thic tale?"

"Why, May Rousdon jest as I was coming in now. Her stopped me an' asked
if what Lottie'd told her was true."

"Yu go an' tell Lottie Rousdon that if she has a minute to spare when
she comes home this afternoon to clean herself [Lottie Rousdon is a day
servant], as mother'd like to see her. Don't yu"--this with rising
voice--"don't yu tell anything more'n that or I'll break your neck for
yu."

Mabel rushed out full of importance.

"The lying bitch!" remarked Mam Widger.

Lottie Rousdon walked into the trap. She came in the early evening,
feathers flying, very innocent. She was in a strange house, not in the
Square or among her relatives. Mrs Widger was on her own ground. Both
went into the front room.

"What for did yu--" we could not help hearing.

"Oh, I didn't, Mrs Widger; I'm sure I didn't----"

"Yu did!"

"Mabel," called Mrs Widger. "Go'n ask May Rousdon to kindly step this
way."

May Rousdon came.

"Who told yu what yu told Mabel about George, this morning? Did _yu_
make it up?"

"'Twas Lottie told me, Mrs Widger."

"There! if I didn't think.... Don't yu ever say such a wicked thing
again! Yu don' know what harm...."

The parlour door was shut fast. A hubbub went on within. After a time,
Lottie, weeping, was led out of the house by her sister.

"The lying bitch," Mrs Widger repeated. "I've a-give'd it to her.
Making up that tale so pat as if 'twas all true! That's the sort o'
thing they used to put about when Tony and me was first married, but I
fought 'em down, I did, an' I thought 'twas all stopped long ago. They
tried to make out as 'twas me drove George to sea. Nobody can't ever
say I haven't luked after Tony's first wife's children so well as I
have me own--but they _have_ said it, all the same, an' I've up an'
give'd it to 'em 'fore now. Whenever I used to correct the children,
they'd only to run out o' the house an' they cude always find someone
to listen to 'em and say as I was cruel to 'em and God knows what. One
time, when I wasn't very well, I felt I cuden' put up wi' it any
longer. But I did. An' here I be, same's ever. Pretty times us used to
have, I can tell yu, when we was first married an' some of 'em put my
blood up!"

I understand that she cursed several--literally kicked one or two--out
of the house; but now when anybody is ill, or anything has to be done,
she is the first person to be sent for; and when George said goodbye to
her at the station, he wept.