He pointed
out that as all the soldiers had fallen by gunshot wounds, none of the
prisoners at the bar had any hand in their death. The counsel for the
crown did not press for capital sentences. Two of the men, who had
before suffered terms of imprisonment for being concerned in running
illicit stills, were sentenced to transportation. The others escaped
with terms of imprisonment.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE NEW HOUSEMAID.
"What do you think of the new housemaid, Charlotte?"
"As she has only been here twenty-four hours," Miss Penfold replied,
"I don't think I can say anything about it, Eleanor. All servants
behave decently for the first week or two, then their faults begin to
come out. However, she seems quiet in her way of going about, and that
is something. My room was carefully dusted this morning. These are the
only two points on which I can at present say anything."
"I met her in the passage this morning," Eleanor Penfold said, "and it
seemed to me that her face reminded me of some one. Did that strike
you?"
"Not at all," the elder sister replied decidedly. "I am not given to
fancies about such things. I saw no likeness to any one, and if I had
done so I should not have given it a second thought. The one point
with us is whether the woman is clean, quiet, steady, and thoroughly
up to her work.
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