"What I say. Is it only to save you that I am to marry Juliet? My marriage must be one of love--" "She does love you. And I don't see," added Basil complainingly, "why you should jump on a chap for wishing for your happiness--" "And your own safety." "Oh, bosh! The bill is destroyed. Juliet put it into the fire, and Hale will sell the check at his own price." "His price is that I am to marry Juliet." "So that he can marry Maraquito, I suppose. I know that she loves you and that Hale is crazy about her. It's very hard on me," whined the egotistical youth, "for I want to marry her myself, only mother put her spoke in my wheel." "Dare you offer yourself to Maraquito, bad as she is, knowing what you are?" cried Mallow, fairly disgusted. "Oh, the forgeries. What of them? It's nothing." Basil snapped his fingers. "Maraquito won't mind. But I suppose I'll have to give her up on account of that infernal check. Such a small one as it was too. I wish I had made it one hundred and fifty. I could have done so." In the face of this callous behavior it was sheer wrongdoing to spare the man. "I do not allude to the forgery, though that is bad enough," said Cuthbert, glancing round to see that the door was closed, "but to the murder of your aunt. You killed her." Basil leaped from his chair with great indignation. "I did not. How dare you accuse me?" he panted. "Because I have proofs." "Proofs?" Basil dropped back as though he had been shot. "Yes. I learned from my man that you took the bowie knife which used to hang on the wall yonder. He saw you take it, and thought you had received my permission. You went to the Marlow Theatre with your sister. You left her in the box and went out after eight o'clock. You went to Rexton to Rose Cottage. After Clancy left the house your aunt admitted you and you killed her--" "I swear I did not!" said Basil, perfectly white and trembling. "You did, you liar! Juliet followed you to the cottage." "Juliet? She did not know I had gone." "Ah! you see, you were there. Yes, she said she went in order to try and make it up between your aunt and you. But I believe now she went to see if you were committing a crime. I am not aware how much Juliet knows of your wickedness, Basil, but--" "She knows only about the forgery. I was not at the cottage." Mallow made a weary gesture. "Why do you tell these falsehoods?" he said with scorn. "Juliet entered the cottage by means of her latch-key. She found Miss Loach dead and the knife on the floor. You dropped it there. She came out and saw a man of my height--which you are, and of my appearance (you are not unlike me at a distance) climbing the wall into the park. He had on alight overcoat--my overcoat. Juliet thought I was the man. I did not say no. But the moment she mentioned the coat I knew it was you. You borrowed the coat from me, and returned it the other day. Now then--"