Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

The Secret Passage by Fergus Hume
page 22 of 403 (05%)
Susan Maxwell is my name, but after the suicide--if it was
one--mother felt the disgrace so, that she made us all call
ourselves Grant. So Susan Grant I am, and my brothers of the
old family are Grant also."

"What do you mean by the old family?"

"Mother has three children by her second husband, and that's
the new family," explained Susan, "but we are all Grants,
though me and my four brothers are really Maxwells. But
there," she said, looking round quietly and rather pleased at
the interest with which she was regarded, "I've told you a
lot. Tell me something!"

Mrs. Pill was unwilling to leave the fascinating subject of
suicide, but her desire to talk got the better of her, and she
launched into a long account of her married life. It seemed
she had buried the late Mr. Pill ten years before, and since
that time had been with Miss Loach as cook. She had saved
money and could leave service at once, if she so chose. "But
I should never be happy out of my kitchen, my love," said Mrs.
Pill, biting a piece of darning-cotton, "so here I stay till
missus goes under."

"And she won't do that for a long time," said Thomas. "Missus
is strong. A good, kind, healthy lady."

Geraldine followed with an account of herself, which related
chiefly to her good looks and many lovers, and the tyranny of
mistresses. "I will say, however, that after being here a
DigitalOcean Referral Badge