The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes 3)

"He slept on the premises."

"And you don't know his address?"

"No--except that it was Leadenhall Street."

"Where did you address your letters, then?"

"To the Leadenhall Street Post Office, to be left till calledfor. He said that if they were sent to the office he would bechaffed by all the other clerks about having letters from a lady,so I offered to typewrite them, like he did his, but he wouldn'thave that, for he said that when I wrote them they seemed to comefrom me, but when they were typewritten he always felt that themachine had come between us. That will just show you how fond hewas of me, Mr. Holmes, and the little things that he would thinkof."

"It was most suggestive," said Holmes. "It has long been an axiomof mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.Can you remember any other little things about Mr. Hosmer Angel?"

"He was a very shy man, Mr. Holmes. He would rather walk with mein the evening than in the daylight, for he said that he hated tobe conspicuous. Very retiring and gentlemanly he was. Even hisvoice was gentle. He'd had the quinsy and swollen glands when hewas young, he told me, and it had left him with a weak throat,and a hesitating, whispering fashion of speech. He was alwayswell dressed, very neat and plain, but his eyes were weak, justas mine are, and he wore tinted glasses against the glare."

"Well, and what happened when Mr. Windibank, your stepfather,returned to France?"

"Mr. Hosmer Angel came to the house again and proposed that weshould marry before father came back. He was in dreadful earnestand made me swear, with my hands on the Testament, that whateverhappened I would always be true to him. Mother said he was quiteright to make me swear, and that it was a sign of his passion.Mother was all in his favour from the first and was even fonderof him than I was. Then, when they talked of marrying within theweek, I began to ask about father; but they both said never tomind about father, but just to tell him afterwards, and mothersaid she would make it all right with him. I didn't quite likethat, Mr. Holmes. It seemed funny that I should ask his leave, ashe was only a few years older than me; but I didn't want to doanything on the sly, so I wrote to father at Bordeaux, where thecompany has its French offices, but the letter came back to me onthe very morning of the wedding."

"It missed him, then?"

"Yes, sir; for he had started to England just before it arrived."

"Ha! that was unfortunate. Your wedding was arranged, then, forthe Friday. Was it to be in church?"

"Yes, sir, but very quietly. It was to be at St. Saviour's, nearKing's Cross, and we were to have breakfast afterwards at the St.Pancras Hotel. Hosmer came for us in a hansom, but as there weretwo of us he put us both into it and stepped himself into afour-wheeler, which happened to be the only other cab in thestreet. We got to the church first, and when the four-wheelerdrove up we waited for him to step out, but he never did, andwhen the cabman got down from the box and looked there was no onethere! The cabman said that he could not imagine what had becomeof him, for he had seen him get in with his own eyes. That waslast Friday, Mr. Holmes, and I have never seen or heard anythingsince then to throw any light upon what became of him."

"It seems to me that you have been very shamefully treated," saidHolmes.

"Oh, no, sir! He was too good and kind to leave me so. Why, allthe morning he was saying to me that, whatever happened, I was tobe true; and that even if something quite unforeseen occurred toseparate us, I was always to remember that I was pledged to him,and that he would claim his pledge sooner or later. It seemedstrange talk for a wedding-morning, but what has happened sincegives a meaning to it."

"Most certainly it does. Your own opinion is, then, that someunforeseen catastrophe has occurred to him?"

"Yes, sir. I believe that he foresaw some danger, or else hewould not have talked so. And then I think that what he foresawhappened."

"But you have no notion as to what it could have been?"

"None."

"One more question. How did your mother take the matter?"

"She was angry, and said that I was never to speak of the matteragain."

"And your father? Did you tell him?"

"Yes; and he seemed to think, with me, that something hadhappened, and that I should hear of Hosmer again. As he said,what interest could anyone have in bringing me to the doors ofthe church, and then leaving me?

Now, if he had borrowed mymoney, or if he had married me and got my money settled on him,there might be some reason, but Hosmer was very independent aboutmoney and never would look at a shilling of mine. And yet, whatcould have happened? And why could he not write? Oh, it drives mehalf-mad to think of it, and I can't sleep a wink at night." Shepulled a little handkerchief out of her muff and began to sobheavily into it.

"I shall glance into the case for you," said Holmes, rising, "andI have no doubt that we shall reach some definite result. Let theweight of the matter rest upon me now, and do not let your minddwell upon it further. Above all, try to let Mr. Hosmer Angelvanish from your memory, as he has done from your life."

"Then you don't think I'll see him again?"

"I fear not."

"Then what has happened to him?"

"You will leave that question in my hands. I should like anaccurate description of him and any letters of his which you canspare."

"I advertised for him in last Saturday's Chronicle," said she."Here is the slip and here are four letters from him."