may say on a very friendly footing. She used to be at the Allegro. I have not treated her ungenerously, and she had no just cause of complaint against me, but you know what women are, Mr. Holmes. Flora was a dear little thing, but exceedingly hot-headed and devotedly attached to me. She wrote me dreadful letters when she heard that I was about to be married, and, to tell the truth, the reason why I had the marriage celebrated so quietly was that I feared lest there might be a scandal in the church. She came to Mr. Doran's door just after we returned, and she endeavoured to push her way in, uttering very abusive expressions towards my wife, and even threatening her, but I had foreseen the possibility of something of the sort, and I had two police fellows there in private clothes, who soon pushed her out again. She was quiet when she saw that there was no good in making a row."
"Did your wife hear all this?"
"No, thank goodness, she did not."
"And she was seen walking with this very woman afterwards?"
"Yes. That is what Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, looks upon as so serious. It is thought that Flora decoyed my wife out and laid some terrible trap for her."
"Well, it is a possible supposition."
"You think so, too?"
"I did not say a probable one. But you do not yourself look upon this as likely?"
"I do not think Flora would hurt a fly."
"Still, jealousy is a strange transformer of characters. Pray what is your own theory as to what took place?"
"Well, really, I came to seek a theory, not to propound one. I have given you all the facts. Since you ask me, however, I may say that it has occurred to me as possible that the excitement of this affair, the consciousness that she had made so immense a social stride, had the effect of causing some little nervous disturbance in my wife."
"In short, that she had become suddenly deranged?"
"Well, really, when I consider that she has turned her back--I will not say upon me, but upon so much that many have aspired to without success--I can hardly explain it in any other fashion."
"Well, certainly that is also a conceivable hypothesis," said Holmes, smiling. "And now, Lord St. Simon, I think that I have nearly all my data. May I ask whether you were seated at the breakfast-table so that you could see out of the window?"
"We could see the other side of the road and the Park."
"Quite so. Then I do not think that I need to detain you longer. I shall communicate with you."
"Should you be fortunate enough to solve this problem," said our client, rising.
"I have solved it."
"Eh? What was that?"
"I say that I have solved it."
"Where, then, is my wife?"
"That is a detail which I shall speedily supply."
Lord St. Simon shook his head. "I am afraid that it will take wiser heads than yours or mine," he remarked, and bowing in a stately, old-fashioned manner he departed.
"It is very good of Lord St. Simon to honour my head by putting it on a level with his own," said Sherlock Holmes, laughing. "I think that I shall have a whisky and soda and a cigar after all this cross-questioning. I had formed my conclusions as to the case before our client came into the room."
"My dear Holmes!"
"I have notes of several similar cases, though none, as I remarked before, which were quite as prompt. My whole examination served to turn my conjecture into a certainty. Circumstantial evidence is occasionally very convincing, as when you find a trout in the milk, to quote Thoreau's example."
"But I have heard all that you have heard."
"Without, however, the knowledge of pre-existing cases which serves me so well. There was a parallel instance in Aberdeen some years back, and something on very much the same lines at Munich the year after the Franco-Prussian War. It is one of these cases--but, hullo, here is Lestrade! Good-afternoon, Lestrade! You will find an extra tumbler upon the sideboard, and there are cigars in the box."
The official detective was attired in a pea-jacket and cravat, which gave him a decidedly nautical appearance, and he carried a black canvas bag in his hand. With a short greeting he seated himself and lit the cigar which had been offered to him.
"What's up, then?" asked Holmes with a twinkle in his eye. "You look dissatisfied."
"And I feel dissatisfied. It is this infernal St. Simon marriage case. I can make neither head nor tail of the business."
"Really! You surprise me."
"Who ever heard of such a mixed affair? Every clue seems to slip through my fingers. I have been at work upon it all day."
"And very wet it seems to have made you," said Holmes laying his hand upon the arm of the pea-jacket.
"Yes, I have been dragging the Serpentine."
"In heaven's name, what for?"
"In search of the body of Lady St. Simon."
Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily.
"Have you dragged the basin of Trafalgar Square fountain?" he asked.
"Why? What do you mean?"
"Because you have just as good a chance of finding this lady in the one as in the other."
Lestrade shot an angry glance at my companion. "I suppose you know all about it," he snarled.
"Well, I have only just heard the facts, but my mind is made up."
"Oh, indeed! Then you think that the Serpentine plays no part in the matter?"
"I think it very unlikely."
"Then perhaps you will kindly explain how it is that we found this in it?" He opened his bag as he spoke, and tumbled onto the floor a wedding-dress of watered silk, a pair of white satin shoes and a bride's wreath and veil, all discoloured and soaked in water. "There," said he, putting a new wedding-ring upon the top of the pile. "There is a little nut for you to crack, Master Holmes."
"Oh, indeed!" said my friend, blowing blue rings into the air. "You dragged them from the Serpentine?"
"No. They were found floating near the margin by a park-keeper. They have been identified as her clothes, and it seemed to me that if the clothes were there the body would not be far off."
"By the same brilliant reasoning, every man's body is to be found in the neighbourhood of his wardrobe. And pray what did you hope to arrive at through this?"
"At some evidence implicating Flora Millar in the disappearance."
"I am afraid that you will find it difficult."
"Are you, indeed, now?" cried Lestrade with some bitterness. "I am afraid, Holmes, that you are not very practical with your deductions and your inferences. You have made two blunders in as many minutes. This dress does implicate Miss Flora Millar."
"And how?"
"In the dress is a pocket. In the pocket is a card-case. In the card-case is a note. And here is the very note." He slapped it down upon the table in front of him. "Listen to this: 'You will see me when all is ready. Come at once. F.H.M.' Now my theory all along has been that Lady St. Simon was decoyed away by Flora Millar, and that she, with confederates, no doubt, was responsible for her disappearance. Here, signed with her initials, is the very note which was no doubt quietly slipped into her hand at the door and which lured her within their reach."
"Very good, Lestrade," said Holmes, laughing. "You really are very fine indeed. Let me see it." He took up the paper in a listless way, but his attention instantly became riveted, and he gave a little cry of satisfaction. "This is indeed important," said he.
"Ha! you find it so?"
"Extremely so. I congratulate you warmly."
Lestrade rose in his triumph and bent his head to look. "Why," he shrieked, "you're looking at the wrong side!"
"On the contrary, this is the right side."
"The right side? You're mad! Here is the note written in pencil over here."
"And over here is what appears to be the fragment of a hotel bill, which interests me deeply."
"There's nothing in it. I looked at it before," said Lestrade. "'Oct. 4th, rooms 8s., breakfast 2s. 6d., cocktail 1s., lunch 2s. 6d., glass sherry, 8d.' I see nothing in that."
"Very likely not. It is most important, all the same. As to the note, it is important also, or at least the initials are, so I congratulate you again."
"I've wasted time enough," said Lestrade, rising. "I believe in hard work and not in sitting by the fire spinning fine theories. Good-day, Mr. Holmes, and we shall see which gets to the bottom of the matter first." He gathered up the garments, thrust them into the bag, and made for the door.
"Just one hint to you, Lestrade," drawled Holmes before his rival vanished; "I will tell you the true solution of the matter. Lady St. Simon is a myth. There is not, and there never has been, any such person."
Lestrade looked sadly at my companion. Then he turned to me, tapped his forehead three times, shook his head solemnly, and hurried away.
He had hardly shut the door behind him when Holmes rose to put on his overcoat. "There is something in what the fellow says about outdoor work," he remarked, "so I think, Watson, that I must leave you to your papers for a little."
It was after five o'clock when Sherlock Holmes left me, but I had no time to be lonely, for within an hour there arrived a confectioner's man with a very large flat box. This he unpacked with the help of a youth whom he had brought with him, and presently, to my very great astonishment, a quite epicurean little cold supper began to be laid out upon our humble lodging-house mahogany. There were a couple of brace of cold woodcock, a pheasant, a p?té de foie gras pie with a group of ancient and cobwebby bottles. Having laid out all these luxuries, my two visitors vanished away, like the genii of the Arabian Nights, with no explanation save that the things had been paid for and were ordered to this address.
Just before nine o'clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the room. His features were gravely set, but there was a light in his eye which made me think that he had not been disappointed in his conclusions.
"They have laid the supper, then," he said, rubbing his hands.
"You seem to expect company. They have laid for five."
"Yes, I fancy we may have some company dropping in," said he. "I am surprised that Lord St. Simon has not already arrived. Ha! I fancy that I hear his step now upon the stairs."
It was indeed our visitor of the afternoon who came bustling in, dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever, and with a very perturbed expression upon his aristocratic features.
"My messenger reached you, then?" asked Holmes.
"Yes, and I confess that the contents startled me beyond measure. Have you good authority for what you say?"
"The best possible."
Lord St. Simon sank into a chair and passed his hand over his forehead.
"What will the Duke say," he murmured, "when he hears that one of the family has been subjected to such humiliation?"
"It is the purest accident. I cannot allow that there is any humiliation."
"Ah, you look on these things from another standpoint."
"I fail to see that anyone is to blame. I can hardly see how the lady could have acted otherwise, though her abrupt method of doing it was undoubtedly to be regretted. Having no mother, she had no one to advise her at such a crisis."
"It was a slight, sir, a public slight," said Lord St. Simon, tapping his fingers upon the table.
"You must make allowance for this poor girl, placed in so unprecedented a position."
"I will make no allowance. I am very angry indeed, and I have been shamefully used."
"I think that I heard a ring," said Holmes. "Yes, there are steps on the landing. If I cannot persuade you to take a lenient view of the matter, Lord St. Simon, I have brought an advocate here who may be more successful." He opened the door and ushered in a lady and gentleman. "Lord St. Simon," said he "allow me to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Francis Hay Moulton. The lady, I think, you have already met."
At the sight of these newcomers our client had sprung from his seat and stood very erect, with his eyes cast down and his hand thrust into the breast of his frock-coat, a picture of offended dignity. The lady had taken a quick step forward and had held out her hand to him, but he still refused to raise his eyes. It was as well for his resolution, perhaps, for her pleading face was one which it was hard to resist.
"You're angry, Robert," said she. "Well, I guess you have every cause to be."
"Pray make no apology to me," said Lord St. Simon bitterly.
"Oh, yes, I know that I have treated you real bad and that I should have spoken to you before I went; but I was kind of rattled, and from the time when I saw Frank here again I just didn't know what I was doing or saying. I only wonder I didn't fall down and do a faint right there before the altar."
"Perhaps, Mrs. Moulton, you would like my friend and me to leave the room while you explain this matter?"
"If I may give an opinion," remarked the strange gentleman, "we've had just a little too much secrecy over this business already. For my part, I should like all Europe and America to hear the rights of it." He was a small, wiry, sunburnt man, clean-shaven, with a sharp face and alert manner.
"Then I'll tell our story right away," said the lady. "Frank here and I met in '84, in McQuire's camp, near the Rockies, where pa was working a claim. We were engaged to each other, Frank and I; but then one day father struck a rich pocket and made a pile, while poor Frank here had a claim that petered out and came to nothing. The richer pa grew the poorer was Frank; so at last pa wouldn't hear of our engagement lasting any longer, and he took me away to 'Frisco. Frank wouldn't throw up his hand, though; so he followed me there, and he saw me without pa knowing anything about it. It would only have made him mad to know, so we just fixed it all up for ourselves. Frank said that he would go and make his pile, too, and never come back to claim me until he had as much as pa. So then I promised to wait for him to the end of time and pledged myself not to marry anyone else while he lived. 'Why shouldn't we be married right away, then,' said he, 'and then I will feel sure of you; and I won't claim to be your husband until I come back?' Well, we talked it over, and he had fixed it all up so nicely, with a clergyman all ready in waiting, that we just did it right there; and then Frank went off to seek his fortune, and I went back to pa.
"The next I heard of Frank was that he was in Montana, and then he went prospecting in Arizona, and then I heard of him from New Mexico. After that came a long newspaper story about how a miners' camp had been attacked by Apache Indians, and there was my Frank's name among the killed. I fainted dead away, and I was very sick for months after. Pa thought I had a decline and took me to half the doctors in 'Frisco. Not a word of news came for a year and more, so that I never doubted that Frank was really dead. Then Lord St. Simon came to 'Frisco, and we came to London, and a marriage was arranged, and pa was very pleased, but I felt all the time that no man on this earth would ever take the place in my heart that had been given to my poor Frank.
"Still, if I had married Lord St. Simon, of course I'd have done my duty by him. We can't command our love, but we can our actions. I went to the altar with him with the intention to make him just as good a wife as it was in me to be. But you may imagine what I felt when, just as I came to the altar rails, I glanced back and saw Frank standing and looking at me out of the first pew. I thought it was his ghost at first; but when I looked again there he was still, with a kind of question in his eyes, as if to ask me whether I were glad or sorry to see him. I wonder I didn't drop. I know that everything was turning round, and the words of the clergyman were just like the buzz of a bee in my ear. I didn't know what to do. Should I stop the service and make a scene in the church? I glanced at him again, and he seemed to know what I was thinking, for he raised his finger to his lips to tell me to be still. Then I saw him scribble on a piece of paper, and I knew that he was writing me a note. As I passed his pew on the way out I dropped my bouquet over to him, and he slipped the note into my hand when he returned me the flowers. It was only a line asking me to join him when he made the sign to me to do so. Of course I never doubted for a moment that my first duty was now to him, and I determined to do just whatever he might direct.
"When I got back I told my maid, who had known him in California, and had always been his friend. I ordered her to say nothing, but to get a few things packed and my ulster ready. I know I ought to have spoken to Lord St. Simon, but it was dreadful hard before his mother and all those great people. I just made up my mind to run away and explain afterwards. I hadn't been at the table ten minutes before I saw Frank out of the window at the other side of the road. He beckoned to me and then began walking into the Park. I slipped out, put on my things, and followed him. Some woman came talking something or other about Lord St. Simon to me--seemed to me from the little I heard as if he had a little secret of his own before marriage also--but I managed to get away from her and soon overtook Frank. We got into a cab together, and away we drove to some lodgings he had taken in Gordon Square, and that was my true wedding after all those years of waiting. Frank had been a prisoner among the Apaches, had escaped, came on to 'Frisco, found that I had given him up for dead and had gone to England, followed me there, and had come upon me at last on the very morning of my second wedding."
"I saw it in a paper," explained the American. "It gave the name and the church but not where the lady lived."
"Then we had a talk as to what we should do, and Frank was all for openness, but I was so ashamed of it all that I felt as if I should like to vanish away and never see any of them again--just sending a line to pa, perhaps, to show him that I was alive. It was awful to me to think of all those lords and ladies sitting round that breakfast-table and waiting for me to come back. So Frank took my wedding-clothes and things and made a bundle of them, so that I should not be traced, and dropped them away somewhere where no one could find them. It is likely that we should have gone on to Paris to-morrow, only that this good gentleman, Mr. Holmes, came round to us this evening, though how he found us is more than I can think, and he showed us very clearly and kindly that I was wrong and that Frank was right, and that we should be putting ourselves in the wrong if we were so secret. Then he offered to give us a chance of talking to Lord St. Simon alone, and so we came right away round to his rooms at once. Now, Robert, you have heard it all, and I am very sorry if I have given you pain, and I hope that you do not think very meanly of me."
Lord St. Simon had by no means relaxed his rigid attitude, but had listened with a frowning brow and a compressed lip to this long narrative.
"Excuse me," he said, "but it is not my custom to discuss my most intimate personal affairs in this public manner."
"Then you won't forgive me? You won't shake hands before I go?"
"Oh, certainly, if it would give you any pleasure." He put out his hand and coldly grasped that which she extended to him.
"I had hoped," suggested Holmes, "that you would have joined us in a friendly supper."
"I think that there you ask a little too much," responded his Lordship. "I may be forced to acquiesce in these recent developments, but I can hardly be expected to make merry over them. I think that with your permission I will now wish you all a very good-night." He included us all in a sweeping bow and stalked out of the room.
"Then I trust that you at least will honour me with your company," said Sherlock Holmes. "It is always a joy to meet an American, Mr. Moulton, for I am one of those who believe that the folly of a monarch and the blundering of a minister in far-gone years will not prevent our children from being some day citizens of the same world-wide country under a flag which shall be a quartering of the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes."
"The case has been an interesting one," remarked Holmes when our visitors had left us, "because it serves to show very clearly how simple the explanation may be of an affair which at first sight seems to be almost inexplicable. Nothing could be more natural than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady, and nothing stranger than the result when viewed, for instance, by Mr. Lestrade of Scotland Yard."
"You were not yourself at fault at all, then?"
"From the first, two facts were very obvious to me, the one that the lady had been quite willing to undergo the wedding ceremony, the other that she had repented of it within a few minutes of returning home. Obviously something had occurred during the morning, then, to cause her to change her mind. What could that something be? She could not have spoken to anyone when she was out, for she had been in the company of the bridegroom. Had she seen someone, then? If she had, it must be someone from America because she had spent so short a time in this country that she could hardly have allowed anyone to acquire so deep an influence over her that the mere sight of him would induce her to change her plans so completely. You see we have already arrived, by a process of exclusion, at the idea that she might have seen an American. Then who could this American be, and why should he possess so much influence over her? It might be a lover; it might be a husband. Her young womanhood had, I knew, been spent in rough scenes and under strange conditions. So far I had got before I ever heard Lord St. Simon's narrative. When he told us of a man in a pew, of the change in the bride's manner, of so transparent a device for obtaining a note as the dropping of a bouquet, of her resort to her confidential maid, and of her very significant allusion to claim-jumping--which in miners' parlance means taking possession of that which another person has a prior claim to--the whole situation became absolutely clear. She had gone off with a man, and the man was either a lover or was a previous husband--the chances being in favour of the latter."
"And how in the world did you find them?"
"It might have been difficult, but friend Lestrade held information in his hands the value of which he did not himself know. The initials were, of course, of the highest importance, but more valuable still was it to know that within a week he had settled his bill at one of the most select London hotels."
"How did you deduce the select?"
"By the select prices. Eight shillings for a bed and eightpence for a glass of sherry pointed to one of the most expensive hotels. There are not many in London which charge at that rate. In the second one which I visited in Northumberland Avenue, I learned by an inspection of the book that Francis H. Moulton, an American gentleman, had left only the day before, and on looking over the entries against him, I came upon the very items which I had seen in the duplicate bill. His letters were to be forwarded to 226 Gordon Square; so thither I travelled, and being fortunate enough to find the loving couple at home, I ventured to give them some paternal advice and to point out to them that it would be better in every way that they should make their position a little clearer both to the general public and to Lord St. Simon in particular. I invited them to meet him here, and, as you see, I made him keep the appointment."
"But with no very good result," I remarked. "His conduct was certainly not very gracious."
"Ah, Watson," said Holmes, smiling, "perhaps you would not be very gracious either, if, after all the trouble of wooing and wedding, you found yourself deprived in an instant of wife and of fortune. I think that we may judge Lord St. Simon very mercifully and thank our stars that we are never likely to find ourselves in the same position. Draw your chair up and hand me my violin, for the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away these bleak autumnal evenings."
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