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