ld despise
you. I wish you had died along with your uncle."

She was becoming so wild in her looks that Cuthbert thought it best to
leave the room. The key was in the door, so he departed, quite sure
that Mrs. Octagon, to avoid scandal about her shady doings, would be
most agreeable towards him in public, however much of a demon she might
be in private. Thus ended the interview.

Next morning Mallow drove to Jennings and related everything, including
the confession of Caranby regarding the accident, and added details of
the interview with Mrs. Octagon. Jennings listened, astonished.

"I am glad you told me," he said, "of course I don't want you to make
all this public. The general impression is the same as that of Mrs.
Octagon, that Maraquito murdered Miss Loach. It need not be known that
Emilia was masquerading under a false name. She need not be brought
into the case at all. What a wonderful case, Mallow."

Cuthbert assented. "It's more like fiction than fact."

"Fact is always like fiction," said Jennings epigrammatically,
"however, we've got a confession from Clancy about the other factories.
The whole gang will be caught sooner or later. And, by the way, Mallow,
on second thoughts, I think it will be best to state the real name of
Emilia."

"I think so too. If she is pilloried as Miss Loach, everyone will know
that she is the aunt of Juliet. Tell the truth, Jennings."

"We'll tell everything, save that Lord Caranby inadvertently murdered
that woman. She was the fatal woman--"

"No," said the new Lord Caranby, "Mrs. Octagon is the fatal woman. She
was at the bottom of everything."

"And has been rewarded with six thousand a year. I don't suppose the
State can seize that money. However, I'll see. I should like to
punish Isabella Octagon in some way. And Susan Grant?"

"You can give her a thousand pounds on my behalf, and she can marry her
baker. Then there's Mrs. Barnes--Mrs. Pill that was. She is quite
innocent. Thomas her husband will be punished, so you had better tell
her, I'll provide for her. As to yourself--"

"That's all right, Mallow, this coining case means a rise of salary."

"All the same, I intend to give you a few thousands on behalf of myself
and Juliet. Without you I would probably have been accused of the
crime. And, in any case, things would have been awkward. There might
have been a scandal."

"There won't be one now," said Jennings. "I'll settle everything.
Mrs