things and did things."

"Well, she's taken herself off, and that's enough." Then he groaned inwardly,
"Good Lord! I could stand her and all her tribe bettern'n this one."

"Yes, Mr. Holcroft," pursued Mrs. Mumpson, sinking her voice to a loud,
confidential whisper, "and I don't believe you've any idea how much she took
with her. I fear you've been robbed in all these vicissitudes. Men never
know what's in a house. They need caretakers; respecterble women, that would
sooner cut out their tongues than purloin. How happy is the change which has
been affected! How could you abide in the house with such a person as that
Bridget Malony?"

"Well, well, Mrs. Mumpson! She abode with herself. I at least had this room
in peace and quietness."

"Of course, of course! A person so utterly unrespecterble would not think of
entering THIS apartment; but then you had to meet her, you know. You could
not act as if she was not, when she was, and there being so much of her, too.
She was a monstrous-looking person. It's dreadful to think that such persons
belong to our sex. I don't wonder you feel as you do about it all. I can
understand you perfectly. All your senserbleness was offended. You felt that
your very home had become sacrilegious. Well, now, I suppose she said awful
things to you?"

Holcroft could not endure this style of inquisition and comment another second
longer. He rose and said, "Mrs. Mumpson, if you want to know just what she
said and did, you must go and ask her. I'm very tired. I'll go out and see
that the stock's all right, and then go to bed."