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The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor - Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · Thrilling Adventures - Daily

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The adventure of the noble bachelor the Lord Saint Simon.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Marriage and its curious termination have long ceased to be
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: a subject of interest in those exalted circles in which
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: the unfortunate bridegroom moves. Fresh scandals have eclipsed it, and
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: their more piquant details have drawn the gossips away from
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: this four year old drama. As I have reason to believe, however,
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: that the full facts have never been revealed to the
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: general public, and as my friend Sherlock Holmes had a
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: considerable share in clearing the matter up, I feel that
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: no memoir of him would be complete without some little
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: sketch of this remarkable episode. It was a few weeks
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: before my own marriage, during the days when I was
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: still sharing rooms with homes in Baker Street, that he
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: came home from an afternoon stroll to find a letter
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: on the table waiting for him. I had remained indoors
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: all day, for the weather had taken a sudden turn
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: to rain with high autumnal winds, and the Jazail bullet,
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: which I had brought back in one of my limbs
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: as a relic of my Afghan campaign, throbbed with dull persistence.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: With my body in one easy chair and my legs
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  Speaker 1: upon another, I had surrounded myself with a cloud of newspapers,
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: until at last, saturated with the news of the day,
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: I tossed them all aside and lay listless, watching the
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: huge crest and monogram upon the envelope upon the table,
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: and wondering lazily whom my friend's noble correspondent could be.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Here is a very fashionable epistle, I remarked, as he entered.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: Your morning letters, if I remember right, were from a
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: fishmonger and a tide waiter. Yes, my correspondence has certainly
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: the charm of variety, he answered, smiling, and the humbler
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: are usually more interesting. This looks like one of those
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: unwelcome social summonses which call upon a man either to
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: be bored or to lie. He broke the seal and
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: glanced over the contents. Oh, come, it may prove to
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: be something of interest after all. Not social, then, no,
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: distinctly professional, and from a noble client, one of the
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: highest in England. My dear fellow, I congratulate you. I
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: assure you, Watson, without affectation, that the status of my
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: client is a matter of less moment to me than
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: the interest of his case. It is just possible, however,
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: that that also may not be wanting in this new investigation.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: You have been reading the papers diligently of late, have
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: you not? It looks like it, said I ruefully, pointing
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: to a huge bundle in the corner. I have had
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: nothing else to do. It is fortunate for you will
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: perhaps be able to post me up. I read nothing
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: except the criminal news and the Agony column. The latter
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: is always instructive. But if you have followed recent events
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: so closely, you must have read about Lord Saint Simon
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: and his wedding. Oh, yes, with the deepest interest. That
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: is well. The letter would which I hold in my hand,
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: is from Lord Saint Simon. I will read it to you,
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: and in return you must turn over these papers and
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: let me have whatever bears upon the matter. This is
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: what he says, my dear mister Sherlock Holmes. Lord Backwater
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: tells me that I may place implicit reliance upon your
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: judgment and discretion. I have determined therefore to call upon
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: you and to consult you in reference to the very
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: painful event which has occurred in connection with my wedding
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: mister Lestrade of Scotland Yard is acting already in the matter.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: But he assures me that he sees no objection to
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: your co operation, and that he even thinks that it
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: might be of some assistance. I will call at four
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: o'clock in the afternoon, and should you have any other
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: engagement at that time, I hope that you will postpone it,
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  Speaker 1: as this is a matter of paramount importance, yours faithfully,
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Saint Simon. It is dated from Grosvenor Mansions, written with
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: a quill pen, and the noble lord has had the
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: misfortune to get a smear upon the outer side of
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: his right little finger, remarked Holmes, as he folded up
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: the epistle. He says four o'clock. It is three now.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: He will be here in an hour. Then I have
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  Speaker 1: just time, with your assistance, to get clear upon the subject.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: Turn over those papers and arrange the extracts in their
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: order of time, while I take a glance as to
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: who our client is. He picked a red covered volume
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: from a line of books of reference beside the mantelpiece.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: Here he is, said, he sitting down and flattening it
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: out upon his knee. Lord Robert Bolsingham. The vere Saint Simon,
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  Speaker 1: second son of the Duke of Balmoral, come arms Azure
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: three cowtrops in chief over a fest Sable. Born in
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: eighteen forty six, he's forty one years of age, which
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  Speaker 1: is mature for marriage. Was under Secretary for the Colonies
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: in a late administration the Duke. His father was at
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: one time Secretary for foreign affairs. They inherit Plantagenet blood
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: by direct descent and tutor on the distaff side. Ha. Well,
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: there is nothing very instructive in all this. I think
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  Speaker 1: that I must turn to you, Watson, for something more solid.
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  Speaker 1: I have very little difficulty in finding what I want,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: said I, for the facts are quite recent, and the
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: matter struck me as remarkable. I feared to refer them
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: to you, however, as I knew that you had an
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: inquiry on hand, and that you disliked the intrusion of
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: other matters. Oh, you mean the little problem of the
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Grosvenor Square furniture van. That is quite cleared up now,
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: though indeed it was obvious from the first Pray, give
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: me the results of your newspaper selections. Here is the
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: first notice which I can find. It is in the
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: personal column of the Morning Post and dates. As you
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: see some weeks back. A marriage has been arranged, it says,
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  Speaker 1: and will, if rumor is correct, very shortly take place
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  Speaker 1: between Lord Robert Saint Simon, second son of the Duke
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  Speaker 1: of Balmoral, and Miss Hattie Duran, the only daughter of
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: Aloysius Duran, Esquire of San Francisco, California. U s A.
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  Speaker 1: That is all terse and to the point, remarked Holmes,
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: stretching his long thin legs towards the fire. There was
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: a paragraph amplifying this in one of the society papers
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: of the same week. Ah here it is. There will
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: soon be a call for protection in the marriage market,
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: for the present free trade principle appears to tell heavily
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: against our home product. One by one, the management of
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: the noble houses of Great Britain is passing into the
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: hands of our fair cousins from across the Atlantic. An
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: important addition has been made during the last week to
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: the list of the prizes which have been borne away
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: by these charming invaders. Lord Saint Simon, who has shown
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: himself for over twenty years proof against the little God's arrows,
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  Speaker 1: has now definitely announced his approaching marriage with Miss Hattie Duran,
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  Speaker 1: the fascinating daughter of a California millionaire. Miss Duran, whose
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: graceful figure and striking face attracted much attention at the
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: Westbury House festivities, is an only child and it is
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: currently reported that her dowry will run to considerably over
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: the six figures, with expectancies for the future. As it
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: is an open secret that the Duke of Balmoral has
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: been compelled to sell his pictures within the last few years,
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: and as Lord Saint Simon has no property of his
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: own save the small estate of Birchmoor, it is obvious
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: that the Californian heiress is not the only gainer by
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: an alliance which will enable her to make the easy
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: and common transition from a Republican lady to a British peeress.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: Anything else, asked Holmes, yawning, Oh, yes, plenty. Then there
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: is another note in the Morning Post to say that
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: the marriage would be an absolutely quiet one, that it
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: would be at Saint George's Hanover Square, that only a
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  Speaker 1: half a dozen intimate friends would be invited, and that
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  Speaker 1: the party would return to the furnished house at Lancaster Gate,
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  Speaker 1: which has been taken by mister Aloysius Duran. Two days later,
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  Speaker 1: that is, on Wednesday last, there is a curt announcement
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: that the wedding had taken place and that the honeymoon
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: would be passed at Lord Backwater's place near Petersfield. Those
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: are all the notices which appeared before the disappearance of
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: the bride, before the What asked Holmes with a start,
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: the vanishing of the lady? When did she vanish? Then
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: at the wedding breakfast? Indeed, this is more interesting than
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: it promised to be, quite dramatic. In fact, yes, it
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: struck me as being a little out of the common.
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  Speaker 1: They often vanish before the ceremony and occasionally during the honeymoon.
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  Speaker 1: But I cannot call to mind anything quite so prompt
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  Speaker 1: as this pray. Let me have the details. I warn
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  Speaker 1: you that they are very incomplete. Perhaps we may make
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  Speaker 1: them less. So such as they are, they are set
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: forth in a single article of a morning paper of yesterday,
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: which I will read to you. It is headed singular
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: occurrence at a fashionable wedding. The family of Lord Robert
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: Saint Simon has been thrown into the greatest consternation by
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: the strange and painful episodes which have taken place in
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: connection with his wedding. The ceremony, as shortly announced in
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: the papers of yesterday, occurred on the previous morning. But
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: it is only now that it has been possible to
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: confirm the strange rumours which have been so persistently floating about.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: In spite of the attempts of the friends to hush
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  Speaker 1: the matter up. So much public attention has now been
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  Speaker 1: drawn to it that no good purpose can be served
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  Speaker 1: by affecting to disregard what is a common subject for conversation.
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  Speaker 1: The ceremony, which was performed at Saint George's Hanover Square,
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  Speaker 1: was a very quiet one, no one being present save
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  Speaker 1: the father of the bride, Mister Aloysius Duran, the Duchess
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  Speaker 1: of Balmoral, Lord Backwater, Lord Eustace, and Lady Clara, Saint Simon,
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  Speaker 1: the younger brother and sister of the bridegroom, and Lady
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  Speaker 1: Alicia Whittington. The whole party proceeded afterwards to the house
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  Speaker 1: of mister Allowish's Duran at Lancaster Gate, where breakfast had
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  Speaker 1: been prepared. It appears that some little trouble was caused
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: by a woman whose name has not been ascertained, who
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: endeavored to force her way into the house after the
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: bridal party, alleging that she had some claim upon Lord
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  Speaker 1: Saint Simon. It was only after a painful and prolonged
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  Speaker 1: scene that she was ejected by the butler and the footman.
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  Speaker 1: The bride, who had fortunately entered the house before this
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: unpleasant interruption, had sat down to breakfast with the rest,
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  Speaker 1: when she complained of a sudden indisposition and retired to
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: her room, her prolonged absence having caused some comment. Her
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: father followed her, but learned from her maid that she
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: had only come up to her chamber for an instant
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: caught up an ulster and bonnet, and hurried down to
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  Speaker 1: the passage. One of the footmen declared that he had
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: seen a lady leave the house thus apparelled, but had
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: refused to credit that it was his mistress, believing her
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: to be with the company. On ascertaining that his daughter
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: had disappeared, mister Alowisius Duran, in conjunction with the bridegroom,
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: instantly put themselves in communication with the police, and very
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: energetic inquiries are being made which will probably result in
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: a speedy clearing up of this very singular business. Up
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: to a late hour last night, however, nothing had transpired
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: as to the whereabouts of the missing lady. There are
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: rumors of foul play in the matter, and it is
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: said that the police have caused the arrests of the
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: woman who had caused the original disturbance, in the belief
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: that from jealousy or some other motive, she may have
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: been concerned in the strange disappearance of the bride. And
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: is that all only one little item in another of
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: the morning papers, But it is a suggestive one, and
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: it is that Miss Flora Millar, the lady who had
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: caused the disturbance, has actually been arrested. It appears that
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: she was formerly a danseuse at the Allegro, and that
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: she has known the bridegroom for some years. There are
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: no further particulars, and the whole case is in your
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: hands now so far as it has been set forth
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: in the public press. And an exceedingly interesting case it
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: appears to be. I would not have missed it for worlds.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: But there is a ring at the bell, Watson, and
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: as the clock makes it a few minutes after four,
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  Speaker 1: I have no doubt that this will prove to be
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: our noble client. Do not dream of going Watson, for
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: I very much prefer having a witness, if only as
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: a check to my own memory. Lord Robert Saint Simon
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: announced our page boy, throwing open the door. A gentleman entered,
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  Speaker 1: with a pleasant cultured face, high nosed and pale, with
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: something perhaps of petulance about the mouth, and with the steady,
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: well opened eye of a man whose pleasant lot it
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: had ever been to command and to be obeyed. His
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: manner was brisk, and yet his general appearance gave an
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: undue impression of age, for he had a slight forward
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: stoop and a little bend of the knees as he walked.
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: His hair, too, as he swept off his very curly
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: brimmed hat, was grizzled round the edges and thin upon
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: the top. As to his dress, it was careful to
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: the verge of popping fishness, with high collar, black frock coat,
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: white waistcoat, yellow gloves, patent leather shoes, and light colored gaiters.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: He advanced slowly into the room, turning his head from
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: left to right, and swinging in his right hand the
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: cord which held his golden eyeglasses. Good day, Lord Saint Simon,
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: said Holmes, rising and bowing. Pray, take the basket chair.
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: This is my friend and colleague, doctor Watson. Draw up
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: a little to the fire, and we will talk this
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: matter over, A most painful matter to me, as you
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: can most readily imagine, mister Holmes, I have been cut
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: to the quick. I understand that you have already managed
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I presume
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: that they were hardly from the same class of society.
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: No I am descending. I beg pardon. My last client
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: of the sort was a king. Oh really, I had
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: no idea, and which king? But the King of Scandinavia.
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: What had he lost his wife? You can understand, said Holmes, suavely,
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: that I extend to the affairs of my other clients
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: the same secrecy which I promised you in yours. Of course,
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Very right, very right, I am sure, I beg pardon.
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: As to my own case, I am ready to give
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: you any information which may assist you in forming an opinion.
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: Thank you. I have already learned all that is in
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: the public prints. Nothing more. I presume that I may
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: take it as correct. This article, for example, as to
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: the disappearance of the Bride. Lord Saint Simon glanced over it. Yes,
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: it is correct as far as it goes, but it
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: needs a great deal of supplementing before any one could
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: offer an opinion. I think that I may arrive at
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: my facts most directly by questioning you, pray do so?
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: When did you first meet miss Hattie Durant in San
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: Francisco a year ago? You were traveling in the States. Yes,
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: did you become engaged then? No, but you were on
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: a friendly footing. I was amu used by her society,
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: and she could see that I was amused. Her father
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: is very rich. He is said to be the richest
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: man on the Pacific Slope. And how did he make
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: his money in mining? He had nothing a few years
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: ago that he struck gold, invested it and came up
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: by leaps and bounds. Now, what is your own impression
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: as to the young ladies your wife's character. The nobleman
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: swung his glasses a little faster and stared down into
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: the fire. You see, mister Holmes said he. My wife
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: was twenty before her father became a rich man. During
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: that time she ran free in a mining camp and
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: wandered through woods or mountains, so that her education has
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: come from nature rather than from the schoolmaster. She is
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: what we call in England a tomboy with a strong nature,
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: wild and free, unfettered by any sort of traditions. She
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: is impetuous, volcanic. I was about to say, she is
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: swift in making up her mind and fearless in carrying
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: out her resolutions. On the other hand, I would not
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: have given her the name which I have the honor
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: to bear. He gave a little stately cough, had I
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: not thought her to be at bottom a noble woman.
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: I believe that she is capable of heroic self sacrifice,
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: and that anything dishonorable would be repugnant to her. Have
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: you her photograph? I brought this with me. He opened
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: a locket and showed us the full face of a
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: very lovely woman. It was not a photograph but an
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: ivory miniature, and the artist had brought out the full
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: effect of the lustrous black hair, the large dark eyes,
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: and the exquisite mouth. Holmes gazed long and earnestly at it.
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: Then he closed the locket and handed it back to
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: Lord Saint Simon. The young lady came to London then,
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: and you renewed your acquaintance. Yes, her father brought her
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: over for this last London season. I met her several times,
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: became engaged to her, and have now married her. She
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: brought I understand a considerable dowry, a fair dowry, not
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: more than as usual in my family. And this, of
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: course remains to you, since the marriage is a fee accomplie.
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: I really have made no inquiries on the subject. Very
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: naturally not. Did you see mister rand on the day
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: before the wedding? Yes, was she in good spirits, never better.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: She kept talking of what we should do in our
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: future lives. Indeed, that is very interesting. And on the
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: morning of the wedding she was as bright as possible,
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: at least until after the ceremony. And did you observe
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: any change in her then? Well, to tell the truth,
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: I saw then the first signs that I had ever
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: seen that her temper was just a little sharp. The incident, however,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: was too trivial to relate, and can have no possible
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: bearing upon the case. Pray let us have it for
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: all that, Oh, it is childish. She dropped her bouquet
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: as we went towards the vestry. She was asking the
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: front pew at the time, and it fell over into
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: the pew. There was a moment's delay, but the gentleman
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: in the pew handed it up to her again, and
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: it did not appear to be the worse for the fall. Yet,
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: when I spoke to her of the matter, she answered
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: me abruptly, and in the carriage on our way home,
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: she seemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause. Indeed, you
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: say that there was a gentleman in the pew, some
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: of the general public were present, then, oh, yes, it
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: is impossible to exclude them when the church is open.
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: This gentleman was not one of your wife's friends. No, no,
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: I call him a gentleman by courtesy. But he was
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: quite a common looking person. I hardly noticed his appearance.
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: But really, I think that we are wandering rather far
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: from the point. Lady Saint Simon then returned from the
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: wedding in a less cheerful frame of mind than she
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: had gone to it. What did she do on re
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: entering her father's house? I saw her in conversation with
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: her maid. And who is her maid? Is her name?
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: She is an American and came from California with her
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: a confidential servant, a little too much. So it seemed
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: to me that her mistress allowed her to take great liberties. Still,
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: of course, in America they look upon these things in
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: a different way. How long did she speak to this, Alice? Oh,
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: a few minutes. I had something else to think of.
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: You did not overhear what they said. Lady Saint Simon
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: said something about jumping a claim. She was accustomed to
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: use slang of that kind. I have no idea what
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: she meant. American slang is very expressive sometimes. And what
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: did your wife do when she finished speaking to her maid?
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: She walked into the breakfast room on your arm. No alone.
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: She was very independent in little matters like that. Then
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: after we had sat down for ten minutes or so,
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: she rose, hurriedly, muttered some words of apology, and left
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: the room. She never came back. But this made Alice,
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: as I understand the poses, that she went to her room,
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: covered her bride's dress with a long ulster, put on
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: a bonnet, and went out quite so. And she was
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: afterwards seen walking into Hyde Park in company with Flora Millar,
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: a woman who is now in custody, and who had
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: already made a disturbance at mister Durand's house that morning. Ah, yes,
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: I should like a few particulars as to this young
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: lady and your relations to her. Lord Saint Simon shrugged
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. We have been on
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: her friendly footing for some years, I may say, on
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: a very friendly footing. She used to be at the Allegro.
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: I have not treated her ungenerously, and she had no
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: just cause of complaint against me, But you know what
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: women are, mister Holmes. Flora was a dear little thing,
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: but exceedingly hot headed and devotedly attached to me. She
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: wrote me dreadful letters when she heard that I was
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: about to be married, and to tell the truth, the
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: reason why I had the marriage celebrated so quietly was
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: that I feared lest there might be a scandal in
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: the church. She came to mister Durand's door just after
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: we returned, and she endeavored to push her way in,
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: uttering very abusive expressions towards my wife and even threatening her.
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: But I had foreseen the possibility of something of the sort,
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: and I had two police fellows there in private clothes,
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: who soon pushed her out again. She was quiet when
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: she saw that there was no good in making a row?
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: Did your wife hear all this? No, thank goodness, she
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: did not, and she was seen walking with this very
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: woman afterwards. Yes, that is what mister Lestrade of Scotland
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: Yard looks upon as so serious. It is thought that
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: Flora decoyed my wife out and laid some terrible trap
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: for her. Well, it is a possible supposition. You think
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: so too, I did not say a probable one. But
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: you do not yourself look upon this as likely. I
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: do not think Flora would her to fly. Still, jealousy
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: is a strange transformer of characters. Ray, what is your
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: own theory as to what took place? Well? Really, I
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: came to seek a theory, not a propound one. I
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: have given you all the facts since you ask me. However,
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: I may say that it has occurred to me as
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: possible that the excitement of this affair, the consciousness that
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: she had made so immense a social stride, had the
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: effect of causing some little nervous disturbance in my wife,
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: In short, that she had become suddenly deranged. Well, really,
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: when I consider that she has turned her back, I
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: will not say upon me, but upon so much that
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: many have aspired you without success. I can hardly explain
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: it in any other fashion. Well, certainly that is also
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: a conceivable hypothesis, said Holmes, smiling. And now, Lord Saint Simon,
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: I think that I have nearly all my data. May
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: I ask whether you were seated at the breakfast table
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: so that you could see out of the window. We
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: could see the other side of the road and the park.
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: Quite so, then, I do not think that I need
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: to detain you longer. I shall communicate with you should
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: you be fortunate enough to solve this problem, said our client, rising,
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: I have solved it. Eh, What was that? I say
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: that I have solved it? Where then is my wife?
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: That is a detail that I shall speedily supply. Lord
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: Saint Simon shook his head. I am afraid that it
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: will take wiser heads than yours or mine, he remarked,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: and bowing in a stately old fashioned manner, he departed.
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: It is very good of Lord Saint Simon to honor
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: my head by putting it on a level with his own,
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: said Sherlock Holmes, laughing. I think that I shall have
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: a whisky and soda and a cigar after all this
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: cross questioning. I had formed my conclusion as to the
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: case before our client came into the room. My dear Holmes,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: I have notes of several similar cases, though none, as
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: I remarked before, which were quite as prompt. My whole
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: examination served to turn my conjecture into a certainty. Circumstantial
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: evidence is occasionally very convincing, as when you find a
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: trout in the milk, to quote Sir Rose example. But
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: I have heard all that you have heard, without, however,
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: the knowledge of pre existing cases, which serves me so well.
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: There was a parallel instance in Aberdeen some years back,
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: and something on very much the same lines at Munich
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: the year after the Franco Prussian War. It is one
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: of these cases. But hullo, here is lestrade, Good afternoon, Lestrade.
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: You will find an extra tumbler upon the sideboard, and
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: there are cigars in the box. The official detective was
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: attired in a pea jacket and cravat, which gave him
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: a decidedly nautical appearance, and he carried a black canvas
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: bag in his hand. With a short greeting, he seated
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: himself and lit the cigar which had been offered to him.
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: What's up? Then asked Holmes, with a twinkle in his eye.
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: You look dissatisfied, and I feel dissatisfied. It is this
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: infernal Saint Simon marriage case. I can make neither head
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: nor tail of the business. Really, you surprise me. Who
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: ever heard of such a mixed affair? Every clue seems
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: to slip through my fingers. I've been at work upon
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: it all day, and very wet. It seems to have
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: made you, said Holmes, laying his hand upon the arm
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: of the pea jacket. Yes, I've been dragging the serpentine
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: in Heaven's name, what for in search of the body
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: of lady Saint Simon Sherlock Holmbs leaned back in his
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: chair and laughed heartily. Have you dragged the basin of
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: Trafago's square fountain? He asked? Why? What do you mean?
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: Because you have just as good a chance of finding
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: this lady in the one as in the other. Lestrade
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: shot an angry glance at my companion. I suppose you
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: know all about it, he snarled, Well, I have only
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: just heard the facts, but my mind is made up.
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: Oh indeed, then you think that the serpentine plays no
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: part in the matter. I think it very unlikely. Then
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: perhaps you will kindly explain how it is that we
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: found this in it. He opened his bag as he spoke,
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: and tumbled onto the floor a wedding dress of watered silk,
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: a pair of white satin shoes, and a bride's wreath
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: and veil, all discolored and soaked in water. There, said he,
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: putting a new wedding ring upon the top of the pile.
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: There is a little nut for you to crack, Master Holmes. Oh, indeed,
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: said my friend, blowing blue rings into the air. You
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: dragged them from the serpentine. No, they were found floating
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: near the margin by a park keeper. They have been
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: identified as her clothes, and it seemed to me that
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: if the clothes were there, the body would not be
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: far off. By the same brilliant reasoning, every man's body
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: is to be found in the neighborhood of his wardrobe.
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: And pray, what did you hope to arrive at through this?
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: At some evidence implicating Flora Millar in the disappearance. I
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: am afraid that you will find it difficult, are you? Indeed? Now,
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: cried Lestrade with some bitterness. I am afraid, Holmes, that
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: you are not very practical with your deductions and your inferences.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: You have made two blunders in as many minutes. This
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: dress does implicate miss Flora Millar. And how in the
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: dress is a pocket. In the pocket is a card case.
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: In the card case is a note. And here is
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: the very note. He slapped it down upon the table
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: in front of him. Listen to this. You will see
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: me when all is ready, come at once. F h M. Now,
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: my theory all along has been that Lady Saint Simon
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: was decoyed away by Flora Millar, and that she, with confederates,
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: no doubt, was responsible for her disappearance. Here, signed with
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: her initials, is the very note which was no doubt
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: quietly slipped into her hand at the door, and which
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: lured her within their reach. Very good, Lestrade, said Holmes, laughing,
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: you really are very fine. Indeed, let me see it.
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: He took up the paper in a listless way, but
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: his attention instantly became riveted, and he gave a little
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: cry of satisfaction. This is indeed important, said he. Ha,
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: you find it so extremely so I congratulate you warmly.
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: Lestrade rose in his triumph and bent his head to
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: look why he shrieked, you're looking at the wrong side.
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: On the contrary, this is the right side, the right side.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: You're mad. Here is the note written in pencil. Over here,
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: and over here is what appears to be the fragment
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: of a hotel bill, which interests me deeply. There's nothing
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: in it. I looked at it before, said Lestrade. October fourth,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: Rooms eight shillings, breakfast two shillings sixpence, cocktail one shilling,
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: Lunch two shillings sixpence, glass sherry eightpence. I see nothing
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: in that. Very likely not. It is most important all
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: the same as to the note. It is important also,
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: or at least the initials are so. I congratulate you again.
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: I've wasted time enough, said Lestrade rising. I believe in
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: hard work and not in sitting by the fire spinning
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: fine theories. Good day, mister Holmes, and we shall see
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: which gets to the bottom of the matter. First he
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: gathered up the garments, thrust them into the bag, and
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: made for the door. Just one hint to you, Lestrade,
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: drawled Holmes, before his rival vanished. I will tell you
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: the true solution of the matter, Lady Saint Simon is
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: a myth. There is not, and there never has been
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: any such person. Lestrade looked sadly at my companion. Then
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: he turned to me, tapped his forehead three times, shook
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: his head solemnly, and hurried away. He had hardly shut
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: the door behind him when Holmes rose to put on
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: his overcoat. There is something in what the fellow says
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: about outdoor work, he remarked, So I think, Watson, that
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: I must leave you to your papers for a little.
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: It was after five o'clock when Sherlock Holmes left me,
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: but I had no time to be lonely, for within
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: an hour there arrived a confectioner's man with a very
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: large flat box. This he unpacked with the help of
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: a youth whom he had brought with him, and presently,
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: to my very great astonishment, a quite epicurean little cold
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: supper began to be laid out upon our humble lodging
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: house Mahogany. There were a couple of brace of cold woodcock,
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: a pheasant, a pte defago, a pie, with a group
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: of ancient and cobwebby bottles. Having laid out all these luxuries,
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: my two visitors vanished away, like the genie of the
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: Arabian nights, with no explanation save that the things had
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: been paid for and were ordered to this address. Just
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: before nine o'clock, Sherlockombe stepped briskly into the room. His
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: features were gravely set, but there was a light in
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: his eye which made me think that he had not
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: been disappointed in his conclusions. They have laid the supper, then,
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: he said, rubbing his hands, You seem to expect company.
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: They have laid for five Yes, I fancy we may
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: have some company dropping in, said he. I am surprised
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: that Lord Saint Simon has not already arrived. Ha I
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: fancy that I hear his step now upon the stairs.
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: It was indeed, our visitor of the afternoon who came
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: bustling in, dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever, and
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: with a very perturbed expression upon him aristocratic features. My
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: messenger reached you, then asked Holmes. Yes, and I confess
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: that the content startled me beyond measure. Have you good
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: authority for what you say? The best possible? Lord Saint
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: Simon sank into a chair and passed his hand over
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: his forehead. What will the Duke say? He murmured, When
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: he hears that one of the family has been subjected
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: to such humiliation. It is the purest accident. I cannot
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: allow that there is any humiliation. Ah, you look on
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: these things from another standpoint. I fail to see that
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: any one is to blame. I can hardly see how
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: the lady could have acted otherwise, though her abrupt method
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: of doing it was undoubtedly to be regretted. Having no mother,
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: she had no one to advise her at such a crisis.
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: It was a slight, Sir, a public slight, said Lord
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: Saint Simon, tapping his fingers upon the table. You must
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: make allowance for this poor girl placed in so unpresented
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: that a position. I will make no allowance. I am
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: very angry, indeed, and I have been shamefully used. I
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: think that I heard a ring, said Holmes. Yes, there
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: are steps on the landing. If I cannot persuade you
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: to take a lenient view of the matter, Lord Saint Simon,
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: I have brought an advocate here who may be more successful.
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: He opened the door and ushered in a lady and gentleman.
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: Lord Saint Simon said, he allow me to introduce you
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: to mister and missus Francis Hay Moulton, the lady, I
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: think you have already met at the sight of these newcomers.
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: Our client sprung from his seat and stood very erect,
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: with his eyes cast down and his hand thrust into
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: the breast of his frock coat, a picture of offended dignity.
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: The lady had taken a quick step forward and held
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: out her hand to him, but he still refused to
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: raise his eyes. It was as well for his resolution, perhaps,
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: for her pleading face was one which it was hard
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: to resist. You are angry, Robert said she. Well, I
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: guess you have every cause to be Pray. Make no
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: apology to me, said Lord Saint Simon bitterly. Oh yes,
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: I know that I have treated you real bad, and
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: that I should have spoken to you before I went.
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: But I was kind of rattled, and from the time
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: when I saw Frank here again, I just didn't know
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: what I was doing or saying. I only wonder I
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: didn't fall down and do a faint right there before
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: the altar. Perhaps, missus Moulton, you would like my friend
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: and me to leave the room while you explained this matter,
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: if I may give an opinion, remarked the strange gentleman,
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: we've had just a little too much secrecy over this
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: business already. For my part, I should like all Europe
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: and America to hear the rights of it. He was
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: a small, wiry, sunburnt man, clean shaven, with a sharp
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: face and alert manner. Then I'll tell our story right away,
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: said the lady. Frank Here and I met in eighty
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: four in mc guire's camp near the Rockies, where Pile
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: was working a claim. We were engaged to each other,
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: Frank and I. But then one day Father struck a
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: rich pocket and made a pile while or Frank there
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: had a claim that petered out and came to nothing.
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: The richer Pa grew, the poorer was Frank. So at
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: last Paw wouldn't hear of our engagement lasting any longer,
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: and he took me away to Frisco. Frank wouldn't throw
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: up his hand, though, so he followed me there and
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: he saw me without Pa knowing anything about it. It
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: would have only made him mad to know, so we
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: just fixed it all up for ourselves. Frank said that
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: he would go and make his pile too, and never
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: come back to claim me until he had as much
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: as Paw so then I promised to wait for him
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: to the end of time, and pledged myself not to
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: marry any one else while he lived. Why shouldn't we
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: be married right away, then said he, And then I
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: will feel sure of you, and I won't claim to
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: be your husband till I come back. Well, we talked
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: it over, and he had fixed it all up so nicely,
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: with a clergyman already in waiting, that we just did
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: it right there. And then Frank went off to seek
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: his fortune, and I went back to PA. The next
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: I heard of Frank was that he was in Montana,
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: and then he went prospecting in Ours, and then I
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: heard of him from New Mexico. After that came a
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: long newspaper story about how a miner's camp had been
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: attacked by Apache Indians, and there was my Frank's name
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: among the killed. I fainted dead away, and I was
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: very sick for months. After PA thought I had a
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: decline and took me to have the doctors in Frisco.
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: Not a word of news came for a year, and
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: more so that I never doubted that Frank was really dead.
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: Then Lord Saint Simon came to Frisco and we came
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: to London and a marriage was arranged, and PA was
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: very pleased. But I felt all the time that no
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: man on this earth would ever take the place in
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: my heart that had been given to my poor Frank. Still,
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: if I had married Lord Saint Simon, of course i'd
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: have done my duty by him. We can't command our love,
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: but we can our actions. I went to the altar
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: with him with the intention to make him just as
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: good a wife as it was in me to be.
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: But you may imagine what I felt when just as
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: I came to the altar rails, I glanced back and
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: saw Frank standing and looking at me out of the
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: first pew. I thought it was his ghost at first,
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: but when I looked again, there he was still, with
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: a kind of question in his eyes, as if to
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: ask me whether I were glad or sorry to see him.
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: I wonder. I didn't drop. I know that everything was
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: turning round, and the words of the clergyman were just
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: like the buzz of a bee in my ear. I
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: didn't know what to do. Should I stop the service
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: and make a scene in the church. I glanced at
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: him again, and he seemed to know what I was thinking.
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: For he raised his finger to his lips to tell
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: me to be still. Then I saw him scribble on
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: a piece of paper, and I knew that he was
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: writing me a note. As I passed his pew on
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: the way out, I dropped my bouquet over to him,
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: and he slipped a note into my hand. When he
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: returned me the flowers, it was only a line asking
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: me to join him. When he made the sign to
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: me to do so. Of course, I never doubted for
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: a moment that my first duty was now to him,
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: and I determined to do just whatever he might direct.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: When I got back, I told my maid, who had
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: known him in California and had always been his friend.
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: I ordered her to say nothing, but to get a
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: few things packed and my ulster ready. I know I
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: ought to have spoken to Lord Saint Simon, but it
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: was dreadful, hard before his mother and all those great people.
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: I just made up my mind to run away and
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: explain afterwards. I hadn't been at the table ten minutes
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: before I saw Frank out of the window at the
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: other side of the road. He beckoned to me and
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: then began walking into the park. I slipped out, put
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: on my things and followed him. Some woman came talking
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: something or other about Lord Saint Simon to me, seemed
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: to me from the little I heard, as if he
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: had a little secret of his own before marriage also.
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: But I managed to get away from her and soon
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: overtook Frank. We got into a cab together and away
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: we drove to some lodgings he had taken in Gordon Square.
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: And that was my true wedding. After all those years
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: of waiting. Frank had been a prisoner among the Apaches,
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: had escaped, come to Fisco, found that I had given
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: him up for dead, and had gone to England, followed
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: me there and had come upon me at last on
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: the very morning of my second wedding. I saw it
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: in a paper, explained the American. It gave the name
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: and the church, but not where the lady lived. Then
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: we had a talk as to what we should do,
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: and Frank was all for openness, but I was so
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: ashamed of it all that I felt as if I
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: should like to vanish away and never see any of
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: them again, just sending a line to Pa, perhaps to
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: show him that I was alive. It was awful to
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: me to think of all those lords and ladies sitting
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: round that breakfast table and waiting for me to come back.
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: So Frank took my wedding clothes and things and made
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: a bundle of them so that I should not be traced,
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: and dropped them away somewhere where no one could find them.
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: It is likely that we should have gone on to
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: Paris tomorrow, only that this good gentleman, mister Holmes came
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: round to us this evening, though how he found us
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: is more than I can think. And he showed us
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: very clearly and kindly that I was wrong, and that
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: Frank was right, and that we should be put in
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: ourselves in the wrong if we were so secret. Then
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: he offered to give us a chance of talking to
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: Lord Saint Simon alone, and so we came right away
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: around to his rooms at once. Now, Robert, you have
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: heard it all, and I am very sorry if I
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: have given you pain, and I hope that you do
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: not think very meanly of me. Lord Saint Simon had
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: by no means relaxed his rigid attitude, but had listened
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: with a frowning brow and a compressed lip to this
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: long narrative. Excuse me, he said, but it is not
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: my custom to discuss my most intimate personal affairs in
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: this public manner. Then you won't forgive me. You won't
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: shake hands before I go. Oh, certainly, if it would
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: give you any pleasure. He put out his hand and
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: coldly grasped that which she extended to him. I had hoped,
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: suggested Holmes, that you would have joined us in a
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: friendly supper. I think that there you ask a little
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: too much, responded his lordship. I may be forced to
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: acquiesce in these recent developments, but I can hardly be
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: expected to make mary over them. I think that, with
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: your permission, I will now wish you all a very
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: good night. He included us all in a sweet bow
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: and stalked out of the room. Then I trust that
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: you at least will honor me with your company, said
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes. It is always a joy to meet an American,
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: mister Moulton, for I am one of those who believe
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: that the folly of a monarch and the blundering of
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: a minister in far gone years will not prevent our
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: children from being some day citizens of the same world
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: wide country under a flag which shall be a quartering
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: of the Union. Jack with the stars and stripes. The
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: case has been an interesting one, remarked Holmes when our
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: visitors had left us, because it serves to show very
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: clearly how simple the explanation may be of an affair which,
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: at first sight seems to be almost inexplicable. Nothing could
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: be more natural than the sequence of events as narrated
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: by this lady, and nothing stranger than the result, when viewed,
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: for instance, by mister Lestrade of Scotland Yard. You were
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: not yourself at fault at all. Then, From the first
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: two facts were very obvious to me, the one that
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: the lady had been quite willing to undergo the wedding ceremony,
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: the other that she had repented of it within a
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: few minutes of returning home. Obviously something had occurred during
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: the morning, then, to cause her to change her mind.
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: What could that something be. She could not have spoken
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: to any one when she was out, for she had
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: been in the company of the bridegroom. Had she seen
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: some one, then, if she had, it must be someone
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: from America, because she had spent so short a time
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: in this country that she could hardly have allowed any
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: one to acquire so deep an influence over her that
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: the mere sight of him would induce her to change
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: her plans so completely. You see, we have already arrived
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: by a process of exclusion. Had the idea that she
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: might have seen an American, then who could this American
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: be and why should he possess so much influence over her?
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: It might be a lover, It might be a husband.
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: Her young womanhood had I knew been spent in rough
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: scenes and under strange conditions, so far I had got
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: before I ever heard Lord Saint's Waymond's narrative when he
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: told us of a man in a pew, of the
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: change in the bride's manner, of so transparent a device
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: for obtaining a note as the dropping of a bouquet,
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: of her resort to her confidential maid, and of her
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: very significant allusion to claim jumping, which in miners parlance
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: means taking possession of that which another person has a
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: prior claim too. The whole situation became absolutely clear. She
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: had gone off with a man, and the man was
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: either a lover or was a previous husband, the chances
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: being in favor of the latter. And how in the
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: world did you find them? It might have been difficult,
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: but friend Lestrade held information in his hands, the value
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: of which he did not himself know. The initials were,
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: of course of the highest importance. But more valuable still
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: was it to know that within a week he had
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: settled his bill at one of the most select London hotels.
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: How did you deduce the select by the select prices?
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: Eight shillings for a bed and eightpence for a glass
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: of sherry point to one of the most expensive hotels.
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: There are not many in London which charge at that rate.
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: In the second one, which I visited, in Northumberton Avenue,
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: I learned by an inspection of the book, that Francis h. Multon,
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: an American gentleman, had left only the day before, And
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: on looking over the entries against him, I came upon
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: the very items which I had seen in the duplicate bill.
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: His letters were to be forwarded to two twenty six
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: Gordon Square. So thither I traveled, and being fortunate enough
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: to find the loving couple at home, I ventured to
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: give them some parental advice, and to point out to
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: them that it would be better in every way that
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: they should make their position a little clearer, both to
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: the general public and to Lord Saint Simon. In particular,
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: I invited them to meet him here, and as you see,
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: I made him keep the appointment, but with no very
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: good result. I remarked, his conduct was certainly not very gracious.
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: Ah Watson, said Holmes, smiling. Perhaps you would not be
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: very gracious either, if, after all the trouble of wooing
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: and wedding, you found yourself deprived in an instant of
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: a wife and a fortune. I think that we may
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: judge Lord Saint Simon very mercifully, and thank our stars
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: that we are never likely to find ourselves in the
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: same position. Draw up your chair and hand me my violin.
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: For the only problem we have still to solve is
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: how to while away these bleak, automal evenings. End of
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: Chapter ten, The Adventures of the Noble Bachelor.