You don't want a forger for a
brother-in-law."
"Who does?" said Cuthbert, not telling that he was thinking of
Basil in connection with a still darker crime. "Go on, Mr.
Hale."
"The bill fell into my hands. When Miss Saxon got the money
she transferred the business to her own lawyer. I had to give
the bill up."
"Ah!" said Mallow meaningly, "I see now the hold you had over
Basil."
"Yes, that was my hold. I did not want to give up the bill.
But it had been met, and as Miss Loach is dead, there was a
difficulty in proving the signature to be a forgery. I
therefore gave the bill to Miss Saxon. She knew of her
brother's guilt--"
"I see--I see," murmured Cuthbert, wondering if she had been
shielding Basil as well as him. "My poor girl!"
"She is a brave girl," said Hale, in a voice of reluctant
admiration. "She met me and fought for her brother. I gave
way, as I did not wish to make trouble. Why, it doesn't
matter. However, you see how things stand. Basil is a
forger. If his mother knew that he was in danger of being
arrested she would consent to your marriage, and then I might
marry Maraquito. I have come here to tell you this."
"But if Miss Saxon has the bill, and there is a difficulty of
proving the signature, owing to Miss Loach's death, I don't
see--"
"Ah, not in this case. But Basil Saxon forged my name also.
I hold a forged check. I met it and said nothing about it.
Basil, thinking because his sister held the bill that he was
out of my power, was most insolent.
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