a case of identity-第2节
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funny； too； for he is only five years and two months older than
myself。〃
〃And your mother is alive？〃
〃Oh； yes； mother is alive and well。 I wasn't best pleased；
Mr。 Holmes； when she married again so soon after father's death；
and a man who was nearly fifteen years younger than herself。
Father was a plumber in the Tottenham Court Road； and he left a
tidy business behind him； which mother carried on with Mr。 Hardy；
the foreman； but when Mr。 Windibank came he made her sell the
business； for he was very superior； being a traveller in wines。
They got 4700 pounds for the goodwill and interest； which wasn't near as
much as father could have got if he had been alive。〃
I had expected to see Sherlock Holmes impatient under this
rambling and inconsequential narrative； but； on the contrary； he
had listened with the greatest concentration of attention。
〃Your own little income；〃 he asked； 〃does it come out of the
business？〃
〃Oh； no； sir。 It is quite separate and was left me by my
uncle Ned in Auckland。 It is in New Zealand stock； paying 4 1/2 per
cent。 Two thousand five hundred pounds was the amount； but I can
only touch the interest。〃
〃You interest me extremely；〃 said Holmes。 〃And since you draw
so large a sum as a hundred a year； with what you earn into the
bargain； you no doubt travel a little and indulge yourself in
every way。 I believe that a single lady can get on very nicely
upon an income of about 60 pounds。〃
〃I could do with much less than that； Mr。 Holmes； but you
understand that as long as I live at home I don't wish to be a
burden to them； and so they have the use of the money just while I
am staying with them。 Of course； that is only just for the time。
Mr。 Windibank draws my interest every quarter and pays it over to
mother； and I find that I can do pretty well with what I earn at
typewriting。 It brings me twopence a sheet； and I can often do
from fifteen to twenty sheets in a day。〃
〃You have made your position very clear to me；〃 said Holmes。
〃This is my friend； Dr。 Watson； before whom you can speak as
freely as before myself。 Kindly tell us now all about your
connection with Mr。 Hosmer Angel。〃
A flush stole over Miss Sutherland's face； and she picked
nervously at the fringe of her jacket。 〃I met him first at the
gasfitters' ball；〃 she said。 〃They used to send father tickets
when he was alive； and then afterwards they remembered us； and
sent them to mother。 Mr。 Windibank did not wish us to go。 He
never did wish us to go anywhere。 He would get quite mad if I
wanted so much as to join a Sunday…school treat。 But this time I
was set on going； and I would go； for what right had he to
prevent？ He said the folk were not fit for us to know； when all
father's friends were to be there。 And he said that I had nothing
fit to wear； when I had my purple plush that I had never so much
as taken out of the drawer。 At last； when nothing else would do；
he went off to France upon the business of the firm； but we went；
mohther and I； with Mr。 Hardy； who used to be our foreman； and it
was there I met Mr。 Hosmer Angel。〃
〃I suppose；〃 said Holmes； 〃that when Mr。 Windibank came back
from France he was very annoyed at your having gone to the ball。〃
〃Oh； well； he was very good about it。 He laughed； I remember；
and shrugged his shoulders； and said there was no use denying
anything to a woman； for she would have her way。〃
〃I see。 Then at the gasfitters' ball you met； as I
understand； a gentleman called Mr。 Hosmer Angel。〃
〃Yes； sir。 I met him that night； and he called next day to
ask if we had got home all safe； and after that we met himthat
is to say； Mr。 Holmes； I met him twice for walks； but after that
father came back again； and Mr。 Hosmer Angel could not come to the
house any more。〃
〃No？〃
〃Well； you know； father didn't like anything of the sort。 He
wouldn't have any visitors if he could help it； and he used to say
that a woman should be happy in her own family circle。 But then；
as I used to say to mother； a woman wants her own circle to begin
with； and I had not got mine yet。〃
〃But how about Mr。 Hosmer Angel？ Did he make no attempt to
see you？〃
〃Well； father was going off to France again in a week； and
Hosmer wrote and said that it would be safer and better not to see
each other until he had gone。 We could write in the meantime； and
he used to write every day。 I took the letters in in the morning；
so there was no need for father to know。〃
〃Were you engaged to the gentleman at this time？〃
〃Oh； yes； Mr。 Holmes。 We were engaged after the first walk
that we took。 HosmerMr。 Angelwas a cashier in an office in
Leadenhall Streetand〃
〃What office？〃
〃That's the worst of it； Mr。 Holmes； I don't know。〃
〃Where did he live； then？〃
〃He slept on the premises。〃
〃And you don't know his address？〃
〃Noexcept that it was Leadenhall Street。〃
〃Where did you address your letters； then？〃
〃To the Leadenhall Street Post…Office； to be left till called
for。 He said that if they were sent to the office he would be
chaffed by all the other clerks about having letters from a lady；
so I offered to typewrite them； like he did his； but he wouldn't
have that； for he said that when I wrote them they seemed to come
from me； but when they were typewritten he always felt that the
machine had come between us。 That will just show you how fond he
was of me； Mr。 Holmes； and the little things that he would think
of。〃
〃It was most suggestive；〃 said Holmes。 〃It has long been an
axiom of mine that the little things are infinitley the most
important。 Can you remember any other little things about Mr。
Hosmer Angel？〃
〃He was a very shy man； Mr。 Holmes。 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 gentelmanly 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 a hesitating； 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 favour 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 a
four…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 th
