in the days before--before you found it
better to go to South Africa."

"Ah, I see you know my whole story. I need hide nothing from you. I
swear to you, Mr. Holmes, that there never was in this world a man who
loved a woman with a more wholehearted love than I had for Frances. I
was a wild youngster, I know--not worse than others of my class. But
her mind was pure as snow. She could not bear a shadow of coarseness.
So, when she came to hear of things that I had done, she would have no
more to say to me. And yet she loved me--that is the wonder of
it!--loved me well enough to remain single all her sainted days just
for my sake alone. When the years had passed and I had made my money
at Barberton I thought perhaps I could seek her out and soften her. I
had heard that she was still unmarried, I found her at Lausanne and
tried all I knew. She weakened, I think, but her will was strong, and
when next I called she had left the town. I traced her to Baden, and
then after a time heard that her maid was here. I'm a rough fellow,
fresh from a rough life, and when Dr. Watson spoke to me as he did I
lost hold of myself for a moment. But for God's sake tell me what has
become of the Lady Frances."

"That is for us to find out," said Sherlock Holmes with peculiar
gravity. "What is your London address, Mr. Green?"

"The Langham Hotel will find me."

"Then may I recommend that you return there and be on hand in case I
should want you? I have no desire to encourage false hopes, but you
may rest assured that all that can be done will be done for the safety
of Lady Frances. I can say no more for the instant. I will leave you
this card so that you may be able to keep in touch with us. Now,
Watson, if you will pack your bag I will cable to Mrs. Hudson to make
one of her best efforts for two hungry travellers at 7:30 to-morrow."

A telegram was awaiting us when we reached our Baker Street rooms,
which Holmes read with an exclamation of interest and threw across to
me. "Jagged or torn," was the message, and the place of origin, Baden.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It is everything," Holmes answered. "You may remember my seemingly
irrelevant question as to this clerical gentleman's left ear. You did
not answer it."

"I had left Baden and could not inquire."

"Exactly. For this reason I sent a duplicate to the manager of the
Englischer Hof, whose answer lies here."

"What does it show?"

"It shows, my dear Watson