Desperate Remedies

A shaving-glass was taken down from a nail, laid on its back in the middle of a table by the window, and the hair spread carefully out upon it. The pair then bent over the table from opposite sides, their elbows on the edge, their hands supporting their heads, their foreheads nearly touching, and their eyes upon the hair.

'He ha' been mad a'ter my lady Cytherea,' said Mrs. Crickett, 'and 'tis my very belief the hair is--' 'No 'tidn'. Hers idn' so dark as that,' said Elizabeth.

'Elizabeth, you know that as the faithful wife of a servant of the Church, I should be glad to think as you do about the girl. Mind I don't wish to say anything against Miss Graye, but this I do say, that I believe her to be a nameless thing, and she's no right to stick a moral clock in her face, and deceive the country in such a way. If she wasn't of a bad stock at the outset she was bad in the planten, and if she wasn't bad in the planten, she was bad in the growen, and if not in the growen, she's made bad by what she's gone through since.' 'But I have another reason for knowing it idn' hers,' said Mrs.

Leat.

'Ah! I know whose it is then--Miss Aldclyffe's, upon my song!' ''Tis the colour of hers, but I don't believe it to be hers either.' 'Don't you believe what they d' say about her and him?' 'I say nothen about that; but you don't know what I know about his letters.' 'What about 'em?' 'He d' post all his letters here except those for one person, and they he d' take to Budmouth. My son is in Budmouth Post Office, as you know, and as he d' sit at desk he can see over the blind of the window all the people who d' post letters. Mr. Manston d' unvariably go there wi' letters for that person; my boy d' know 'em by sight well enough now.' 'Is it a she?' ''Tis a she.' 'What's her name?' 'The little stunpoll of a fellow couldn't call to mind more than that 'tis Miss Somebody, of London. However, that's the woman who ha' been here, depend upon't--a wicked one--some poor street-wench escaped from Sodom, I warrant ye.' 'Only to find herself in Gomorrah, seemingly.' 'That may be.' 'No, no, Mrs. Leat, this is clear to me. 'Tis no miss who came here to see our steward last night--whenever she came or wherever she vanished. Do you think he would ha' let a miss get here how she could, go away how she would, without breakfast or help of any kind?' Elizabeth shook her head--Mrs. Crickett looked at her solemnly.