The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

"The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax" is a Sherlock Holmes short story by the British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was first published in 1911. The plot is set in motion after Mrs. Dobny, the former governess of Lady Frances Carfax, writes to the private detective Sherlock Holmes. Lady Frances used to write to her former governess regularly. Mrs. Dobny becomes concerned when she receives no mail from her for some time. Lady Frances Carfax is known to have recently stayed at a Swiss hotel. Claiming that he cannot leave London, Holmes sends his friend Dr. John Watson to Switzerland to investigate. Watson follows a trail to Germany, where he hears that Lady Frances has returned to England in the company of a clergyman and his wife. Sherlock Holmes suspects that the clergyman is really a dangerous Australian criminal. "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax" has been adapted for radio, film and television.