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Kail’s tone which had not been there in the day, and lines of concern were ploughed upon his forehead in addition to the lines of years. He continued—

‘We’ve all been gallied at the dairy at what might ha’ been a most terrible affliction since you and your Mis’ess—so to name her now—left us this a’ternoon. Perhaps you ha’nt forgot the cock’s afternoon crow?’

‘Dear me;—what———’

‘Well, some says it do mane one thing, and some another; but what’s happened is that poor little Retty Priddle hev tried to drown herself.’

‘No! Really! Why, she bade us good-bye with the rest———’

‘Yes. Well, sir, when you and your Mis’ess—so to name what she lawful is—when you two drove away, as I say, Retty and Marian put on their bonnets and went out; and as there is not much doing now, being New Year’s Eve, and folks mops and brooms from what’s inside ’em, nobody took much notice. They went on to Lew-Everard, where they had summut to drink, and then on they vamped to Dree-armed Cross, and there they seemed to have parted, Retty striking across the