But 'live and let live,' that's my motter.

We don't want to do anything unkind, but we're in a fix ourselves--" "I haven't got five hundred pounds," said Enid Crofton desperately; "that's God's truth, Mrs.Piper." To that assertion Madame Flora made no direct answer; she only observed, in a quiet conversational tone, and speaking no longer in a whisper.

"The insurance gent told Piper as what 'e was not entirely satisfied, and 'e said as 'e'd be pleased to see Piper any time if anything 'appened as could throw further light on the Colonel's death.

'An extraordinary occurrence'-- that's what the insurance people's gentleman called it, Mrs.
Crofton--'an extraordinary occurrence.'" And then Enid was stung into saying a very unwise thing.

"The Coroner did not think it an extraordinary occurrence," she said quietly.
"'E says sometimes as what 'e ought to give 'imself up and say what 'e saw," went on Mrs.Piper with seeming irrelevance.
There was another brief pause: "If you 'aven't got five hundred pounds, Modam, I take it the insurance money has not yet been paid, for it was a matter of two thousand pounds--or so Piper understood from that party what came down to make enquiries." Enid Crofton looked at her torturer dumbly.