This statement may be
literally translated as follows:


"It is not out of mere pride or boasting that I give this information,
for, if that were my object, I could tell a dozen actions of mine which
are quite as splendid; but I do it in order that certain gentlemen in
Paris may understand that I, who am able here to tell about the fate of
Monsieur Caratal, can also tell in whose interest and at whose request
the deed was done, unless the reprieve which I am awaiting comes to me
very quickly. Take warning, messieurs, before it is too late! You
know Herbert de Lernac, and you are aware that his deeds are as ready
as his words. Hasten then, or you are lost! "At present I shall mention no names--if you only heard the names, what
would you not think!--but I shall merely tell you how cleverly I did
it. I was true to my employers then, and no doubt they will be true to
me now. I hope so, and until I am convinced that they have betrayed
me, these names, which would convulse Europe, shall not be divulged. But on that day ... well, I say no more! "In a word, then, there was a famous trial in Paris, in the year 1890,
in connection with a monstrous scandal in politics and finance. How
monstrous that scandal was can never be known save by such confidential
agents as myself. The honour and careers of many of the chief men in
France were at stake. You have seen a group of ninepins standing, all
so rigid, and prim, and unbending. Then there comes the ball from far
away and pop, pop, pop--there are your ninepins on the floor. Well,
imagine some of the greatest men in France as these ninepins and then
this Monsieur Caratal was the ball which could be seen coming from far
away. If he arrived, then it was pop, pop, pop for all of them. It
was determined that he should not arrive. "I do not accuse them all of being conscious of what was to happen. There were, as I have said, great financial as well as political
interests at stake, and a syndicate was formed to manage the business. Some subscribed to the syndicate who hardly understood what were its
objects. But others understood very well, and they can rely upon it
that I have not forgotten their names. They had ample warning that
Monsieur Caratal was coming long before he left South America, and they
knew that the evidence which he held would certainly mean ruin to all
of them. The syndicate had the command of an unlimited amount of
money--absolutely unlimited, you understand. They looked round for an
agent who was capable of wielding this gigantic power. The man chosen
must be inventive, resolute, adaptive--a man in a million. They chose
Herbert de Lernac, and I admit that they were right. "My duties were to choose my subordinates, to use freely the power
which money gives, and to make certain that Monsieur Caratal should
never arrive in Paris. With characteristic energy I set about my
commission within an hour of receiving my instructions, and the steps
which I took were the very best for the purpose which could possibly be
devised. "A man whom I could trust was dispatched instantly to South America to
travel home with Monsieur Caratal. Had he arrived in time the ship
would never have reached Liverpool; but alas! it had already started
before my agent could reach it. I fitted out a small armed brig to
intercept it, but again I was unfortunate. Like all great organizers I
was, however, prepared for failure, and had a series of alternatives
prepared, one or the other of which must succeed. You must not
underrate the difficulties of my undertaking, or imagine that a mere
commonplace assassination would meet the case. We must destroy not
only Monsieur Caratal, but Monsieur Caratal's documents, and Monsieur
Caratal's companions also, if we had reason to believe that he had
communicated his secrets to them. And you must remember that they were
on the alert, and keenly suspicious of any such attempt. It was a task
which was in every way worthy of me, for I am always most masterful
where another would be appalled. "I was all ready for Monsieur Caratal's reception in Liverpool, and I
was the more eager because I had reason to believe that he had made
arrangements by which he would have a considerable guard from the
moment that he arrived in London. Anything which was to be done must
be done between the moment of his setting foot upon the Liverpool quay
and that of his arrival at the London and West Coast terminus in
London. We prepared six plans, each more elaborate than the last;
which plan would be used would depend upon his own movements. Do what
he would, we were ready for him. If he had stayed in Liverpool, we
were ready. If he took an ordinary train, an express, or a special,
all was ready. Everything had been foreseen and provided for. "You may imagine that I could not do all this myself. What could I
know of the English railway lines? But money can procure willing
agents all the world over, and I soon had one of the acutest brains in
England to assist me. I will mention no names, but it would be unjust
to claim all the credit for myself. My English ally was worthy of such
an alliance. He knew the London and West Coast line thoroughly, and he
had the command of a band of workers who were trustworthy and
intelligent. The idea was his, and my own judgement was only required
in the details. We bought over several officials, amongst whom the
most important was James McPherson, whom we had ascertained to be the
guard most likely to be employed upon a special train. Smith, the
stoker, was also in our employ. John Slater, the engine-driver, had
been approached, but had been found to be obstinate and dangerous, so
we desisted. We had no certainty that Monsieur Caratal would take a
special, but we thought it very probable, for it was of the utmost
importance to him that he should reach Paris without delay. It was for
this contingency, therefore, that we made special
preparations--preparations which were complete down to the last detail
long before his steamer had sighted the shores of England. You will be
amused to learn that there was one of my agents in the pilot-boat which
brought that steamer to its moorings. "The moment that Caratal arrived in Liverpool we knew that he suspected
danger and was on his guard. He had brought with him as an escort a
dangerous fellow, named Gomez, a man who carried weapons, and was
prepared to use them. This fellow carried Caratal's confidential
papers for him, and was ready to protect either them or his master. The probability was that Caratal had taken him into his counsel, and
that to remove Caratal without removing Gomez would be a mere waste of
energy. It was necessary that they should be involved in a common
fate, and our plans to that end were much facilitated by their request
for a special train. On that special train you will understand that
two out of the three servants of the company were really in our employ,
at a price which would make them independent for a lifetime.