being good and kind."

Here Geraldine gave unexpected information.

"He's a client of Mr. Hale's," she said indistinctly, with her
mouth full of pins, "and has come in for a lot of money. Mr.
Hale's introducing him into good society, to make a gent of
him."

"Silk purses can't be made out of sows' ears," growled the
cook, "an' who told you all this Geraldine?"

"Miss Loach herself, at different times."

Susan thought it was strange that a lady should gossip to this
extent with her housemaid, but she did not take much interest
in the conversation, being occupied with her own sad thoughts.
But the next remark of Geraldine made her start. "Mr. Clancy's
father was a carpenter," said the girl.

"My father was a carpenter," remarked Susan, sadly.

"Ah," cried Mrs. Pill with alacrity, "now you're speaking
sense. Ain't he alive?"

"No. He was poisoned!"

The three servants, having the love of horrors peculiar to the
lower classes, looked up with interest. "Lor!" said Thomas,
speaking for the first time and in a thick voice, "who