“I will tell you it all. This villain’s policy was to murder， on onepretext or another， every man who showed such promise that hemight in time come to be a dangerous rival. My husband—yes，my real name is Signora Victor Durando—was the San Pedrominister in London. He met me and married me there. A noblerman never lived upon earth. Unhappily， Murillo heard of hisexcellence， recalled him on some pretext， and had him shot. Witha premonition of his fate he had refused to take me with him.
His estates were confiscated， and I was left with a pittance and abroken heart.
“Then came the downfall of the tyrant. He escaped as youhave just described. But the many whose lives he had ruined，whose nearest and dearest had suffered torture and death at hishands， would not let the matter rest. They banded themselvesinto a society which should never be dissolved until the work wasdone. It was my part after we had discovered in the transformedHenderson the fallen despot， to attach myself to his householdand keep the others in touch with his movements. This I wasable to do by securing the position of governess in his family. Helittle knew that the woman who faced him at every meal was thewoman whose husband he had hurried at an hour’s notice intoeternity. I smiled on him， did my duty to his children， and bidedmy time. An attempt was made in Paris and failed. We zig-zaggedswiftly here and there over Europe to throw off the pursuers andfinally returned to this house， which he had taken upon his firstarrival in England.
“But here also the ministers of justice were waiting. Knowingthat he would return there， Garcia， who is the son of the formerhighest dignitary in San Pedro， was waiting with two trustycompanions of humble station， all three fired with the samereasons for revenge. He could do little during the day， for Murillotook every precaution and never went out save with his satelliteLucas， or Lopez as he was known in the days of his greatness. Atnight， however， he slept alone， and the avenger might find him.
On a certain evening， which had been prearranged， I sent myfriend final instructions， for the man was forever on the alert andcontinually changed his room. I was to see that the doors wereopen and the signal of a green or white light in a window whichfaced the drive was to give notice if all was safe or if the attempthad better be postponed.
“But everything went wrong with us. In some way I had excitedthe suspicion of Lopez， the secretary. He crept up behind me andsprang upon me just as I had finished the note. He and his masterdragged me to my room and held judgment upon me as a convictedtraitress. Then and there they would have plunged their knivesinto me could they have seen how to escape the consequencesof the deed. Finally， after much debate， they concluded that mymurder was too dangerous. But they determined to get rid foreverof Garcia. They had gagged me， and Murillo twisted my armround until I gave him the address. I swear that he might havetwisted it off had I understood what it would mean to Garcia.
Lopez addressed the note which I had written， sealed it with hissleeve-link， and sent it by the hand of the servant， José. How theymurdered him I do not know， save that it was Murillo’s hand whostruck him down， for Lopez had remained to guard me. I believehe must have waited among the gorse bushes through which thepath winds and struck him down as he passed. At first they wereof a mind to let him enter the house and to kill him as a detectedburglar； but they argued that if they were mixed up in an inquirytheir own identity would at once be publicly disclosed and theywould be open to further attacks. With the death of Garcia， thepursuit might cease， since such a death might frighten others fromthe task.
“All would now have been well for them had it not been for myknowledge of what they had done. I have no doubt that therewere times when my life hung in the balance. I was confined tomy room， terrorized by the most horrible threats， cruelly ill-usedto break my spirit—see this stab on my shoulder and the bruisesfrom end to end of my arms—and a gag was thrust into my mouthon the one occasion when I tried to call from the window. Forfive days this cruel imprisonment continued， with hardly enoughfood to hold body and soul together. This afternoon a good lunchwas brought me， but the moment after I took it I knew that Ihad been drugged. In a sort of dream I remember being half-led，half-carried to the carriage； in the same state I was conveyed tothe train. Only then， when the wheels were almost moving， did Isuddenly 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 thisgood man， who led me to the cab， I should never had broken away.
Now， thank God， I am beyond their power forever.”
We had all listened intently to this remarkable statement. It wasHolmes 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 actof 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 lawthan that. Self-defence is one thing. To entice a man in cold bloodwith the object of murdering him is another， whatever danger youmay fear from him. No， no， we shall all be justified when we seethe tenants of High Gable at the next Guildford Assizes.”
It is a matter of history， however， that a little time was still toelapse before the Tiger of San Pedro should meet with his deserts.
