Jennings was almost too surprised to speak.  “Do you mean to say—­”

“Yes, I do.  All the time you and Miss Saxon and that idiot of a brother thought she was Selina Loach.  She wasn’t, but she was very like her.  Emilia met Selina in the house that is now burnt and pushed her off the plank.  The face was disfigured and Selina was buried as Emilia.”

“Then Mrs. Octagon must know—­”

“She knows a good deal.  You’d better ask her for details.  Give me a sup of brandy, doctor.  Yes,” went on Hale, when he felt better, “I laughed in my sleeve when I thought how Emilia tricked you all.  She was Maraquito’s aunt.  Her name—­”

“Maraquito’s name is Bathsheba Saul.”

“Yes.  I expect Caranby told you that.  He was too clever, that old man.  I was always afraid that he would find out about the factory.  A long while ago I wished Maraquito to give up the business and marry me.  Then we would have gone to South America and have lived in peace on no end of money.  Emilia left six thousand a year, so you may guess that Maraquito and I made money also.  But she was in love with Mallow, and would not come away.  I feared Caranby should take it into his head to search the house—­”

“Was that why you had it burnt?”

“No.  Tyke did that out of revenge, because Maraquito marked him with a knife.  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.