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