shèng xī méng xūn jué de hūn shì jí qí qí guài de jié jú， cháng jiǔ yǐ lái yǐ bù zài shì tā zhè wèi bù xìng de xīn láng yǔ zhī zhōu xuán de shàng liú shè huì rén shì suǒ gǎn xīng qù de huà tí liǎo。 xīn de chǒu wén yǐ jīng shǐ zhī 'àn rán shī sè， tā men nà xiē gèng jiā miào qù héng shēng de xì qíng， yǐ jiāng sì nián qián de zhè yī xì jù xìng shì jiàn tuī xiàng mù hòu。 rán 'ér， yóu yú wǒ yòu lǐ yóu rèn wéi zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ de quán bù cóng wèi xiàng dà zhòng tòu lù guò， ér wǒ de péng yǒu xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī yòu céng wéi nòng qīng zhè shì jiàn zuò chū guò zhòng dà gòng xiàn， suǒ yǐ， wǒ jué dé rú guǒ bù duì zhè yī hěn bù xún cháng de shì jiàn zuò yī jiǎn yào de miáo shù， nà duì tā de yè jì de jì lù jiāng shì bù gòu wán zhěng de。
　　 nà hái shì wǒ hé fú 'ěr mó sī yī qǐ zhù zài bèi kè jiē de shí hòu， wǒ jié hūn qián jǐ gè xīng qī de yī tiān， fú 'ěr mó sī wǔ hòu sàn bù huí lái， kàn dào zhuō zǐ shàng yòu tā de yī fēng xìn。 nà tiān tū rán yīn yǔ mián mián， jiā shàng qiū fēngjìng chuī， wǒ de gēbei yóu yú cán liú zhe zuò wèiwǒ dāng nián cān jiā 'ā fù hàn zhàn yì de jì niàn pǐn de nà kē 'ā fù hàn bù qiāng zǐ dàn， yòu yǐn yǐn zuò tòng bù zhǐ， yīn cǐ wǒ zhěng tiān dāi zài jiā lǐ。 wǒ tǎng zài yī zhāng 'ān lè yǐ lǐ， bǎ shuāng tuǐ dā zài lìng yī zhāng yǐ zǐ shàng， mái tóu zài bǎi mǎn shēn biān de bào zhǐ duī lǐ， zhí dào zuì hòu， nǎo dài lǐ zhuāng mǎn liǎo dāng tiān de xīn wén， wǒ cái bǎ bào zhǐ diū kāi， wú jīng dǎ cǎi dì tǎng zài nà lǐ， kàn zhe zhuō zǐ shàng nà fēng xìn de xìn fēng shàng duān de jù dà shì zhāng hé jiāo zhì zì mǔ， yī miàn lǎn yáng yáng dì chuàiduó zhe shì nǎ wèi guì zú gěi wǒ de péng ① yǒu xiě liǎo zhè fēng xìn。
　　 zài tā jìn wū shí， wǒ shuō： “ zhè 'ér yòu yī fēng fēi cháng shí máo de shū xìn。 rú guǒ wǒ méi yòu jì cuò de huà， nǐ zǎo chén de nà xiē lái xìn shì yī gè yú fàn zǐ hé yī gè hǎi guān jiǎn chá yuán xiě de。 ”
　　“ duì， wǒ de xìn jiàn kěn dìng jù yòu fēng fù duō cǎi yǐn rén rù shèng de dì fāng， " tā xiào zhe huí dá shuō，“ tōng cháng yuè shì pǔ tōng de rén xiě lái de xìn yuè shì yòu qù。 kě shì zhè fēng kàn lái xiàng shì yī zhāng bù shòu huān yíng de shè jiāo shàng yòng de chuán piào shì de xìn， jiào nǐ bù shì gǎn dào yàn fán jiù shì yào shuō huǎng cái xíng。”
　　 tā chāi kāi liǎo xìn fēng， liú lǎn liǎo xìn de nèi róng。
　　“ ō， nǐ lái qiáo， shuō bù dìng dǎo shì yī jiàn yòu qù de shì ní！”
　　“ nà me bù shì shè jiāo de liǎo？”
　　“ bù， xiǎn 'ér yì jiàn shì yè wù xìng de。”
　　“ yī wèi guì zú de wěi tuō rén xiě lái de？”
　　“ yīng guó dì wèi zuì gāo de guì zú zhī yī。”
　　“ lǎo xiōng， wǒ zhù hè nǐ。”
　　“ shuō shí huà， huá shēng， wǒ kě yǐ kěn dìng duì nǐ shuō， duì wǒ lái shuō， zhè wèi wěi tuō rén de shè huì dì wèi bù shì shénme liǎo bù qǐ de shì qíng， wǒ gèng gǎn xīng qù shì tā de 'àn qíng。 rán 'ér， zài zhè jiàn xīn 'àn jiàn de diào chá zhōng， hěn kě néng guān yú tā de shè huì dì wèi de qíng kuàng yě hái shì bù kě huò quē de。 nǐ zuì jìn yī zhí hěn zǎi xì dì zài kàn bào， shì má？”
　　“ kàn lái hǎo xiàng shì zhè yàng。 " wǒ zhǐ liǎo zhǐ jiǎo luò lǐ de yī dà duī bào zhǐ jù sàng
　　① zhǐ yìn zài xìn fēng huò xìn jiān shàng dùn xíng wén zhāng shàng duān de shì zhāng hé xìng míng děng qǐ shǒu zì mǔ xiāng hù jiāo zhì chéng de tú 'àn。 héng héng yì zhě zhù dì shuō，“ wǒ méi yòu bié de shì kě zuò。”
　　“ zhēn zǒu yùn， yě xǔ nǐ néng xiàng wǒ tí gōng yī xiē zuì xīn de qíng kuàng。 wǒ shì chú liǎo fàn zuì de xiāo xī hé xún rén guǎng gào lán zhī wài， bié de yī gài bù kàn。 xún rén guǎng gào lán zǒng shì hěn qǐ fā rén de。 nǐ jì rán nà me liú xīn zuì jìn fā shēng de shì， nǐ bì dìng kàn dào guò guān yú shèng xī méng xūn jué hé tā hūn lǐ de xiāo xī bā？”
　　“ ō， shì de， wǒ shì huái zhe mò dà de xīng qù lái yuè dú zhè xiāo xī de。”
　　“ nà hěn hǎo， wǒ shǒu zhōng zhè fēng xìn jiù shì shèng xī méng xūn jué xiě lái de。 wǒ dú gěi nǐ tīng tīng， nǐ zé yī dìng yào fān yī biàn zhè xiē bào zhǐ， xiàng wǒ tí gōng suǒ yòu guān yú zhè jiàn shì de xiāo xī。 tā shì zhè me xiě de： ‘ qīn 'ài de xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng：
　　 jù bā kè wò tè xūn jué gào zhī， wǒ kě yǐ jué duì xìn lài nín de fēn xī hé pàn duàn lì。 yīn cǐ wǒ jué dìng dēng mén bài fǎng， jiù yòu guān wǒ jǔ xíng hūn lǐ 'ér fā shēng de lìng rén fēi cháng tòng xīn de yì wài shì jiàn xiàng nín qǐng jiào。 sū gé lán chǎng de léi sī chuí dé xiān shēng yǐ jīng shòu lǐ zhè yī 'àn jiàn。 dàn shì tā xiàng wǒ shēng míng， tā rèn wéi méi yòu lǐ yóu bù hé nín hé zuò。 tā shèn zhì rèn wéi nín de hé zuò kě néng huì yòu suǒ bāng zhù。 xià wǔ sì diǎn， wǒ jiāng dēng mén qiú jiào， jiè shí nín rú lìng yòu yuē huì， xī wàng shāo hòu réng néng huì yú jiē jiàn wéi hé， yīn wéi zhè jiàn shì zhì guān zhòng yào。
　　 nín zhōng shí de shèng xī méng '
　　“ zhè fēng xìn fā zì gé luó fū nà dà shà， shì yòng 'é máo bǐ xiě de。 zūn guì de xūn jué bù xiǎo xīn zài tā yòu xiǎo zhǐ de wài cè zhān shàng liǎo yī dī mò shuǐ。 " fú 'ěr mó sī yī biān dié zhe xìn yī biān shuō。
　　“ tā yuē dìng sì diǎn zhōng lái。 xiàn zài shì sān diǎn， tā jí jiāng zài yī xiǎo shí nèi dào zhè lǐ lái。”
　　“ nà me， yòu nǐ de bāng zhù， wǒ hái lái dé jí bǎ zhè jiàn shì nòng míng bái。 fān yī xià zhè xiē bào zhǐ， àn shí jiān shùn xù bǎ yòu guān de zhāi lù pái hǎo， wǒ lái kàn yī xià wǒ men zhè wèi wěi tuō rén de shēn shì。 " tā cóng bì lú jià bàng de yī pái cān kǎo shū zhōng chōu chū yī běn hóng pí shū。 " zài zhè 'ér ní，” tā shuō zhe zuò xià lái， bǎ shū píng pū zài xī gài shàng，“ luó bó tè · wò 'ěr xīn 'è mǔ · dé wéi 'ěr · shèng xī méng xūn jué， bā 'ěr mò lā 'ěr gōng jué de cì zǐ。 hē！ xūn zhāng！ tiān lán de dǐ sè， hēi sè de zhōng dài shàng sān gè tiě jí lí。 shēng yú yī bā sì liù nián， xiàn nián sì shí yī suì， zhè yǐ shì chéng shú de jié hūn nián líng。 zài shàng jiè zhèng fǔ zhōng dān rèn guò zhí mín dì shì wù fù dà chén。 tā de fù qīn， nà wèi gōng jué， yòu yī shí qī dāng guò wài jiāo dà chén。 tā men jì chéng liǎo 'ān rú wáng cháo de xuè tǒng， shì tā de zhí xì hòu yì。 mǔ xì xuè tǒng wéi dū duó wáng cháo。 hā！ zhè xiē bìng méi yòu shénme zhǐ dǎo yì yì。 wǒ kàn， huá shēng， wǒ hái dé qǐng nǐ tí gōng yī xiē gèng shí zài de qíng kuàng。”
　　“ wǒ méi zěn me fèi shì jiù zhǎo dào liǎo xiǎng yào zhǎo de qíng kuàng， " wǒ shuō，“ shì qíng fā shēng bù jiǔ， gěi wǒ de yìn xiàng yòu hěn shēn。 rán 'ér， wǒ guò qù méi gǎn duì nǐ shuō。 yīn wéi wǒ zhī dào nǐ shǒu tóu zhèng yòu yī jiàn 'àn zǐ， ér nǐ yòu bù xǐ huān yòu qí tā shì dǎ rǎo nǐ。”
　　“ ō， nǐ zhǐ de shì gé luó fū nà guǎng chǎng jiā jù bān yùn chē de nà jiàn xiǎo shì bā。 xiàn zài yǐ wán quán gǎo qīng chǔ liǎo héng héng qí shí cóng yī kāi shǐ jiù hěn míng bái。 qǐng nǐ bǎ fān jiǎn bào zhǐ de jiēguǒ gào sù wǒ bā。”
　　“ zhè shì wǒ néng zhǎo dào de dì yī tiáo xiāo xī， dēng zài《 chén yóu bào》 de qǐ shì lán lǐ。 rì qī shì， nǐ qiáo， jǐ zhōu yǐ qián： '（ jù shuō） bā 'ěr mò lā 'ěr gōng jué de cì zǐ， luó bó tè · shèng xī méng xūn jué， yǔ měi guó jiā lì fú ní yà zhōu jiù jīn shān 'ā luò yī xiū sī · duō lán xiān shēng de dú shēng nǚ hā dì · duō lán xiǎo jiě de hūn shì， yǐ jīng 'ān pái jiù xù， rú guǒ chuán wén shǔ shí， zuì jìn jí jiāng jǔ xíng hūn lǐ。 ' jiù zhè xiē。”
　　“ jiǎn míng 'ě yào，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō。 tā bǎ tā nà yòu shòu yòu cháng de tuǐ shēn xiàng huǒ lú bàng biān。
　　“ tóng yī zhōu nèi yī fèn shè jiāo jiè de bào zhǐ shàng duì zhè jiàn shì yòu yī duàn gèng xiáng xì de jìzǎi。 ā， zài zhè 'ér： ' zài hūn yīn shì chǎng shàng bù jiǔ jiāng huì chū xiàn yào qiú cǎi qǔ bǎo hù zhèng cè de hū shēng， yīn wéi mù qián zhè zhǒng zì yóu mào yì shì de hūn yīn zhèng cè， kàn lái duì wǒ men yīng guó tóng bāo jí wéi bù lì。 dà bù liè diān míng mén wàng zú dà quán bàng luò， yī gè jiē yī gè dì wéi lái zì dà xī yáng bǐ 'àn de nǚ biǎo qīn suǒ zhǎng wò。 shàng zhōu zhè xiē wǔ mèi de rù qīn zhě zài tā men duó zǒu de shèng lì pǐn míng dān zhōng， yòu tiān shàng liǎo yī wèi zhòng yào rén wù。 shèng xī méng xūn jué 'èr shí duō nián lái cóng wèi duò rù qíng wǎng， xiàn zài què míng què dì xuān bù jí jiāng yǔ jiā lì fú ní yà bǎi wàn fù wēng de lìng rén yī jiàn qīng xīn de nǚ 'ér hā dì · duō lán xiǎo jiě jié hūn。 duō lán xiǎo jiě shì yī wèi dú shēng nǚ。 tā yōu yǎ de tǐ tài hé jīng rén de měi mào zài wéi sī tè bó lǐ gōng de qìng diǎn huān yàn shàng， yǐn qǐ liǎo rén men jí dà de zhù yì。 zuì jìn chuán shuō， tā de jià zhuāng jiāng dà dà chāo guò liù wèi shù zì， yù qī jiāng lái hái huì yòu qí tā zēng yì。 yóu yú bā 'ěr mò lā 'ěr gōng jué jìn nián lái bù dé bù chū mài zì jǐ de cáng huà， zhè yǐ chéng wéi gōng kāi de mì mì， ér shèng xī méng xūn jué chú bó qí mù 'ěr huāng dì nà fěi bó de chǎn yè zhī wài， yī wú suǒ yòu， suǒ yǐ zhè wèi jiā lì fú ní yà de nǚ jì chéng rén tōng guò zhè yī lián yān shǐ tā yóu yī wèi nǚ gòng hé dǎng rén qīng 'ér yì jǔ dì yī yuè 'ér chéng wéi bù liè diān de guì fù， xiǎn rán zhè bù zhǐ shì tā zhè yī fāng miàn zhàn liǎo piányí。 '”
　　“ hái yòu shénme bié de má？ " fú 'ěr mó sī dǎzháo hē qiàn wèn dào。
　　“ ō， yòu， duō zhe ní。《 chén yóu bào》 shàng hái yòu lìng yī tiáo duǎn xùn shuō： hūn lǐ jiāng jué duì cóng jiǎn； bìng yù dìng zài hàn nuò fó guǎng chǎng de shèng qiáo zhì dà jiào táng jǔ xíng； jiè shí jiāng jǐn jǐn yāo qǐng jǐ wèi zhì qīn hǎo yǒu cān jiā； hūn lǐ hòu， xīn hūn fū fù jí qīn yǒu děng jiāng fǎn huí 'ā luò yī xiū sī · duō lán xiān shēng zài lán kāi sī tè gài tè zū lìn de bèi yòu jiā jù de yù suǒ。 liǎng tiān hòu， yě jiù shì shàng xīng qī sān， yòu yī gè jiǎn dān de tōng gào， xuān gào hūn lǐ yǐ jīng jǔ xíng。 xīn hūn fū fù jiāng zài bǐ dé sī fěi 'ěr dé fù jìn de bā kè wò tè xūn jué bié shù huān dù mì yuè。 zhè shì xīn niàn shī zōng yǐ qián de quán bù bào dào。”
　　“ zài shénme yǐ qián？ " fú 'ěr mó sī chī jīng dì wèn dào。
　　“ zài zhè wèi xiǎo jiě shī zōng yǐ qián。”
　　“ nà me tā shì zài shénme shí hòu shī zōng de ní？”
　　“ zài hūn lǐ hòu chī zǎo cān de shí hòu。”
　　“ què shí， bǐ yuán lái xiǎng xiàng de yào yòu qù dé duō。 shì shí shàng， shì shí fēn xì jù xìng de。”
　　“ shì de， zhèng shì yóu yú bù tóng xún cháng， cái yǐn qǐ liǎo wǒ de zhù yì。”
　　“ tā men cháng cháng zài jǔ xíng jié hūn yí shì zhī qián shī zōng， ǒu 'ěr yě yòu zài mì yuè qī jiān shī zōng de。 dàn shì wǒ hái xiǎng bù qǐ lái yòu nǎ yī jiàn xiàng zhè cì nà me gān cuì de， qǐng nǐ bǎ xì jié quán shuō gěi wǒ tīng tīng。”
　　“ wǒ kě yòu yán zài xiān， zhè xiē cái liào shì hěn bù wán zhěng de。”
　　“ yě xǔ wǒ men kě yǐ bǎ tā men còu qǐ lái。”
　　“ jiù shì zhè yàng， zuó tiān chén bào shàng de yī piān wén zhāng tán dé hái bǐ jiào xiáng xì， ràng wǒ dú gěi nǐ tīng tīng。 biāo tí shì：《 shàng liú shè huì hūn lǐ zhōng de qí guài shì jiàn》。 ' luó bó tè · shèng xī méng xūn jué zài jǔ xíng hūn lǐ shí fā shēng de qí guài de bù xìng shì jiàn， shǐ tā men quán jiā jīng kǒng wàn zhuàng。 zhèng rú zuó tiān bào zhǐ shàng jiǎn yào dì bào dào de， hūn lǐ yí shì shì zài qián tiān shàng wǔ jǔ xíng de； kě shì zhí zhì rì qián， shǐ yòu kě néng duì bù duàn dào chù liú chuán de qí guài chuán wén yú yǐ zhèng shí。 jìn guǎn péng yǒu men shè fǎ zhē yǎn， cǐ shì què yǐ yǐn qǐ gōng zhòng de jí dà zhù yì。 yīn cǐ duì yǐ jīng chéng wéi gōng zhòng tán huà zī liào zhī shì， gù zuò bù yú lǐ cǎi de zī tài， shì háo wú bì yì de。
　　 hūn lǐ shì zài hàn nuò fó guǎng chǎng de shèng qiáo zhì dà jiào táng jǔ xíng， yí shì jiǎn dān， jí lì bù yú zhāng yáng。 chú liǎo xīn niàn de fù qīn， ā luò yī xiū sī · duō lán xiān shēng、 bā 'ěr mò lā 'ěr gōng jué fū rén、 bā kè wò tè xūn jué、 yóu sī tǎ sī xūn jué hé kè lā lā · shèng xī méng xiǎo jiě（ xīn láng de dì dì hé mèi mèi） yǐ jí 'ài lì xī yà · huì yán dùn fū rén wài， bié wú tā rén cān jiā。 hūn lǐ hòu， yīháng rén jí qián wǎng zài lán kāi sī tè gài tè de 'ā luò yī xiū sī · duō lán xiān shēng yù suǒ。 yù suǒ lǐ zǎo cān yǐ jīng zhǔn bèi jiù xù。 cǐ shí sì hū yòu yī gè nǚ rén yǐn qǐ liǎo mǒu xiē xiǎo má fán。 mù qián tā de xìng míng wèi xiáng。 tā gēn suí zài xīn niàn jí qí qīn yǒu zhī hòu， shì tú qiáng xíng chuǎng rù yù suǒ， shēng chēng tā yòu quán xiàng shèng xī méng xūn jué tí chū yào qiú。 zhǐ shì jīng guò cháng shí jiān shàfèi qí lì de jiū chán， guǎn jiā hé qì yì cái bǎ tā niǎn zǒu。 xìng kuī xīn niàn zài fā shēng zhè jiàn bù yú kuài de jiū fēn zhī qián yǐ jīng jìn rù shì nèi， tóng qīn yǒu yī qǐ jiù zuò gòng jìn zǎo cān， kě shì tā shuō tū rán gǎn dào bù shì， jiù huí dào zì jǐ de fáng jiān qù liǎo。 tā lí xí jiǔ jiǔ bù guī yǐn qǐ liǎo rén men de yì lùn， tā fù qīn jí qù zhǎo tā。 dàn jù tā de nǚ pú gào zhī， tā zhǐ dào tā de wò shì dòu liú piàn kè， hěn kuài ná liǎo yī jiàn cháng wài tào hé yī dǐng wú biān ruǎn mào， jiù jí jí máng máng xià lóu dào zǒu láng qù liǎo。 yī gè nán pú shēng chēng tā kàn dào yī gè zhè yàng zhuāng shù de tài tài lí kāi yù suǒ， dàn shì bù gǎn xiāng xìn nà jiù shì tā de nǚ zhù rén， yǐ wéi tā hái hé dà jiā zài yī qǐ。 ā luò yī xiū sī · duō lán xiān shēng zài kěn dìng nǚ 'ér què shí shì shī zōng liǎo yǐ hòu， jiù lì kè hé xīn láng yī qǐ tóng jǐng fāng lián xì。 mù qián zhèng zài dà lì diào chá。 zhè jiàn lí qí de shì qíng kě néng hěn kuài jiù huì shuǐ luò shí chū。 rán 'ér， zhí dào zuó tiān shēn yè， zhè wèi shī zōng de xiǎo jiě yǐ rán xià luò bù míng。 chū xiàn liǎo xǔ duō guān yú zhè jiàn shì de yáo yán， rèn wéi xīn niàn kě néng yù hài。 jù shuō jǐng fāng jū liú liǎo nà gè zuì chū yǐn qǐ jiū fēn de nǚ rén， rèn wéi tā chū yú lú jì huò qí tā dòng jī， kě néng yǔ xīn niàn qí guài de shī zōng yòu qiān lián。 '”
　　“ jiù zhè xiē má？”
　　“ zài lìng yī fèn chén bào shàng zhǐ yòu yī xiǎo tiáo xiāo xī， dàn shì què hěn yòu qǐ fā xìng。”
　　“ nèi róng shì ……”
　　“ fú luò lā · mǐ lè xiǎo jiě， yě jiù shì zhào shì de nà gè nǚ rén， shí jì shàng yǐ bèi dài bǔ。 tā yǐ qián sì hū zài 'ā lì gé luó dāng guò bā lěi wǔ nǚ yǎn yuán。 tā hé xīn láng xiāng shí yǐ yòu duō nián。 zài méi yòu gèng duō de xì jié liǎo。 xiàn zài jiù bào zhǐ yǐ fā biǎo de xiāo xī 'ér lùn， zhěng gè 'àn qíng nǐ yǐ jīng dōuzhī dào liǎo。”
　　“ kàn lái zhēn shì yī jiàn fēi cháng yòu qù de 'àn zǐ。 wǒ wú lùn rú hé yě bù néng bǎ tā fàng guò。 huá shēng， nǐ tīng， mén líng xiǎng liǎo， sì diǎn zhōng gāng guò yī diǎn 'ér， wǒ kěn dìng zhè yī dìng shì wǒ men gāo guì de wěi tuō rén lái liǎo。 bié lǎo xiǎng zǒu， huá shēng， yīn wéi wǒ fēi cháng xī wàng yòu yī gè jiàn zhèng rén， jí shǐ zhǐ shì wèile jiǎn yàn yī xià wǒ de jì yì lì yě hǎo。”
　　“ luó bó tè · shèng xī méng xūn jué dào！ " wǒ men de xiǎo tóng pú tuī kāi fáng mén bào gào shuō。 yī wèi shēn shì zǒu liǎo jìn lái。 tā de xiàngmào xǐ rén， xiǎn dé pō yòu jiào yǎng。 gāo gāo de bí zǐ， miàn sè cāng bái， zuǐ jiǎo wēi lù yùn yì， yòu zhe shēng lái jiù fā hào shī lìng nà lèi rén suǒ jù yòu de yī shuāng shén sè zhèn jìng、 zhēng dé dà dà de yǎn jīng。 tā jǔ zhǐ mǐn jié， rán 'ér tā zhěng gè wài biǎo què gěi rén yī zhǒng yǔ nián líng hěn bù xiāngchèn de yìn xiàng。 dāng tā zǒu lù shí， lüè yòu diǎn wān yāo tuó bèi， hái yòu diǎn qū xī。 tóu fā yě shì rú cǐ， dāng tā tuō qù tā nà dǐng mào yán gāo gāo juàn zhe de mào zǐ shí， zhǐ jiàn tóu bù zhōu wéi yī juàn huī bái de tóu fā， tóu dǐng shàng tóu fā xī xī lā lā。 zhì yú tā de chuānzhuó， nà shì kǎo jiū dé jìn yú fú huá： gāo gāo de yìng lǐng， hēi sè de dà lǐ fú， bái bèi xīn， huáng sè de shǒu tào， qī pí xié hé qiǎn sè de bǎng tuǐ。 tā màn màn dì zǒu jìn fáng nèi， yǎn jīng cóng zuǒ biān kàn dào yòu biān， yòu shǒu lǐ huàng dòng zhe xì jīn sī yǎn jìng de liàn zǐ。
　　“ nǐ hǎo， shèng xī méng xūn jué。 " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō zhe zhàn qǐ shēn lái， jū liǎo gè gōng。 " qǐng zuò zài zhè bǎ liǔ tiáo yǐ shàng。 zhè wèi shì wǒ de péng yǒu hé tóng shì、 huá shēng yī shēng。 wǎng huǒ lú qián kào jìn yī diǎn， ràng wǒ men lái tán tán zhè jiàn shì bā。”
　　“ nǐ hěn róng yì jiù néng xiǎng xiàng dào zhè shì yī jiàn duì wǒ lái shuō shí fēn tòng kǔ de shì， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 zhēn jiào wǒ tòng xīn jí shǒu。 wǒ zhī dào， xiān shēng， nǐ céng jīng chǔlǐ guò jǐ jiàn zhè lèi wēi miào de 'àn zǐ， jìn guǎn wǒ gū jì zhè xiē 'àn zǐ de wěi tuō rén de shè huì dì wèi hé zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ bù kě tóng rì 'ér yǔ。”
　　“ dàn shì， wěi tuō rén de shè huì dì wèi shì zài xià jiàng liǎo。”
　　“ duì bù qǐ qǐng zài shuō yī biàn。”
　　“ wǒ shàng cì zhè lèi 'àn zǐ de wěi tuō rén shì yī wèi guó wáng。”
　　“ ō， zhēn de má？ wǒ méi xiǎng dào， nǎ wèi guó wáng？”
　　“ sī kān de nà wéi yà guó wáng。”
　　“ shénme！ tā de qī zǐ yě shī zōng liǎo má？”
　　“ nǐ míng bái， " fú 'ěr mó sī hé 'ǎi dì shuō，“ wǒ duì qí tā wěi tuō rén de shì qíng bǎo shǒu mì mì， jiù xiàng wǒ dāyìng duì nǐ de shì qíng bǎo shǒu mì mì yī yàng。”
　　“ dāng rán shì zhè yàng， hěn duì！ hěn duì！ yī dìng yào qǐng nǐ yuán liàng。 zhì yú wǒ zhè gè 'àn zǐ， wǒ zhǔn bèi gào sù nǐ yī qiē yòu zhù yú nǐ zuò chū pàn duàn de qíng kuàng。”
　　“ xiè xiè， wǒ yǐ jīng kàn dào liǎo bào zhǐ shàng de quán bù bào dào， yě jiù shì zhè me xiē 'ér yǐ。 wǒ xiǎng， wǒ kě yǐ bǎ zhè xiē bào dào kàn zuò shì shǔ shí de héng héng lì rú zhè piān yòu guān xīn niàn shī zōng de bào dào。”
　　 shèng xī méng xūn jué kàn liǎo kàn，“ shì de， zhè piān bào dào suǒ shuō de qíng kuàng wán quán shǔ shí。”
　　“ dàn shì， wú lùn shì shuí zài tí chū tā de kàn fǎ yǐ qián， dū xū yào dà liàng de bǔ chōng cái liào。 wǒ xiǎng wǒ kě yǐ tōng guò xiàng nǐ tí wèn 'ér zhí jiē dé dào wǒ suǒ yào zhī dào de shì shí。”
　　“ qǐng tí wèn bā。”
　　“ nǐ dì yī cì jiàn dào hā dì · duō lán xiǎo jiě shì zài shénme shí hòu？”
　　“ yī nián yǐ qián， zài jiù jīn shān。”
　　“ dāng shí nǐ zhèng zài měi guó lǚ xíng？”
　　“ shì de。”
　　“ nǐ men nà shí hòu dìng hūn liǎo má？”
　　“ méi yòu。”
　　“ dàn shì yòu zhe yǒu hǎo de wǎng lái？”
　　“ wǒ néng hé tā jiāo wǎng gǎn dào hěn gāo xīng， tā néng gòu kàn chū wǒ hěn gāo xīng。”
　　“ tā de fù qīn hěn yòu qián？”
　　“ jù shuō tā shì tài píng yáng bǐ 'àn zuì yòu qián de rén。”
　　“ tā shì zěn yàng fā cái de ní？”
　　“ kāi kuàng。 jǐ nián yǐ qián， tā hái yī wú suǒ yòu。 yòu yī tiān， tā wā dào liǎo jīn kuàng， yú shì tóu zī kāi fā， cóng cǐ fēi huáng téng dá chéng liǎo bào fā hù。”
　　“ xiàn zài tán tán nǐ duì zhè wèi nián qīng de xiǎo jiě héng héng nǐ de qī zǐ de xìng gé de yìn xiàng zěn me yàng？”
　　 zhè wèi guì zú mù bù zhuǎn jīng dì kàn zhe bì lú， xì zài tā yǎn jìng shàng de liàn zǐ huàng dòng dé gèng kuài liǎo。 " nǐ zhī dào， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng，” tā shuō，“ wǒ de qī zǐ zài tā de fù qīn fā cái yǐ qián， yǐ jīng shì 'èr shí suì liǎo。 zài zhè shí qī， tā zài kuàng zhèn shàng wú jū wú shù， zhěng tiān zài shān shàng huò shù lín lǐ yóu dàng， suǒ yǐ tā suǒ shòu de jiào yù， yǔ qí shuō shì jiào shī chuán shòu de， hái bù rú shuō shì dà zì rán fù yú de。 tā shì yī gè wǒ men yīng guó rén suǒ shuō de wán pí gū niàn。 tā xìng gé pō là、 cū yě， ér yòu rèn xìng， fàng dàng bù jī， bù shòu rèn hé xí sú de yuē shù。 tā hěn xìng jí， wǒ jīhū xiǎng shuō shì bào zào。 tā qīng yì dì zuò chū jué dìng， gān qǐ lái tiān bù pà、 dì bù pà。 lìng yī fāng miàn， yào bù shì wǒ kǎo lǜ tā dào dǐ shì yī wèi gāo guì de nǚ rén， " tā zhuāng zhòng dì ké sòu liǎo yī shēng，“ wǒ shì jué bù huì ràng tā xiǎng shòu wǒ suǒ xiǎng yòu de gāo guì chēng hào de。 wǒ xiāng xìn， tā shì néng gòu zuò chū yīng yǒng de zì wǒ xī shēng， rèn hé bù míng yù de shì qíng dōushì tā suǒ shēn 'è tòng jué de。”
　　“ nǐ yòu tā de zhào piàn má？”
　　“ wǒ suí shēn dài zhe。 " tā dǎ kāi biǎo liàn shàng de xiǎo jīn hé， ràng wǒ men kàn yī wèi fēi cháng piào liàng de nǚ rén de zhěng gè miàn róng。 nà bù shì yī zhāng zhào piàn， ér shì yī gè xiàng yá xiù zhēn xiàng。 yì shù jiā chōng fēn fā huī liǎo nà guāng liàng de hēi fā、 yòu dà yòu hēi de yǎn jīng hé yōu měi de xiǎo zuǐ de gǎn rǎn lì。 fú 'ěr mó sī cháng shí jiān rèn zhēn dì duān xiáng nà huà xiàng， rán hòu hé shàng xiǎo hé， bǎ tā dì hái shèng xī méng xūn jué。
　　“ nà me， shì zhè wèi nián qīng de xiǎo jiě lái dào lún dūn hòu， nǐ men zhòng xù jiù qíng？”
　　“ shì de， tā fù qīn xié tóng tā lái cān jiā zhè yī cì lún dūn suì mò de shè jiāo huó dòng。 wǒ hé tā shù dù jù wù， bìng qiě dì jié liǎo hūn yuē， xiàn zài yòu hé tā jié liǎo hūn。”
　　“ wǒ tīng shuō tā dài lái liǎo yī fèn xiāng dāng kě guān de jià zhuāng？”
　　“ jià zhuāng shì xiāng dāng fēng fù de， hé wǒ men jiā zú tōng cháng de qíng kuàng chàbù duō。”
　　“ jì rán hūn lǐ shì shí shàng yǐ jīng jǔ xíng guò liǎo， zhè fèn jià zhuāng dāng rán guī nǐ liǎo？”
　　“ wǒ què shí méi yòu qù guò wèn zhè jiàn shì。”
　　“ méi yòu qù guò wèn shì zì rán de。 hūn lǐ de qián yī tiān nǐ jiàn guò duō lán xiǎo jiě má？”
　　“ jiàn guò。”
　　“ tā xīn qíng yú kuài bā？”
　　“ tā xīn qíng zài yú kuài yě méi yòu liǎo， tā yī zhí tán zhe wǒ men zài wèi lái de shēng huó zhōng yīngdāng zuò xiē shénme。”
　　“ zhēn de！ fēi cháng yòu qù。 nà me zài jié hūn nà tiān zǎo shàng ní？”
　　“ tā xǐ qì yáng yáng， gāo xīng jí liǎo， zhì shǎo zhí dào hūn lǐ jié shù shǐ zhōng shì zhè yàng。”
　　“ nà me zhè yǐ hòu nǐ zhù yì dào tā yòu shénme biàn huà má？”
　　“ ā， lǎo shí shuō， zhè shí hòu wǒ kàn dào liǎo wǒ cóng qián méi yòu kàn jiàn guò de dì yī gè jì xiàng。 tā de pí qì yòu xiē jí zào。 bù guò nà shì jiàn xiǎo shì， bù zhí yī tí， bìng qiě bù kě néng yǔ zhè gè 'àn jiàn yòu shénme guān xì。”
　　“ jìn guǎn zhè yàng， hái shì qǐng nǐ jiǎng jiǎng。”
　　“ āi， jiǎn zhí shì hái zǐ qì。 nà shì dāng wǒ men qù xiàng jiào táng de fǎ yī shì de shí hòu， tā shǒu lǐ de huā shù diào luò liǎo。 dāng shí tā zhèng zǒu guò qián pái zuò wèi， huā shù jiù diào zài zuò wèi qián miàn。 shāo wēi guò liǎo yī huì 'ér， zuò wèi shàng de xiān shēng bǎ huā shù shí qǐ lái dì gěi tā。 kàn lái zhè shù huā yǐ rán wán hǎo rú chū。 kě shì dāng wǒ hé tā tán qǐ zhè jiàn shì shí， tā huí dá wǒ de huà hěn shēng yìng。 huí jiā tú zhōng zài mǎ chē lǐ， tā sì hū wéi zhè jiàn wēi bù zú dào de xiǎo shì 'ér xīn fán yì luàn， shí zài lìng rén kě xiào。”
　　“ zhēn de！ nǐ shì shuō zài qián pái zuò wèi lǐ zuò zhe yī wèi xiān shēng， nà me dāng shí zài zuò de yě yòu yī bān qún zhòng liǎo？”
　　“ ò， shì de， jiào táng kāi mén de shí hòu， shì bù kě néng bù ràng tā men jìn qù de。”
　　“ zhè wèi xiān shēng bù huì shì nǐ qī zǐ de yī wèi péng yǒu má？”
　　“ bù huì， bù huì， wǒ chēng hū tā zuò xiān shēng shì chū yú lǐ mào， tā zhǐ bù guò shì yī gè kàn shàng qù hěn píng cháng de rén。 wǒ jīhū méi yòu zhù yì dào tā de róng mào。 dàn shì， wǒ xiǎng， zhēn de， wǒ men tán dé lí tí tài yuǎn liǎo。”
　　“ shèng xī méng fū rén hūn lǐ jié shù huí lái shí yuǎn méi yòu tā qù shí nà me xīn qíng yú kuài。 nà me， dāng tā chóngxīn huí dào tā bà bà yù suǒ de shí hòu， tā zuò liǎo shénme shì？”
　　“ wǒ kàn dào tā hé tā de nǚ yōng rén zài shuō huà。”
　　“ tā de nǚ yōng rén shì shénme rén？”
　　“ tā míng jiào 'ài lì sī， shì gè měi guó rén， cóng jiā lì fú ní yà hé tā yī qǐ lái de。”
　　“ yī míng xīn fù yōng rén？”
　　“ zhè me shuō yě xǔ yòu diǎn guò fèn。 zài wǒ kàn lái sì hū tā de nǚ zhù rén duì tā fēi cháng suí biàn， bù jū lǐ yí。 kě shì， dāng rán zài měi guó tā men duì zhè yī lèi shì qíng yòu bù tóng kàn fǎ。”
　　“ tā hé zhè wèi 'ài lì sī tán liǎo duō jiǔ？”
　　“ ò， jǐ fēn zhōng。 dāng shí wǒ zhèng zài kǎo lǜ yī xiē bié de shì。”
　　“ nǐ méi yòu tīng dào tā men shuō xiē shénme？”
　　“ shèng xī méng fū rén tán dào xiē ' qiáng zhàn bié rén tǔ dì ' de huà， tā zǒng shì guàn yú shuō zhè yī lèi de lǐ yǔ。 wǒ bù lǐ jiě tā zhǐ de shì shénme。”
　　“ měi guó de lǐ yǔ yòu shí shì hěn xíng xiàng huà de。 nǐ de qī zǐ hé nǚ yōng rén tán guò huà hòu zuò liǎo xiē shénme shì？”
　　“ tā zǒu jìn chī zǎo cān de fáng jiān。”
　　“ nǐ wǎn zhe tā zǒu jìn qù de má？”
　　“ bù， tā yī gè rén。 xiàng zhè yī lèi xiǎo jié， tā shì yī xiàng bù jiǎng jiū de。 jiē zhe， zài wǒ men jiù zuò dà yuē shí fēn zhōng yǐ hòu， tā jí jí máng máng dì zhàn qǐ shēn lái， gū nóng liǎo jǐ jù dào qiàn de huà， jiù lí kāi liǎo fáng jiān。 tā jiù zhè yàng yī qù bù fù fǎn liǎo。”
　　“ dàn shì， jù wǒ liǎo jiě， nà wèi nǚ yōng rén 'ài lì sī zuò zhèng shuō， nǚ zhù rén zǒu jìn zì jǐ de fáng jiān， yòng yī jiàn cháng wài tào zhào zài xīn niàn de lǐ fú shàng， dài shàng yī dǐng ruǎn mào， jiù chū qù liǎo。”
　　“ zhèng shì zhè yàng。 guò hòu， yòu rén kàn dào tā hé fú luò lā · mǐ lè yī dào zǒu jìn hǎi dé gōng yuán。 fú luò lā · mǐ lè jiù shì xiàn zài bèi jū liú de nà gè nǚ rén。 nà tiān zǎo shàng， tā céng jīng zài duō lán de yù suǒ lǐ rě qǐ yīcháng fēng bō。”
　　“ ā， shì de。 guān yú zhè wèi nián qīng de fù nǚ， wǒ xiǎng zhī dào tā de yī diǎn jù tǐ qíng kuàng， hái yòu nǐ hé tā de guān xì。”
　　 shèng xī méng xūn jué sǒng liǎo sǒng jiān， méi máo yī yáng，“ wǒ men yǐ yòu duō nián jiāo qíng liǎo， kě yǐ shuō shì fēi cháng yǒu hǎo de guān xì。 tā guò qù cháng zài 'ā lì gé luó。 wǒ duì dài tā bìng bù lìn sè， tā duì wǒ yě méi yòu shénme kě bào yuàn de。 dàn shì， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， nǐ zhī dào nǚ rén shì zěn me yī huí shì， fú luò lā shì gè kě 'ài de xiǎo dōng xī， dàn shì gè fēi cháng jí xìng zǐ de rén， ér qiě rèqiè dì yǐ liàn zhe wǒ。 dāng tā tīng shuō wǒ yào jié hūn de shí hòu， gěi wǒ xiě guò jǐ fēng kě pà de xìn。 lǎo shí shuō， wǒ zhī suǒ yǐ zhè yàng qiāoqiāo dì jǔ xíng hūn lǐ， yuán yīn jiù shì wǒ pà wàn yī zài jiào táng lǐ chū chǒu。 tā gāng hǎo zài wǒ men huí lái de shí hòu lái dào duō lán xiān shēng de mén qián， jí lì xiǎng chuǎng jìn qù， gōng rán yòng fēi cháng nán tīng de huà rǔ mà wǒ de qī zǐ， shèn zhì hái wēi xié tā。 dàn shì wǒ yù xiān gū jì dào kě néng huì fā shēng zhè lèi shì qíng， zài nà lǐ 'ān pái liǎo liǎng míng biàn yī。 tā men hěn kuài jiù bǎ tā chóngxīn gǎn chū mén qù， dāng tā míng bái chǎo jià jué bù huì yòu shénme hǎo jiēguǒ shí， jiù 'ān jìng liǎo xià lái。”
　　“ nǐ qī zǐ tīng dào liǎo zhè yī qiē liǎo má？”
　　“ méi yòu， xiè tiān xiè dì， tā méi yòu tīng dào。”
　　“ hòu lái， yòu rén jiàn dào tā zhèng shì hé zhè gè nǚ rén zǒu zài yī qǐ？”
　　“ shì de， zhè zhèng shì sū gé lán chǎng de léi sī chuí dé xiān shēng wèishénme bǎ zhè jiàn shì kàn dé rú cǐ yán zhòng de yuán gù。 jù rèn wéi， fú luò lā bǎ wǒ de qī zǐ yòu piàn chū qù， bìng qiě duì tā shè xià liǎo mǒu zhǒng kě pà de juàn tào。”
　　“ ō， zhè shì yī zhǒng kě néng de tuī cè。”
　　“ nǐ yě zhè yàng xiǎng má？”
　　“ wǒ bìng méi yòu shuō hěn kě néng shì zhè yàng， dàn shì nǐ zì jǐ yě bìng bù bǎ zhè kàn zuò shì kě néng de bā？”
　　“ wǒ rèn wéi fú luò lā shì lián zhǐ cāng yíng dōubù kěn shāng hài de。”
　　“ kě shì， dù jì shì néng qí miào dì gǎi biàn rén de xìng gé de。 qǐng nǐ gào sù wǒ， duì yú zhè jiàn shì， nǐ zì jǐ shì zěn me fēn xī de ní？”
　　“ ò， zhēn shì， wǒ dào zhè lǐ lái shì xún qiú jiě dá de， bù shì lái tí chū jiàn jiě de。 wǒ yǐ jīng bǎ quán bù shì shí gào sù nǐ liǎo。 jì rán nǐ wèn wǒ， wǒ yě xǔ kě yǐ shuō， zài wǒ kàn lái kě néng shì yóu yú zhè jiàn shì duì tā de cì jī， yǐ jí tā yì shí dào tā de shè huì dì wèi yī xià zǐ tí gāo liǎo nà me duō， zhè jiù zào chéng wǒ qī zǐ jīng shén yòu diǎn cuò luàn。”
　　“ jiǎn dān dì shuō， tā tū rán jīng shén cuò luàn liǎo？”
　　“ ò！ zhēn de， dāng wǒ kǎo lǜ dào tā pāo qì liǎo héng héng wǒ bù xiǎng shuō wǒ， dàn zhè shì nà me xǔ duō nǚ rén rèqiè dì xiǎng dé 'ér dé bù dào de héng héng wǒ bù néng zuò qí tā de jiě shì。”
　　“ ō， dāng rán， zhè yě shì yī zhǒng kě néng de jiǎ shè。 " fú 'ěr mó sī wēi xiào zhe shuō。 " xiàn zài， shèng xī méng xūn jué， wǒ xiǎng wǒ yǐ jīng jīhū yòu liǎo quán bù de cái liào。 wǒ xiǎng zài wèn yī xià， nǐ men shì bù shì zuò zài zǎo cān zhuō de zhōu wéi jiù kě yǐ kàn dào chuāng wài de qíng kuàng？”
　　“ wǒ men néng gòu kàn dào mǎ lù de lìng yī biān hé gōng yuán。”
　　“ zhèng shì zhè yàng， nà me wǒ xiǎng méi bì yào zài dān gē nǐ liǎo， wǒ yǐ hòu huì zài gēn nǐ lián xì。”
　　“ dàn yuàn nǐ yòu zú gòu de yùn qì lái jiě jué zhè gè wèn tí， " wǒ men de wěi tuō rén shuō zhe zhàn liǎo qǐ lái。
　　“ wǒ yǐ jīng jiě jué liǎo。”
　　“ shì má？ zěn me yī huí shì？”
　　“ wǒ shì shuō wǒ yǐ jīng jiě jué liǎo zhè 'àn jiàn。”
　　“ nà me， wǒ de qī zǐ zài nǎ 'ér？”
　　“ nà shì yī gè wǒ hěn kuài jiù néng tí gōng de xì jié。”
　　 shèng xī méng xūn jué yáo liǎo yáo tóu，“ wǒ kǒng pà xū yào yī gè bǐ nǐ huò wǒ gèng cōng míng de nǎo dài。 " tā shuō zhe， xíng liǎo yī gè zhuāng yán de lǎo shì jū gōng lǐ biàn mài bù zǒu liǎo。
　　“ chéng méng shèng xī méng xūn jué jiāng wǒ de nǎo dài hé tā zì jǐ de nǎo dài xiāng tí bìng lùn， zhēn shì bù shèng róng xìng zhī zhì。 " xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī shuō zhe， xiào liǎo qǐ lái。 " jīng guò zhè me cháng shí jiān de pán wèn， wǒ xiǎng wǒ dé lái yī bēi sū dǎ wēi shì jì hé yī zhī xuějiā。 zài wǒ men de wěi tuō rén jìn mén yǐ qián， wǒ jiù yǐ jīng zuò chū liǎo zhè gè 'àn zǐ de jié lùn。”
　　“ lǎo xiōng， zhēn yòu nǐ de！”
　　“ wǒ yòu hǎo jǐ gè lèi sì 'àn jiàn de jì lù， zhǐ shì xiàng wǒ céng jīng shuō guò de nà yàng， méi yòu yī gè xiàng zhè gè zhè me gān cuì。 wǒ de quán bù diào chá yòu zhù yú kěn dìng wǒ de tuī cè。 bàng zhèng yòu shí shì fēi cháng yòu shuō fú lì de。 yòng suō luò de huà lái shuō， jiù xiàng① nǐ zài niú nǎi lǐ fā xiàn liǎo yī tiáo zūn yú yī yàng。”
　　“ dàn shì， wǒ yě tīng dào liǎo nǐ suǒ tīng dào de yī qiē。”
　　“ rán 'ér， quē shǎo duì wǒ qǐ liǎo hěn dà zuò yòng de guò qù fā shēng guò de 'àn lì de zhī shí。 ruò gān nián qián zài 'ā bó dīng yòu yī gè xiāng shìde lì zǐ。 pǔ fǎ zhàn zhēng hòu yī nián， zài mù ní hēi yòu yòu yī jiàn jí wéixiàng shìde shì qíng。 zhè jiù shì zhè lèi 'àn lì zhōng de yī gè。 dàn shì， wèi， léi sī chuí dé lái liǎo！ nǐ hǎo， léi sī chuí dé！ cān jù guì shàng yòu yī zhǐ tè dà de jiǔ bēi， hé lǐ yòu xuějiā yān。 " zhè wèi guān tīng zhēn tàn shēn chuān yī jiàn shuǐ shǒu de cū ní shàng yī， dài zhe yī tiáo lǎo shì lǐng dài， xiǎn rán yī fù shuǐ shǒu xíng xiàng。 tā shǒu lǐ tí zhe yī zhǐ hēi sè de fān bù tí bāo， jiǎn dān dì hán xuān liǎo jǐ jù jiù zuò xià， diǎn zhe liǎo yī gēn dì gěi tā de xuějiā。
　　“ chū liǎo shénme shì lā？ ā？ " fú 'ěr mó sī zhǎ liǎo zhǎ yǎn jīng wèn dào，“ kàn nǐ zhè yàng zǐ sì hū hěn bù suì xīn。”
　　“ wǒ de què shì gǎn dào hěn bù chènxīn。 jiù shì shèng xī méng xūn jué hūn shì zhè jiàn dǎo méi de 'àn zǐ。 duì zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ wǒ shì yī diǎn tóu xù yě méi yòu。”
　　“ zhēn de má？ nǐ zhēn jiào wǒ gǎn dào chī jīng。”
　　“ shuí tīng shuō guò zhè yàng yī tuán luàn zāo zāo de shì qíng？ měi yī tiáo xiàn suǒ sì hū dū cóng wǒ de shǒu zhǐ zhōng liù diào liǎo。 wǒ yī zhěng tiān dōuzài máng zhe gǎo zhè jiàn shì。”
　　“ kàn lái bǎ nǐ gǎo dé hún shēn dū shī tòu liǎo。 " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō zhe， yī zhǐ shǒu dā
　　① yuán míng wéi Ｈ ｅ ｎ ｒ ｙ Ｄ ａ ｖ ｉ ｄ Ｔ ｈ ｏｒｅ u， měi guó zuò jiā， １ ８１ ７ héng héng１８ ６ ２。 héng héng yì zhě zhù zài tā nà jiàn cū ní shàng yī de gēbo shàng。
　　“ shì de， wǒ zhèng zài sài péng tíng hú lǐ dǎ lāo。 "①
　　“ tiān nǎ， nà shì wèishénme？”
　　“ xún zhǎo shèng xī méng fū rén de shī tǐ。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī yǎng shēn kào zài yǐ zǐ shàng， pěng fù dà xiào qǐ lái。
　　“ nǐ méi yòu zài tè lā dé 'ěr jiā guǎng chǎng de pēn shuǐ chí lǐ dǎ lāo bā？ " tā wèn dào。
　　“ wú， nǐ zhè shì shénme yì sī？”
　　“ yīn wéi zài nà lǐ xún zhǎo zhè wèi fū rén de jī huì hé zài lìng yī chù xún zhǎo de jī huì yī yàng duō。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé qì dé dèng liǎo wǒ de tóng bàn yī yǎn，“ nǐ hǎo xiàng quán zhī dào， " tā páo xiào zhe shuō。
　　“ wú， wǒ gāng gāng cái tīng shuō shì qíng de jīng guò， bù guò wǒ yǐ jīng zuò chū liǎo pàn duàn。”
　　“ ō， zhēn de！ nà me nǐ rèn wéi sài péng tíng hú hé zhè jiàn shì háo wú guān xì liǎo？”
　　“ wǒ rèn wéi gēn běn bù kě néng yòu guān xì。”
　　“ nà me， qǐng nǐ jiě shì jiě shì， wǒ men zài nà lǐ zhǎo dào zhè xiē dōng xī shì zěn me yī huí shì？ " tā yī biān shuō yī biān dǎ kāi tā de tí bāo， jiāng yī jiàn bō wén chóu jié hūn lǐ fú， yī shuāng bái duàn zǐ xié yǐ jí yī dǐng xīn niàn de huā guān huómiàn shā， luàn zāo zāo dì dǎo zài dì bǎn shàng。 zhè xiē dōng xī quándōu jìn tòu liǎo shuǐ， bìng qiě tuì liǎo sè。 " hái yòu，” tā shuō， bǎ yī zhǐ zhǎn xīn de jié hūn jiè zhǐ fàng dào zhè duī dōng xī shàng miàn。“ zhè kě shì yào nǐ lái jiě jué de nán tí lā， fú 'ěr mó sī dà shī。”
　　“ ō， shì zhēn de má？ " wǒ de péng yǒu shuō zhe， xiàng kōng zhōng pēn chū yī gè gè lán sè de yān juàn。 " zhè xiē dōng xī shì nǐ cóng sài péng tíng hú zhōng dǎ lāo shàng lái de？”
　　① yuán wén wéi Ｓｅｒ ｐｅｎ ｔｉｎｅ， lún dūn hǎi dé gōng yuán nèi de yī gè rén xíng chí。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　“ bù shì， shì yī gè yuán dīng fā xiàn zhè xiē dōng xī zài hú biān piào fú zhe de。 yǐ jīng rèn chū zhè xiē shì tā de yī fú， wǒ rèn wéi jì rán yī fú zài nà 'ér， shī tǐ yě bù huì tài yuǎn liǎo。”
　　“ tōng guò tóng yàng yīng míng de tuī lùn， měi gè rén de shī tǐ， dū yìng gāi zài tā de yī chú fù jìn zhǎo dào。 qǐng wèn nǐ xiǎng tōng guò zhè gè dé chū shénme jié lùn？”
　　“ yǐ zhǎo dào fú luò lā · mǐ lè yǔ shī zōng yòu qiān lián de zhèng jù。”
　　“ wǒ kǒng pà nǐ hěn nán zuò dào。”
　　“ mù qián， nǐ shì zhēn de zhè yàng xiǎng má？ " léi sī chuí dé shēng qì dì hǎn liǎo qǐ lái。 " wǒ kǒng pà， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， nǐ de yǎn yì fǎ hé tuī lǐ bìng bù hěn shí yòng。 zài liǎng fēn zhōng nèi nǐ jiù yǐ jīng fàn liǎo liǎng gè dà cuò wù， zhè xiē yī fú què shí yǔ fú luò lā · mǐ lè xiǎo jiě yòu qiān lián。”
　　“ zěn me jiǎng？”
　　“ yī fú shàng yòu gè kǒu dài， kǒu dài lǐ yòu gè míng piàn hé， míng piàn hé lǐ yòu zhāng biàn tiáo。 zhè jiù shì nà zhāng biàn tiáo。 " tā bǎ biàn tiáo yī xià zǐ rēng dào tā miàn qián de zhuō zǐ shàng， " nǐ tīng wǒ niàn niàn kàn zhè xiě de shì xiē shénme：‘ yī qiē zhǔn bèi jiù xù zhī hòu， nǐ huì kàn dào wǒ de。 dào shí hòu qǐng mǎ shàng jiù lái。
　　 EＨ Ｍ ．．． '
　　“ wǒ yī zhí rèn wéi shèng xī méng fū rén shì bèi fú luò lā · mǐ lè yòu piàn chū qù de。 háo wú yí wèn， tā hé tā de tóng móu zhě， yīnggāi duì zhè yī shī zōng fù zé。 zhè jiù shì nà zhāng yòng tā míng zì de qǐ shǒu zì mǔ qiān shǔ de biàn tiáo。 wú yí zhè shì zài mén kǒu qiāoqiāo dì sài gěi zhè wèi fū rén de， yòu shǐ tā luò rù tā men de kòng zhì zhī zhōng。”
　　“ miào jí liǎo， léi sī chuí dé，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō zhe xiào liǎo qǐ lái，“ nǐ zhēn bù jiǎn dān， ràng wǒ kàn yī xià。 " tā bù zài yì dì ná qǐ nà zhāng zhǐ tiáo， dàn tā de zhù yì lì lì kè yòu bèi xī yǐn zhù， bìng qiě mǎn yì dì jiào liǎo yī shēng。 " zhè de què fēi cháng zhòng yào， " tā shuō。
　　“ hā hā， nǐ yě fā xiàn shì zhè me yī huí shì liǎo？”
　　“ jí qí zhòng yào。 wǒ rè liè dì zhù hè nǐ。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé yáng yáng dé yì dì zhàn liǎo qǐ lái， yòu dī xià tóu qù kàn yī yǎn。 " zhè shì zěn me yī huí shì？ " tā shī shēng dì jiào liǎo qǐ lái，“ nǐ kàn fǎn liǎo！”
　　“ qià qià xiāng fǎn， zhè cái shì zhèng miàn。”
　　“ zhèng miàn？ nǐ fēng liǎo！ zhè 'ér cái shì yòng qiān bǐ xiě de biàn tiáo。”
　　“ ò， zhè 'ér， zhè 'ér kàn lái shì yī zhāng lǚ guǎn de zhàng dān， zhè shǐ wǒ hěn gǎn xīng qù。”
　　“ nà shàng miàn méi yòu shénme， wǒ yě kàn guò。 " léi sī chuí dé shuō， "'１ ０ yuè ４ rì， fáng jiān８ xiān lìng， zǎo fàn２ xiān lìng６ biàn shì， jī wěi jiǔ１ xiān lìng， wǔ fàn２ xiān lìng６ biàn shì， pú táo jiǔ８ biàn shì。 '
　　 wǒ kàn bù chū zhè shuō míng shénme wèn tí。”
　　“ nǐ kě néng kàn bù chū shénme lái， dàn tā hái shì shí fēn zhòng yào de。 zhì yú biàn tiáo， yě hěn zhòng yào。 huò zhě shuō， zhì shǎo zhè xiē qǐ shǒu zì mǔ de qiān zì shì hěn zhòng yào de， suǒ yǐ wǒ zài cì xiàng nǐ zhù hè。”
　　“ wǒ shí jiān làng fèi dé gòu duō liǎo， " léi sī chuí dé shuō zhe zhàn liǎo qǐ lái，“ wǒ xiāng xìn jiān kǔ de gōng zuò， bù xiāng xìn zuò zài bì lú biān biān zào chū sè de lǐ lùn。 zài jiàn， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， ràng wǒ men qiáo qiáo shì shuí xiān bǎ shì qíng nòng gè shuǐ luò shí chū。 " tā shōu shí qǐ yī fú， bǎ tā men sài jìn tí bāo， xiàng mén kǒu zǒu qù。
　　“ gěi nǐ yī diǎn 'àn shì， léi sī chuí dé， " zài tā de duì shǒu zǒu chū qù zhī qián， fú 'ěr mó sī lǎn yáng yáng dì shuō，“ wǒ kě yǐ bǎ zhè jiàn shì de zhēn zhèng dá 'àn gào sù nǐ。 shèng xī méng fū rén shì wèi shén huà shì de rén wù。 xiàn zài méi yòu， guò qù xiàng lái yě méi yòu guò zhè yàng yī gè rén。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé yīn yù dì kàn liǎo wǒ de tóng bàn yī yǎn， jiē zhe huí guò tóu lái qiáo qiáo wǒ， qīng qīng dì zài qián 'é shàng pāi liǎo sān xià， yī běn zhèng jīng dì yáo liǎo yáo tóu， jiù jí jí máng máng dì zǒu liǎo。
　　 tā gāng yī guān shàng shēn hòu de fáng mén， fú 'ěr mó sī jiù zhàn liǎo qǐ lái， chuān shàng wài yī。“ zhè jiā huǒ shuō de hù wài gōng zuò yòu diǎn dào lǐ，” tā shuō，“ suǒ yǐ wǒ xiǎng， huá shēng， wǒ dé bǎ nǐ piē xià yī huì 'ér。 nǐ kàn bào bā。”
　　 xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī lí kāi wǒ de shí hòu shì wǔ diǎn duō zhōng， dàn shì wǒ gēn běn méi yòu gǎn dào jì mò。 yīn wéi hái bù dào yī gè xiǎo shí， jiù lái liǎo yī gè diǎn xīn pū de huǒ jì， sòng lái yī gè hěn dà de píng dǐ shí hé。 tā dài lái de yī gè nián qīng rén bāng zhù tā dǎ kāi shí hé， wǒ lì jí shí fēn jīng qí dì kàn dào yī fèn shí fēn fēng shèng de lěng shí wǎn cān bǎi zài wǒ men hán suān de yù suǒ de cān zhuō shàng。 liǎng duì shān yù， yī zhǐ yě jī， yī kuài féi 'é gān bǐng hé jǐ píng chén nián lǎo jiǔ。 zhè xiē jiā yáo měi jiǔ bǎi fàng tíng dāng zhī hòu， nà liǎng wèi bù sù zhī kè， jiù xiàng tiān fāng yè tán lǐ de jīng líng nà yàng， shū hū xiāo shì， chú liǎo shēng míng zhè xiē dōng xī yǐ jīng fù guò zhàng liǎo， tā men shì 'àn zhào fēn fù sòng dào zhè gè dì fāng zhī wài， méi yòu zài zuò shénme jiě shì。
　　 gāng hǎo zài jiǔ diǎn zhōng yǐ qián， fú 'ěr mó sī jiǎo bù qīng yíng dì zǒu jìn fáng jiān。 tā shén qíng hěn yán sù， dàn tā liǎng yǎn shǎn shǎn fā guāng， zhè shǐ wǒ xiāng xìn， tā suǒ zuò de jié lùn bìng méi yòu shǐ tā shī wàng。
　　“ nà me， tā men yǐ jīng bǎ wǎn cān bǎi shàng liǎo。 " tā cuō zhuóshǒu shuō。
　　“ nǐ hǎo xiàng yòu kè rén yào lái。 tā men bǎi liǎo wǔ fèn。”
　　“ shì de， wǒ xiāng xìn， huì yòu kè rén shùn biàn lái fǎng de，” tā shuō。 " wǒ hěn qí guài wèishénme shèng xī méng xūn jué hái méi yòu dào。 hā hā， wǒ gǎn shuō wǒ tīng dào liǎo tā zài lóu tī shàng de jiǎo bù shēng。”
　　 què shí shì wǒ men shàng wǔ lái guò de kè rén。 tā jí jí máng máng dì zǒu liǎo jìn lái， gèng qǐ jìn dì huàng dòng zhe tā de yǎn jìng， zài tā nà guì zú qì pài de miàn róng shàng， xiǎn chū fēi cháng bù 'ān de biǎo qíng。
　　“ nà me shuō wǒ de xìn chā dào nǐ nà lǐ qù guò liǎo？ " fú 'ěr mó sī wèn dào。
　　“ shì de， wǒ chéng rèn xìn de nèi róng shǐ wǒ gǎn dào wú bǐ de zhèn jīng。 nǐ yòu chōng fēn de gēn jù zhèng míng nǐ de huà má？”
　　“ zuì chōng fēn de gēn jù。”
　　 shèng xī méng xūn jué yī pì gǔ zuò zài yǐ zǐ shàng， yī zhǐ shǒu 'àn zhe qián 'é。
　　“ rú guǒ gōng jué tīng shuō tā de jiā tíng chéng yuán zhī zhōng yòu rén shòu dào zhè bān de xiū rǔ， tā huì zěn me shuō ní？ " tā xiǎo shēng dì dū nóng zhe。
　　“ zhè chún cuì shì yīcháng wù huì， wǒ bù rèn wéi zhè shì yī zhǒng xiū rǔ。”
　　“ ā？ nǐ shì cóng lìng wài yī gè guān diǎn kàn dài zhè xiē wèn tí de。”
　　“ wǒ kàn bù chū yòu shuí gāi shòu dào zé bèi， wǒ nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng zhè wèi xiǎo jiě chú cǐ zhī wài hái yòu bié de shénme bàn fǎ， suī rán tā chǔlǐ zhè jiàn shì de fāng fǎ yòu diǎn tū rán。 wú yí zhè shì lìng rén gǎn dào yí hàn de。 zài zhè yàng de guān jiàn shí kè， méi yòu mǔ qīn zài gēn qián， shì méi yòu bié rén gěi tā chū zhù yì de。”
　　“ zhè shì yī zhǒng miè shì， xiān shēng， gōng rán de miè shì。 " shèng xī méng xūn jué yòng shǒu zhǐ qiāo zhe zhuō zǐ shuō。
　　“ nǐ yī dìng yào yuán liàng zhè wèi kě lián de gū niàn， tā de chǔjìng shì shuí yě méi yòu jīng lì guò de。”
　　“ wǒ jué bù néng yuán liàng tā， wǒ bèi kě chǐ dì wán nòng liǎo， wǒ què shí fēi cháng shēng qì。”
　　“ wǒ hǎo xiàng tīng dào mén líng xiǎng，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō， " duì， lóu tī kǒu yòu jiǎo bù shēng。 rú guǒ wǒ quàn shuō bù liǎo nǐ duì zhè jiàn shì yào kuān dà wéi huái de huà， shèng xī méng xūn jué， wǒ qǐng lái liǎo yī wèi zhī chí wǒ de jiàn jiě de rén， zhè gè rén yě xǔ gèng néng shèng rèn。” tā dǎ kāi mén， ràng jìn liǎo yī wèi nǚ shì hé yī wèi xiān shēng。“ shèng xī méng xūn jué，” tā shuō，
　　“ qǐng yǔn xǔ wǒ xiàng nǐ jiè shào， zhè shì fú lǎng xī sī · hǎi · mò 'ěr dùn xiān shēng hé fū rén。 zhè wèi nǚ shì， wǒ xiǎng nǐ yǐ jīng jiàn guò。”
　　 yī jiàn dào xīn lái de rén， wǒ men de wěi tuō rén cóng yǐ zǐ shàng yī yuè 'ér qǐ， bǐ zhí dì zhàn zài nà lǐ， shuāng yǎn xià chuí， yī zhǐ shǒu chā jìn dà lǐ fú de qián xiōng， yī fù zūn yán shòu dào shāng hài de yàng zǐ。 nà wèi nǚ shì xiàng qián jǐn zǒu jǐ bù， xiàng tā shēn chū shǒu， dàn shì tā hái shì bù kěn tái qǐ tóu lái kàn tā， zhè yàng zuò huò xǔ shì wèile biǎo shì tā de jué xīn， yīn wéi tā nà kěn qiú de liǎn sè shì hěn nán jù jué de。
　　“ nǐ shēng qì liǎo， luó bó tè， " tā shuō，“ shì de， wǒ xiǎng nǐ shì wán quán yòu lǐ yóu shēng qì de。”
　　“ qǐng nǐ bù bì xiàng wǒ dào qiàn， " shèng xī méng xūn jué mǎn huái dù jì dì shuō。
　　“ ò， shì de， wǒ zhī dào wǒ shì tài duì bù qǐ nǐ liǎo。 wǒ zài chū zǒu zhī qián yīngdāng duì nǐ shuō yī shēng， dàn shì dāng shí wǒ yòu diǎn xīn huāng yì luàn。 cóng wǒ zài zhè lǐ yòu jiàn dào fú lán kè shí qī， wǒ jiǎn zhí bù zhī dào wǒ shuō liǎo xiē shénme hé zuò liǎo xiē shénme。 wǒ dāng shí jìng méi zài shèng tán qián shuāi dǎo hé hūn guò qù， zhēn yòu diǎn qí guài。”
　　“ mò 'ěr dùn tài tài， yě xǔ nǐ zài jiě shì de shí hòu， xī wàng wǒ hé wǒ de péng yǒu lí kāi zhè fáng jiān yī xià bā？”
　　“ rú guǒ wǒ kě yǐ tán tán wǒ de kàn fǎ， " nà wèi mò shēng de xiān shēng shuō dào，“ duì yú zhè jiàn shì， wǒ men yǐ jīng bǎo mì dé yòu xiē tài guò fèn liǎo。 jiù wǒ lái shuō， wǒ dǎo yuàn yì zhěng gè 'ōu zhōu hé měi zhōu de réndōu lái tīng tīng shì qíng de。 " zhè wèi xiān shēng shì yī wèi shòu cháng jiēshí、 pí fū shài dé yǒu hēi de rén， liǎn shàng guā dé gān gān jìng jìng， miàn bù lún kuò fēn míng， jǔ zhǐ xiǎn dé hěn jī jǐng de yàng zǐ。
　　“ nà me， wǒ xiàn zài jiù lái bǎ shì qíng de jīng guò shuō gěi nǐ men tīng bā， " nà wèi nǚ shì shuō dào，“ wǒ hé zhè wèi fú lán kè shì yī bā bā sì nián zài luò jī shān fù jìn de mài guī 'ěr yíng dì rèn shí de。 bà bà dāng shí zhèng zài jīng yíng yī gè kuàng chǎng。 wǒ hé fú lán kè dìng liǎo hūn。 hòu lái yòu yī tiān bà bà tū rán wā dào liǎo yī gè fù kuàng， cóng cǐ fā liǎo cái。 kě shì zhè wèi kě lián de fú lán kè suǒ zhàn yòu de tǔ dì shàng de kuàng mài què jiàn jiàn biàn xiǎo， yǐ zhì yú wán quán xiāo shī liǎo。 wǒ de bà bà yuè lái yuè fù， fú lán kè què yuè lái yuè qióng。 suǒ yǐ， hòu lái bà bà yìng shì bù tóng yì wǒ men de hūn yuē jì xù xià qù。 tā bǎ wǒ dài dào jiù jīn shān qù。 jìn guǎn rú cǐ， fú lán kè bù yuàn yì fàng shǒu， yú shì， tā jiē zhe yě dào liǎo nà lǐ， bìng qiě mán zhe bà bà hé wǒ jiàn miàn。 ràng bà bà zhī dào zhǐ huì shǐ tā shēng qì， suǒ yǐ， wǒ men jiù zì jǐ zuò liǎo 'ān pái。 fú lán kè shuō， tā yě yào qù fā yī bǐ cái， zhí dào tā xiàng bà bà yī yàng fù yòu， tā cái huí lái gēn wǒ jié hūn。 wǒ dāng shí dāyìng děng tā yī bèi zǐ， bìng qiě fā shì zhǐ yào tā huó zhe， wǒ jiù bù jià gěi bié rén。 ' nà me， wèishénme wǒ men bù mǎ shàng jiù jié hūn ní？ ' tā shuō，‘ zhè yàng wǒ duì nǐ jiù gǎn dào fàng xīn liǎo， wú xū zài wǒ huí lái yǐ hòu yào qiú rén jiā chéng rèn wǒ shì nǐ de zhàng fū。 ' ò， jiù zhè yàng， wǒ men jīng guò liǎo shāng liàng， tā bǎ yī qiēdōu 'ān pái dé nà me tuǒ tiē， qǐng hǎo liǎo yī wèi mù shī， wǒ men dāng jí jǔ xíng liǎo hūn lǐ。 guò hòu， fú lán kè jiù lí kāi liǎo wǒ qù bēn qián chéng， ér wǒ zé huí dào liǎo bà bà shēn biān。
　　“ wǒ zài cì tīng dào fú lán kè de xiāo xī shì tā dào liǎo méng dà ná， jiē zhe zài yà lì sāng nà tàn kuàng。 yǐ hòu wǒ yòu tīng shuō tā zài xīn mò xī gē。 zài nà yǐ hòu bào shàng dēng chū guò yī piān cháng qī bào dào， shuō yòu yī gè kuàng gōng yíng dì rú hé zāo dào yà lì sāng nà yìn dì 'ān rén de xí jī， sǐ wáng zhě de míng dān zhōng yòu wǒ de fú lán kè de míng zì。 wǒ kàn liǎo yǐ hòu hūn jué guò qù。 jiē zhe wǒ chán mián bìng chuáng dá shù yuè zhī jiǔ， bìng dé fēi cháng lì hài。 bà bà yǐ wéi wǒ dé liǎo láo bìng， dài wǒ qù zhǎo biàn liǎo zhěng gè jiù jīn shān dà yuē yī bàn de yī shēng。 yī nián duō lái， yīn xìn yǎo rán， yīn 'ér wǒ cóng bù huái yí fú lán kè shì zhēn de sǐ liǎo。 yǐ hòu， shèng xī méng xūn jué lái dào jiù jīn shān， wǒ men dào liǎo lún dūn。 hūn shì dìng liǎo xià lái， bà bà fēi cháng gāo xīng。 dàn shì wǒ zǒng jué dé wǒ de xīn yǐ jīng gěi liǎo wǒ kě lián de fú lán kè， shì jiè shàng zài méi yòu nǎ yī gè nán rén néng dài tì tā。
　　“ huà suī rú cǐ， yào shì wǒ jià gěi shèng xī méng xūn jué， dāng rán wǒ huì jìn wǒ duì tā de yì wù。 wǒ men bù néng miǎnqiǎng wǒ men de 'ài qíng， dàn shì wǒ men què kě yǐ miǎnqiǎng wǒ men de xíng dòng。 wǒ hé tā yī qǐ bù xiàng shèng tán shí shì huái zhe jìn wǒ suǒ néng lái zuò tā de hǎo qī zǐ de yì yuàn de。 dàn shì nǐ men kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng， wǒ dāng shí de gǎn jué rú hé， nà jiù shì： zhèng dāng wǒ zǒu dào shèng tán lán gān qián de shí hòu， wǒ huí shǒu yī piē， hū rán kàn dào fú lán kè zhàn zài dì yī pái zuò wèi nà lǐ wàng zhe wǒ。 qǐ chū wǒ hái yǐ wèishì tā de guǐ hún chū xiàn。 dàn shì dāng wǒ zài wǎng nà 'ér kàn shí， fā xiàn tā réng zài nà lǐ， yǎn jīng lǐ lù chū jǐ fēn yí huò de shén sè， hǎo xiàng zài wèn， wǒ jiàn dào liǎo tā， shì gāo xīng hái shì nán guò。 wǒ qí guài wǒ zěn me méi yòu hūn guò qù。 wǒ zhǐ gǎn dào tiān xuán dì zhuǎn， mù shī de huà， jiù xiàng yī zhǐ mì fēng wēng wēng dì zài wǒ de 'ěr duǒ lǐ xiǎng zhe。 wǒ bù zhī dào gāi zěn me bàn cái hǎo。 nán dào wǒ yīnggāi dǎ duàn yí shì de jìn xíng， zài jiào táng lǐ nào chū yīcháng fēng bō lái má？ wǒ yòu qiáo liǎo tā yī yǎn， tā kàn lái hǎo xiàng zhī dào wǒ zài xiǎng xiē shénme， yīn wéi tā bǎ shǒu zhǐ tiē zài zuǐ chún shàng， shì yì wǒ bù yào zuò shēng。 jiē zhe wǒ kàn dào tā zài yī zhāng zhǐ shàng cǎo cǎo dì xiě liǎo jǐ gè zì， wǒ míng bái tā shì zài xiě yī zhāng biàn tiáo gěi wǒ。 wǒ zài chū lái de lù shàng jīng guò nà pái zuò wèi shí， ràng huā shù diào luò zài tā de zuò wèi qián miàn， dāng tā jiǎn qǐ huā shù gěi wǒ shí， qiāoqiāo bǎ zhǐ tiáo sài zài wǒ de shǒu lǐ。 zhǐ tiáo shàng zhǐ yòu yīháng zì， yào wǒ zài tā xiàng wǒ fā chū xìn hào shí， jiù gēn zhe tā zǒu。 dāng rán， wǒ jué wú sī háo huái yí wǒ shǒu yào de yì wù shì xiàng tā jìn zé， bìng qiě jué xīn wán quán 'àn zhào tā de yào qiú qù zuò。
　　“ huí dào yù suǒ， wǒ gào sù liǎo wǒ de nǚ yōng rén。 tā zài jiā lì fú ní yà shí jiù rèn shí tā， bìng qiě yī zhí hé tā hěn yǒu hǎo。 wǒ zhǔ fù tā shénme yě bù yào shuō， zhǐ yào shōu shí yī xiē dōng xī， zhǔn bèi hàowǒ de cháng wài tào。 wǒ zhī dào wǒ yīnggāi xiàng shèng xī méng xūn jué shuō míng yī xià， dàn shì zài tā mǔ qīn hé nà xiē dà rén wù miàn qián nán yǐ zhāng kǒu， wǒ zhǐ hǎo xià jué xīn bù cí 'ér bié， yǐ hòu zài zuò jiě shì。 wǒ dào cān zhuō jiù zuò hái bù dào shí fēn zhōng， jiù kàn jiàn fú lán kè zhàn zài chuāng wài mǎ lù de lìng yī biān。 tā xiàng wǒ zhāo liǎo zhāo shǒu， suí jí zǒu jìn liǎo gōng yuán， wǒ chuān dài hǎo liù liǎo chū lái， gēn shàng tā。 zhè shí yòu yī gè nǚ rén guò lái gēn wǒ tán liǎo xiē shèng xī méng xūn jué de xián huà， cóng tā de zhǐ yán piàn yǔ zhōng tòu lù， sì hū tā zài jié hūn qián yě yòu tā zì jǐ de yī diǎn 'ér mì mì， dàn shì wǒ shè fǎ bǎi tuō liǎo tā， hěn kuài jiù gǎn shàng liǎo fú lán kè。 wǒ men yī qǐ zuò shàng liǎo yī liàng chū zū mǎ chē， shǐ wǎng tā zài gē dēng guǎng chǎng zū xià de yù suǒ。 zài pàn liǎo nà me xiē suì yuè zhī hòu， zhè cì wǒ cái zhēn de suàn shì jié hūn liǎo。 fú lán kè zài yà lì sāng nà bèi yìn dì 'ān rén qiú jìn guò， hòu lái tā yuè yù táo páo， cháng tú bá shè lái dào jiù jīn shān。 tā fā xiàn wǒ yǐ wéi tā sǐ liǎo， bìng qiě yǐ jīng dào yīng guó qù liǎo。 tā zhuī zōng dào liǎo zhè lǐ， zhōng yú zài wǒ jǔ xíng dì 'èr cì hūn lǐ de dāng tiān zǎo shàng zhǎo dào liǎo wǒ。”
　　“ wǒ shì zài yī zhāng bào zhǐ shàng kàn dào de， " zhè wèi měi guó rén bǔ chōng shuō。 " bào zhǐ shàng dēng zhe jiào táng de míng zì， dàn méi yòu tí dào nǚ fāng de zhù chù。”
　　“ jiē zhe wǒ men jiù shāng liàng gāi zěn me bàn， fú lán kè zhù zhāng wán quán gōng kāi。 dàn shì wǒ duì zhè yī qiē gǎn dào fēi cháng de cán kuì， wǒ dàn yuàn cóng cǐ xiāo shēng nì jì， yǒng yuǎn bù zài jiàn dào tā men zhī zhōng de rèn hé yī gè rén héng héng yě xǔ， gěi bà bà xiě zhāng tiáo zǐ， biǎo míng wǒ shàng zài rén jiān jiù shì liǎo。 wǒ yī xiǎng qǐ nà xiē jué shì men、 fū rén men zhèng wéi zuò zài zǎo cān zhuō bàng děng wǒ huí qù， xīn lǐ jiù tǎn tè bù 'ān。 yú shì， fú lán kè wèile shǐ bié rén zhǎo bù dào wǒ， jiù bǎ wǒ de jié hūn lǐ fú hé qì tā dōng xī shōu shí qǐ lái kǔn chéng yī bāo， rēng dào yī gè méi yòu rén zhǎo dé dào de dì fāng。 běn lái wǒ men míng tiān jiù kě néng dào bā lí qù liǎo， yào bù shì zhè wèi hǎo xīn de fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng jīn tiān wǎn shàng lái zhǎo wǒ men de huà。 suī rán wǒ xiǎng xiàng bù chū tā shì zěn yàng fā xiàn wǒ men de dì zhǐ de， dàn shì tā shàn yì hé qīng chǔ dì kāi dǎo liǎo wǒ men， zhǐ chū wǒ shì cuò liǎo， fú lán kè shì duì de， ér wǒ men zhè yàng pà rén jiā zhī dào， nà yào fàn hěn dà de cuò wù。 rán hòu， tā tí chū gěi wǒ men yī gè gēn shèng xī méng xūn jué dān dú tán huà de jī huì， suǒ yǐ， wǒ men jiù lì jí dào zhè lǐ lái liǎo。 hǎo liǎo， luó bó tè， nǐ xiàn zài shénme dū míng bái liǎo bā。 rú guǒ wǒ shǐ nǐ gǎn dào tòng kǔ， nà wǒ jiù tài bào qiàn liǎo。 xī wàng nǐ bù yào bǎ wǒ xiǎng dé tài bēi bǐ。”
　　 shèng xī méng xūn jué yī diǎn méi yòu fàng sōng tā nà jiāng yìng de zī shì， ér shì zhòu zhe méi tóu， jǐn bēng zhe zuǐ chún， zài tīng zhe zhè piān rǒng cháng de xù shù。
　　“ duì bù qǐ，” tā shuō，“ zhè yàng gōng kāi dì tǎo lùn chún shǔ wǒ gè rén de sī shì， wǒ shì hěn bù xí guàn de。”
　　“ nà me shuō， nǐ bù kěn yuán liàng wǒ liǎo？ nǐ bù kěn zài wǒ zǒu yǐ qián hé wǒ wò yī xià shǒu má？”
　　“ ō， dāng rán kě yǐ， rú guǒ zhè yàng zuò huì shǐ nǐ gāo xīng de huà。 " tā shēn chū tā de shǒu， lěng dàn dì wò liǎo yī gè tā shēn guò lái de shǒu。
　　“ wǒ běn lái xī wàng， " fú 'ěr mó sī tí yì shuō，“ nǐ néng hé wǒ men gòng jìn yī dùn yǒu hǎo de wǎn cān。”
　　“ wǒ jué dé， nǐ de yào qiú yòu diǎn guò fèn liǎo， " xūn jué huí dá shuō，“ wǒ kě néng mò rèn zuì jìn de shì tài fā zhǎn， dàn yě bié zhǐ wàng wǒ huì hěn gāo xīng。 wǒ xiǎng rú guǒ nǐ men xǔ kě de huà， wǒ xiàn zài zhù nǐ men gè wèi wǎn 'ān。 " tā xiàng wǒ men dà jiā hěn kuài dì jū liǎo gè gōng， jiù 'áng shǒu kuò bù dì zǒu chū liǎo fáng jiān。
　　“ nà me， wǒ xiāng xìn， zhì shǎo nǐ men bù huì bù gěi wǒ diǎn miàn zǐ bā， " xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ jié jiāo yī gè měi guó rén， zǒng shì lìng rén yú kuài de， mò 'ěr dùn xiān shēng， xǔ duō rén bāo kuò wǒ zài nèi xiāng xìn， duō nián yǐ qián de yī wèi jūn wáng de yú chǔn xíng wéi hé yī wèi dà chén de cuò wù， jiāng bù huì fáng 'ài wǒ men de zǐ sūn zài mǒu yī tiān chéng wéi tóng yī shì jiè dà guó de gōng mín， zài zhè gè guó tǔ shàng， piāo yáng zhe mǐ zì qí hé xīng tiáo qí xiāng qiàn zài yī qǐ de guó qí。”
　　“ zhè shì yī jiàn fēi cháng yòu qù de 'àn zǐ。 " wǒ men de kè rén zǒu hòu fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ yīn wéi tā fēi cháng qīng chǔ dì shuō míng， yī jiàn zài kāi shǐ shí kàn qǐ lái jīhū wú fǎ jiě shì de shì qíng， hòu lái jiě shì qǐ lái què yòu shì duō me de jiǎn dān。 méi yòu rèn hé shì qíng bǐ zhè wèi nǚ shì suǒ xù shù de shì qíng fā shēng de xiān hòu cì xù gèng zì rán de liǎo。 kě shì lìng yī xiē rén， bǐ rú shuō sū gé lán chǎng de léi sī chuí dé xiān shēng， yǐ tā kàn lái， jiù méi yòu shénme shì qíng bǐ zhè shì qíng de jié jú gèng qí guài de liǎo。”
　　“ nà me， nǐ yī zhí jiù yī diǎn dōuméi yòu nòng cuò má？”
　　“ cóng yī kāi shǐ， duì wǒ lái shuō jiù yòu liǎng jiàn shì qíng fēi cháng qīng chǔ。 yī jiàn shì nà wèi nǚ shì yuán lái fēi cháng yuàn yì jǔ xíng hūn lǐ； lìng yī jiàn shì dàn tā zài huí jiā hòu hái bù dào jǐ fēn zhōng de shí jiān jiù hòu huǐ liǎo。 nà me hěn míng xiǎn， yī dìng shì zǎo shàng fā shēng liǎo diǎn shénme shì， shǐ dé tā gǎi biàn liǎo zhù yì。 zhè jiàn shì kě néng shì shénme ní？ chū liǎo mén yǐ hòu， tā bù kě néng tóng rèn hé rén shuō guò huà， yīn wéi xīn láng yī zhí zài péi zhe tā。 nà me， tā yòu méi yòu kàn dào shénme shú rén ní？ rú guǒ yòu de huà， zhè gè rén bì rán shì cóng měi guó lái de。 yīn wéi tā lái dào zhè gè guó jiā de rì zǐ hěn duǎn， bù kě néng huì yòu shénme rén gěi tā zào chéng zhè me shēn kè de yǐng xiǎng， yǐ zhì zhǐ shì kàn liǎo nà me yī yǎn， jiù huì shǐ tā wán quán gǎi biàn tā de jìhuà。 nǐ qiáo， jīng guò yī xì liè de qù wěi cún zhēn， wǒ men yǐ jīng dé dào zhè yàng yī gè jié lùn， jiù shì tā kě néng kàn dào liǎo yī gè měi guó rén。 nà mò， zhè gè měi guó rén yòu néng shì shuí ní？ tā wèishénme duì tā jù yòu nà me dà de yǐng xiǎng ní？ kě néng shì gè qíng rén， yě kě néng shì tā de zhàng fū。 wǒ zhī dào， tā nián qīng shí shì zài jiān nán 'ér qí tè de huán jìng zhōng dù guò de。 zài wǒ tīng dào shèng xī méng xūn jué de xù shù zhī qián， wǒ zhǐ liǎo jiě zhè me yī xiē。 dāng tā gào sù wǒ men yǐ xià zhè xiē qíng kuàng： zài yī pái zuò wèi lǐ yòu yī wèi nán rén， xīn niàn de tài dù qǐ liǎo biàn huà， xiǎn rán shì wèile qǔ dé zì tiáo 'ér cóng shǒu lǐ diào xià liǎo huā shù de zhè me yī gè bǎ xì， tā qiú zhù yú tā de xīn fù nǚ pú yǐ jí tā tí dào de qīn zhàn tǔ dì héng héng zhè zài cǎi kuàng zhě de hánghuà zhòngyì wèi zhe zhàn jù bié rén yuán lái yǐ zhàn yòu de tàn kuàng quán héng héng zhè yī hěn yòu hán yì de 'àn shì， zhěng gè qíng kuàng jiù shí fēn qīng chǔ liǎo。 tā gēn yī gè nán rén zǒu liǎo， nà me zhè gè nán rén bù shì tā de qíng rén， jiù yī dìng shì tā guò qù de zhàng fū， zhàng fū de kě néng xìng yào dà yī xiē。”
　　“ nǐ jiū jìng shì zěn me zhǎo dào tā men de ní？”
　　“ běn lái kě néng shì hěn nán zhǎo dào de， kě shì léi sī chuí dé lǎo xiōng shǒu lǐ yǐ jīng zhǎng wò liǎo tā zì jǐ hái bù zhī dào píng jià zhí de qíng bào。 dāng rán， nà jǐ gè xìng míng de qǐ shǒu zì mǔ shì zuì zhòng yào de， dàn shì bǐ zhè gèng yòu jià zhí de shì， zhī dào liǎo tā zài yī zhōu zhī nèi céng jīng zài lún dūn yī suǒ zuì gāo jí de lǚ guǎn jié guò zhàng zhè gè shì shí。”
　　“ nǐ zěn me tuī duàn chū lái shì zuì gāo jí de lǚ guǎn ní？”
　　“ gēn jù zhè me 'áng guì de jià gé tuī duàn chū lái de： bā xiān lìng yī gè chuáng wèi， bā biàn shì yī bēi pú táo jiǔ， yóu cǐ kě yǐ kàn chū nà shì yī jiā zuì háo huá de lǚ guǎn。 lún dūn shōu fèi zhè me gāo de lǚ guǎn bìng bù duō。 zài nuò sēn bó lán dà jiē wǒ fǎng wèn de dì 'èr jiā lǚ guǎn lǐ， tōng guò chá yuè dēng jì bù， wǒ fā xiàn yòu yī wèi měi guó xiān shēng fú lǎng xī sī ·Ｈ · mò 'ěr dùn， gāng gāng zài qián yī tiān lí kāi。 zài chá kàn tā míng xià de zhàng mù shí， wǒ yòu qià qiǎo fā xiàn wǒ zài fù xiě de shōu jù shàng yǐ jīng kàn dào guò de nà xiē zhàng mù。 zhè wèi měi guó xiān shēng liú xià huà yào qiú jiāng tā de xìn jiàn zhuǎn dào gē dēng guǎng chǎng２２６ hào。 yú shì， wǒ jiù gǎn dào nà lǐ， hěn xìng yùn dì fā xiàn zhè duì 'ài lǚ zhèng hǎo zài jiā。 wǒ mào mèi dì yǐ zhǎngbèi de shēn fèn xiàng tā men tí chū liǎo yī diǎn yì jiàn。 wǒ xiàng tā men zhǐ chū， bù lùn cóng nǎ fāng miàn lái shuō， tā mendōu zuì hǎo xiàng gōng zhòng， tè bié shì xiàng shèng xī méng xūn jué jiāng tā men de chǔjìng biǎo bái dé gèng qīng chǔ yī diǎn。 wǒ yāo qǐng tā men dào zhè lǐ lái hé tā jiàn miàn， bìng qiě， zhèng rú nǐ suǒ kàn dào de， wǒ shǐ tā zūn shǒu liǎo yuē huì。”
　　“ dàn shì， jié jú bù gòu lǐ xiǎng， " wǒ shuō dào， " tā de jǔ zhǐ kěn dìng bù gòu dà fāng。”
　　“ hā， huá shēng， " fú 'ěr mó sī wēi xiào zhe shuō，“ jiǎ rú nǐ jīng guò qiú hūn、 jié hūn děng yī xì liè de má fán shì zhī hòu， què fā xiàn shùn kè zhī jiān qī zǐ hé cái fù bù yì 'ér fēi liǎo， kǒng pà nǐ yě bù huì hěn dà fāng de。 wǒ xiǎng wǒ men kàn dài shèng xī méng xūn jué bù fáng kuān róng yī xiē， bìng qiě xiè tiān xiè dì bù yào yòu yī tiān ràng wǒ men luò dào tóng yàng de dì bù。 qǐng nǐ jiāng yǐ zǐ xiàng qián nuó nuó， bǎ nà xiǎo tí qín dì gěi wǒ。 xiàn zài hái xū yào wǒ men jiě jué de wéi yī wèn tí shì， rú hé xiāo mó zhè yǐ hòu de qī liáng de qiū yè。”

　　The Lord St. Simon marriage, and its curious termination, have long ceased to be a subject of interest in those exalted circles in which the unfortunate bridegroom moves. Fresh scandals have eclipsed it, and their more piquant details have drawn the gossips away from this four-year-old drama. As I have reason to believe, however, that the full facts have never been revealed to the general public, and as my friend Sherlock Holmes had a considerable share in clearing the matter up, I feel that no memoir of him would be complete without some little sketch of this remarkable episode.
　　 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."