He said that if they were sent to the office he would be chaffed byall the other clerks about having letters from a lady, so I offered totypewrite them, like he did his, but he wouldn’t have that, for hesaid that when I wrote them they seemed to come from me, butwhen they were typewritten he always felt that the machine hadcome between us. That will just show you how fond he was of me,Mr. Holmes, and the little things that he would think of.”
“It was most suggestive,” said Holmes. “It has long beenan axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the mostimportant. Can you remember any other little things about Mr.
Hosmer Angel?”
“He was a very shy man, Mr. Holmes. He would rather walkwith me in the evening than in the daylight, for he said that hehated to be conspicuous. Very retiring and gentlemanly he was.
Even his voice was gentle. He’d had the quinsy and swollen glandswhen he was young, he told me, and it had left him with a weakthroat, and a hesitating, whispering fashion of speech. He wasalways well dressed, very neat and plain, but his eyes were weak,just as mine are, and he wore tinted glasses against the glare.”
“Well, and what happened when Mr. Windibank, yourstepfather, returned to France?”
“Mr. Hosmer Angel came to the house again and proposed thatwe should marry before father came back. He was in dreadfulearnest and made me swear, with my hands on the Testament, thatwhatever happened I would always be true to him. Mother saidhe was quite right to make me swear, and that it was a sign of hispassion. Mother was all in his favour from the first and was evenfonder of him than I was. Then, when they talked of marryingwithin the week, I began to ask about father; but they both saidnever to mind about father, but just to tell him afterwards, andmother said she would make it all right with him. I didn’t quitelike that, Mr. Holmes. It seemed funny that I should ask his leave,as he 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 a fourwheeler,which happened to be the only other cab in the street.
We got to the church first, and when the four-wheeler drove up wewaited for him to step out, but he never did, and when the cabmangot down from the box and looked there was no one there! Thecabman said that he could not imagine what had become of him,for he had seen him get in with his own eyes. That was last Friday,Mr. Holmes, and I have never seen or heard anything since thento throw any light upon what became of him.”
“It seems to me that you have been very shamefully treated,”
said Holmes.
“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 wasto be true; and that even if something quite unforeseen occurredto separate us, I was always to remember that I was pledged tohim, 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 of thechurch, and then leaving me? Now, if he had borrowed my money,or if he had married me and got my money settled on him, theremight 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 drivesme half-mad to think of it, and I can’t sleep a wink at night.”
She pulled 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. “Hereis the slip and here are four letters from him.”
“Thank you. And your address?”
“No. 31 Lyon Place, Camberwell.”
“Mr. Angel’s address you never had, I understand. Where is yourfather’s place of business?”
“He travels for Westhouse & Marbank, the great claret importersof Fenchurch Street.”
“Thank you. You have made your statement very clearly. Youwill leave the papers here, and remember the advice which I havegiven you. Let the whole incident be a sealed book, and do notallow it to affect your life.”
“You are very kind, Mr. Holmes, but I cannot do that. I shall betrue to Hosmer. He shall find me ready when he comes back.”