Picture Dictionary & Books : Free for English Learner!

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, sealed 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 who struck him down, for Lopez had remained to guard me.

I believe he must have waited 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 to 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.

Table of Contents