We
have had quite enough dabbling in crime, and we are both sick
of it."
"I think you are very wise," said Caranby unexpectedly, "let
the case be, Mr. Jennings."
"What did Miss Saxon tell you?" asked the detective
irrelevantly.
Mallow sat down and in a calm voice detailed all that he had
learned from Juliet. "So you see it throws no light on the
subject." Had Mallow mentioned the time at which Juliet
asserted she saw him climb over the wall a new light would
certainly have been thrown. But he purposely omitted this,
and simply said that Juliet had seen him. "I told you I was
there, Jennings," he added.
"Quite so," said the detective. "Certainly, nothing new has
come out."
"Well, then leave the case alone."
"I fear I shall have to, now that the Rexton house has been
burnt down," and Jennings related in his turn what had taken
place.
Cuthbert listened moodily. "You see," he said, "everything is
against us. I only wanted the mystery cleared up so that
Juliet might marry me, but now that she wishes to do so,
without searching further, I am not going to do anything
else."
"Nor I," said Jennings sadly, "nothing is to be learned. The
case will remain a mystery to the end of time."
Caranby rose and took Cuthbert's arm. "You young men are
faint-hearted," he said, with a shrug.
"If you want my opinion, Mrs. Octagon killed her sister. A
fatal woman, I tell you both--a fatal woman."
"And a clever one," said Jennings gloomily, "she has baffled
me.
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