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Slowly she advanced； her face pale and drawn with a frightful
apprehension； her eyes fixed and staring； her terrified gaze riveted upon
the dark figure on the floor。
〃You have killed him！〃 she muttered。 〃Oh； Dio mio； you have killed
him！〃 Then I heard a sudden sharp intake of her breath； and she sprang
into the air with a cry of joy。 Round and round the room she danced； her
hands clapping； her dark eyes gleaming with delighted wonder； and a
thousand pretty Italian exclamations pouring from her lips。 It was
terrible and amazing to see such a woman so convulsed with joy at such a
sight。 Suddenly she stopped and gazed at us all with a questioning stare。
〃But you！ You are police； are you not？ You have killed Giuseppe
Gorgiano。 Is it not so？〃
〃We are police； madam。〃
She looked round into the shadows of the room。
〃But where； then； is Gennaro？〃 she asked。 〃He is my husband；
Gennaro Lucca。 I am Emilia Lucca； and we are both from New York。
Where is Gennaro？ He called me this moment from this window； and I
ran with all my speed。〃
〃It was I who called；〃 said Holmes。
〃You！ How could you call？〃
〃Your cipher was not difficult； madam。 Your presence here was
desirable。 I knew that I had only to flash 'Vieni' and you would surely
come。〃
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The Adventure of the Red Circle
The beautiful Italian looked with awe at my companion。 〃I do not
understand how you know these things；〃 she said。 〃Giuseppe Gorgiano
how did he〃 She paused； and then suddenly her face lit up with pride
and delight。 〃Now I see it！ My Gennaro！ My splendid； beautiful
Gennaro； who has guarded me safe from all harm； he did it； with his own
strong hand he killed the monster！ Oh； Gennaro； how wonderful you are！
What woman could every be worthy of such a man？〃
〃Well； Mrs。 Lucca；〃 said the prosaic Gregson； laying his hand upon the
lady's sleeve with as little sentiment as if she were a Notting Hill hooligan；
〃I am not very clear yet who you are or what you are； but you've said
enough to make it very clear that we shall want you at the Yard。〃
〃One moment； Gregson；〃 said Holmes。 〃I rather fancy that this lady
may be as anxious to give us information as we can be to get it。 You
understand； madam； that your husband will be arrested and tried for the
death of the man who lies before us？ What you say may be used in
evidence。 But if you think that he has acted from motives which are not
criminal； and which he would wish to have known； then you cannot serve
him better than by telling us the whole story。〃
〃Now that Gorgiano is dead we fear nothing；〃 said the lady。 〃He was
a devil and a monster； and there can be no judge in the world who would
punish my husband for having killed him。〃
〃In that case；〃 said Holmes； 〃my suggestion is that we lock this door；
leave things as we found them； go with this lady to her room ；and form our
opinion after we have heard what it is that she has to say to us。〃
Half an hour later we were seated； all four； in the small sitting…room of
Signora Lucca； listening to her remarkable narrative of those sinister
events； the ending of which we had chanced to witness。 She spoke in
rapid and fluent but very unconventional English； which； for the sake of
clearness； I will make grammatical。
〃I was born in Posilippo； near Naples；〃 said she； 〃and was the daughter
of Augusto Barelli； who was the chief lawyer and once the deputy of that
part。 Gennaro was in my father's employment； and I came to love him；
as any woman must。 He had neither money nor positionnothing but his
beauty and strength and energyso my father forbade the match。 We fled
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The Adventure of the Red Circle
together； were married at Bari； and sold my jewels to gain the money
which would take us to America。 This was four years ago； and we have
been in New York ever since。
〃Fortune was very good to us at first。 Gennaro was able to do a
service to an Italian gentlemanhe saved him from some ruffians in the
place called the Bowery； and so made a powerful friend。 His name was
Tito Castalotte； and he was the senior partner of the great firm of
Castalotte and Zamba； who are the chief fruit importers of New York。
Signor Zamba is an invalid； and our new friend Castalotte has all power
within the firm； which employs more than three hundred men。 He took
my husband into his employment； made him head of a department； and
showed his good… will towards him in every way。 Signor Castalotte was
a bachelor； and I believe that he felt as if Gennaro was his son； and both
my husband and I loved him as if he were our father。 We had taken and
furnished a little house in Brooklyn； and our whole future seemed assured
when that black cloud appeared which was soon to overspread our sky。
〃One night； when Gennaro returned from his work； he brought a
fellow…countryman back with him。 His name was Gorgiano； and he had
come also from Posilippo。 He was a huge man； as you can testify； for
you have looked upon his corpse。 Not only was his body that of a giant
but everything about him was grotesque； gigantic； and terrifying。 His
voice was like thunder in our little house。 There was scarce room for the
whirl of his great arms as he talked。 His thoughts； his emotions； his
passions； all were exaggerated and monstrous。 He talked； or rather
roared； with such energy that others could but sit and listen； cowed with
the mighty stream of words。 His eyes blazed at you and held you at his
mercy。 He was a terrible and wonderful man。 I thank God that he is
dead！
〃He came again and again。 Yet I was aware that Gennaro was no
more happy than I was in his presence。 My poor husband would sit pale
and listless； listening to the endless raving upon politics and upon social
questions which made up or visitor's conversation。 Gennaro said nothing；
but I； who knew him so well； could read in his face some emotion which I
had never seen there before。 At first I thought that it was dislike。 And
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The Adventure of the Red Circle
then； gradually； I understood that it was more than dislike。 It was feara
deep； secret； shrinking fear。 That nightthe night that I read his terrorI
put my arms round him and I implored him by his love for me and by all
that he held dear to hold nothing from me； and to tell me why this huge
man overshadowed him so。
〃He told me； and my own heart grew cold as ice as I listened。 My
poor Gennaro； in his wild and fiery days； when all the world seemed
against him and his mind was driven half mad by the injustices of life； had
joint a Neapolitan society； the Red Circle； which was allied to the old
Carbonari。 The oaths and secrets of this brotherhood were frightful； but
once within its rule no escape was possible。 When we had fled to
America Gennaro thought that he had cast it all off forever。 What was his
horror one evening to meet in the streets the very man who had initiated
him in Naples； the giant Gorgiano； a man who had earned the name of
'Death' in the south of Italy； for he was red to the elbow in murder！ He
had come to New York to avoid the Italian police； and he had already
planted a branch of this dreadful society in his new home。 All this
Gennaro told me and showed me a summons which he had received that
very day； a Red Circle drawn upon the head of it telling hi