‘No, sir,’ answered the old man, ‘I don’t wonder. Poison!—a poisoner at work in this house where we have watched so faithfully! It is too horrible. It is a mystery beyond my power to fathom. There have been only three of us in the house—my wife, and Miss Lucille, and me. And you think it was I or my wife that put poison into that bottle. Well, I can’t wonder at that. It couldn’t be Miss Lucille, so it lies between my wife and me. We’re best out of the house, sir, after that. This house is no place for us. I hope you’ll contrive to take good care of my master when we’re gone, and I pray God that it may please Him in His good time to enlighten your mind about us, and to show, somehow, that neither I nor my good lady have tried to murder the master we’ve served faithfully for a quarter of a century.’ ‘If you are innocent, Mr. Wincher, I trust that fact may be speedily demonstrated. In the mean time you can hardly wonder that I think this house a safer place without your presence in it.’ ‘No, sir, that’s natural enough. Deborah, my good soul, will you get together those things of ours? The sooner the better.’ ‘I’ll do what I can,’ answered Mrs. Wincher, with a gasp; ‘but I don’t feel as if I had the proper use of my limbs.’ ‘There’s the catalogue, sir,’ suggested Jacob Wincher. ‘Hadn’t we better go through that before I leave, and see what is right and what isn’t? It’ll take some time, but it will be for the satisfaction of both parties. I’ve one catalogue, sir, and Mr. Sivewright another.’ ‘You are vastly conscientious, sir,’ said Lucius; ‘but as it would take at least a day to go through these things, and as my ignorance unfits me for the task, I think I will take my chance, and not oppose any hindrance to your prompt departure. I’ll wait hereabouts till Mrs. Wincher is ready.’ ‘As you please, sir. In that case I’ll go off at once and look about me for a room.’ ‘Stay, Mr. Wincher,’ cried Lucius, as the old man shuffled off towards the door; ‘I should be sorry for you to leave this house penniless. Here are a couple of sovereigns, which will enable you to live for a week or so while you look for a new service.’ ‘A new service, sir!’ echoed Jacob Wincher bitterly. ‘Do you think that at my age situations are plentiful? No, sir, thank you; I couldn’t take money from you, not if it was to save me from starvation. I shall seek no new service. Mr. Sivewright was never a very liberal paymaster, and since we came to this house he has given us no wages except a small allowance for our food. But our wants are few, and we contrived to save the best part of our wages while we were in Bond-street. No, sir, I am not afraid to face the world, hard as it is to the old. I shall get a few odd jobs to do among the poor folks, I daresay, even without a character, and I shall be able to rub along somehow.’