Do you think I would have been such a fool
as to burn the house. Why, Caranby would have probably let
out the land, and foundations would have been dug for new
villas, when our plant would have been discovered."
"Who are you, Hale?"
"Who do you think?" asked the dying man, chuckling.
"One of the Saul family. You have the same eyebrows as
Maraquito."
"And as Mrs. Herne, who really was Maraquito."
"Yes, I know that. But who are you?"
"My real name is Daniel Saul."
"Ah! I thought you were a member of the family. There is a
likeness to Maraquito--"
"Nose and eyebrows and Hebrew looks. But I am only a distant
cousin. My father married a Christian, but I retain a certain
look of his people. He died when I was young. Emilia's
mother brought me up. I knew a lot about the coining in those
days, and I was always in love with Bathsheba, who is my
cousin--"
"Bathsheba?"
"You know her best as Maraquito, so by that name I shall speak
of her. Jennings," said Hale, his voice growing weaker, "I
have little time left, so you had better not interrupt me."
He took another sup of brandy and the doctor felt his pulse.
Then he began to talk so fast that the clerk could hardly keep
pace with his speech. Evidently he was afraid lest he should
die before his recital ended.
"When old Mrs. Saul lost Emilia--" he began.
"But she didn't lose Emilia," interrupted Jennings.
"She thought she had. She never knew that Emilia took the
name of Selina Loach.
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