"Wilks keeps his house in good order," said Hardy, looking round.

"Yes," said the girl.

"Wonder why he never married," said Hardy, musingly; "for my part I can't
understand a man remaining single all his life; can you?"

"I never think of such things," said Miss Nugent, coldly--and
untruthfully.

"If it was only to have somebody to wait on him and keep his house
clean," pursued Hardy, with malice.

Miss Nugent grew restless, and the wrongs of her sex stirred within her.
"You have very lofty ideas on the subject," she said, scornfully, "but I
believe they are not uncommon."

"Still, you have never thought about such things, you know," he reminded
her.

"And no doubt you have devoted a great deal of time to the subject."

Hardy admitted it frankly. "But only since I returned to Sunwich," he
said.

"Caused by the spectacle of Sam's forlorn condition, I suppose," said
Miss Nugent.

"No, it wasn't that," he replied.