第8章
“Yes，sir。Imethimthatnight，andhecallednextdaytoaskifwehadgothomeallsafe，andafterthatwemethim——thatistosay，Mr。Holmes，Imethimtwiceforwalks，butafterthatfathercamebackagain，andMr。HosmerAngelcouldnotcometothehouseanymore。“
“No？“
“Well，youknow，fatherdidn’tlikeanythingofthesort。Hewouldn’thaveanyvisitorsifhecouldhelpit，andheusedtosaythatawomanshouldbehappyinherownfamilycircle。Butthen，asIusedtosaytomother，awomanwantsherowncircletobeginwith，andIhadnotgotmineyet。“
“ButhowaboutMr。HosmerAngel？Didhemakenoattempttoseeyou？“
“Well，fatherwasgoingofftoFranceagaininaweek，andHosmerwroteandsaidthatitwouldbesaferandbetternottoseeeachotheruntilhehadgone。Wecouldwriteinthemeantime，andheusedtowriteeveryday。Itookthelettersinthemorning，sotherewasnoneedforfathertoknow。“
“Wereyouengagedtothegentlemanatthistime？“
“Oh，yes，Mr。Holmes。Wewereengagedafterthefirstwalkthatwetook。Hosmer——Mr。Angel——wasacashierinanofficeinLeadenhallStreet——and——“
“Whatoffice？“
“That’stheworstofit，Mr。Holmes；Idon’tknow。“
“Wheredidhelive，then？“
“Hesleptonthepremises。“
“Andyoudon’tknowhisaddress？“
“No——exceptthatitwasLeadenhallStreet。“
“Wheredidyouaddressyourletters，then？“
“TotheLeadenhallStreetPostOffice，tobelefttillcalledfor。
Hesaidthatiftheyweresenttotheofficehewouldbechaffedbyalltheotherclerksabouthavinglettersfromalady，soIofferedtotypewritethem，likehedidhis，buthewouldn’thavethat，forhesaidthatwhenIwrotethemtheyseemedtocomefromme，butwhentheyweretypewrittenhealwaysfeltthatthemachinehadcomebetweenus。Thatwilljustshowyouhowfondhewasofme，Mr。
Holmes，andthelittlethingsthathewouldthinkof。“
“Itwasmostsuggestive，“saidHolmes。“Ithaslongbeenanaxiomofminethatthelittlethingsareinfinitelythemostimportant。
CanyourememberanyotherlittlethingsaboutMr。HosmerAngel？“
“Hewasaveryshyman，Mr。Holmes。Hewouldratherwalkwithmeintheeveningthaninthedaylight，forhesaidthathehatedtobeconspicuous。Veryretiringandgentlemanlyhewas。Evenhisvoicewasgentle。He’dhadthequinsyandswollenglandswhenhewasyoung，hetoldme，andithadlefthimwithaweakthroatandahesitating，whisperingfashionofspeech。Hewasalwayswelldressed，veryneatandplain，buthiseyeswereweak，justasmineare，andheworetintedglassesagainsttheglare。“
“Well，andwhathappenedwhenMr。Windibank，yourstepfather，returnedtoFrance？“
“Mr。HosmerAngelcametothehouseagain，andproposedthatweshouldmarrybeforefathercameback。Hewasindreadfulearnest，andmademeswear，withmyhandsontheTestament，thatwhateverhappenedIwouldalwaysbetruetohim。Mothersaidhewasquiterighttomakemeswear，andthatitwasasignofhispassion。
Motherwasallinhisfavorfromthefirst，andwasevenfonderofhimthanIwas。Then，whentheytalkedofmarryingwithintheweek，Ibegantoaskaboutfather；buttheybothsaidnevertomindaboutfather，butjusttotellhimafterwardsandmothersaidshewouldmakeitallrightwithhim。Ididn’tquitelikethat，Mr。
Holmes。ItseemedfunnythatIshouldaskhisleave，ashewasonlyafewyearsolderthanme；butIdidn’twanttodoanythingonthesly，soIwrotetofatheratBordeaux，wherethecompanyhasitsFrenchoffices，butthelettercamebacktomeontheverymorningofthewedding。“
“Itmissedhim，then？“
“Yes，sir，forhehadstartedtoEnglandjustbeforeitarrived。“
“Ha！thatwasunfortunate。Yourweddingwasarranged，then，fortheFriday。Wasittobeinchurch？“
“Yes，sir，butveryquietly。ItwastobeatSt。Saviour’s，nearKing’sCross，andweweretohavebreakfastafterwardsattheSt。
PancrasHotel。Hosmercameforusinahansom，butasthereweretwoofus，heputusbothintoit，andsteppedhimselfintoafour-
wheeler，whichhappenedtobetheonlyothercabinthestreet。Wegottothechurchfirst，andwhenthefour-wheelerdroveupwewaitedforhimtostepout，butheneverdid，andwhenthecabmangotdownfromtheboxandlooked，therewasnoonethere！Thecabmansaidthathecouldnotimaginewhathadbecomeofhim，forhehadseenhimgetinwithhisowneyes。ThatwaslastFriday，Mr。Holmes，andIhaveneverseenorheardanythingsincethentothrowanylightuponwhatbecameofhim。“
“Itseemstomethatyouhavebeenveryshamefullytreated，“saidHolmes。
“Oh，no，sir！Hewastoogoodandkindtoleavemeso。Why，allthemorninghewassayingtomethat，whateverhappened，Iwastobetrue；andthatevenifsomethingquiteunforeseenoccurredtoseparateus，IwasalwaystorememberthatIwaspledgedtohim，andthathewouldclaimhispledgesoonerorlater。Itseemedstrangetalkforaweddingmorning，butwhathashappenedsincegivesameaningtoit。“
“Mostcertainlyitdoes。Yourownopinionis，then，thatsomeunforeseencatastrophehasoccurredtohim？“
“Yes，sir。Ibelievethatheforesawsomedanger，orelsehewouldnothavetalkedso。AndthenIthinkthatwhatheforesawhappened。“
“Butyouhavenonotionastowhatitcouldhavebeen？“
“None。“
“Onemorequestion。Howdidyourmothertakethematter？“
“Shewasangry，andsaidthatIwasnevertospeakofthematteragain。“
“Andyourfather？Didyoutellhim？“
“Yes，andheseemedtothink，withme，thatsomethinghadhappened，andthatIshouldhearofHosmeragain。Ashesaid，whatinterestcouldanyonehaveinbringingmetothedoorofthechurch，andthenleavingme？Now，ifhehadborrowedmymoney，orifhehadmarriedmeandgotmymoneysettledonhim，theremightbesomereason；butHosmerwasveryindependentaboutmoney，andneverwouldlookatashillingofmine。Andyetwhatcouldhavehappened？Andwhycouldhenotwrite？Oh！itdrivesmehalfmadtothinkof，andIcan’tsleepawinkatnight。“Shepulledalittlehandkerchiefoutofhermuff，andbegantosobheavilyintoit。
“Ishallglanceintothecaseforyou，“saidHolmes，rising，“andI
havenodoubtthatweshallreachsomedefiniteresult。Lettheweightofthematterrestuponmenow，anddonotletyourminddwelluponitfurther。Aboveall，trytoletMr。HosmerAngelvanishfromyourmemory，ashehasdonefromyourlife。“
“Thenyoudon’tthinkI’llseehimagain？“
“Ifearnot。“
“Thenwhathashappenedtohim？“
“Youwillleavethatquestioninmyhands。Ishouldlikeanaccuratedescriptionofhim，andanylettersofhiswhichyoucanspare。“
“IadvertisedforhiminlastSaturday’sChronicle，“saidshe。
“Hereistheslip，andherearefourlettersfromhim。“
“Thankyou。Andyouraddress？“
“No。31LyonPlace，Camberwell。“
“Mr。Angel’saddressyouneverhad，Iunderstand。Whereisyourfather’splaceofbusiness？“
“HetravelsforWesthouse&Marbank，thegreatclaretimportersofFenchurchStreet。“
“Thankyou。Youhavemadeyourstatementveryclearly。Youwillleavethepapershere，andremembertheadvicewhichIhavegivenyou。Letthewholeincidentbeasealedbook，anddonotallowittoaffectyourlife。“
“Youareverykind，Mr。Holmes，butIcannotdothat。IshallbetruetoHosmer。Heshallfindmereadywhenhecomesback。“
Forallthepreposteroushatandthevacuousface，therewassomethingnobleinthesimplefaithofourvisitorwhichcompelledourrespect。Shelaidherlittlebundleofpapersuponthetable，andwentherway，withapromisetocomeagainwhenevershemightbesummoned。
SherlockHolmessatsilentforafewminuteswithhisfingertipsstillpressedtogether，hislegsstretchedoutinfrontofhim，andhisgazedirectedupwardtotheceiling。Thenhetookdownfromtheracktheoldandoilyclaypipe，whichwastohimasacounselor，and，havinglightedit，heleanedbackinhischair，withthickbluecloudwreathsspinningupfromhim，andalookofinfinitelanguorinhisface。
“Quiteaninterestingstudy，thatmaiden，“heobserved。“Ifoundhermoreinterestingthanherlittleproblem，which，bytheway，isratheratriteone。Youwillfindparallelcases，ifyouconsultmyindex，inAndoverin’77，andtherewassomethingofthesortatTheHaguelastyear。Oldasistheidea，however，therewereoneortwodetailswhichwerenewtome。Butthemaidenherselfwasmostinstructive。“