“Was she in good spirits？”
“Never better. She kept talking of what we should do in ourfuture lives.”
“Indeed！ That is very interesting. And on the morning of thewedding？”
“She was as bright as possible—at least until after the ceremony.”
“And did you observe any change in her then？”
“Well， to tell the truth， I saw then the first signs that I had everseen that her temper was just a little sharp. The incident however， wastoo trivial to relate and can have no possible bearing upon the case.”
“Pray let us have it， for all that.”
“Oh， it is childish. She dropped her bouquet as we went towardsthe vestry. She was passing the front pew at the time， and it fellover into the pew. There was a moment’s delay， but the gentlemanin the pew handed it up to her again， and it did not appear to bethe worse for the fall. Yet when I spoke to her of the matter， sheanswered me abruptly； and in the carriage， on our way home， sheseemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause.”
“Indeed！ You say that there was a gentleman in the pew. Some ofthe general public were present， then？”
“Oh， yes. It is impossible to exclude them when the church isopen.”
“This gentleman was not one of your wife’s friends？”
“No， no； I call him a gentleman by courtesy， but he was quitea common-looking person. I hardly noticed his appearance. Butreally I think that we are wandering rather far from the point.”
“Lady St. Simon， then， returned from the wedding in a lesscheerful frame of mind than she had gone to it. What did she doon reёntering her father’s house？”
“I saw her in conversation with her maid.”
“And who is her maid？”
“Alice is her name. She is an American and came from Californiawith her.”
“A confidential servant？”
“A little too much so. It seemed to me that her mistress allowedher to take great liberties. Still， of course， in America they lookupon these things in a different way.”
“How long did she speak to this Alice？”
“Oh， a few minutes. I had something else to think of.”
“You did not overhear what they said？”
“Lady St. Simon said something about ‘jumping a claim.’ Shewas accustomed to use slang of the kind. I have no idea what shemeant.”
“American slang is very expressive sometimes. And what didyour wife do when she finished speaking to her maid？”
“She walked into the breakfast-room.”
“On your arm？”
“No， alone. She was very independent in little matters likethat. Then， after we had sat down for ten minutes or so， she rosehurriedly， muttered some words of apology， and left the room. Shenever came back.”
“But this maid， Alice， as I understand， deposes that she wentto her room， covered her bride’s dress with a long ulster， put on abonnet， and went out.”
“Quite so. And she was afterwards seen walking into Hyde Parkin company with Flora Millar， a woman who is now in custody， andwho had already made a disturbance at Mr. Doran’s house thatmorning.”
“Ah， yes. I should like a few particulars as to this young lady， andyour relations to her.”
Lord St. Simon shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows.
“We have been on a friendly footing for some years—I may say ona very friendly footing. She used to be at the Allegro. I have nottreated her ungenerously， and she had no just cause of complaintagainst me， but you know what women are， Mr. Holmes. Florawas a dear little thing， but exceedingly hot-headed and devotedlyattached to me. She wrote me dreadful letters when she heardthat I was about to be married， and， to tell the truth， the reasonwhy I had the marriage celebrated so quietly was that I feared lestthere might be a scandal in the church. She came to Mr. Doran’sdoor just after we returned， and she endeavoured to push her wayin， uttering very abusive expressions towards my wife， and eventhreatening her， but I had foreseen the possibility of something ofthe sort， and I had two police fellows there in private clothes， whosoon pushed her out again. She was quiet when she saw that therewas no good in making a row.”
“Did your wife hear all this？”
“No， thank goodness， she did not.”
“And she was seen walking with this very woman afterwards？”
“Yes. That is what Mr. Lestrade， of Scotland Yard， looks upon asso serious. It is thought that Flora decoyed my wife out and laidsome terrible trap for her.”
“Well， it is a possible supposition.”
“You think so， too？”
“I did not say a probable one. But you do not yourself look uponthis as likely？”
“I do not think Flora would hurt a fly.”
“Still， jealousy is a strange transformer of characters. Pray whatis your own theory as to what took place？”
“Well， really， I came to seek a theory， not to propound one. Ihave given you all the facts. Since you ask me， however， I may saythat it has occurred to me as possible that the excitement of thisaffair， the consciousness that she had made so immense a socialstride， had the effect of causing some little nervous disturbance inmy wife.”
“In short， that she had become suddenly deranged？”
“Well， really， when I consider that she has turned her back—Iwill not say upon me， but upon so much that many have aspired towithout success—I can hardly explain it in any other fashion.”
“Well， certainly that is also a conceivable hypothesis，” saidHolmes， smiling. “And now， Lord St. Simon， I think that I havenearly all my data. May I ask whether you were seated at thebreakfast-table so that you could see out of the window？”
“We could see the other side of the road and the Park.”
“Quite so. Then I do not think that I need to detain you longer.
I shall communicate with you.”
“Should you be fortunate enough to solve this problem，” saidour client， rising.
“I have solved it.”
“Eh？ What was that？”
“I say that I have solved it.”
“Where， then， is my wife？”
“That is a detail which I shall speedily supply.”
Lord St. Simon shook his head. “I am afraid that it will takewiser heads than yours or mine，” he remarked， and bowing in astately， old-fashioned manner he departed.
