"
"When?"
"The day before yesterday."
"What was the matter with her?"
"She drank too much water."
"Where?"
"In the hurdle well."
"Why?"
"Because her feet did not reach the bottom."
"She leaped in then?"
"It looks something like it."
"But why did she do so?"
"She was much upset about her lover."
"Did he leave her?"
"The rope-girl[37] took him."
[Footnote 37: _I.e._, the gallows.]
Henrietta listened with a sort of stupefaction to the cynical answers
of the old scoundrel, and her heart grew heavy within her. To think that
that merry, rosy cheeked young woman should have killed herself out of
grief for her lover.
"Then who is carrying on the house?" enquired Squire Gerzson.
"Nobody. All the servants bolted after the funeral, in order that they
might not appear as witnesses."
"Then why do you remain here all alone?"
"Because if I went on my way, everyone would be sure to say that I had
murdered the hostess, I mean to remain here till they come for me."
"Yes, you old swine, and drink up every drop of wine that remains in the
meantime."
"Your pardon, sir, but it all turned to vinegar when the landlady killed
herself. That is always the case."
"None of your nonsense, Sirrah, but listen to me. There's a shilling for
you, forget for the time that you are a guest here. Take out the horses,
put them into the stable, give them hay at once and water them in about
an hour's time.
Pages:
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273