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                                SHERLOCK HOLMES

                      THE ADVENTURE OF THE NOBLE BACHELOR

                           by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



  The Lord St。 Simon marriage; and its curious termination; have

long ceased to be a subject of interest in those exalted circles in

which the unfortunate bridegroom moves。 Fresh scandals have eclipsed

it; and their more piquant details have drawn the gossips away from

this four…year…old drama。 As I have reason to believe; however; that

the full facts have never been revealed to the general public; and

as my friend Sherlock Holmes had a considerable share in clearing

the matter up; I feel that no memoir of him would be complete

without some little sketch of this remarkable episode。

  It was a few weeks before my own marriage; during the days when I

was still sharing rooms with Holmes in Baker Street; that he came home

from an afternoon stroll to find a letter on the table waiting for

him。 I had remained indoors all day; for the weather had taken a

sudden turn to rain; with high autumnal winds; and the Jezail bullet

which I had brought back in one of my limbs as a relic of my Afghan

campaign throbbed with dull persistence。 With my body in one

easy…chair and my legs upon another; I had surrounded myself with a

cloud of newspapers until at last; saturated with the news of the day;

I tossed them all aside and lay listless; watching the huge crest

and monogram upon the envelope upon the table and wondering lazily who

my friend's noble correspondent could be。

  〃Here is a very fashionable epistle;〃 I remarked as be entered。

〃Your morning letters; if I remember right; were from a fish…monger

and a tide…waiter。〃

  〃Yes; my correspondence has certainly the charm of variety;〃 he

answered; smiling; 〃and the humbler are usually the more

interesting。 This looks like one of those unwelcome social summonses

which call upon a man either to be bored or to lie。〃

  He broke the seal and glanced over the contents。

  〃Oh; come; it may prove to be something of interest; after all。〃

  〃Not social; then?〃

  〃No; distinctly professional。〃

  〃And from a noble client?〃

  〃One of the highest in England。〃

  〃My dear fellow; I congratulate you。〃

  〃I assure you; Watson; without affectation; that the status of my

client is a matter of less moment to me than the interest of his case。

It is just possible; however; that may not be wanting in this new

investigation。 You have been reading the papers diligently of late;

have you not?〃

  〃It looks like it;〃 said I ruefully; pointing to a huge bundle in

the corner。 〃I have had nothing else to do。〃

  〃It is fortunate; for you will perhaps be able to post me up。 I read

nothing except the criminal news and the agony column。 The latter is

always instructive。 But if you have followed recent events so

closely you must have read about Lord St。 Simon and his wedding?〃

  〃Oh; yes; with the deepest interest。〃

  〃That is well。 The letter which I hold in my hand is from Lord St。

Simon。 I will read it to you; and in return you must turn over these

papers and let me have whatever bears upon the matter。 This is what he

says:



  〃MY DEAR MR。 SHERLOCK HOLMES:

  〃Lord Backwater tells me that I may place implicit reliance upon

your judgment and discretion。 I have determined; therefore; to can

upon you and to consult you in reference to the very painful event

which has occurred in connection with my wedding。 Mr。 Lestrade; of

Scotland Yard; is acting already in the matter; but he assures me that

he sees no objection to your cooperation; and that he even thinks that

it might be of some assistance。 I will call at four o'clock in the

afternoon; and; should you have any other engagement at that time; I

hope that you will postpone it; as this matter is of paramount

importance。〃

                                   〃Yours faithfully;

                                             〃ST。 SIMON。



  〃It is dated from Grosvenor Mansions; written with a quill pen;

and the noble lord has had the misfortune to get a smear of ink upon

the outer side of his right little finger;〃 remarked Holmes as he

folded up the epistle。

  〃He says four o'clock。 It is three now。 He will be here in an hour。〃

  〃Then I have just time; with your assistance; to get clear upon

the subject。 Turn over those papers and arrange the extracts in

their order of time; while I take a glance as to who our client is。〃

He picked a red…covered volume from a line of books of reference

beside the mantelpiece。 〃Here he is;〃 said he; sitting down and

flattening it out upon his knee。 〃Lord Robert Walsingham de Vere St。

Simon; second son of the Duke of Balmoral。 Hum! Arms: Azure; three

caltrops in chief in chief over a fess sable。 Born in 1846。 He's

forty…one years of age; which is mature for marriage。 Was

Under…Secretary for the colonies in a late administration。 The Duke;

his father was at one time Secretary for Foreign Affairs。 They inherit

Plantagenet blood by direct descent; and Tudor on the distaff side。

Ha! Well; there is nothing very instructive in all this。 I think

that I must turn to you; Watson; for something more solid。〃

  〃I have very little difficulty in finding what I want〃 said I;

〃for the facts are quite recent; and the matter struck me as

remarkable。 I feared to refer them to you; however; as I knew that you

had an inquiry on hand and that you disliked the intrusion of other

matters。〃

  〃Oh; you mean the little problem of the Grosvenor Square furniture

van。 That is quite cleared up now…though; indeed; it was obvious

from the first。 Pray give me the results of your newspaper

selections。〃

  〃Here is the first notice which I can find。 It is in the personal

column of the Morning Post; and dates; as you see; some weeks back:



  〃A marriage has been arranged 'it says' and will; if rumour is

correct; very shortly take place; between Lord Robert St。 Simon;

second son of the Duke of Balmoral; and Miss Hatty Doran; the only

daughter of Aloysius Doran; Esq。; of San Francisco; Cal。; U。S。A。



That is all。〃

  〃Terse and to the point;〃 remarked Holmes; stretching his long; thin

legs towards the fire。

  〃There was a paragraph amplifying this in one of the society

papers of the same week。 Ah; here it is:



  〃There will soon be a call for protection in the marriage market;

for the present free…trade principle appears to tell heavily against

our home product。 One by one the management of the noble houses of

Great Britain is passing into the hands of our fair cousins from

across the Atlantic。 An important addition has been made during the

last week to the list of the prizes which have been home away by these

charming invaders。 Lord St。 Simon; who has shown himself for over

twenty years proof against the little god's arrows; has now definitely

announced his approaching marriage with Miss Hatty Doran; the

fascinating daughter of a California millionaire。 Miss Doran; whose

graceful figure and striking face attracted much attention at the

Westbury House festivities; is an only child; and it is currently

reported that her dowry will run to considerably over the six figures;

with expectancies for the future。 As it is an open secret that the

Duke of Balmoral has been compelled to sell his pictures within the

last few years; and as Lord St。 Simon has no property of his own

save the small estate of Birchmoor; it is obvious that the Californian

heiress is not the only gainer by an alliance which will enable her to

make the easy and common transition from a Republican lady to a

British peeress。〃



  〃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; that only half a dozen

intimate friends would be invited; and that the party would return

to the furnished house at Lancaster Gate 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。

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 paper 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 

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