第13章

ThenIturnedalsoandfled，forIdidnotwishtobedraggedbeforethemagistratesofthecityasabrawler，andinmydesiretoescapeIforgotthatdeGarciawasescapingalso。

AwayI

wentandthreeofthewatchafterme，buttheywerestoutandscantofbreath，andbythetimethatIhadrunthreefurlongsI

distancedthem。

IhaltedtogetmybreathandrememberedthatI

hadlostdeGarciaanddidnotknowwhenIshouldfindhimagain。

AtfirstIwasmindedtoreturnandseekhim，butreflectiontoldmethatbynowitwouldbeuseless，alsothattheendofitmightbethatIshouldfallintothehandsofthewatch，whowouldknowmebymywound，whichbegantopainme。

SoIwenthomewardcursingmyfortune，andthewomanwhohadclaspedmefrombehindjustasI

wasabouttosendthedeath-thrusthome，andalsomylackofskillwhichhaddelayedthatthrustsolong。

TwiceImighthavemadeitandtwiceIhadwaited，beingovercautiousandover-anxioustobesure，andnowIhadlostmychance，andmightbidemanyadaybeforeitcameagain。

HowshouldIfindhiminthisgreatcity？

Doubtless，thoughIhadnotthoughtofit，deGarciapassedundersomefeignednameashehaddoneatYarmouth。

Itwasbitterindeedtohavebeensoneartovengeanceandtohavemissedit。

BynowIwasathomeandbethoughtmethatIshoulddowelltogotoFonseca，mymaster，andaskhishelp。

HithertoIhadsaidnothingofthismattertohim，forIhavealwayslovedtokeepmyowncounsel，andasyetIhadnotspokenofmypasteventohim。

Goingtotheroomwherebewasaccustomedtoreceivepatients，I

foundhehadretiredtorest，leavingordersthatIwasnottoawakehimthisnightashewasweary。

SoIboundupmyhurtafterafashionandsoughtmybedalso，veryill-satisfiedwithmyfortune。

OnthemorrowIwenttomymaster’schamberwherehestilllayabed，havingbeenseizedbyasuddenweaknessthatwasthebeginningoftheillnesswhichendedinhisdeath。

AsImixedadraughtforhimhenoticedthatmyshoulderwashurtandaskedmewhathadhappened。

Thisgavememyopportunity，whichIwasnotslowtotake。

’Haveyoupatiencetolistentoastory？’Isaid，’forIwouldseekyourhelp。’

’Ah！’heanswered，’itistheoldcase，thephysiciancannothealhimself。

Speakon，nephew。’

ThenIsatdownbythebedandtoldhimall，keepingnothingback。

Itoldhimthehistoryofmymotherandmyfather’scourtship，ofmyownchildhood，ofthemurderofmymotherbydeGarcia，andoftheoaththatIhadsworntobeavengeduponhim。

LastlyItoldhimofwhathadhappeneduponthepreviousnightandhowmyenemyhadevadedme。

AllthewhilethatIwasspeakingFonseca，wrappedinarichMoorishrobe，satupinthebedholdinghiskneesbeneathhischin，andwatchingmyfacewithhiskeeneyes。

ButhespokenowordandmadenosigntillIhadfinishedthetale。

’Youarestrangelyfoolish，nephew，’hesaidatlength。

’Forthemostpartyouthfailsthroughrashness，butyouerrbyover-

caution。

Byover-cautioninyourfenceyoulostyourchancelastnight，andsobyover-cautioninhidingthistalefrommeyouhavelostafargreateropportunity。

What，haveyounotseenmegivecounselinmanysuchmatters，andhaveyoueverknownmetobetraytheconfidenceevenoftheverieststranger？

Whythendidyoufearforyours？’

’Idonotknow，’Ianswered，’butIthoughtthatfirstIwouldsearchformyself。’

’Pridegoethbeforeafall，nephew。

Nowlisten:hadIknownthishistoryamonthago，bynowdeGarciahadperishedmiserably，andnotbyyourhand，butbythatofthelaw。

Ihavebeenacquaintedwiththemanfromhischildhood，andknowenoughtohanghimtwiceoverdidIchoosetospeak。

More，Iknewyourmother，boy，andnowIseethatitwasthelikenessinyourfacetohersthathauntedme，forfromthefirstitwasfamiliar。

ItwasIalsowhobribedthekeepersoftheHolyOfficetoletyourfatherloose，though，asitchanced，Ineversawhim，andarrangedhisflight。

Sincethen，IhavehaddeGarciathroughmyhandssomefourorfivetimes，nowunderthisnameandnowunderthat。

Onceevenhecametomeasaclient，butthevillainythathewouldhaveworkedwastooblackformetotouch。

ThismanisthewickedestwhomIhaveknowninSeville，andthatissayingmuch，alsoheisthecleverestandthemostrevengeful。

Helivesbyviceforvice，andtherearemanydeathsuponhishands。

Buthehasneverprosperedinhisevil-

doing，andto-dayheisbutanadventurerwithoutaname，wholivesbyblackmail，andbyruiningwomenthathemayrobthemathisleisure。

Givemethosebooksfromthestrongboxyonder，andI

willtellyouofthisdeGarcia。’

Ididashebademe，bringingtheheavyparchmentvolumes，eachboundinvellumandwrittenincipher。

’Thesearemyrecords，’hesaid，’thoughnonecanreadthemexceptmyself。

Nowfortheindex。

Ah！hereitis。

Givemevolumethree，andopenitatpagetwohundredandone。’

Iobeyed，layingthebookonthebedbeforehim，andhebegantoreadthecrabbedmarksaseasilyasthoughtheyweregoodblack-

letter。

’DeGarcia——Juan。

Height，appearance，family，falsenames，andsoon。

Thisisit——history。

Nowlisten。’

Thencamesometwopagesofcloselywrittenmatter，expressedinsecretsignsthatFonsecatranslatedasheread。

Itwasbriefenough，butsucharecordasitcontainedIhaveneverheardbeforenorsince。

Here，setoutagainstthisoneman’sname，waswellnigheverywickednessofwhichahumanbeingcouldbecapable，carriedthroughbyhimtogratifyhisappetitesandrevengefulhate，andtoprovidehimselfwithgold。

Inthatblacklistweretwomurders:oneofarivalbytheknife，andoneofamistressbypoison。

Andtherewereotherthingsevenworse，tooshameful，indeed，tobewritten。

’Doubtlessthereismorethathasnotcomebeneathmynotice，’saidFonsecacoolly，’butthesethingsIknowfortruth，andoneofthemurderscouldbeprovedagainsthimwerehecaptured。

Stay，givemeink，Imustaddtotherecord。’

Andhewroteinhiscipher:’InMay，1517，thesaiddeGarciasailedtoEnglandonatradingvoyage，andthere，intheparishofDitchingham，inthecountyofNorfolk，hemurderedLuisaWingfield，spokenofaboveasLuisadeGarcia，hiscousin，towhomhewasoncebetrothed。

InSeptemberofthesameyear，orpreviously，undercoverofafalsemarriage，hedecoyedanddesertedoneDonnaIsabellaofthenoblefamilyofSiguenza，anuninareligioushouseinthiscity。’

’What！’Iexclaimed，’isthegirlwhocametoseekyourhelptwonightssincethesamethatdeGarciadeserted？’

’Theverysame，nephew。

Itwasshewhomyouheardpleadingwithhimlastnight。

HadIknowntwodaysagowhatIknowto-day，bynowthisvillainhadbeensafeinprison。

Butperhapsitisnotyettoolate。

Iamill，butIwillriseandseetoit。

Leaveittome，nephew。

Go，nurseyourself，andleaveittome；ifanythingmaybedoneIcandoit。

Stay，bidamessengerbeready。

ThiseveningIshallknowwhateverthereistobeknown。’

ThatnightFonsecasentformeagain。

’Ihavemadeinquiries，’hesaid。

’Ihaveevenwarnedtheofficersofjusticeforthefirsttimeformanyyears，andtheyarehuntingdeGarciaasbloodhoundshuntaslave。

Butnothingcanbeheardofhim。

Hehasvanishedandleftnotrace。

To-nightIwritetoCadiz，forhemayhavefledtheredowntheriver。

OnethingIhavediscovered，however。

TheSenoraIsabellawascaughtbythewatch，andbeingrecognisedashavingescapedfromaconvent，shewashandedovertotheexecutoriesoftheHolyOffice，thathercasemaybeinvestigated，orinotherwords，shouldherfaultbeproved，todeath。’

’Cansheberescued？’

’Impossible。

Hadshefollowedmycounselshewouldneverhavebeentaken。’

’Canshebecommunicatedwith？’

’No。

Twentyyearsagoitmighthavebeenmanaged，nowtheOfficeisstricterandpurer。

Goldhasnopowerthere。

Weshallneverseeorhearofheragain，unless，indeed，itisatthehourofherdeath，when，shouldshechoosetospeakwithme，theindulgencemaypossiblybegrantedtoher，thoughIdoubtit。

Butitisnotlikelythatshewillwishtodoso。

Shouldshesucceedinhidingherdisgrace，shemayescape；butitisnotprobable。

Donotlooksosad，nephew，religionmusthaveitssacrifices。

Perchanceitisbetterforhertodiethusthantoliveformanyyearsdeadinlife。

Shecandiebutonce。

MayherbloodlieheavyondeGarcia’shead！’

’Amen！’Ianswered。