my husband betrayed his own wife and

his companions. yes, we were all arrested upon his

confession. some of us found our way to the gallows and

some to siberia. i was among these last, but my term was

not for life. my husband came to england with his

ill-gotten gains, and has lived in quiet ever since, knowing

well that if the brotherhood knew where he was not a week

would pass before justice would be done."

the old man reached out a trembling hand and helped himself

to a cigarette. "i am in your hands, anna," said he. "you

were always good to me."

"i have not yet told you the height of his villainy," said

she. "among our comrades of the order there was one who was

the friend of my heart. he was noble, unselfish, loving --

all that my husband was not. he hated violence. we were

all guilty -- if that is guilt -- but he was not. he wrote

for ever dissuading us from such a course. these letters

would have saved him. so would my diary, in which from day

to day i had entered both my feelings towards him and the

view which each of us had taken. my husband found and kept

both diary and letters. he hid them, and he tried hard to

swear away the young man's life. in this he failed, but

alexis was sent a convict to siberia, where now, at this

moment, he works in a salt mine. think of that, you

villain, you villain; now, now, at this very moment, alexis,

a man whose name you are not worthy to speak, works and

lives like a slave, and yet i have your life in my hands and

i let you go."

"you were always a noble woman, anna," said the old man,

puffing at his cigarette.

she had risen, but she fell back again with a little cry of

pain.

"i must finish," she said. "when my term was over i set

myself to get the diary and letters which, if sent to the

russian government, would procure my friend's release. i

knew that my husband had come to england. after months of

searching i discovered where he was. i knew that he still

had the diary, for when i was in siberia i had a letter from

him once reproaching me and quoting some passages from its

pages. yet i was sure that with his revengeful nature he

would never give it to me of his own free will. i must get

it for myself. with this object i engaged an agent from a

private detective firm, who entered my husband's house as

secretary -- it was your second secretary, sergius, the one

who left you so hurriedly. he found that papers were kept

in the cupboard, and he got an impression of the key. he

would not go farther. he furnished me with a plan of the

house, and he told me that in the forenoon the study was

always empty, as the secretary was employed up here. so at

last i took my courage in both hands and i came down to get

the papers for myself. i succeeded, but at what a cost!

"i had just taken the papers and was locking the cupboard

when the young man seized me. i had seen him already that

morning. he had met me in the road and i had asked him to

tell me where professor coram lived, not knowing that he was

in his employ."

"exactly! exactly!" said holmes. "the secretary came back

and told his employer of the woman he had met. then in his

last breath he tried to send a message that it was she --

the she whom he had just discussed with him."

"you must let me speak," said the woman, in an imperative

voice, and her face contracted as if in pain. "when he had

fallen i rushed from the room, chose the wrong door, and

found myself in my husband's room. he spoke of giving me

up. i showed him that if he did so his life was in my

hands. if he gave me to the law i could give him to the

brotherhood. it was not that i wished to live for my own

sake, but it was that i desired to accomplish my purpose.

he knew that i would do what i said -- that his own fate was

involved in mine. for that reason and for no other he

shielded me. he thrust me into that dark hiding-place, a

relic of old days, known only to himself. he took his meals

in his own room, and so was able to give me part of his

food. it was agreed that when the police left the house i

should slip away by night and come back no more. but in

some way you have read our plans." she tore from the bosom

of her dress a small packet. "these are my last words,"

said she; "here is the packet which will save alexis.

i confide it to your honour and to your love of justice.

take it! you will deliver it at the russian embassy.

now i have done my duty, and ----"

"stop her!" cried holmes. he had bounded across the room

and had wrenched a small phial from her hand.

"too late!" she said, sinking back on the bed. "too late!

i took the poison before i left my hiding-place. my head swims!

i am going! i charge you, sir, to remember the packet."

"a simple case, and yet in some ways an instructive one,"

holmes remarked, as we trave