I ordered her to come by threatening to reveal what she
knew to the police. I could have done so by an anonymous
letter. She came and then I forced her to promise to stop the
marriage. I may as well add that I wrote insisting on the
marriage being stopped as soon as Emilia died."
"Ah! And I thought along with Cuthbert that it was hatred of
me that made Mrs. Octagon--"
"Oh, she hates you sure enough. But are you not astonished by
my news?"
"Very much astonished," responded Caranby thoughtfully, "how
came it that Selina died and Isabella lived?"
"The three met in the unfinished house," explained Maraquito.
"I had the story from Emilia myself. There was a quarrel.
All three were in love with you. Selina was standing on a
plank at a considerable height from the ground. In a rage
Emilia pushed her off. Isabella held her tongue as she hated
Selina."
"But the substitution?"
"Well. In the fall Selina's face was much mutilated. I
believe," added Maraquito, in a coldblooded manner, "that
Emilia made it worse"--here Caranby shuddered and Maraquito
laughed--"oh, my aunt was not a woman to stick at trifles.
She insisted on changing dresses with the dead. It was the
workmen's dinner-hour and no one was about. She forced
Isabella to assist her by threatening to tell the police that
Isabella had murdered her sister. As the sisters were on bad
terms, Isabella knew that she might be accused, and so she
held her tongue.
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