"What I should have died of," said the judge, "if I had died, would
have been starvation. You'll hardly believe me when I tell you that
every scrap of food I got, even the boiled egg which I ordered for
breakfast, thinking it would be safe--"
Miss King had heard all about the paraffin oil before. She had indeed
heard about it more than once. She did not want to hear of it again,
because she feared that a repetition of the story might put her uncle
into another bad temper.
"I can't understand it," she said. "How any one could be so careless
as--"
"It wasn't carelessness," said the judge. "If it had been I might have
given the place another trial. It was done on purpose."
"Surely not."
"I pursued the cook," said the judge, "into the fastnesses of her
kitchen. She fled before me, but I ran her to earth at last in the
scullery. A filthier hole I never saw. I went for her straight, and
expected to be told a story about somebody or other upsetting a lamp
over all her pots and pans. Instead of that, she answered me, without
a sign of hesitation and said-- Now what do you think she said?"
"I can't guess. Not that she thought you'd like the flavour?"
"No.
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