“ But it was Sarah’s fault, and may the curse of a broken manput a blight on her and set the blood rotting in her veins! It’s notthat I want to clear myself. I know that I went back to drink, likethe beast that I was. But she would have forgiven me; she wouldhave stuck as close to me as a rope to a block if that woman hadnever darkened our door. For Sarah Cushing loved me—that’s theroot of the business—she loved me until all her love turned topoisonous hate when she knew that I thought more of my wife’sfootmark in the mud than I did of her whole body and soul.
“ There were three sisters altogether. The old one was just agood woman, the second was a devil, and the third was an angel.
Sarah was thirty-three, and Mary was twenty-nine when I married.
We were just as happy as the day was long when we set up housetogether, and in all Liverpool there was no better woman than myMary. And then we asked Sarah up for a week, and the week grewinto a month, and one thing led to another, until she was just oneof ourselves.
“ I was blue ribbon at that time, and we were putting a littlemoney by, and all was as bright as a new dollar. My God, whoeverwould have thought that it could have come to this? Whoeverwould have dreamed it?
“ I used to be home for the week-ends very often, andsometimes if the ship were held back for cargo I would have awhole week at a time, and in this way I saw a deal of my sister-inlaw,Sarah. She was a fine tall woman, black and quick and fierce,with a proud way of carrying her head, and a glint from her eyelike a spark from a flint. But when little Mary was there I hadnever a thought of her, and that I swear as I hope for God’s mercy.
“ It had seemed to me sometimes that she liked to be alonewith me, or to coax me out for a walk with her, but I had neverthought anything of that. But one evening my eyes were opened.
had come up from the ship and found my wife out, but Sarah athome. “Where’s Mary?” I asked. “Oh, she has gone to pay someaccounts.” I was impatient and paced up and down the room.
Can’t you be happy for five minutes without Mary, Jim?” says she.
It’s a bad compliment to me that you can’t be contented withmy society for so short a time.” “That’s all right, my lass,” said I,putting out my hand towards her in a kindly way, but she had it inboth hers in an instant, and they burned as if they were in a fever.
looked into her eyes and I read it all there. There was no needfor her to speak, nor for me either. I frowned and drew my handaway. Then she stood by my side in silence for a bit, and then putThe Adventure of Wisteria Lodge 1127 up her hand and patted me on the shoulder. “Steady old Jim!” saidshe, and with a kind o’ mocking laugh, she ran out of the room.
“ Well, from that time Sarah hated me with her whole heart andsoul, and she is a woman who can hate, too. I was a fool to let hergo on biding with us—a besotted fool—but I never said a wordto Mary, for I knew it would grieve her. Things went on much asbefore, but after a time I began to find that there was a bit of achange in Mary herself. She had always been so trusting and soinnocent, but now she became queer and suspicious, wanting toknow where I had been and what I had been doing, and whom myletters were from, and what I had in my pockets, and a thousandsuch follies. Day by day she grew queerer and more irritable, andwe had ceaseless rows about nothing. I was fairly puzzled by it all.
Sarah avoided me now, but she and Mary were just inseparable. Ican see now how she was plotting and scheming and poisoning mywife’s mind against me, but I was such a blind beetle that I couldnot understand it at the time. Then I broke my blue ribbon andbegan to drink again, but I think I should not have done it if Maryhad been the same as ever. She had some reason to be disgustedwith me now, and the gap between us began to be wider and wider.
And then this Alec Fairbairn chipped in, and things became athousand times blacker.
“ It was to see Sarah that he came to my house first, but soonit was to see us, for he was a man with winning ways, and hemade friends wherever he went. He was a dashing, swaggeringchap, smart and curled, who had seen half the world and couldtalk of what he had seen. He was good company, I won’t deny it,and he had wonderful polite ways with him for a sailor man, sothat I think there must have been a time when he knew more ofthe poop than the forecastle. For a month he was in and out ofmy house, and never once did it cross my mind that harm mightcome of his soft, tricky ways. And then at last something made mesuspect, and from that day my peace was gone forever.
“ It was only a little thing, too. I had come into the parlourunexpected, and as I walked in at the door I saw a light of welcomeon my wife’s face. But as she saw who it was it faded again, andshe turned away with a look of disappointment. That was enoughfor me. There was no one but Alec Fairbairn whose step she couldhave mistaken for mine. If I could have seen him then I shouldhave killed him, for I have always been like a madman when mytemper gets loose. Mary saw the devil’s light in my eyes, and sheran forward with her hands on my sleeve. “Don’t, Jim, don’t!” saysshe. “Where’s Sarah?” I asked. “In the kitchen,” says she. “Sarah,”
says I as I went in, “this man Fairbairn is never to darken my dooragain.” “Why not?” says she. “Because I order it.” “Oh!” says she,1128 The Complete Sherlock Holmes if my friends are not good enough for this house, then I am notgood enough for it either.” “You can do what you like,” says I, “butFairbairn shows his face here again I’ll send you one of his earsfor a keepsake.” She was frightened by my face, I think, for shenever answered a word, and the same evening she left my house.
“ Well, I don’t know now whether it was pure devilry on thepart of this woman, or whether she thought that she could turnme against my wife by encouraging her to misbehave. Anyway,she took a house just two streets off and let lodgings to sailors.
