rgiven me; she would have stuck as
close to me as a rope to a block if that woman had never darkened our
door. For Sarah Cushing loved me--that's the root of the business--she
loved me, until all her love turned to poisonous hate when she knew that
I thought more of my wife's footmark in the mud than I did of her whole
body and soul.

"There were three sisters altogether. The old one was just a good woman,
the second was a devil, and the third was an angel. Sarah was
thirty-three, and Mary was twenty-nine when I married. We were just as
happy as the day was long when we set up house together, and in all
Liverpool there was no better woman than my Mary. And then we asked
Sarah up for a week, and the week grew into a month, and one thing led
to another, until she was just one of ourselves.

"I was blue ribbon at that time, and we were putting a little money by,
and all was as bright as a new dollar. My God, whoever would have
thought that it could have come to this? Whoever would have dreamed it?

"I used to be home for the week-ends very often, and sometimes if the
ship were held back for cargo I would have a whole week at a time, and
in this way I saw a deal of my sister-in-law, Sarah. She was a fine tall
woman, black and quick and fierce, with a proud way of carrying her
head, and a glint from her eye like the spark from a flint. But when
little Mary was there I had never a thought for her, and that I swear as
I hope for God's mercy.

"It had seemed to me sometimes that she liked to be alone with me, or to
coax me out for a walk with her, but I had never thought anything of
that. But one evening my eyes were opened. I had come up from the ship
and found my wife out, but Sarah at home. 'Where's Mary?' I asked. 'Oh,
she has gone to pay some accounts.' I was impatient and paced up and
down the room. 'Can't you be happy for five minutes without Mary, Jim?'
says she. 'It's a bad compliment to me that you can't be contented with
my society for so short a time.' 'That's all right, my lass," said I,
putting out my hand towards her in a kindly way, but she had it in both
hers in an instant, and they burned as if they were in a fever. I looked
into her eyes and I read it all there. There was no need for her to
speak, nor for me either. I frowned and drew my hand away. Then she
stood by my side in silence for a bit, and then put up her hand and
patted me on the shoulder.

'Steady old Jim!' said she; and, with a kind o' mocki