"'It is not Armitage now,' she answered. 'I am married. I live about three miles from Grandcourt, over in that direction. I am going home now. My husband's name is Vincent. He is a farmer.' "'You don't look too well off,' I said, for I noticed her shabby dress and run-to-seed appearance. "'These are hard times for farmers,' she answered. "'Have you children?' I asked. "'No,' she replied fiercely, 'I am glad to say I have not.' "'Why are you glad?' I asked. 'Surely a child is the crown of a married woman's bliss.' "'It would not be to me,' she cried. 'My heart is full to the brim. I have no room for a child in it.' "'A full heart generally means happiness,' I said. 'Are you happy?' "She gave me a queer glance. "'No, ma'am,' she answered, 'my heart is full of bitterness, of sorrow.' Her eyes looked quite wild. She pressed one of her hands to her forehead,--then stepping out, she half turned round to me. "'I wish you good-morning, Mrs. Everett,' she said. 'My way lies across here.' "'Stay a moment before you leave me,' I said. 'I am coming to this plain on a mission which you perhaps can guess. If you are poor you will not despise half a sovereign. I'll give you half a sovereign if you'll show me the exact spot where the murder was committed.' "She turned from white to red, and from red to white again. "'I don't like that spot,' she said. 'That night was a terrible night to me; my nerves ain't what they were--I sleep bad, and sometimes I dream. Many and many a time I've seen that murder committed over again. I have seen the look on the face of the murdered man, and the look on the face of the man who did it--Oh, my God, I have seen----' "She pressed her two hands hard against her eyes. "I waited quietly until she had recovered her emotion; then I held out the little gold coin. "'You will take me to the spot?' I asked. "She clutched the coin suddenly in her hand. "'This will buy what I live for,' she cried, with passion. 'I can drown thought with this. Come along, ma'am, we are not very far from the place here. I'll take you, and then go on home.' "She started off, walking in front of me, and keeping well ahead. She went quickly, and yet with a sort of tremulous movement, as though she were not quite certain of herself. We crossed the Plain not far from the Court. I saw the house in the distance, and the curling smoke which rose up out of the trees. "'Don't walk so fast,' I said. 'I am an old woman, and you take my breath away.' She slackened her steps, but very unwillingly. "'The family are not often at the Court?' I queried. "'No,' she answered with a start--'since the old Squire died the place has been most shut up.' "'I happen to know the present Squire and his wife,' I said. "She flushed when I said this, gave me a furtive glance, and then pressing one hand to her left side, said abruptly: "'If you know you can tell me summ'at--he is well, is he?'