the adventure of the veiled lodger-第3章

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only　pleasure　which　fate　has　left　me；　and　I　miss　little　which　passes

in　the　world。　But　in　any　case；　I　will　take　my　chance　of　the　use

which　you　may　make　of　my　tragedy。　It　will　case　my　mind　to　tell　it。〃

　　〃My　friend　and　I　would　be　glad　to　hear　it。〃

　　The　woman　rose　and　took　from　a　drawer　the　photograph　of　a　man。　He

was　clearly　a　professional　acrobat；　a　man　of　magnificent　physique；

taken　with　his　huge　arms　folded　across　his　swollen　chest　and　a　smile

breaking　from　under　his　heavy　moustache…　the　self…satisfied　smile　of

the　man　of　many　conquests。

　　〃That　is　Leonardo；〃　she　said。

　　〃Leonardo；　the　strong　man；　who　gave　evidence？〃

　　〃The　same。　And　this…　this　is　my　husband。〃

　　It　was　a　dreadful　face…　a　human　pig；　or　rather　a　human　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　a　poor　circus　girl　brought　up　on　the　sawdust；　and　doing

springs　through　the　hoop　before　I　was　ten。　When　I　became　a　woman

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　riding…whip　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　bold　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　a　coward　as　well　as　a　bully；　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　a　clever；　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　a　plan。　We　made　a　club…　Leonardo　made　it…　and　in　the　leaden

head　lie　fastened　five　long　steel　nails；　the　points　outward；　with　just

such　a　spread　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　a　pitch…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　a

zinc　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　a　human　being　had　been　slain。　As　I　slipped　the　bars　it　bounced

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　a　group　of　men。　Leonardo；　Griggs；　and

others；　dragging　me　from　under　the　creature's　paws。　That　was　my　last

memory；　Mr。　Holmes；　for　many　a　weary　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。　A　poor　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　a　show　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　a　cruel　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　a　woman'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　a　chalk…pit　by　the　camp；　with　a

deep　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　a　terrible　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　a　face

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　a　gesture　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　a　small　blue　bottle　upon　his　mantelpiece。　I　picked　it　up。

There　was　a　red　poison　label。　A　pleasant　almondy　odour　rose　when　I

opened　it。

　　〃Prussic　acid？〃　said　I。

　　〃Exactly。　It　came　by　post。　'I　send　you　my　temptation。　I　will

follow　your　advice。'　That　was　the　message。　I　think；