You borrowed the coat
from me, and returned it the other day. Now then--"
"Stop! stop!" cried Basil, rising with pale lips and shaking
hands, "I admit that I went to Rexton on that night, but I
swear I am innocent."
"Pah!" cried Mallow, thinking this was another lie, and a
weak one too.
Basil seized him by the arm. "Mallow, I swear by all that I
hold most sacred that I did not kill Aunt Selina. I own I
took the knife. I wished to frighten her into giving me
money. I left the theatre in order to go to Rexton. I
thought I might be spotted if I came by the lane. I climbed
the wall of the park on the other side after nine, some time
after nine. I was crossing when a man chased me. I don't
know who it was. I could not see in the bushes, and the night
was rather dark at the moment, though clear later. I dropped
the knife, it fell out of my pocket, and I scrambled over the
wall and bolted."
"Then how did Juliet see you shortly before eleven?"
"I came back for the knife. I thought it might be traced to
you and that you might get into trouble. Really I did," said
Basil, seeing Mallow make a gesture of dissent. "I came back
by the railway path, and along by the corn. Where Juliet
could have been, I don't know. I climbed the wall and crossed
the park. I could not find the knife where I thought I had
dropped it, near the house. I then climbed the opposite wall
and got away home. Next day I heard of the death and went
down to look for the knife again.
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