, and who was said in the neighbourhood to
be the Grinder's wife.

But nothing more could be learned of the Grinder than that he
had been at the cottage on the Sunday morning, and had gone away,
according to his wont. The old woman swore that he slept there the
whole of Saturday night, but of course the policemen had not believed
her statement. When does any policeman ever believe anything? Of the
pony and cart the old woman declared she knew nothing. Her son had no
pony, and no cart, to her knowing. Then she went on to declare that
she knew very little about her son, who never lived with her; and
that she had only taken in the young woman out of charity, about
two weeks since. The mother did not for a moment pretend that her
son was an honest man, getting his bread after an honest fashion.
The Grinder's mode of life was too well known for even a mother
to attempt to deny it. But she pretended that she was very honest
herself, and appealed to sundry brandy-balls and stale biscuits in
her window, to prove that she lived after a decent, honest,
commercial fashion.

Sam was of course remanded. The head constable of the district asked
for a week more to make fresh inquiry, and expressed a very strong
opinion that he would have the Grinder and his friend by the heels
before the week should be over. The Heytesbury attorney made a
feeble request that Sam might be released on bail, as there was not,
according to his statement, "the remotest shadow of a tittle of
evidence against him." But poor Sam was sent back to gaol, and there
remained for that week. On the next Tuesday the same scene was
re-enacted. The Grinder had not been taken, and a further remand was
necessary. The face of the head constable was longer on this occasion
than it had been before, and his voice less confident. The Grinder,
he thought, must have caught one of the early Sunday trains, and
made his way to Birmingham. It had been ascertained that he had
friends at Birmingham. Another remand was asked for a week, with an
understanding that at the end of the week it should be renewed if
necessary. The policeman seemed to think that by that time, unless
the Grinder were below the sod, his presence above it would certainly
be proved. On this occasion the Heytesbury attorney made a very
loud demand for Sam's liberation, talking of habeas corpus, and
the injustice of carceration without evidence of guilt. But the
magistrates would not let him go. "When I'm told t