“DEAR MR. HOLMES,—I am very anxious to consult you as to whether I

should or should not accept a situation which has been offered to me as

governess. I shall call at half-past ten to-morrow if I do not inconvenience

you. Yours faithfully,


“VIOLET HUNTER.”


“Do you know the young lady?” I asked.


“Not I.”


“It is half-past ten now.”


“Yes, and I have no doubt that is her ring.”


“It may turn out to be of more interest than you think. You remember that

the affair of the blue carbuncle, which appeared to be a mere whim at first,

developed into a serious investigation. It may be so in this case, also.”


“Well, let us hope so. But our doubts will very soon be solved, for here,

unless I am much mistaken, is the person in question.”


As he spoke the door opened and a young lady entered the room. She was plainly

but neatly dressed, with a bright, quick face, freckled like a plover’s

egg, and with the brisk manner of a woman who has had her own way to make in

the world.


“You will excuse my troubling you, I am sure,” said she, as my

companion rose to greet her, “but I have had a very strange experience,

and as I have no parents or relations of any sort from whom I could ask advice,

I thought that perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me what I should

do.”


“Pray take a seat, Miss Hunter. I shall be happy to do anything that I

can to serve you.”


I could see that Holmes was favourably impressed by the manner and speech of

his new client. He looked her over in his searching fashion, and then composed

himself, with his lids drooping and his finger-tips together, to listen to her

story.


“I have been a governess for five years,” said she, “in the

family of Colonel Spence Munro, but two months ago the colonel received an

appointment at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, and took his children over to America

with him, so that I found myself without a situation. I advertised, and I