No. 3 A Case of Identity by Arthur Conan Doyle
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he_would rather walk with me in_the evening than in_the daylight, for he_said that he hated to_be conspicuous . very retiring and gentlemanly he_was . even his voice was gentle . he'd had the quinsy and swollen glands when he_was young, he_told me, and it had left him with a weak throat, and ahesitating, whispering fashion of speech . he_was always 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, your stepfather, returned to France ? "

" Mr Hosmer angel came to_the house again and proposed that we_should marry before father came back . he_was in dreadful earnest and made me swear, with my hands on_the testament, that whatever happened i_would always be true to him . mother said he_was quite right to_make me swear, and that_it_was a sign of_his passion . mother was all in_his favor from_the first and was even fonder of him than i_was . then, when_they talked of marrying within_the week, I began to ask about father; but they both said never to mind about father, but just to_tell him afterwards, and mother said she_would make it all right with_him .I didn't quite like 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_do anything on_the sly, so i_wrote to father at Bordeaux, where the company has its French offices, but the letter came back to_me on_the 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, for_the Friday . was_it to_be in church ? "

" yes, sir, but very quietly . it_was to_be at St .Saviour's, near king's cross, and we were to_have breakfast afterwards at_the St .Pancras hotel .Hosmer came for_us in a hansom, but as there were two of us he put us both into_it and stepped himself into afour-wheeler, which happened to_be the only other cab in_the street . we got to_the church first, and when_the four-wheeler drove up we waited for him to step out, but he never did, and when_the cabman got down from_the box and looked there_was no one there ! the cabman 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 then to 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, all the morning he_was saying to_me that, whatever happened, i_was to_be true; and_that even if something quite unforeseen occurred to separate us, i_was always to remember that i_was pledged to him, and_that he_would claim his pledge sooner or later . it seemed strange talk for awedding- morning, but what has happened since gives ameaning to_it ."

" most certainly it does . your own opinion is, then, that some unforeseen catastrophe has occurred to him ? "

" yes, sir .I believe that he foresaw some danger, or else he_would_not have talked so . and then i_think that what he foresaw happened ."

" 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 matter again ."

" and your father ? did you tell him ? "

" yes; and he_seemed to_think, with me, that something had happened, and_that i_should hear of Hosmer again . as he_said, what interest could anyone have in bringing me to_the doors of_the church, and then leaving me ? now, if he had borrowed my money, or if he had married me and got my money settled on him, there_might_be some reason, but Hosmer was very independent about money and never would look at ashilling of_mine . and yet, what could_have happened ? and why could he not write ? Oh, it drives me 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 sob heavily into_it .

" I_shall glance into_the case for_you," said Holmes, rising, " and I_have no_doubt that we_shall reach some definite result . let the weight of_the matter rest upon me now, and do_not let your mind dwell upon it further . above all, try to let Mr Hosmer angel vanish 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 an accurate description of him and any letters of_his which_you_can spare ."

"I advertised for him in last Saturday's chronicle," said she ." here_is_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 your father's place of business ? "

" he travels for Westhouse & Marbank, the great claret importers of Fenchurch street ."

" thank_you . you have_made your statement very clearly . you_will leave the papers here, and remember the advice which I_have_given you . let the whole incident be a sealed book, and do_not allow it to affect your life ."

" you_are very kind, Mr Holmes, but I_cannot do_that . I_shall_be true to Hosmer . he shall find me ready when he comes back ."

for all the preposterous hat and_the vacuous face, there_was something noble in_the simple faith of_our visitor which compelled our respect . she laid her little bundle of papers upon_the table and went her way, with a promise to_come again whenever she might_be summoned .

Sherlock Holmes sat silent for_a_few_minutes with_his fingertips still pressed together, his legs stretched out in front of him, and_his gaze directed upward to_the ceiling . then he_took down from_the rack the old and oily clay pipe, which_was to him as acounsellor, and, having lit it, he leaned back in_his chair, with_the thick blue cloud-wreaths spinning up from_him, and a look of infinite languor in_his face .

" quite an interesting study, that maiden," he observed ." I_found her more interesting than her little problem, which, by_the_way, is rather a trite one . you_will_find parallel cases, if_you consult my index, in Andover in '77, and there_was something of_the sort at The_Hague last year . old as is_the idea, however, there were one_or_two details which were new to_me . but the maiden herself was most instructive ."

" you appeared to read a good_deal upon her which_was quite invisible to_me," I remarked .

" not invisible but unnoticed, Watson . you_did_not know where to look, and so you missed all that was important . I_can never bring you to realize the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness of thumb-nails, or the great issues that_may hang from a boot- lace . now, what did you gather from_that woman's appearance ? describe it ."

" well, she had a slate- colored, broad- brimmed straw hat, with a feather of abrickish red . her jacket was black, with black beads sewn upon it, and a fringe of little black jet ornaments . her dress was brown, rather darker than coffee color, with a little purple plush at_the neck and sleeves . her gloves were grayish and were worn through at_the right forefinger . her boots I didn't observe . she had small round, hanging gold earrings, and a general air of being fairly well- to- do in a vulgar, comfortable, easy- going way ."

Sherlock Holmes clapped his hands softly together and chuckled .

"'Pon my word, Watson, you_are coming along wonderfully . you_have really done very_well indeed . it_is true that you_have missed everything of importance, but you_have hit upon_the method, and you_have a quick eye for color . never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details . my first glance is always at a woman's sleeve . in a man it_is perhaps better first to take_the knee of_the trouser . as_you observe, this woman had plush upon her sleeves, which_is a most useful material for showing traces . the double line a little above the wrist, where the typewritist presses against the table, was beautifully defined . the sewing- machine, of_the hand type, leaves a similar mark, but only on_the left arm, and on_the side of it farthest from_the thumb, instead of being right across the broadest part, as this_was .I then glanced at her face, and, observing the dint of apince-nez at either side of her nose, I ventured a remark upon short sight and typewriting, which seemed to_surprise her ."

" it surprised me ."

" but, surely, it_was obvious . i_was then much surprised and interested on glancing down to observe that, though the boots which she was wearing were_not unlike each_other, they were really odd ones; the one having a slightly decorated toe-cap, and_the other a plain one . one was buttoned only in_the two lower buttons out of five, and_the other at_the first, third, and fifth . now, when_you see that a young lady, otherwise neatly dressed, has_come away from home with odd boots, half- buttoned, it_is no great deduction to_say that she came away in a hurry ."

" and what else ? " I asked, keenly interested, as I always was, by my friend's incisive reasoning .

"I noted, in passing, that she had written a note before leaving home but after being fully dressed . you observed that her right glove was torn at_the forefinger, but you_did_not apparently see that both glove and finger were stained with violet ink . she had written in a hurry and dipped her pen too deep . it must_have been this_morning, or the mark would_not remain clear upon_the finger . all this_is amusing, though rather elementary, but I_must go back to business, Watson . would you mind reading me the advertised description of Mr Hosmer angel ? "

I held the little printed slip to_the light .

"Missing [ it said] on_the morning of_the fourteenth, a gentleman named Hosmer angel . about five ft .seven in . in height; strongly built, sallow complexion, black hair, a little bald in_the centre, bushy, black side-whiskers and moustache; tinted glasses, slight infirmity of speech . was dressed, when last seen, in black frock- coat faced with silk, black waistcoat, gold Albert chain, and gray Harris tweed trousers, with brown gaiters over elastic- sided boots . known to_have_been employed in an office in Leadenhall street . anybody bringing--"

" that_will do," said Holmes ." as_to_the letters," he continued, glancing over them, " they_are very commonplace . absolutely no clue in_them to Mr angel, save that he quotes Balzac once . there_is one remarkable point, however, which will no_doubt strike you ."

" they_are typewritten," I remarked .

" not_only that, but the signature is typewritten . look at_the neat little 'Hosmer angel' at_the bottom . there_is a date, you_see, but no superscription except Leadenhall street, which_is rather vague . the point about_the signature is very suggestive-- in_fact, we_may call it conclusive ."

" of what ? "

" my dear fellow, is_it possible you do_not_see how strongly it bears upon_the case ? "

"I cannot_say that I_do unless it were that he_wished to_be_able to deny his signature if an action for breach of promise were instituted ."

" no, that was not the point . however, I_shall write two letters, which should settle the matter . one is to a firm in_the city, the other is to_the young lady's stepfather, Mr Windibank, asking him whether he_could meet us here at six o'clock tomorrow evening . it_is just as_well that we_should do business with_the male relatives . and now, doctor, we_can do nothing until the answers to_those letters come, so we_may put our little problem upon_the shelf for_the interim ."

I had had so_many reasons to_believe in my friend's subtle powers of reasoning and extraordinary energy in action that I_felt that he_must_have some solid grounds for_the assured and easy demeanour with_which he treated the singular mystery which he had_been called upon to fathom . once only had I known him to fail, in_the case of_the king of Bohemia and of_the Irene Adler photograph; but when I looked back to_the weird business of ' the sign of Four', and_the extraordinary circumstances connected with 'A study in scarlet', I_felt that_it would_be a strange tangle indeed which he_could_not unravel .

I left him then, still puffing at his black clay pipe, with_the conviction that when I_came again on_the next evening i_would find that he held in_his hands all the clues which would lead up_to_the identity of_the disappearing bridegroom of miss Mary Sutherland .

a professional case of great gravity was engaging my own attention at_the_time, and_the whole of next_day i_was busy at_the bedside of_the sufferer . it_was not until close upon six o'clock that I_found myself free and was able to spring into a hansom and drive to baker street, half afraid that I_might_be too late to assist at_the denouement of_the little mystery . I_found Sherlock Holmes alone, however, half asleep, with_his long, thin form curled up in_the recesses of_his armchair .a formidable array of bottles and test-tubes, with_the pungent cleanly smell of hydrochloric acid, told me

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