‘Yes, he did; and sometimes I think as he had a reason for taking so much trouble. But that ain’t here nor there. He seed everything right and proper, and kept us all out of an awkward row. Ralph’s dead and buried, and Gurth had all his money, and a pretty pot of it there was, though you had all been robbing him and living on him for months. Ralph’s will left him everything, though it was rum it should, for they was never very great friends, was they?’ ‘No,’ said Marston. ‘Go on.’ Marston was interested. Heckett’s words had set him thinking. He was beginning to have a faint clue to something which had always been a mystery to him. ‘Well, the next morning I was in the room trying to tidy up a bit and get things straight, when in comes Gertie, my gal. She looked ill and worried. It was early, and I didn’t think she’d be down—she slept in the upstairs room—or I should have locked the door. ‘“Father,” she sez, “was there a row last night?” ‘“Not partic’lar, my gal,” I sez, a-tryin’ to chuck the cloth over something on the floor. ‘“I thought I heard quarrelling and blows,” she sez. “I hope you didn’t let them blackguards rob Mr. Egerton again last night?” ‘“I can’t help what the fools as comes here does,” I sez. “This here ain’t a Sunday school, my gal, where they comes to sing hymns and say their catechiz.” ‘“I know that, wus luck,” she sez, a lookin’ at me straight in the face. “This here’s a den o’ thieves, father—that’s what it is; and it’s people like us as brings murder about.” ‘I didn’t feel comfortable when she began to talk like that, so I sez to her: ‘“You go and get the brekfus ready, my gal, that’s what you’ve got to do.” ‘“I shan’t,” she sez. “Look here, father,”—Lor’, I can see her a-standing there now, poor dear, her eyes a-flashin’ and her bussim heavin’ with passion—“you shan’t lead this horrible life no longer,” she sez. “I’m sick on it. I’ll warn Ralph Egerton this very day. He don’t come here no more.” ‘“You’re a saucy jade,” I sez; “you go and mind your own business.” ‘’With that, being confused like, I picks up the cloth, and the next minute she had me by the arm a-grippin’ me till I hollared out. ‘“Father,” she sez, “what’s that? There’s _blood_ upon the floor. Father, there’s murder been done here this night.” ‘With that she drops into a chair and begins to moan and rock herself to and fro, and presently she has what they calls a fit of the ‘sterics, for she begins to larf and cry and shout out. Then she rushes out of the room quite mad like, a-yellin’ “Murder.” Well, I got in a funk then, for I see as it would be all up if she didn’t hold her row, so I bolts after her and seizes her. ‘“Leave go!” she shrieks. “Murder! Help! Murder!” ‘“Quiet, you devil!” I shouted, gripping her by the throat, for I was half mad myself then. “Do you want to hang the lot of us?”’