"What about her?"

"Only, ma'am, that she's six months gone."

There was no chair in the larder, or Joanna would have fallen into
it--instead she staggered back against the shelves, with a great rattle
of crockery. Her face was as white as her own plates, and for a moment
she could not speak.

"I made bold to tell you, Miss Joanna, for all the neighbourhood's
beginning to talk--and the gal getting near her time and all.... I
thought maybe you'd have noticed.... Don't be in such a terrification
about it, Miss Joanna.... I'm sorry I told you--maybe I shud ought to
have spuck to the gal fust ..."

"Don't be a fool ... the dirty slut!--I'll learn her ... under my very
roof--"

"Oh, no, ma'am,'twasn't under your roof--we shouldn't have allowed it.
She used to meet him in the field down by Beggar's Bush ..."

"Hold your tongue."

Mrs. Tolhurst was offended; she thought her mistress's behaviour
unwarranted either by modesty or indignation. There were burning tears
in Joanna's eyes as she flung herself out of the room. She was blind as
she went down the passage, twisting her apron furiously in her hands.

"Martha Tilden!" she called--"Martha Tilden!"