to　be　funny　about；　but　he　did　what　he　could　to　bold　things　together。
  〃Then　Leonardo　came　more　and　more　into　my　life。　You　see　what　he
  was　like。　I　know　now　the　poor　spirit　that　was　hidden　in　that
  splendid　body；　but　compared　to　my　husband　he　seemed　like　the　angel
  Gabriel。　He　pitied　me　and　helped　me；　till　at　last　our　intimacy
  turned　to　love…　deep；　deep；　passionate　love；　such　love　as　I　had
  dreamed　of　but　never　hoped　to　feel。　My　husband　suspected　it；　but　I
  think　that　he　was　a　coward　as　well　as　a　bully；　and　that　Leonardo　was
  the　one　man　that　he　was　afraid　of。　He　took　revenge　in　his　own　way　by
  torturing　me　more　than　ever。　One　night　my　cries　brought　Leonardo　to
  the　door　of　our　van。　We　were　near　tragedy　that　night；　and　soon　my
  lover　and　I　understood　that　it　could　not　be　avoided。　My　husband　was
  not　fit　to　live。　We　planned　that　he　should　die。
  〃Leonardo　had　a　clever；　scheming　brain。　It　was　he　who　planned　it。
  I　do　not　say　that　to　blame　him；　for　I　was　ready　to　go　with　him　every
  inch　of　the　way。　But　I　should　never　have　had　the　wit　to　think　of
  such　a　plan。　We　made　a　club…　Leonardo　made　it…　and　in　the　leaden
  head　lie　fastened　five　long　steel　nails；　the　points　outward；　with　just
  such　a　spread　as　the　lion's　paw。　This　was　to　give　my　husband　his
  death…blow；　and　yet　to　leave　the　evidence　that　it　was　the　lion　which
  we　would　loose　who　had　done　the　deed。
  〃It　was　a　pitch…dark　night　when　my　husband　and　I　went　down；　as　was
  our　custom；　to　feed　the　beast。　We　carried　with　us　the　raw　meat　in　a
  zinc　pail。　Leonardo　was　waiting　at　the　corner　of　the　big　van　which
  we　should　have　to　pass　before　we　reached　the　cage。　He　was　too　slow；
  and　we　walked　past　him　before　he　could　strike；　but　he　followed　us　on
  tiptoe　and　I　heard　the　crash　as　the　club　smashed　my　husband's　skull。
  My　heart　leaped　with　joy　at　the　sound。　I　sprang　forward；　and　I　undid
  the　catch　which　held　the　door　of　the　great　lion's　cage。
  〃And　then　the　terrible　thing　happened。　You　may　have　heard　how
  quick　these　creatures　are　to　scent　human　blood；　and　how　it　excites
  them。　Some　strange　instinct　had　told　the　creature　in　one　instant
  that　a　human　being　had　been　slain。　As　I　slipped　the　bars　it　bounced
  out　and　was　on　me　in　an　instant。　Leonardo　could　have　saved　me。　If　he
  had　rushed　forward　and　struck　the　beast　with　his　club　he　might　have
  cowed　it。　But　the　man　lost　his　nerve。　I　heard　him　shout　in　his　terror；
  and　then　I　saw　him　turn　and　fly。　At　the　same　instant　the　teeth　of
  the　lion　met　in　my　face。　Its　hot；　filthy　breath　had　already　poisoned
  me　and　I　was　hardly　conscious　of　pain。　With　the　palms　of　my　hands　I
  tried　to　push　the　great　steaming；　blood…stained　jaws　away　from　me；　and
  I　screamed　for　help。　I　was　conscious　that　the　camp　was　stirring；　and
  then　dimly　I　remembered　a　group　of　men。　Leonardo；　Griggs；　and
  others；　dragging　me　from　under　the　creature's　paws。　That　was　my　last
  memory；　Mr。　Holmes；　for　many　a　weary　month。　When　I　came　to　myself
  and　saw　myself　in　the　mirror；　I　cursed　that　lion…　oh；　how　I　cursed
  him！…　not　because　he　had　torn　away　my　beauty　but　because　he　had　not
  torn　away　my　life。　I　had　but　one　desire；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　I　had
  enough　money　to　gratify　it。　It　was　that　I　should　cover　myself　so
  that　my　poor　face　should　be　seen　by　none；　and　that　I　should　dwell
  where　none　whom　I　had　ever　known　should　find　me。　That　was　all　that　was
  left　to　me　to　do…　and　that　is　what　I　have　done。　A　poor　wounded　beast
  that　has　crawled　into　its　hole　to　die…　that　is　the　end　of　Eugenia
  Ronder。〃
  We　sat　in　silence　for　some　time　after　the　unhappy　woman　had　told　her
  story。　Then　Holmes　stretched　out　his　long　arm　and　patted　her　hand　with
  such　a　show　of　sympathy　as　I　had　seldom　known　him　to　exhibit。
  〃Poor　girl！〃　he　said。　〃Poor　girl！　The　ways　of　fate　are　indeed　hard
  to　understand。　If　there　is　not　some　compensation　hereafter；　then　the
  world　is　a　cruel　jest。　But　what　of　this　man　Leonardo？〃
  〃I　never　saw　him　or　heard　from　him　again。　Perhaps　I　have　been
  wrong　to　feel　so　bitterly　against　him。　He　might　as　soon　have　loved　one
  of　the　freaks　whom　we　carried　round　the　country　as　the　thing　which　the
  lion　had　left。　But　a　woman's　love　is　not　so　easily　set　aside。　He　had
  left　me　under　the　beast's　claws；　he　had　deserted　me　in　my　need；　and
  yet　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　give　him　to　the　gallows。　For　myself；　I
  cared　nothing　what　became　of　me。　What　could　be　more　dreadful　than　my
  actual　life？　But　I　stood　between　Leonardo　and　his　fate。〃
  〃And　he　is　dead？〃
  〃He　was　drowned　last　month　when　bathing　near　Margate。　I　saw　his
  death　in　the　paper。
  〃And　what　did　he　do　with　this　five…clawed　club；　which　is　the　most
  singular　and　ingenious　part　of　all　your　story？〃
  〃I　cannot　tell；　Mr。　Holmes。　There　is　a　chalk…pit　by　the　camp；　with　a
  deep　green　pool　at　the　base　of　it。　Perhaps　in　the　depths　of　that
  pool…〃
  〃Well；　well；　it　is　of　little　consequence　now。　The　case　is　closed。〃
  〃Yes；〃　said　the　woman；　〃the　case　is　closed。〃
  We　had　risen　to　go；　but　there　was　something　in　the　woman's　voice
  which　arrested　Holmes's　attention。　He　turned　swiftly　upon　her。
  〃Your　life　is　not　your　own；〃　he　said。　〃Keep　your　hands　off　it。〃
  〃What　use　is　it　to　anyone？〃
  〃How　can　you　tell？　the　example　of　patient　suffering　is　in　itself　the
  most　precious　of　all　lessons　to　an　impatient　world。〃
  The　woman's　answer　was　a　terrible　one。　She　raised　her　veil　and
  stepped　forward　into　the　light。
  〃I　wonder　if　you　would　bear　it；〃　she　said。
  It　was　horrible。　No　words　can　describe　the　framework　of　a　face
  when　the　face　itself　is　gone。　Two　living　and　beautiful　brown　eyes
  looking　sadly　out　from　that　grisly　ruin　did　but　make　the　view　more
  awful。　Holmes　held　up　his　hand　in　a　gesture　of　pity　and　protest；　and
  together　we　left　the　room。
  Two　days　later；　when　I　called　upon　my　friend；　he　pointed　with　some
  pride　to　a　small　blue　bottle　upon　his　mantelpiece。　I　picked　it　up。
  There　was　a　red　poison　label。　A　pleasant　almondy　odour　rose　when　I
  opened　it。
  〃Prussic　acid？〃　said　I。
  〃Exactly。　It　came　by　post。　'I　send　you　my　temptation。　I　will
  follow　your　advice。'　That　was　the　message。　I　think；　Watson；　we　can
  guess　the　name　of　the　brave　woman　who　sent　it。〃
  …THE　END…
  。