that's all. I caught 'em just now....
As thick as thieves in your parlour!"

"But I'm by no means sure that he's smitten with her."

"What does it matter whether he is or not? She's lost her head over
him, and she'll have him. It doesn't want a telescope to see as far as
that."

"Well, then, I shall speak to her--I shall speak to her to-morrow
morning, after she's had a good night's rest, when I feel stronger."

"Ay! Ye may! And what shalt say?"

"I shall warn her. I think I shall know how to do it," said Mrs.
Maldon, with a certain air of confidence amid her trouble. "I wouldn't
run the risk of a tragedy for worlds."

"It's no _risk_ of a tragedy, as ye call it," said Thomas
Batchgrew, very pleased with his own situation in the argument. "It's
a certainty. She'll believe him afore she believes you, whatever ye
say. You mark me. It's a certainty."

After elaborate preparations of his handkerchief, he blew his nose
loudly, because blowing his nose loudly affected him in an agreeable
manner.

A few minutes later he left, saying the car would be waiting for him
at the back of the Town Hall. And Mrs. Maldon lay alone until Mrs.
Tams came in with a tray.

"An' I hope that's enough company for one day!" said Mrs. Tarns. "Now,
sup it up, do!"

CHAPTER VII

THE CINEMA

I

That evening Rachel sat alone in the parlour, reclining on
the Chesterfield over the _Signal_. She had picked up the
_Signal_ in order to read about captured burglars, but the paper
contained not one word on the subject, or on any other subject except
football. The football season had commenced in splendour, and it
happened to be the football edition of the _Signal_ that the
paper-boy had foisted upon Mrs. Maldon's house. Despite repeated and
positive assurances from Mrs. Maldon that she wanted the late edition
and not the football edition on Saturday nights, the football edition
was usually delivered, because the paper-boy could not conceive that
any customer could sincerely not want the football edition. Rachel was
glancing in a torpid condition at the advertisements of the millinery
and trimming shops.

She would have been more wakeful could she have divined the blow
which she had escaped a couple of hours before. Between five and six
o'clock, when she was upstairs in the large bedroom, Mrs. Maldon
had said to her, "Rachel--" and stopped. "Yes, Mrs. Maldon," she had
replied. And Mrs. Maldon had said, "Nothing." Mrs. Maldon had d