'Pon my word, I don't know what to do.

My wife has just been up to see Mrs.Whitney, and the woman blazed out at her, and wouldn't let her say a word, but gave notice that she should give up the house at the end of the week.

If it hadn't been for that, I might have done something; but Mrs.Ellison was very much aggrieved at her manner.

Altogether, it's one of the most annoying things I ever had to do with." In the evening the schoolmaster put on his hat and went up, with his wife, to Mrs.Whitney.The women had seen a good deal of each other, as they both stood somewhat apart from the rest of the village and, in thought and speech, differed widely from the labourers' wives; and on evenings when the sewing class did not meet, the schoolmaster's wife often went up for an hour or two to Mrs.Whitney's, or the latter came down to the Shrewsburys' cottage.
"We have come up, Mrs.Whitney," the schoolmaster said as they entered, "to tell you how sorry we are to hear that you are going to leave, and that we are still more sorry for the cause.

Of course, neither my wife nor myself believe for a moment that Reuben poisoned the squire's dog.