She rushed at me
to bear me down by the weight and force of her charge, and the
next moment she dropped to the ground dying."
"She was not dead then?"
"No! not for the moment. I knelt beside her and whispered
'Emilia!' She opened her eyes and smiled. Then she replied,
'Emilia--yes!' and died. I did not know what to do. Then
it struck me that I might be arrested for the crime, though it
really was no crime. Had she not rushed at me, had I not been
holding the knife, she would not have met with her death. I
wonder she did not fire, seeing she had a pistol."
"Perhaps she recognized you," said Yeo, glancing at Cuthbert,
who was writing rapidly.
"No. Had she done so, she would never have attempted to hurt
me. She thought I was some spy searching for the factory, and
without giving herself time to think dashed forward, believing
I would give way and fly. It was all over in a second. I
made up my mind to go at once. I did not even wait to pick up
the knife, but climbed the wall and came home here. What
happened then I don't know."
"I can tell you," said Mallow. "Maraquito and Hale came to
look for Miss Loach and took her body into the villa
sitting-room. They placed the knife at her feet and the cards
in her lap, thinking it would be thought she had been stabbed
in the room, and--"
"Sign, sign!" said Caranby, unexpectedly, and Mallow hastily
brought him the written document and the ink. He signed
feebly, and the two men signed as witnesses.
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