"On that night," said the dying scamp, rousing himself; "well, Maraquito quarrelled with Clancy, and went with me to the factory." "Then you were not out of the house?" "No. We went by the underground passage to work. Clancy went away, as he had business elsewhere. The moment he had gone I came up from the passage. Emilia was seated with the cards on her lap. She came with me to the factory, and thinking Clancy might come back, she went out by the tree-trunk way." "What, that old lady?" "She wasn't so very old, and as active as a cat. Besides, she did not want Clancy to come down, as she was afraid there might be a fight between him and Maraquito. They had quarrelled about the division of some money, and Maraquito can use a knife on occasions." "She did on that night." "No. Miss Loach--I mean Emilia--never came back. We became alarmed, as we knew people had been round the house of late--" "Mr. Mallow--" "Yes, the fool. We knew he had come prowling after ghosts. But he found nothing. Well, I--" here Hale's voice died away. The doctor gave him some more brandy and looked significantly at Jennings. "Get him to tell all at once," he whispered, "he's going." "Yes, I'm going," murmured Hale. "I don't mind, though I am sorry to leave Maraquito. Well," he added, in a stronger voice. "I went out to see what was up. We found Emilia lying dead near the tree. She had been stabbed to the heart. A bowie knife was near. In great alarm I got Maraquito to come out, as the body could not be left there. We dropped it down the tree-trunk and got it into the factory. Then we wondered what was to be done. Maraquito suggested we should take it back to the sitting-room, and then, people being ignorant of the passage, no one would know how Emilia had met with her death. I thought there was nothing else to be done. We carried the body through the passage and placed it in the chair. I arranged the cards on the lap, knowing the servant had seen Emilia in that position, and that it would still further throw prying people"--here Hale glanced at Jennings--"off the scent. Hardly had we arranged this and closed the floor, over us when we heard that someone was in the room. It was a woman, and we heard her speaking to the corpse, ignorant that the woman was dead. Then we heard a suppressed shriek. We guessed it was a woman, at least I did, but Maraquito was quicker and knew more. She said it was Miss Saxon, and at once became anxious to fix the blame on her. But I was afraid lest things should be discovered, so I dragged Maraquito back to the factory. I believe Miss Saxon found the knife and then ran out, being afraid lest she should be discovered and accused. This was what Maraquito wanted. She suddenly escaped from me and ran back to the secret entrance. By shifting the floor a little she saw into the room. It was then eleven. She saw also that the knife was gone, and it struck her that Miss Saxon could not be far off."