Reading Help The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Ch.I-IV
Windibank--that is, my father--took it all. He would not go to `
` the police, and he would not go to you, and so at last, as he `
` would do nothing and kept on saying that there was no harm done, `
` it made me mad, and I just on with my things and came right away `
` to you." `
` `
` "Your father," said Holmes, "your stepfather, surely, since the `
` name is different." `
` `
` "Yes, my stepfather. I call him father, though it sounds 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, `
` mother 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 him--that 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. Hosmer--Mr. Angel--was a cashier in an office in `
` Leadenhall Street--and--" `
` `
` "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?" `
` `
` "No--except 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 infinitely 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 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 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 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 a wedding-morning, but what has happened since `
` gives a meaning to it." `
` `
` "Most certainly it does. Your own opinion is, then, that some `
` unforeseen catastrophe has occurred to him?" `
` `
`
` the police, and he would not go to you, and so at last, as he `
` would do nothing and kept on saying that there was no harm done, `
` it made me mad, and I just on with my things and came right away `
` to you." `
` `
` "Your father," said Holmes, "your stepfather, surely, since the `
` name is different." `
` `
` "Yes, my stepfather. I call him father, though it sounds 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, `
` mother 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 him--that 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. Hosmer--Mr. Angel--was a cashier in an office in `
` Leadenhall Street--and--" `
` `
` "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?" `
` `
` "No--except 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 infinitely 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 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 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 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 a wedding-morning, but what has happened since `
` gives a meaning to it." `
` `
` "Most certainly it does. Your own opinion is, then, that some `
` unforeseen catastrophe has occurred to him?" `
` `
`