DarqueDante/test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 74
Arabian Nights, with no explanation save that the things had been
paid for and were ordered to this address.

Just before nine o'clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the
room. His features were gravely set, but there was a light in his eye
which made me think that he had not been disappointed in his
conclusions.

"They have laid the supper, then," he said, rubbing his hands.

"You seem to expect company. They have laid for five."

"Yes, I fancy we may have some company dropping in," said he. "I am
surprised that Lord St. Simon has not already arrived. Ha! I fancy
that I hear his step now upon the stairs."

It was indeed our visitor of the afternoon who came bustling in,
dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever, and with a very
perturbed expression upon his aristocratic features.

"My messenger reached you, then?" asked Holmes.

"Yes, and I confess that the contents startled me beyond measure.
Have you good authority for what you say?"

"The best possible."

Lord St. Simon sank into a chair and passed his hand over his
forehead.

"What will the Duke say," he murmured, "when he hears that one of the
family has been subjected to such humiliation?"

"It is the purest accident. I cannot allow that there is any
humiliation."

"Ah, you look on these things from another standpoint."

"I fail to see that anyone is to blame. I can hardly see how the lady
could have acted otherwise, though her abrupt method of doing it was
undoubtedly to be regretted. Having no mother, she had no one to
advise her at such a crisis."

"It was a slight, sir, a public slight," said Lord St. Simon, tapping
his fingers upon the table.

"You must make allowance for this poor girl, placed in so
unprecedented a position."

"I will make no allowance. I am very angry indeed, and I have been
shamefully used."

"I think that I heard a ring," said Holmes. "Yes, there are steps on
the landing. If I cannot persuade you to take a lenient view of the
matter, Lord St. Simon, I have brought an advocate here who may be
more successful." He opened the door and ushered in a lady and
gentleman. "Lord St. Simon," said he "allow me to introduce you to
Mr. and Mrs. Francis Hay Moulton. The lady, I think, you have already
met."

At the sight of these newcomers our client had sprung from his seat
and stood very erect, with his eyes cast down and his hand thrust
into the breast of his frock-coat, a picture of offended dignity. The
lady had taken a quick step forward and had held out her hand to him,
but he still refused to raise his eyes. It was as well for his
resolution, perhaps, for her pleading face was one which it was hard
to resist.

"You're angry, Robert," said she. "Well, I guess you have every cause
to be."

"Pray make no apology to me," said Lord St. Simon bitterly.

"Oh, yes, I know that I have treated you real bad and that I should
have spoken to you before I went; but I was kind of rattled, and from
the time when I saw Frank here again I just didn't know what I was
doing or saying. I only wonder I didn't fall down and do a faint
right there before the altar."

"Perhaps, Mrs. Moulton, you would like my friend and me to leave the
room while you explain this matter?"

"If I may give an opinion," remarked the strange gentleman, "we've
had just a little too much secrecy over this business already. For my
part, I should like all Europe and America to hear the rights of it."
He was a small, wiry, sunburnt man, clean-shaven, with a sharp face
and alert manner.

"Then I'll tell our story right away," said the lady. "Frank here and
I met in '84, in McQuire's camp, near the Rockies, where pa was
working a claim. We were engaged to each other, Frank and I; but then
one day father struck a rich pocket and made a pile, while poor Frank
here had a claim that petered out and came to nothing. The richer pa
grew the poorer was Frank; so at last pa wouldn't hear of our
engagement lasting any longer, and he took me away to 'Frisco. Frank
wouldn't throw up his hand, though; so he followed me there, and he
saw me without pa knowing anything about it. It would only have made
him mad to know, so we just fixed it all up for ourselves. Frank said
that he would go and make his pile, too, and never come back to claim
me until he had as much as pa. So then I promised to wait for him to

Arabian Nights, with no explanation save that the things had been

paid for and were ordered to this address.

Just before nine o'clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the

room. His features were gravely set, but there was a light in his eye

which made me think that he had not been disappointed in his

conclusions.

"They have laid the supper, then," he said, rubbing his hands.

"You seem to expect company. They have laid for five."

"Yes, I fancy we may have some company dropping in," said he. "I am

surprised that Lord St. Simon has not already arrived. Ha! I fancy

that I hear his step now upon the stairs."

It was indeed our visitor of the afternoon who came bustling in,

dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever, and with a very

perturbed expression upon his aristocratic features.

"My messenger reached you, then?" asked Holmes.

"Yes, and I confess that the contents startled me beyond measure.

Have you good authority for what you say?"

"The best possible."

Lord St. Simon sank into a chair and passed his hand over his

forehead.

"What will the Duke say," he murmured, "when he hears that one of the

family has been subjected to such humiliation?"

"It is the purest accident. I cannot allow that there is any

humiliation."

"Ah, you look on these things from another standpoint."

"I fail to see that anyone is to blame. I can hardly see how the lady

could have acted otherwise, though her abrupt method of doing it was

undoubtedly to be regretted. Having no mother, she had no one to

advise her at such a crisis."

"It was a slight, sir, a public slight," said Lord St. Simon, tapping

his fingers upon the table.

"You must make allowance for this poor girl, placed in so

unprecedented a position."

"I will make no allowance. I am very angry indeed, and I have been

shamefully used."

"I think that I heard a ring," said Holmes. "Yes, there are steps on

the landing. If I cannot persuade you to take a lenient view of the

matter, Lord St. Simon, I have brought an advocate here who may be

more successful." He opened the door and ushered in a lady and

gentleman. "Lord St. Simon," said he "allow me to introduce you to

Mr. and Mrs. Francis Hay Moulton. The lady, I think, you have already

met."

At the sight of these newcomers our client had sprung from his seat

and stood very erect, with his eyes cast down and his hand thrust

into the breast of his frock-coat, a picture of offended dignity. The

lady had taken a quick step forward and had held out her hand to him,

but he still refused to raise his eyes. It was as well for his

resolution, perhaps, for her pleading face was one which it was hard

to resist.

"You're angry, Robert," said she. "Well, I guess you have every cause

to be."

"Pray make no apology to me," said Lord St. Simon bitterly.

"Oh, yes, I know that I have treated you real bad and that I should

have spoken to you before I went; but I was kind of rattled, and from

the time when I saw Frank here again I just didn't know what I was

doing or saying. I only wonder I didn't fall down and do a faint

right there before the altar."

"Perhaps, Mrs. Moulton, you would like my friend and me to leave the

room while you explain this matter?"

"If I may give an opinion," remarked the strange gentleman, "we've

had just a little too much secrecy over this business already. For my

part, I should like all Europe and America to hear the rights of it."

He was a small, wiry, sunburnt man, clean-shaven, with a sharp face

and alert manner.

"Then I'll tell our story right away," said the lady. "Frank here and

I met in '84, in McQuire's camp, near the Rockies, where pa was

working a claim. We were engaged to each other, Frank and I; but then

one day father struck a rich pocket and made a pile, while poor Frank

here had a claim that petered out and came to nothing. The richer pa

grew the poorer was Frank; so at last pa wouldn't hear of our

engagement lasting any longer, and he took me away to 'Frisco. Frank

wouldn't throw up his hand, though; so he followed me there, and he

saw me without pa knowing anything about it. It would only have made

him mad to know, so we just fixed it all up for ourselves. Frank said

that he would go and make his pile, too, and never come back to claim

me until he had as much as pa. So then I promised to wait for him to