appeared to be in a great hurry, shouted to the cabman to wait, and brushed

past the maid who opened the door with the air of a man who was thoroughly at

home.


“He was in the house about half an hour, and I could catch glimpses of

him in the windows of the sitting-room, pacing up and down, talking excitedly,

and waving his arms. Of her I could see nothing. Presently he emerged, looking

even more flurried than before. As he stepped up to the cab, he pulled a gold

watch from his pocket and looked at it earnestly, ‘Drive like the

devil,’ he shouted, ‘first to Gross & Hankey’s in Regent

Street, and then to the Church of St. Monica in the Edgeware Road. Half a

guinea if you do it in twenty minutes!’


“Away they went, and I was just wondering whether I should not do well to

follow them when up the lane came a neat little landau, the coachman with his

coat only half-buttoned, and his tie under his ear, while all the tags of his

harness were sticking out of the buckles. It hadn’t pulled up before she

shot out of the hall door and into it. I only caught a glimpse of her at the

moment, but she was a lovely woman, with a face that a man might die for.


“‘The Church of St. Monica, John,’ she cried,

‘and half a sovereign if you reach it in twenty minutes.’


“This was quite too good to lose, Watson. I was just balancing whether I

should run for it, or whether I should perch behind her landau when a cab came

through the street. The driver looked twice at such a shabby fare, but I jumped

in before he could object. ‘The Church of St. Monica,’ said I,

‘and half a sovereign if you reach it in twenty minutes.’ It was

twenty-five minutes to twelve, and of course it was clear enough what was in

the wind.


“My cabby drove fast. I don’t think I ever drove faster, but the

others were there before us. The cab and the landau with their steaming horses

were in front of the door when I arrived. I paid the man and hurried into the