the investigation, felt bound to proceed, and awaited with composure the appearance of cook, who, on entering the room, felt somewhat flurried.
"Cook," said her mistress, "have you and Judkins been quarrelling?"
"No, ma'am."
"There have been no words between you of an unpleasant nature?"
"Nothing that can be called words, ma'am; only, so sure as I ask him for taters, or turnups, or carrots, or inguns, or salary, or anything in respect of that, so sure he won't bring 'em till the very lastest minute, though I ask him over and over and over and over again. There was only the other day—now, ma'am, only jist to show you—"
"I do not wish," said Aunt Eleanor, "to hear any tales, cook, of that description."
"No, ma'am, I know; but then it puts me in a orkard perdicament, as I told him, no longer ago than yesterday—'Judkins,' says I, 'you know,' says I, 'it isn't my place,' says I, 'to go,' says I, 'pottering about in that garden, and I'm sure,' says I, 'that if missis,' says I, 'was to know it—'"
"All I asked was, whether he and you had been quarrelling—whether, in short, you desired to annoy him."
"Annoy him, ma'am!—I want to annoy him? Then he's been a telling you, ma'am, I want to annoy him, ma'am, has he?"
"No cook; but answer my question plainly: have you had any wish to annoy him?"
"Not I, ma'am!—no, ma'am!"
"Then how do you account for the fact of his clothes being found where they were?"
"I, ma'am, account? What, then, has he been a saying that I put 'em there?"
"He has been saying nothing of the sort, cook. I asked you how you accounted for the circumstance?"
"Account for it, ma'am? I can only say it's my belief the house is wholly haunted! If it isn't, ma'am, it's very strange to me! As I said to Mary this blessed morning, 'Mary,' says I"—
"But, cook," said Aunt Eleanor, promptly checking this natural flow of eloquence, "for what purpose did you happen to go to the pickle-tub this morning?"
"I went, ma'am, 'cause, as the ham was gone, I thought I'd bile a tongue. But does he have the imperance to think, ma'am, that I put his clothes there? Where was his clothes, ma'am? In course, in his bed-room! And does he mean to have the howdaciousness to insinivate"—
"He has insinuated nothing of the kind. But by whom do you imagine they were put there?"
"I haven't, ma'am, so much as a idea!"
"Then, cook, I'm to understand that you can throw no light whatever on the subject?"
"Not the leastest in the world, ma'am!"
"Very well: then I have nothing more to say to you at present."
Cook then, although with manifest reluctance, retired; and as she was
