n zee his 'ouse. Aaron was
a ter'ble character, 'ee was. He killed his wife, 'ee ded. Ah, poor
critter, she ded live a life! Not as you may say oal to wance he ded'n
kill her, but little by little. She jist faaded away, she ded. Aaron was
a poacher too, and used to stail things. He was allays a-gittin' drunk
and fightin'. He was a terror to the parish, he was. Aw, many es the
time I've talked to un, bit 'twas oal no use. Grace ded'n tich his
heart, so to spaik. Then after his poor wife died, his maid got into
trouble, and ef there wos wawn thing in life Aaron cared 'bout, 'twas
this maid, and the man that ruined her was Bill Liddicoat, Squire
Hendy's gamekeeper. Nothin' could be proved 'gin un, and then, to maake
matters wuss, Bill Liddicoat catched Aaron poachin', and he wos put to
gaol. When Aaron comed out ov gaol, I spoke to un, and tried to do un
good. 'Mrs. Pethick,' ses 'ee, 'I've sould myself to the devil to do fer
Bill Liddicoat. I've offered un my soul, ef 'ee'll 'elp me, and 'ee've
promised to. And I tell 'ee what, I'll never rest till I've paid out
Bill Liddicoat, ef I've got to swing fer it, and ef I've got to go to
hell for it, I'll be square with un.' 'But what good'll that do 'ee?'
ses I. ''Tes oal I've got to live fer now,' ses 'ee, 'and I b'leeve I
cud be 'appy ef I cud pay en out. And I will too, by God, I will!' I
tried to raison weth un, but 'twas no use. You cud zee murder in 'is
eyes, as he walked the roads. Then wawn mornin', we 'eard 'ow Bill
Liddicoat was vound up in Ternouth woods in a pool of blood. He wad'n
dead, but the doctors ded'n give much 'ope ov his life. Aaron was tooked
up, and tried, but nothin' could be proved agin him. He proved wot is
called a allyby--that es, he made out that he was zum plaace else that
very night."

Leicester listened eagerly to the story.

"And was he ever found out?" he asked.

"No, as you may zay he wos never vound out. But aw, my deear, wot a way
'ee wos in. You never seed such a ghastly faace as 'ee 'ad. Ef ever the
devil 'aunted a man, it was Aaron. He went as thin and pale as a ghoast.
In a way he 'ad 'is rights in payin' out Bill Liddicoat, but he suffered
the torments of the lost. He wudden tell nothin' and nothin' cud be
proved agin un, but 'ee wos the most miserable man that ever walked the
earth. Wawn day I spoked to un, but 'ee wudden zay nothin,' but 'The
devil's a 'ard maaster, Mrs. Pethick.' I axed un to come to chapel, but
he wudden come. N