“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。“