“Next time I came back from sea, I heard of her marriage. Well,why shouldn’t she marry whom she liked? Title and money—whocould carry them better than she? She was born for all that isbeautiful and dainty. I didn’t grieve over her marriage. I was notsuch a selfish hound as that. I just rejoiced that good luck hadcome her way, and that she had not thrown herself away on apenniless sailor. That’s how I loved Mary Fraser.
“Well, I never thought to see her again, but last voyage I waspromoted, and the new boat was not yet launched, so I had to waitfor a couple of months with my people at Sydenham. One day outin a country lane I met Theresa Wright, her old maid. She told meall about her, about him, about everything. I tell you, gentlemen, itnearly drove me mad. This drunken hound, that he should dare toraise his hand to her, whose boots he was not worthy to lick! I metTheresa again. Then I met Mary herself—and met her again. Thenshe would meet me no more. But the other day I had a notice thatI was to start on my voyage within a week, and I determined thatI would see her once before I left. Theresa was always my friend,for she loved Mary and hated this villain almost as much as I did.
From her I learned the ways of the house. Mary used to sit upreading in her own little room downstairs. I crept round there lastnight and scratched at the window. At first she would not opento me, but in her heart I know that now she loves me, and shecould not leave me in the frosty night. She whispered to me tocome round to the big front window, and I found it open beforeme, so as to let me into the dining-room. Again I heard from herown lips things that made my blood boil, and again I cursed thisbrute who mishandled the woman I loved. Well, gentlemen, I wasstanding with her just inside the window, in all innocence, as Godis my judge, when he rushed like a madman into the room, calledher the vilest name that a man could use to a woman, and weltedher across the face with the stick he had in his hand. I had sprungfor the poker, and it was a fair fight between us. See here, on myarm, where his first blow fell. Then it was my turn, and I wentthrough him as if he had been a rotten pumpkin. Do you think Iwas sorry? Not I! It was his life or mine, but far more than that, itwas his life or hers, for how could I leave her in the power of thismadman? That was how I killed him. Was I wrong? Well, then,what would either of you gentlemen have done, if you had been inmy position?”
“She had screamed when he struck her, and that brought oldTheresa down from the room above. There was a bottle of wine onthe sideboard, and I opened it and poured a little between Mary’slips, for she was half dead with shock. Then I took a drop myself.
Theresa was as cool as ice, and it was her plot as much as mine.
We must make it appear that burglars had done the thing. Theresakept on repeating our story to her mistress, while I swarmed upand cut the rope of the bell. Then I lashed her in her chair, andfrayed out the end of the rope to make it look natural, else theywould wonder how in the world a burglar could have got up thereto cut it. Then I gathered up a few plates and pots of silver, to carryout the idea of the robbery, and there I left them, with orders togive the alarm when I had a quarter of an hour’s start. I dropped thesilver into the pond, and made off for Sydenham, feeling that foronce in my life I had done a real good night’s work. And that’s thetruth and the whole truth, Mr. Holmes, if it costs me my neck.”
Holmes smoked for some time in silence. Then he crossed theroom, and shook our visitor by the hand.
“That’s what I think,” said he. “I know that every word is true,for you have hardly said a word which I did not know. No one butan acrobat or a sailor could have got up to that bell-rope fromthe bracket, and no one but a sailor could have made the knotswith which the cord was fastened to the chair. Only once had thislady been brought into contact with sailors, and that was on hervoyage, and it was someone of her own class of life, since she wastrying hard to shield him, and so showing that she loved him. Yousee how easy it was for me to lay my hands upon you when once Ihad started upon the right trail.”
“I thought the police never could have seen through our dodge.”
“And the police haven’t, nor will they, to the best of my belief.
Now, look here, Captain Crocker, this is a very serious matter,though I am willing to admit that you acted under the mostextreme provocation to which any man could be subjected. Iam not sure that in defence of your own life your action will notbe pronounced legitimate. However, that is for a British jury todecide. Meanwhile I have so much sympathy for you that, if youchoose to disappear in the next twenty-four hours, I will promiseyou that no one will hinder you.”
“And then it will all come out?”
“Certainly it will come out.”
The sailor flushed with anger.
“What sort of proposal is that to make a man? I know enoughof law to understand that Mary would be held as accomplice. Doyou think I would leave her alone to face the music while I slunkaway? No, sir, let them do their worst upon me, but for heaven’ssake, Mr. Holmes, find some way of keeping my poor Mary out ofthe courts.”
Holmes for a second time held out his hand to the sailor.
“I was only testing you, and you ring true every time. Well, itis a great responsibility that I take upon myself, but I have givenHopkins an excellent hint and if he can’t avail himself of it I cando no more. See here, Captain Crocker, we’ll do this in due formof law. You are the prisoner. Watson, you are a British jury, and Inever met a man who was more eminently fitted to represent one.
I am the judge. Now, gentleman of the jury, you have heard theevidence. Do you find the prisoner guilty or not guilty?”
“Not guilty, my lord,” said I.
“VOX POPULI, VOX DEI. You are acquitted, Captain Crocker.
So long as the law does not find some other victim you are safe fromme. Come back to this lady in a year, and may her future and yoursjustify us in the judgment which we have pronounced this night!”
The Adventure of the Second Stain
