“I have given it up now.  I only played for the excitement, but since our engagement I have hardly touched a card.  I shall not play for money again.  My visits to Maraquito’s now are purely in the interests of this case.”

“Does she know anything about it?” asked Juliet, astonished.

“Yes,” replied Mallow, wondering if the girl knew that Mrs. Octagon had paid a visit to Senora Gredos.  “Mrs. Herne, who was your aunt’s friend, is the aunt of Senora Gredos.”

“I never knew that.  But about this quarrel.  Basil spent more money than he could afford, poor boy—­”

“Young scamp,” murmured Cuthbert.

“Don’t blame him.  He means well,” expostulated Juliet.  “Well, aunt gave him a lot of money, but he always wanted more.  Then she refused.  About a week before Aunt Selina died, Basil wanted money, and she declined.  They had words and she ordered Basil out of the house.  It was to try and make it up between them that I called on that night.”

“Are you sure Basil did not go also?”

“I don’t think so,” said Juliet doubtfully.  “He was on bad terms with Aunt Selina and knew he would not be welcomed.  Besides, he had not a latch-key.  Well, Cuthbert, I reached Rose Cottage at half-past ten and let myself in.  I went downstairs quietly.  I found Aunt Selina seated in her chair near the fire with the cards on her lap, as though she had been playing ‘Patience.’  I saw that she was dead.”

“Why did you not give the alarm?”

Juliet hesitated.  “I thought it best not to,” she said faintly.

It seemed to Mallow that she was keeping something back.  However, she was very frank as it was, so he thought it best not to say anything.  “Well, you saw she was dead?”

“Yes.  She had been stabbed to the heart.  There was a knife on the floor.  I picked it up and saw it was yours.  Then I thought—­”

“That I had killed her.  Thank you, Juliet.”

“No, no!” she protested.  “Really, I did not believe that at the time.  I could not think why you should kill Aunt Selina.  I was bewildered at the time and then—­” here Juliet turned away her head, “I fancied someone else might have killed her.”

“Who?”

“Don’t ask me.  I have no grounds on which to accuse anyone.  Let me tell you what I can.  Then you may think—­but that’s impossible.  Cuthbert, ask me no more questions.”

Mallow thought her demeanor strangely suspicious, and wondered if she was shielding her mother.  Mrs. Octagon, who hated Selina Loach, might have struck the blow, but there was absolutely no proof of this.  Mallow decided to ask nothing, as Juliet requested.  “Tell me what you will, my dear,” he said, “so long as you don’t believe me guilty.”

“I don’t—­I don’t—­really I don’t.  I picked up the knife and left the room after ten minutes.  I stole up the stairs and shut the door so quietly that no one heard.  You see, the first time I did not trouble to do that, but when I found that aunt was dead I was afraid lest the servants should come and find me there.  I fancied, as I had the knife in my hand and had entered by means of the latch-key, that I might be suspected.  Besides, it would have been difficult to account for my unexpected presence in the house at that hour.”