Having described her stepfather's way of life, Helen reaches the central part of her story. She recalls the closed and lonely household she shared with her sister Julia and Julia's engagement to a man met at their aunt's home. When Holmes asks about Julia, Helen begins recounting what happened two years earlier.
"You can imagine from what I say that my poor sister Julia and I had no great pleasure in our lives.「お話ししたことからおわかりでしょうが、かわいそうな姉のジュリアと私には、暮らしの中にこれといった楽しみがありませんでした。
No servant would stay with us, and for a long time we did all the work of the house.使用人は誰もうちに居つかず、長いあいだ私たちが家の仕事をすべて自分たちでこなしていました。
She was but thirty at the time of her death, and yet her hair had already begun to whiten, even as mine has."姉は亡くなったときまだ三十歳でしたのに、髪はもう白くなりはじめていました、ちょうど私の髪がそうであるように」
"She died just two years ago, and it is of her death that I wish to speak to you.「姉が亡くなったのはちょうど二年前で、あなたにお話ししたいのは、その死のことなのです。
You can understand that, living the life which I have described, we were little likely to see anyone of our own age and position.そんな暮らしでは、同じ年ごろや身分の人に会う機会などまずなかったことは、おわかりいただけるでしょう。
We had, however, an aunt, my mother's maiden sister, Miss Honoria Westphail, who lives near Harrow, and we were occasionally allowed to pay short visits at this lady's house.ただ、母の妹で未婚の叔母、ホノーリア・ウェストフェイルがハロウの近くに住んでいて、私たちはときどき、この叔母の家へ短い滞在を許されていました。
Julia went there at Christmas two years ago, and met there a half-pay major of marines, to whom she became engaged.ジュリアは二年前のクリスマスにそこへ行き、退役して半給をもらっている海兵隊の少佐と出会って、婚約しました。
My stepfather learned of the engagement when my sister returned and offered no objection to the marriage; but within a fortnight of the day which had been fixed for the wedding, the terrible event occurred which has deprived me of my only companion."義父は姉が帰ってきて婚約を知ると、結婚に何の異議も唱えませんでした。けれども、式の日取りまであと二週間もないという頃に、私からたった一人の話し相手を奪う、あの恐ろしい出来事が起こったのです」