You had better ask Mrs. Octagon for
details on that subject. Don't interrupt. Well, when Mrs.
Saul lost Emilia, she took more and more to coining. So did
her son, Bathsheba's father. They were caught and put in
prison. I was taken in hand by a benevolent gentleman who
brought me up and gave me the profession of a lawyer. I chose
that because I thought it might be handy. Then Mrs. Saul came
out of prison and her son also. Both died. Maraquito tried
various professions and finally went in for dancing. She hurt
her foot, and that attempt to gain a living failed. I was in
practice then and we started the gambling-house together. But
by this time I had found Emilia living here as Selina Loach.
Mrs. Octagon can tell you how we met. Emilia persuaded me and
Maraquito to go in for the coining. She already had Clancy
interested. He was a good man at getting the proper ring of
the coins. Well, we managed to make a tunnel to the cellars
of the unfinished house, and then Emilia built the extra wing
to the villa. The secret entrances were made by--"
"By Maxwell. I know that. Go on."
"Well, we started the concern. I haven't time to tell you in
detail how lucky we were. We counterfeited foreign coins
also. We all made plenty of money. Emilia suggested
Maraquito feigning to be an invalid, so as to make things
safe. False coins were passed at the gambling-house.
Maraquito came here as Mrs. Herne and had a house--or rather
lodgings--at Hampstead.
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