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?”


“Yes, sir. I believe that he foresaw some danger, or else he would not

have talked so. And then I think that what he foresaw happened.”


“But you have no notion as to what it could have been?”


“None.”


“One more question. How did your mother take the matter?”


“She was angry, and said that I was never to speak of the matter

again.”


“And your father? Did you tell him?”


“Yes; and he seemed to think, with me, that something had happened, and

that I should hear of Hosmer again. As he said, what interest could anyone have