good deal on it, too--but I wur noan going
to be treated like that. I said, 'No.' Give me some more stuff,
doctor."

The doctor raised the girl and placed another pillow under her head,
while she eagerly drank what remained in the glass. The room was in
intense silence, save for the scratch of the lawyer's pen, who was
taking down what the girl was saying, word by word.

"I 'eerd as 'ow Paul Stepaside had come back from London," she went on,
"and I thought to myself, 'He'd help me. I'll tell him all about it.
He's very clever, and he doesn't like Ned Wilson,' for by this time a
fair hate got hold of me, and I thought to myself, 'I'll see him on the
quiet.' I saw him go to his office that morning. I wur just walking
across the mill yard; but as he wur talking with someone I just waited
a bit. I didn't want no one to see me. Presently I see his mother
come, I don't think onybody else saw her, because she came in by a side
way, and as you know, Paul's office is shut off from the mill. So I
waited around, and after a bit I saw his mother go out, and I said to
myself, 'Now's my time.' So I went up a little passage, and no one
could see me; but just as I wur coming up close to the door he came out
quickly. I think he wanted to speak to his mother about something.
Anyhow, he left th' office door open, and I said to myself, 'I'll go in
there now, and wait till he comes back.' Well, I did; and I waited
perhaps two minutes, but he didn't come. And then I seed the knife on
th' table, and I got 'andlin' it, and all sorts of black thoughts came
into my mind. And I said to myself, 'I'll say nowt to Mr. Stepaside at
all.' I can't explain why it was, but I took 'old o' th' knife and
come away. When I got home for dinner, I just wrote a letter to Ned
Wilson, and I told him I must see him that night late. It wur
something very particular. And I told him that, as it was the last
time I should ask him to do onything for me, he mustn't refuse."

"Well," said the doctor. "What then?"

"Weel, I wur at the place I told him about, and he coom'd. It wur very
late. You see I made the hour late, 'cause I know'd if it wur early,
and he wur likely to be seen with me, he wouldn't come. So I made it
late, and I told him, too, that if he didn't come I'm make everything
known. I never said owt to anybody, but I kept t' knife with me. Give
me some more stuff, doctor; I feel as though my head is all swimming!"

The doctor did