Not till the repast was comfortably despatched did Mr. Gammon give a sign that it might now be well to inform Mrs. Clover of what had happened.  He nodded gravely to Mrs. Bubb, who with unaffected nervousness, causing her to ramble and stumble for many minutes in mazes of circumlocution, at length conveyed the fact to her anxious listener that Polly Sparkes had said something or other which implied a knowledge of Mr. Clover’s whereabouts.  Committed to this central fact, and urged by Mrs. Clover’s growing impatience, the good woman came out at length with her latest version of Polly’s remarkable utterance.

“And what she said was this, Mrs. Clover.  When next you goes tale-telling to my awnt, she says—­just as nasty as she could—­when next you goes making trouble with my Aunt Louisa, she says, you can tell her, she says, that there’s nobody but me knows where her ‘usband is, and what he’s a-doin’ of but I wouldn’t let her know, she says, not if it was to save her from death and burial in the workus!  That’s what Polly said to me this very morning, and the words made that impression on my mind that I shall never forget them to the last day of my life.”

" Did you ever!” exclaimed or rather murmured Mrs. Clover, for she was astonished and agitated.  Her face lost its wholesome tone for a moment, her hands moved as if to repel something, and at length she sat quite still gazing at Mrs. Bubb.

“And don’t you think it queer,” put in Mr. Gammon, “that we never hit on that?”

“I’m sure I should never have thought of such a thing,” replied Mrs. Clover heavily, despondently.

“And who knows,” cried Mrs. Bubb, “whether it’s true after all?  Polly’s been that nasty, how if she’s made it up just to spite us?”

Mrs. Clover nodded, and seemed to find relief.

“I shouldn’t a bit wonder.  How should Polly know about him?  It seems to me a most unlikely thing—­the most unlikely thing I ever heard of.  I shall never believe it till she’s proved her words.  I won’t believe it—­I can’t believe it—­never!”

Her voice rose on tremulous notes, her eyes wandered disdainfully.  She looked at Gammon and immediately looked away again.  He, as though in answer to an appeal, spoke with decision.

“What we’re here for, Mrs. Clover, is to put Polly face to face with you and so get the truth out of her.  That we will do, cost what it may.  We’re not going to have that girl making trouble and disturbance just to please herself.  I don’t want to poke myself into other people’s business, and I’m sure you won’t think I do.”

“Of course not, Mr. Gammon.  ’T ain’t likely I should think so of you.”