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For Sarah Cushing loved me - that's the root of the business - she loved me until all her love turned to poisonous hate when she knew that I thought more of my wife's footmark in the mud than I did of her whole body and soul.

" 'There were three sisters altogether.

The old one was just a good woman, the second was a devil, and the third was an angel.

Sarah was thirty-three, and Mary was twenty-nine when I married.

We were just as happy as the day was long when we set up house together, and in all Liverpool there was no better woman than my Mary.

And then we asked Sarah up for a week, and the week grew into a month, and one thing led to another, until she was just one of ourselves.

" 'I was blue ribbon at that time, and we were putting a little money by, and all was as bright as a new dollar. My God, whoever would have thought that it could have come to this? Whoever would have dreamed it?

" 'I used to be home for the week-ends very often, and sometimes if the ship were held back for cargo I would have a whole week at a time, and in this way I saw a deal of my sister-in-law, Sarah.

She was a fine tall woman, black and quick and fierce, with a proud way of carrying her head, and a glint from her eye like a spark from a flint.

But when little Mary was there I had never a thought of her, and that I swear as I hope for God's mercy.

" 'It had seemed to me sometimes that she liked to be alone with me, or to coax me out for a walk with her, but I had never thought anything of that.

But one evening my eyes were opened.

I had come up from the ship and found my wife out, but Sarah at home.

"Where's Mary?" I asked.

"Oh, she has gone to pay some accounts." I was impatient and paced up and down the room.

"Can't you be happy for five minutes without Mary, Jim?" says she.

"It's a bad compliment to me that you can't be contented with my society for so short a time." "That's all right, my lass," said I, putting out my hand towards her in a kindly way, but she had it in both hers in an instant, and they burned as if they were in a fever.

I looked into her eyes and I read it all there.

There was no need for her to speak, nor for me either.

I frowned and drew my hand away.

Then she stood by my side in silence for a bit, and then put up her hand and patted me on the shoulder.

"Steady old Jim!" said she, and with a kind o' mocking laugh, she ran out of the room.

" 'Well, from that time Sarah hated me with her whole heart and soul, and she is a woman who can hate, too.

I was a fool to let her go on biding with us - a besotted fool - but I never said a word to Mary, for I knew it would grieve her.

Things went on much as before, but after a time I began to find that there was a bit of a change in Mary herself.

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