faddypeople,youknow—faddybutkind-hearted.Ifyouwereaskedtowearanydresswhichwemightgiveyou,youwouldnotobjecttoourlittlewhim.Heh?’
“‘No,’saidI,considerablyastonishedathiswords.
“‘Ortosithere,orsitthere,thatwouldnotbeoffensivetoyou?’
“‘Oh,no.’
“‘Ortocutyourhairquiteshortbeforeyoucometous?’
“Icouldhardlybelievemyears.Asyoumayobserve,Mr.Holmes,myhairissomewhatluxuriant,andofaratherpeculiartintofchestnut.Ithasbeenconsideredartistic.Icouldnotdreamofsacrificingitinthisoffhandfashion.
“‘Iamafraidthatthatisquiteimpossible,’saidI.Hehadbeenwatchingmeeagerlyoutofhissmalleyes,andIcouldseeashadowpassoverhisfaceasIspoke.
“‘Iamafraidthatitisquiteessential,’saidhe.‘Itisalittlefancyofmywife’s,andladies’fancies,youknow,madam,ladies’fanciesmustbeconsulted.Andsoyouwon’tcutyourhair?’
“‘No,sir,Ireallycouldnot,’Iansweredfirmly.
“‘Ah,verywellthenthatquitesettlesthematter.Itisapity,becauseinotherrespectsyouwouldreallyhavedoneverynicely.Inthatcase,MissStoper,Ihadbestinspectafewmoreofyouryoungladies.’
“Themanageresshadsatallthiswhilebusywithherpaperswithoutawordtoeitherofus,butsheglancedatmenowwithsomuchannoyanceuponherfacethatIcouldnothelpsuspectingthatshehadlostahandsomecommissionthroughmyrefusal.
“‘Doyoudesireyournametobekeptuponthebooks?’sheasked.
“‘Ifyouplease,MissStoper.’
“‘Well,really,itseemsratheruseless,sinceyourefusethemostexcellentoffersinthisfashion,’saidshesharply.‘Youcanhardlyexpectustoexertourselvestofindanothersuchopeningforyou.Good-daytoyou,MissHunter.’Shestruckagonguponthetable,andIwasshownoutbythepage.
“Well,Mr.Holmes,whenIgotbacktomylodgingsandfoundlittleenoughinthecupboard,andtwoorthreebillsuponthetable,IbegantoaskmyselfwhetherIhadnotdoneaveryfoolishthing.Afterall,ifthesepeoplehadstrangefadsandexpectedobedienceonthemostextraordinarymatters,theywereatleastreadytopayfortheireccentricity.VeryfewgovernessesinEnglandaregetting￡100ayear.Besides,whatusewasmyhairtome?ManypeopleareimprovedbywearingitshortandperhapsIshouldbeamongthenumber.NextdayIwasinclinedtothinkthatIhadmadeamistake,andbythedayafterIwassureofit.IhadalmostovercomemypridesofarastogobacktotheagencyandinquirewhethertheplacewasstillopenwhenIreceivedthisletterfromthegentlemanhimself.IhaveithereandIwillreadittoyou:
“‘TheCopperBeeches,nearWinchester.
“‘DEARMISSHUNTER,—MissStoperhasverykindlygivenmeyouraddress,andIwritefromheretoaskyouwhetheryouhavereconsideredyourdecision.Mywifeisveryanxiousthatyoushouldcome,forshehasbeenmuchattractedbymydescriptionofyou.Wearewillingtogive￡30aquarter,or￡120ayear,soastorecompenseyouforanylittleinconveniencewhichourfadsmaycauseyou.Theyarenotveryexacting,afterall.Mywifeisfondofaparticularshadeofelectricblueandwouldlikeyoutowearsuchadressindoorsinthemorning.Youneednot,however,gototheexpenseofpurchasingone,aswehaveonebelongingtomydeardaughterAlice(nowinPhiladelphia),whichwould,Ishouldthink,fityouverywell.Then,astosittinghereorthere,oramusingyourselfinanymannerindicated,thatneedcauseyounoinconvenience.Asregardsyourhair,itisnodoubtapity,especiallyasIcouldnothelpremarkingitsbeautyduringourshortinterview,butIamafraidthatImustremainfirmuponthispoint,andIonlyhopethattheincreasedsalarymayrecompenseyoufortheloss.Yourduties,asfarasthechildisconcerned,areverylight.Nowdotrytocome,andIshallmeetyouwiththedog-cartatWinchester.Letmeknowyourtrain.Yoursfaithfully,
“‘JEPHRORUCASTLE.’
“ThatistheletterwhichIhavejustreceived,Mr.Holmes,andmymindismadeupthatIwillacceptit.Ithought,however,thatbeforetakingthefinalstepIshouldliketosubmitthewholemattertoyourconsideration.”
“Well,MissHunter,ifyourmindismadeup,thatsettlesthequestion,”saidHolmes,smiling.
“Butyouwouldnotadvisemetorefuse?”
“IconfessthatitisnotthesituationwhichIshouldliketoseeasisterofmineapplyfor.”
“Whatisthemeaningofitall,Mr.Holmes?”
“Ah,Ihavenodata.Icannottell.Perhapsyouhaveyourselfformedsomeopinion?”
“Well,thereseemstometobeonlyonepossiblesolution.Mr.Rucastleseemedtobeaverykind,good-naturedman.Isitnotpossiblethathiswifeisalunatic,thathedesirestokeepthematterquietforfearsheshouldbetakentoanasylum,andthathehumoursherfanciesineverywayinordertopreventanoutbreak?”
“Thatisapossiblesolution—infact,asmattersstand,itisthemostprobableone.Butinanycaseitdoesnotseemtobeanicehouseholdforayounglady.”
“Butthemoney,Mr.Holmes,themoney!”
“Well,yes,ofcoursethepayisgood—toogood.Thatiswhatmakesmeuneasy.Whyshouldtheygiveyou