"Yes! Be quite certain of that. The ayah and the juggler's wife are still alive. Well, then, that disposed of one twin. I brought the other back to the north of India to her father, and she was christened Mavis. Julian was very ill, so made a will in my favor and in favor of his child. I was to be her guardian, and to enjoy the money until she married. Then I was to hand it over, without accounting for what I had spent. In this way Julian hoped to satisfy me for his old promise to make me his heir, and of course I agreed."
"And you said nothing of the other twin?"
"No. Why should I? One brat on my hands was enough. Afterwards Julian came home to Brighton and died. It was at Brighton that he made his will, as you know. I came back from India with Mavis, and, to cut off all association with those who knew her and Durham, I exchanged into a West India regiment, and took her to Jamaica. I sold out fifteen or sixteen years ago, and brought the child here, after a tour in Italy. It was in Naples that I found Bellaria. She was a singer, and had betrayed some man belonging to the Tána Society. I don't know the exact story, but she was in danger of death, so I took her by stealth to Devonshire and made her nurse to Mavis."
"And Geary?"
"He was my servant in Jamaica. In Devonshire, at Barnstaple, he met with his wife, and, as I wanted someone to watch the Pixy's House, I established him at the Devon Maid, making him a present of the freehold."
Gerald rose. "And you paid for it out of Mavis' money?"
"Of course I did--only you mistake, the money doesn't belong to Mavis until she is married."
"She will be married to me the moment that I can find her," said Gerald grimly, stalking to the door.
"Wait a bit," called out Rebb, "if you marry her without promising me the three thousand a year I shall prove the identity of Charity, and she will get the lot. When she marries Tod Macandrew--he's in love with her, you know--you will get left."
"You cannot take the money from Mavis. Her name is mentioned in the will," said Gerald coolly, and tried the door, which was locked. "I say, open this, confound you!"