Mrs. Octagon and her
pet boy want to have the handling of that. They know if
Juliet becomes my wife I won't let them prey on her, so
immediately Miss Loach died the mother withdrew her consent to
the marriage, and now she is being backed up by Basil."
"But I thought Mrs. Octagon was well off?"
"No. Saxon, her late husband, left her very little, and
Octagon, for all his meekness, knows how to keep his money.
Both mother and son are extravagant, so they hope to make poor
Juliet their banker. In some way they have implicated me in
the crime, and Juliet thinks that I am in danger of the
gallows. That is why she wrote that mysterious note, Jennings.
To-day she asked me to stop proceedings for my own sake, which
shows that she thinks me guilty. I could not get a further
explanation from her, as she ran away. Hang it!" Cuthbert
jumped up angrily, "if she'd only tell me the truth and speak
straight out. I can't understand this silence on her part."
"I can," said Jennings promptly, "in some way Basil is mixed
up in the matter, and his accusing you means his acknowledging
that he was near Rose Cottage on the night of the crime. He
funks making so damaging an admission."
"Ah, I daresay," said Cuthbert, "particularly as he quarrelled
with his aunt a week before the death."
"Did he quarrel with her?"
"Of course. Didn't I tell you what he said to-day. He's in
a fine rage with the dead woman. And you know what an
uncontrollable temper he has.
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