Since you ask me, however, I may say that it has occurred to me as possible that the excitement of this affair, the consciousness that she had made so immense a social stride, had the effect of causing some little nervous disturbance in my wife." "In short, that she had become suddenly deranged ?" "Well, really, when I consider that she has turned her back--I will not say upon me, but upon so much that many have aspired to without success--I can hardly explain it in any other fashion." "Well, certainly that is also a conceivable hypothesis," said Holmes, smiling.

"And now, Lord St.Simon, I think that I have nearly all my data.

May I ask whether you were seated at the breakfast-table so that you could see out of the window ?" "We could see the other side of the road and the Park." "Quite so.

Then I do not think that I need to detain you longer.
I shall communicate with you." "Should you be fortunate enough to solve this problem," said our client, rising.
"I have solved it." "Eh?
What was that ?" "I say that I have solved it." "Where, then, is my wife ?" "That is a detail which I shall speedily supply." Lord St.Simon shook his head.

"I am afraid that it will take wiser heads than yours or mine," he remarked, and bowing in a stately, old-fashioned manner he departed.
"It is very good of Lord St.Simon to honour my head by putting it on a level with his own," said Sherlock Holmes, laughing.