No. 10 The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger by Arthur Conan Doyle
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it_was adreadful face -- ahuman pig, or rather ahuman wild boar, for it_was formidable in its bestiality .One could imagine that vile mouth champing and foaming in its rage, and one could conceive those small, vicious eyes darting pure malignancy as_they looked forth upon_the world .Ruffian, bully, beast -- it_was all written on_that heavy-jowled face .

"Those two pictures will help_you, gentlemen, to understand the story . i_was apoor circus girl brought up on_the sawdust, and doing springs through_the hoop before i_was ten .When I became awoman this man loved me, if such lust as his can_be called love, and in an evil moment I became his wife . from_that day i_was in hell, and he the devil who tormented me . there_was no one in_the show who did_not know of_his treatment .He deserted me for others .He tied me down and lashed me with_his ridingwhip when I complained .They all pitied me and_they all loathed him, but what could they_do ? They feared him, one and all .For he_was terrible at all times, and murderous when he_was drunk .Again and again he_was had up for assault, and for cruelty to_the beasts, but he had plenty of money and_the fines were nothing to him .The best men all left us, and_the show began to_go downhill . it_was only Leonardo and I who kept it up -- with little Jimmy Griggs, the clown .Poor devil, he had_not much to_be funny about, but he_did what he_could to hold things together .

"Then Leonardo came more and more into my life . you_see what he_was like . I_know now the poor spirit that was hidden in_that splendid body, but compared to my husband he_seemed like the angel Gabriel .He pitied me and helped me, till at last our intimacy turned to love -- deep, deep, passionate love, such love as I had dreamed of but never hoped to_feel .My husband suspected it, but i_think that he_was acoward as_well as abully, and_that Leonardo was_the one man that he_was afraid of . he_took revenge in_his own way by torturing me more than ever .One night my cries brought Leonardo to_the door of_our van .We were near tragedy that night, and soon my lover and I understood that_it could_not_be avoided .My husband was not fit to live .We planned that he_should die .

"Leonardo had aclever, scheming brain . it_was he who planned it . I_do_not_say that to blame him, for i_was ready to_go with_him every inch of_the way .But i_should never have_had the wit to_think of_such aplan . we_made aclub -- Leonardo made it -- and in_the leaden head he fastened five long steel nails, the points outward, with just such aspread as_the lion's paw . this_was to_give my husband his death-blow, and yet to leave the evidence that_it_was the lion which we_would loose who had done the deed .

" it_was apitch-dark night when my husband and I went down, as was our custom, to feed the beast .We carried with_us the raw meat in azinc pail .Leonardo was waiting at_the corner of_the big van which we_should_have to_pass before we reached the cage . he_was too slow, and we walked past him before he_could strike, but he followed us on tiptoe and I heard the crash as_the club smashed my husband's skull .My heart leaped with joy at_the sound .I sprang forward, and I undid the catch which held the door of_the great lion's cage .

"And then the terrible thing happened . you_may_have heard how quick these creatures are to scent human blood, and how it excites them .Some strange instinct had told the creature in one instant that ahuman being had_been slain .As I slipped the bars it bounded out and was on me in an instant .Leonardo could_have saved me .If he had rushed forward and struck the beast with_his club he_might_have cowed it .But the man lost his nerve .I heard him shout in_his terror, and then I_saw him turn and fly . at_the same instant the teeth of_the lion met in my face .Its hot, filthy breath had already poisoned me and i_was hardly conscious of pain . with_the palms of_my hands I tried to push the great steaming, blood-stained jaws away from me, and I screamed for help . i_was conscious that_the camp was stirring, and then dimly I remembered agroup of men .Leonardo, Griggs, and others, dragging me from under the creature's paws .That was my last memory, Mr Holmes, for many aweary month .When I_came to myself and saw myself in_the mirror, I cursed that lion -- oh, how I cursed him ! -- not because he had torn away my beauty but because he had_not torn away my life .I had but one desire, Mr Holmes, and I had enough money to gratify it .It was_that i_should cover myself so_that my poor face should_be seen by none, and_that i_should dwell where none whom I had ever known should find me .That was all that was left to_me to_do -- and_that is what I_have_done .apoor wounded beast that has crawled into its hole to die -- that_is_the end of Eugenia Ronder ."

We sat in silence for some_time after_the unhappy woman had told her story .Then Holmes stretched out his long arm and patted her hand with_such ashow of sympathy as I had seldom known him to exhibit .

"Poor girl ! " he_said ."Poor girl ! The ways of fate are indeed hard to understand . if_there_is not some compensation hereafter, then the world is acruel jest .But what of_this man Leonardo ? "

"I never saw him or heard from_him again .Perhaps I_have_been wrong to_feel so bitterly against him .He might as soon have loved one_of_the freaks whom we carried round the country as_the thing which the lion had left .But awoman's love is_not so easily set aside .He had left me under the beast's claws, he had deserted me in my need, and yet I_could_not bring myself to_give him to_the gallows . for_myself, I cared nothing what became of me .What could_be more dreadful than my actual life ? But I stood between Leonardo and_his fate ."

"And he_is dead ? "

" he_was drowned last month when bathing near Margate . I_saw his death in_the paper ."

"And what did he do with_this five-clawed club, which_is the most singular and ingenious part of all your story ? "

" I_cannot tell, Mr Holmes . there_is achalk-pit by_the camp, with adeep green pool at_the base of it .Perhaps in_the depths of_that pool --"

"Well, well, it_is of little consequence now .The case is closed ."

"Yes," said the woman, "the case is closed ."

We had risen to_go, but there_was something in_the woman's voice which arrested Holmes's attention .He turned swiftly upon her .

"Your life is_not your own," he_said ."Keep your hands off it ."

"What use is_it to anyone ? "

"How can_you tell ? The example of patient suffering is in itself the most precious of all lessons to an impatient world ."

The woman's answer was aterrible one .She raised her veil and stepped forward into_the light .

"I wonder if_you_would bear it," she said .

it_was horrible .No words can describe the framework of aface when_the face itself is gone .Two living and beautiful brown eyes looking sadly out from_that grisly ruin did but make_the view more awful .Holmes held up his hand in agesture of pity and protest, and together we left the room .

Two days later, when I called upon my friend, he pointed with some pride to asmall blue bottle upon his mantelpiece .I picked it up . there_was ared poison label .apleasant almondy odour rose when I opened it .

"Prussic acid ? " said 1 .

"Exactly .It came by post .'I send_you my temptation . i_will follow your advice .' That was_the message . i_think, Watson, we_can guess the name of_the brave woman who sent it ."

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