“What did he do that for?” asked he, biting a morsel off his piece of sugar.

“Who knows? Tales of all sorts get told about us women, and we have to answer for them all,” said the old woman. “They had some row about their labourer.⁠ ⁠… The man was a good fellow from our village. He died afterwards at their house.”

“He died?” asked Kornéy, and cleared his throat.

“Died long ago. From them we took my daughter-in-law. They were well off. When the husband was alive they were the richest folk in the village.”

“And what became of him?” asked Kornéy.

“He died, too, I suppose. He disappeared at the time⁠—some fifteen years ago now.”

“It must be more. Mother used to tell me she had not long weaned me when it happened.”