"Not so tidy a place as you and the other one had," she remarked mournfully. Alves waited for her to declare her errand; but as she seemed in no haste to speak, she asked, "Did you ever find Ducharme?" The Duchesse nodded sombrely, closing her eyes. "The woman shook him time of the strikes, when his money was gone." "Well, isn't that what you wanted?" Mrs. Ducharme nodded her head slowly. "She made him bad. He drinks, awful sometimes, and whenever I say anything, he says he's going back to Peory, to that woman." Alves waited for the expected request for money. "They'se awful, these men; but a woman can't get on without _'em_, no more than the men without _us_. Only the men don't care much which one. Any one will do for a time. Do you find the new one any better?" "I am very happy," Alves replied with a flush; "but I don't care to talk about my affairs." "You needn't be so close," the woman exclaimed irritably. "I know all about _you_. The _real_ one was a fine gentleman, even if he did liquor bad." "I told you," Alves repeated, "that I didn't care to talk of my affairs. What do you want?" "I've come here to talk of your affairs," Mrs Ducharme answered insolently. "And I guess you'll listen. He,--I don't mean the doctor,--the real 'un, came of rich, respectable folks. He told me all about it, and got me to write 'em for money, and his sister sent him some." "So that was where he obtained the money to drink with when he got out of the cottage!" Alves exclaimed. The woman nodded, and added, "He gave me some, too." Alves rose and opened the door. "I don't see why you came here," she said briefly, pointing to the door. But Mrs. Ducharme merely laughed and kept her seat. "Did he, the doctor feller, ever ask you anything about his death?" she asked. Alves looked at her blankly. "When he signed that paper you gave the undertaker?" continued the Duchesse. "I don't know what you mean!" Alves exclaimed, closing the door and walking away from the woman. "How did _he_ die?" Mrs. Ducharme whispered. "You know as well as I," Alves cried, terrified now by the mysterious air the woman assumed. "Yes!" Mrs. Ducharme whispered again. "I know as well as you. I know, and I can tell. I know how the wife gave him powders,--sleeping powders the doctor ordered,--the doctor who was hanging around, and ran off with her just after the funeral." The woman's scheme of extracting blackmail flashed instantly into Alves's mind. "You foul creature," she gasped, "you know it is an abominable lie--" "Think so? Well, Ducharme didn't think so when I told him, and there are others that 'ud believe it, if I should testify to it!" Alves walked to and fro, overwhelmed by the thoughts of the evil which was around her. At last she faced Mrs. Ducharme, who was watching her closely. "I see what it means. You want money--blackmail, and you think you've got a good chance. But I will not give you a cent. I will tell Dr. Sommers first, and let him deal with you."