offended by the allusion to her looks, "if she's in love she
ain't married, and no more she ought to be; if she'd had a
husband like mine, who drank every day in the week and lived
on my earnings. He's dead now, an' I gave 'im a 'andsome
tombstone with the text: 'Go thou and do likewise' on it,
being a short remark, lead letterin' being expensive. Ah
well, as I allays say, 'Flesh is grass with us all.'"

While the cook maundered on Thomas sat with his dull eyes
fixed on the flushed face of Susan. "What about the poisoning?"
he demanded.

"It was this way," said Susan. "Father was working at some
house in these parts--"

"What! Down here?"

"Yes, at Rexton, which was then just rising into notice as a
place for gentlefolks. He had just finished with a house when
he came home one day with his wages. He was taken ill and
died. The doctor said he had taken poison, and he died of it.
Arsenic it was," explained Susan to her horrified audience.

"But why did he poison himself?" asked Geraldine.

"I don't know: no one knew. He was gettin' good wages, and
said he would make us all rich."

"Ah," chimed in Thomas suddenly, "in what way, Susan?"