The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge* by Arthur Conan Doyle
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alibi . it_was Garcia, then, who had an enterprise, and apparently a criminal enterprise, in hand that night in_the course of_which he met his death . I_say ' criminal' because only a man with a criminal enterprise desires to establish an alibi . who, then, is most likely to_have taken his life ? surely the person against whom the criminal enterprise was directed . so_far it seems to_me that we_are on safe ground .

" we_can now see a reason for_the disappearance of Garcia's household . they were all confederates in_the same unknown crime . if_it came off when Garcia returned, any possible suspicion would_be warded off by_the Englishman's evidence, and all would_be well . but the attempt was a dangerous one, and if Garcia did_not return by a certain hour it_was probable that his own life had_been sacrificed . it had_been arranged, therefore, that in_such a case his two subordinates were to_make for some prearranged spot where they_could escape investigation and be in_a_position afterwards to renew their attempt . that_would fully explain the facts, would it not ? "

the whole inexplicable tangle seemed to straighten out before me .I wondered, as I always did, how it had_not_been obvious to_me before .

" but why should one servant return ? "

" we_can imagine that in_the confusion of flight something precious, something which he_could_not bear to part with, had_been left behind . that_would explain his persistence, would it not ? "

" well, what_is the next step ? "

" the next step is_the note received by Garcia at_the dinner . it indicates a confederate at_the other end . now, where was_the other end ? I_have already shown you that_it could only lie in some large house, and_that the number of large houses, is limited . my first days in_this village were devoted to a series of walks in_which in_the intervals of_my botanical researches I_made a reconnaissance of all the large houses and an examination of_the family history of_the occupants . one house, and only_one, riveted my attention . it_is_the famous old Jacobean grange of high gable, one mile on_the farther side of Oxshott, and less_than half a mile from_the scene of_the tragedy . the other mansions belonged to prosaic and respectable people who live far aloof from romance . but Mr Henderson, of high gable, was by all accounts a curious man to_whom curious adventures might befall .I concentrated my attention, therefore, upon him and_his household .

"A singular set of people, Watson- the man himself the most singular of_them all .I managed to_see him on a plausible pretext, but I seemed to read in_his dark, deep- set, brooding eyes that he_was perfectly aware of_my true business . he_is a man of fifty, strong, active, with iron- gray hair, great bunched black eyebrows, the step of a deer, and_the air of an emperor- a fierce, masterful man, with a red- hot spirit behind his parchment face . he_is either a foreigner or has lived long in_the tropics, for he_is yellow and sapless, but tough as whipcord . his friend and secretary, Mr Lucas, is undoubtedly a foreigner, chocolate brown, wily, suave, and catlike, with a poisonous gentleness of speech . you_see, Watson, we_have come already upon two sets of foreigners- one at wisteria lodge and one at high gable- so our gaps are beginning to close .

" these two men, close and confidential friends, are the centre of_the household; but there_is one other person who for_our immediate purpose may_be even more important . Henderson has two children- girls of eleven and thirteen . their governess is a miss Burnet, an Englishwoman of forty or thereabouts . there_is also one confidential manservant . this little group forms the real family, for they travel about together, and Henderson is a great traveller, always on_the move . it_is only within_the last few weeks that he has returned, after a year's absence, to high gable . I_may add that he_is enormously rich, and whatever his whims may_be he_can very easily satisfy them . for_the rest, his house is full of butlers, footmen, maidservants, and_the usual overfed, underworked staff of a large English country- house .

" so_much I learned partly from village gossip and partly from my own observation . there_are no better instruments than discharged servants with a grievance, and i_was lucky enough to_find one .I call it luck, but it would_not have come my way had I not been looking out for_it . as Baynes remarks, we all have our systems . it_was my system which enabled me to_find John Warner, late gardener of high gable, sacked in a moment of temper by his imperious employer . he in turn had friends among_the indoor servants who unite in their fear and dislike of_their master . so I had my key to_the secrets of_the establishment .

" curious people, Watson ! I don't pretend to understand it all yet, but very curious people anyway . it's a double- winged house, and_the servants live on one side, the family on_the other . there's no link between_the two save for Henderson's own servant, who serves the family's meals . everything is carried to a certain door, which forms the one connection . governess and children hardly go out at all, except into_the garden . Henderson never by any chance walks alone . his dark secretary is like his shadow . the gossip among_the servants is_that their master is terribly afraid of something .' sold his soul to_the devil in exchange for money,' says Warner, ' and expects his creditor to_come up and claim his own .' where they came from, or who they_are, nobody has an idea . they_are very violent . twice Henderson has lashed at folk with_his dog- whip, and only his long purse and heavy compensation have kept him out_of_the courts .

" well, now, Watson, let_us judge the situation by_this new information . we_may take it that_the letter came out of_this strange household and was an invitation to Garcia to carry out some attempt which had already been planned . who wrote the note ? it_was someone within_the citadel, and it_was a woman . who then but miss Burnet, the governess ? all our reasoning seems to point that way . at any rate, we_may take it as a hypothesis and_see what consequences it would entail . I_may add that miss Burnet's age and character make it certain that my first idea that there_might_be a love interest in_our story is out_of_the_question .

" if she wrote the note she was presumably the friend and confederate of Garcia . what, then, might she be expected to_do if she heard of_his death ? if he met it in some nefarious enterprise her lips might_be sealed . still, in her heart, she_must retain bitterness and hatred against those who had killed him and would presumably help so_far as she_could to_have revenge upon them . could we see her, then, and try to use her ? that was my first thought . but now we come to a sinister fact . miss Burnet has_not_been seen by any human eye since_the night of_the murder . from_that evening she has utterly vanished . is she alive ? has she perhaps met her end on_the same night as_the friend whom she had summoned ? or is she merely a prisoner ? there_is the point which we still have to decide .

" you_will appreciate the difficulty of_the situation, Watson . there_is nothing upon_which we_can apply for a warrant . our whole scheme might seem fantastic if laid before a magistrate . the woman's disappearance counts for nothing, since in_that extraordinary household any member of it might_be invisible for a week . and yet she may at_the present moment be in danger of her life . all I_can do is to watch the house and leave my agent, Warner, on guard at_the gates . we_can't let such a situation continue . if_the law can do nothing we_must take_the risk ourselves ."

" what do_you suggest ? "

" I_know which_is her room . it_is accessible from_the top of an outhouse . my suggestion is_that you and I go to- night and_see if_we_can strike at_the very heart of_the mystery ."

it_was not, I_must confess, a very alluring prospect . the old house with its atmosphere of murder, the singular and formidable inhabitants, the unknown dangers of_the approach, and_the fact that we were putting ourselves legally in a false position all combined to damp my ardour . but there_was something in_the ice- cold reasoning of Holmes which made it impossible to shrink from any adventure which he might recommend . one knew that thus, and only thus, could a solution be found .I clasped his hand in silence, and_the die was cast .

but it_was not destined that_our investigation should_have so adventurous an ending . it_was about five o'clock, and_the shadows of_the march evening were beginning to_fall, when an excited rustic rushed into our room .

" they've gone, Mr Holmes . they went by_the last train . the lady broke away, and I've got her in a cab downstairs ."

" excellent, Warner ! " cried Holmes, springing to_his feet ."Watson, the gaps are closing rapidly ."

in_the cab was a woman, half- collapsed from nervous exhaustion . she bore upon her aquiline and emaciated face the traces of some recent tragedy . her head hung listlessly upon her breast but as she raised it and turned her dun eyes upon us I_saw that her pupils were dark dots in_the centre of_the broad gray iris . she was drugged with opium .

"I watched at_the gate, same as_you advised, Mr Holmes," said our emissary, the discharged gardener ." when_the carriage came out I followed it to_the station . she was like one walking in her sleep, but when_they tried to_get her into_the train she came to life and struggled . they pushed her into_the carriage . she fought her way out again . i_took her part, got her into a cab, and here we_are .I shan't forget the face at_the carriage window as I led her away .I'd have a short life if he had his way- the black- eyed, scowling, yellow devil ."

we carried her upstairs, laid her on_the sofa, and a couple of cups of_the strongest coffee soon cleared her brain from_the mists of_the drug .Baynes had_been summoned by Holmes, and_the situation rapidly explained to him .

" why, sir, you've got me the very evidence i_want," said the inspector warmly, shaking my friend by_the hand ." i_was on_the same scent as_you from_the first ."

" what ! you were after Henderson ? "

" why, Mr Holmes, when_you were crawling in_the shrubbery at high gable i_was up one_of_the trees in_the plantation and saw you down below . it_was just who_would get his evidence first ."

" then why did you arrest the mulatto ? "

Baynes chuckled .

" i_was sure Henderson, as he calls himself, felt that he_was suspected, and_that he_would lie low and make no move so_long as he thought he_was in any danger .I arrested the wrong man to_make him believe that_our eyes were off him . I_knew he_would_be likely to clear off then and give_us a chance of getting at miss Burnet ."

Holmes laid his hand upon_the inspector's shoulder .

" you_will rise high in your profession . you_have instinct and intuition," said he .

Baynes flushed with pleasure .

"I've had a plain- clothes man waiting at_the station all the week . wherever the high gable folk go he_will keep them in sight . but he_must_have been hard put to_it when miss Burnet broke away . however, your man picked her up, and it all ends well . we_can't arrest without her evidence, that_is clear, so the sooner we get a statement the better ."

" every_minute she gets stronger," said Holmes, glancing at_the governess ." but tell me, Baynes . who is_this man Henderson ? "

" Henderson," the inspector answered, " is Don Murillo, once called the tiger of San Pedro ."

the tiger of San Pedro ! the whole history of_the man came back to_me in a flash . he had made his name as_the most lewd and bloodthirsty tyrant that had ever governed any country with apretence to civilization . strong, fearless, and energetic, he had sufficient virtue to enable him to impose his odious vices upon acowering people for ten or twelve years . his name was a terror through all central America . at_the end of_that_time there_was a universal rising against him . but he_was as cunning as he_was cruel, and at_the first whisper of coming trouble he had secretly conveyed his treasures aboard a ship which_was manned by devoted adherents . it_was an empty palace which_was stormed by_the insurgents next_day . the dictator, his two children, his secretary, and_his wealth had all escaped them . from_that moment he had vanished from_the world, and_his identity had_been a frequent subject for comment in_the European press .

" yes, sir, Don Murillo, the tiger of San Pedro," said Baynes ." if_you look it up you_will_find that_the San Pedro colours are green and white, same as in_the note, Mr Holmes . Henderson he_called himself, but I traced him back, Paris and Rome and Madrid to Barcelona, where his ship came in in '86 . they've been looking for him all the time for their revenge, but it_is only now that they_have begun to_find him out ."

" they discovered him a year ago," said miss Burnet, who had sat up and was now intently following the

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