I hoped she had not noticed the slip but she must have done so, subconsciously, for when I was helping her with the dishes she turned suddenly white--ghastly.

She had just remembered! 'They've got me at last, Esther!' she said with a kind of proud despair.

'I've been pretty smart, but not quite smart enough.' I pretended not to understand and she explained quite seriously that while she had been absent in the garden 'They' had seen her half-filled cup and seized their opportunity.

It was quite useless to point out that there was no one in the house but ourselves.

She only said, 'Oh, "They" would not let me see them "They" are too smart for that.' Overwhelming smartness is one of the attributes of the mysterious 'They.' "I hoped that the idea would wear away but it didn't; it strengthened.
In vain I pointed out that she was perfectly well, with no symptom of poisoning.