〃I　am　very　much　afraid　that　it　is　not。　　But　between　ourselves；
  Windibank；　it　was　as　cruel　and　selfish　and　heartless　a　trick　in　a
  petty　way　as　ever　came　before　me。　　Now；　let　me　just　run　over　the
  course　of　events；　and　you　will　contradict　me　if　I　go　wrong。〃
  The　man　sat　huddled　up　in　his　chair；　with　his　head　sunk　upon
  his　breast；　like　one　who　is　utterly　crushed。　　Holmes　stuck　his
  feet　up　on　the　corner　of　the　mantelpiece　and；　leaning　back　with
  his　hands　in　his　pockets；　began　talking；　rather　to　himself；　as　it
  seemed；　than　to　us。
  〃The　man　married　a　woman　very　much　older　than　himself　for　her
  money；〃　said　he；　〃and　he　enjoyed　the　use　of　the　money　of　the
  daughter　as　long　as　she　lived　with　them。　　It　was　a　considerable
  sum；　for　people　in　their　position；　and　the　loss　of　it　would　have
  made　a　serious　difference。　　It　was　worth　an　effort　to　preserve　it。
  The　daughter　was　of　a　good；　amiable　disposition；　but　affectionate
  and　warm…hearted　in　her　ways；　so　that　it　was　evident　that　with　her
  fair　personal　advantages；　and　her　little　income；　she　would　not　be
  allowed　to　remain　single　long。　　Now　her　marriage　would　mean；　of
  course；　the　loss　of　a　hundred　a　year；　so　what　does　her　stepfather
  do　to　prevent　it？　　He　takes　the　obvious　course　of　keeping　her　at
  home　and　forbidding　her　to　seek　the　company　of　people　of　her　own
  age。　　But　soon　he　found　that　that　would　not　answer　forever。　　She
  became　restive；　insisted　upon　her　rights；　and　finally　announced
  her　positive　intention　of　going　to　a　certain　ball。　　What　does　her
  clever　stepfather　do　then？　　He　conceives　an　idea　more　creditable
  to　his　head　than　to　his　heart。　　With　the　connivance　and　assistance
  of　his　wife　he　disguised　himself；　covered　those　keen　eyes　with
  tinted　glasses；　masked　the　face　with　a　moustache　and　a　pair　of
  bushy　whiskers；　sunk　that　clear　voice　into　an　insinuating　whisper；
  and　doubly　secure　on　account　of　the　girl's　short　sight；　he　appears
  as　Mr。　Hosmer　Angel；　and　keeps　off　other　lovers　by　making　love
  himself。〃
  〃It　was　only　a　joke　at　first；〃　groaned　our　visitor。　　〃We　never
  thought　that　she　would　have　been　so　carried　away。〃
  〃Very　likely　not。　　However　that　may　be；　the　young　lady　was
  very　decidedly　carried　away；　and；　having　quite　made　up　her　mind
  that　her　stepfather　was　in　France；　the　suspicion　of　treachery
  never　for　an　instant　entered　her　mind。　　She　was　flattered　by　the
  gentleman's　attentions；　and　the　effect　was　increased　by　the　loudly
  expressed　admiration　of　her　mother。　　Then　Mr。　Angel　began　to　call；
  for　it　was　obvious　that　the　matter　should　be　pushed　as　far　as　it
  would　go　if　a　real　effect　were　to　be　produced。　　There　were
  meetings；　and　an　engagement；　which　would　finally　secure　the　girl's
  affections　from　turning　towards　anyone　else。　　But　the　deception
  could　not　be　kept　up　forever。　　These　pretended　journeys　to　France
  were　rather　cumbrous。　　The　thing　to　do　was　clearly　to　bring　the
  business　to　an　end　in　such　a　dramatic　manner　that　it　would　leave　a
  permanent　impression　upon　the　young　lady's　mind　and　prevent　her
  from　looking　upon　any　other　suitor　for　some　time　to　come。　　Hence
  those　vows　of　fidelity　exacted　upon　a　Testament；　and　hence　also
  the　allusions　to　a　possibility　of　something　happening　on　the　very
  morning　of　the　wedding。　　James　Windibank　wished　Miss　Sutherland　to
  be　so　bound　to　Hosmer　Angel；　and　so　uncertain　as　to　his　fate；　that
  for　ten　years　to　come；　at　any　rate；　she　would　not　listen　to
  another　man。　　As　far　as　the　church　door　he　brought　her；　and　then；
  as　he　could　go　no　farther；　he　conveniently　vanished　away　by　the
  old　trick　of　stepping　in　at　one　door　of　a　four…wheeler　and　out　at
  the　other。　　I　think　that　that　was　the　chain　of　events；　Mr。
  Windibank！〃
  Our　visitor　had　recovered　something　of　his　assurance　while
  Holmes　had　been　talking；　and　he　rose　from　his　chair　now　with　a
  cold　sneer　upon　his　pale　face。
  〃It　may　be　so；　or　it　may　not；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　he；　〃but　if
  you　are　so　very　sharp　you　ought　to　be　sharp　enough　to　know　that　it
  is　you　who　are　breaking　the　law　now；　and　not　me。　　I　have　done
  nothing　actionable　from　the　first；　but　as　long　as　you　keep；　that
  door　locked　you　lay　yourself　open　to　an　action　for　assault　and
  illegal　constraint。
  〃The　law　cannot；　as　you　say；　touch　you；〃　said　Holmes；
  unlocking　and　throwing　open　the　door；　〃yet　there　never　was　a　man
  who　deserved　punishment　more。　　If　the　young　lady　has　a　brother　or
  a　friend；　he　ought　to　lay　a　whip　across　your　shoulders。　　By　Jove！〃
  he　continued；　flushing　up　at　the　sight　of　the　bitter　sneer　upon
  the　man's　face；　〃it　is　not　part　of　my　duties　to　my　client；　but
  here's　a　hunting　crop　handy；　and　I　think　I　shall　just　treat　myself
  to〃　He　took　two　swift　steps　to　the　whip；　but　before　he　could
  grasp　it　there　was　a　wild　clatter　of　steps　upon　the　stairs；　the
  heavy　hall　door　banged；　and　from　the　window　we　could　see　Mr。
  James　Windibank　running　at　the　top　of　his　speed　down　the　road。
  〃There's　a　cold…blooded　scoundrel！〃　said　Holmes；　laughing；　as
  he　threw　himself　down　into　his　chair　once　more。　　〃That　fellow　will
  rise　from　crime　to　crime　until　he　does　something　very　bad；　and
  ends　on　a　gallows。　　The　case　has；　in　some　respects；　been　not
  entirely　devoid　of　interest。〃
  〃I　cannot　now　entirely　see　all　the　steps　of　your　reasoning；〃　I
  remarked。
  〃Well；　of　course　it　was　obvious　from　the　first　that　this　Mr。
  Hosmer　Angel　must　have　some　strong　object　for　his　curious　conduct；
  and　it　was　equally　clear　that　the　only　man　who　really　profited　by
  the　incident；　as　far　as　we　could　see；　was　the　stepfather。　　Then
  the　fact　that　the　two　men　were　never　together；　but　that　the　one
  always　appeared　when　the　other　was　away；　was　suggestive。　　So　were
  the　tinted　spectacles　and　the　curious　voice；　which　both　hinted　at
  a　disguise；　as　did　the　bushy　whiskers。　　My　suspicions　were　all
  confirmed　by　his　peculiar　action　in　typewriting　his　signature；
  which；　of　course；　inferred　that　his　handwriting　was　so　familiar　to
  her　that　she　would　recognize　even　the　smallest　sample　of　it。　　You
  see　all　these　isolated　facts；　together　with　many　minor　ones；　all
  pointed　in　the　same　direction。〃
  〃And　how　did　you　verify　them？〃
  〃Having　once　spotted　my　man；　it　was　easy　to　get　corroboration。
  I　knew　the　firm　for　which　this　man　worked。　　Having　taken　the
  printed　description；　I　eliminated　everything　from　it　which　could
  be　the　result　of　a　disguisethe　whiskers；　the　glasses；　the　voice；
  and　I　sent　it　to　the　firm；　with　a　request　that　they　would　inform
  me　whether　it　answered　to　the　description　of　any　of　their
  travellers。　　I　had　already　noticed　the　peculiarities　of　the
  typewriter；　and　I　wrote　to　the　man　himself　at　his　business
  address；　asking　him　if　he　would　come　here。　　As　I　expected；　his
  reply　was　typewritten　and　revealed　the　same　trivial　but
  characteristic　defects。　　The　same　post　brought　me　a　letter　from
  Westhouse　&　Marbank；　of　Fenchurch　Street；　to　say　that　the
  description　tallied　in　every　respect　with　that　of　their　employee；
  James　Windibank。　　Voila　tout！〃
  〃And　Miss　Sutherland？〃
  〃If　I　tell　her　she　will　not　believe　me。　　You　may　remember　the
  old　Persian　saying；　‘There　is　danger　for　him　who　taketh　the　tiger
  cub；　and　danger　also　for　whoso　snatches　a　delusion　from　a　woman。'
  There　is　as　much　sense　in　Hafiz　as　in　Horace；　and　as　much
  knowledge　of　the　world。〃
  。