The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge* by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the conversation ." once already his life has_been attempted, but some evil spirit shielded him . now, again, it_is_the noble, chivalrous Garcia who has fallen, while the monster goes safe . but another will come, and yet another, until some day justice will_be_done, that_is as certain as_the rise of to- morrow's sun ." her thin hands clenched, and her worn face blanched with_the passion of her hatred .

" but how come you into this_matter, miss Burnet ? " asked Holmes ." how can an English lady join in_such a murderous affair ? "

"I join in_it because there_is no other way in_the_world by_which justice can_be gained . what does the law of England care for_the rivers of blood shed years_ago in San Pedro, or for_the ship load of treasure which this man has stolen ? to_you they_are like crimes committed in some other planet . but we_know . we_have learned the truth in sorrow and in suffering . to_us there_is no fiend in hell like Juan Murillo, and no peace in life while his victims still cry for vengeance ."

" no_doubt" said Holmes, " he_was as_you say . I_have heard that he_was atrocious . but how are_you affected ? "

" i_will tell you it all . this villain's policy was to murder, on one pretext or another, every man who showed such promise that he might in_time come to_be a dangerous rival . my husband- yes, my real name is Sipora victor Durando- was_the San Pedro minister in London . he met me and married me there .a nobler man never lived upon earth . unhappily, Murillo heard of_his excellence, recalled him on some pretext, and had him shot . with a premonition of_his fate he had refused to_take me with_him . his estates were confiscated, and i_was left with a pittance and a broken heart .

" then came the downfall of_the tyrant . he escaped as_you_have just described . but the many whose lives he had mined, whose nearest and dearest had suffered torture and death at his hands, would_not let the matter rest . they banded themselves into a society which should never be dissolved until the work was_done . it_was my part after we had discovered in_the transformed Henderson the fallen despot, to attach myself to_his household and keep the others in touch with_his movements . this i_was able to_do by securing the position of governess in_his family . he little knew that_the woman who faced him at every meal was_the woman whose husband he had hurried at an hour's notice into eternity .I smiled on him, did my duty to_his children, and bided my_time . an attempt was_made in Paris and failed . we zig-zagged swiftly here and there over Europe to throw off the pursuers and finally returned to_this house, which he had taken upon his first arrival in England .

" but here also the ministers of justice were waiting .Knowing that he_would return there, Garcia, who is_the son of_the former highest dignitary in San Pedro, was waiting with two trusty companions of humble station, all three fired with_the same reasons for revenge . he_could do little during the day, for Murillo took every precaution and never went out save with_his satellite Lucas, or Lopez as he_was known in_the days of_his greatness . at night, however, he slept alone, and_the avenger might find him . on a certain evening, which had_been prearranged, I_sent my friend final instructions, for_the man was forever on_the alert and continually changed his room . i_was to_see that_the doors were open and_the signal of a green or white light in a window which faced the drive was to_give notice if all was safe or if_the attempt had better be postponed .

" but everything went wrong with_us . in some way I had excited the suspicion of Lopez, the secretary . he crept up behind me and sprang upon me just as I had finished the note . he and_his master dragged me to my room and held judgment upon me as a convicted traitress . then and there they_would_have plunged their knives into me could they_have seen how to escape the consequences of_the deed . finally, after much debate, they concluded that my murder was too dangerous . but they determined to_get rid forever of Garcia . they had gagged me, and Murillo twisted my arm round until I_gave him the address .I swear that he_might_have twisted it off had I understood what it would mean to Garcia .Lopez addressed the note which I had written, scaled it with_his sleeve- link, and sent it by_the hand of_the servant Jose . how they murdered him I_do_not know, save that_it_was Murillo's hand that struck him down, for Lopez had remained to guard me .I believe he_must_have awaited among_the gorse bushes through which the path winds and struck him down as he passed . at first they were of a mind to let him enter the house and kill him as a detected burglar, but they argued that if_they were mixed up in an inquiry their own identity would at once be publicly disclosed and they_would_be open to further attacks . with_the death of Garcia, the pursuit might cease, since such a death might frighten others from_the task .

" all would now have_been well for_them had it not been for_my knowledge of what they had done . I_have no_doubt that there were times when my life hung in_the balance . i_was confined to my room, terrorized by_the most horrible threats, cruelly ill- used to break my spirit- see this stab on my shoulder and_the bruises from end to end of_my arms- and a gag was thrust into my mouth on_the one occasion when I tried to_call from_the window . for five days this cruel imprisonment continued, with hardly enough food to hold body and soul together . this afternoon a good lunch was brought me, but the moment after i_took it I_knew that I had_been drugged . in a sort of dream I remember being half-led, half- carried to_the carriage, in_the same state i_was conveyed to_the train . only then, when_the wheels were almost moving, did I suddenly realize_that my liberty lay in my own hands .I sprang out, they tried to drag me back, and had it not been for_the help of_this good man, who led me to_the cab, i_should never have broken away . now, thank god, I_am beyond their power forever ."

we had all listened intently to_this remarkable statement . it_was Holmes who broke the silence .

" our difficulties are_not over," he remarked, shaking his head ." our police work ends, but our legal work begins ."

" exactly," said I ."A plausible lawyer could make it out as an act of self-defence . there_may_be a hundred crimes in_the background, but it_is only on this_one that they_can_be tried ."

" come, come," said Baynes cheerily, " i_think better of_the law than that . self-defence is one_thing . to entice a man in cold blood with_the object of murdering him is another, whatever danger you_may fear from_him . no, no, we_shall all be justified when we see the tenants of high gable at_the next Guildford Assizes ."

it_is a matter of history, however, that a little time was still to elapse before_the tiger of San Pedro should meet with_his deserts . wily and bold, he and_his companion threw their pursuer off their track by entering alodging- house in Edmonton street and leaving by_the back- gate into Curzon square . from_that day they were seen no more in England . some six months afterwards the Marquess of Montalva and Signor Rulli, his secretary, were both murdered in their rooms at_the hotel Escurial at Madrid . the crime was ascribed to nihilism, and_the murderers were never arrested . inspector Baynes visited us at baker street with a printed description of_the dark face of_the secretary, and of_the masterful features, the magnetic black eyes, and_the tufted brows of_his master . we_could_not doubt that justice, if belated, had come at last .

"A chaotic case, my dear Watson," said Holmes over an evening pipe ." it_will_not_be possible for_you to_present it in_that compact form which_is dear to your heart . it covers two continents, concerns two groups of mysterious persons, and_is further complicated by_the highly respectable presence of_our friend, Scott Eccles, whose inclusion shows me that_the deceased Garcia had ascheming mind and a well- developed instinct of self- preservation . it_is remarkable only for_the fact that amid a perfect jungle of possibilities we, with_our worthy collaborator, the inspector, have kept our close hold on_the essentials and so been guided along the crooked and winding path . is_there any point which_is not quite clear to_you ? "

" the object of_the mulatto cook's return ? "

" i_think that_the strange creature in_the kitchen may account for_it . the man was a primitive savage from_the backwoods of San Pedro, and this_was his fetish . when his companion and he had fled to some prearranged retreat- already occupied, no_doubt by a confederate- the companion had persuaded him to leave so compromising an article of furniture . but the mulatto's heart was with it, and he_was driven back to_it next_day, when, on reconnoitring through_the window, he_found policeman Walters in possession . he waited three days longer, and then his piety or his superstition drove him to_try once more . inspector Baynes, who, with_his usual astuteness, had minimized the incident before me, had really recognized its importance and had left a trap into which the creature walked . any_other point, Watson ? "

" the torn bird, the pail of blood, the charred bones, all the mystery of_that weird kitchen ? "

Holmes smiled as he turned up an entry in_his notebook .

"I spent a morning in_the British museum reading up on_that and other points . here_is a quotation from Eckermann's voodooism and_the Negroid Religions:

the true voodoo-worshipper attempts nothing of importance without certain sacrifices which are intended to propitiate his unclean gods . in extreme cases these rites take_the form of human sacrifices followed by cannibalism . the more usual victims are a white cock, which_is plucked in pieces alive, or a black goat, whose throat is cut and body burned .

" so you_see our savage friend was very orthodox in_his ritual . it_is grotesque, Watson," Holmes added, as he slowly fastened his notebook, " but, as I_have_had occasion to remark, there_is but one step from_the grotesque to_the horrible ."

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