For in the midst of her out-pourings she drew herself together, tried to collect and calm herself, looked at Marcella with an agonised, suspicious eye, and fell silent.
"I don't know nothing about it, miss," she stubbornly declared at last, with an inconsequent absurdity which smote Marcella's pity afresh.

"How am I to know?
There was seven o' them Oxford fellows at Tudley End--that I know.

Who's to say as Jim was with 'em at all last night?
Who's to say as it wasn't them as--" She stopped, shivering.

Marcella held her reluctant hand.
"You don't know," she said quietly, "that I saw your husband in here for a minute before I came in to you, and that he told me, as he had already told Jenkins, that it was in a struggle with him that Westall was shot, but that he had fired in self-defence because Westall was attacking him.
You don't know, too, that Charlie Dynes is alive, and says he saw Hurd--" "Charlie Dynes!" Mrs.Hurd gave a shriek, and then fell to weeping and trembling again, so that Marcella had need of patience.
"If you can't help me more," she said at last in despair, "I don't know what we shall do.

Listen to me.