The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (33 page)

‘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,
¹³
that only half a dozen intimate friends would be invited, and that the party would return to the furnished house at Lancaster Gate
¹⁴
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.
¹⁵
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 newspaper 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 had been 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 into 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 had 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 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 eye-glasses.

‘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 shall 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 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.'
¹⁶

‘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 I not thought her to be at bottom a noble woman. I believe 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,
¹⁷
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”.
¹⁸
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 had 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, uttered 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
¹⁹
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 has 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 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 given instructions to the servants, who soon pushed her out again. She was quiet when she saw that there was no good in making a row.'