"He found it," said Mallow. "Quite so. He told me he did. When you left the attic he contrived to—"
"Then the closing of the door was a trick," said Juliet in an agitated tone. "I might have guessed that. He took the knife. He has threatened to arrest you, so Miss Garthorne says."
"She says rightly," replied Mallow, thinking it best to make use of all he knew, so as to force her to speak freely. "But of course, if you can explain—"
"Explain!" she cried wildly and sinking into a chair. "What can I explain? That I saw you climbing that wall, running away apparently from the scene of your crime. That I found the knife by the body?"
"What!" Cuthbert started up and looked at her. "You saw the body?"
"Yes. I was in the house—in the room. I found my aunt dead in her chair, with the cards on her lap, exactly as the parlor-maid saw her. Near her on the floor was the knife. There was blood on the blade. I picked it up—I saw the handle was notched in three places, and then—"
"Then you suspected me."
"No. Not till I saw you outside."
Cuthbert took a turn up and down the dais much perplexed. "Juliet," he said. "I swear to you I never killed this woman."
Juliet flew to him and folded him in her arms. "I knew it—I knew it," she said, "in spite of the letter—"