Grannie's views of her grand-daughter-in-law had never altered from the
first moment she set eyes on her.
When Mrs. Tom came in to hear herself talk, one afternoon when Tom was
away fishing, the old lady simply sat and stared at her from the depths
of her big black sun-bonnet, and never opened her lips or gave any sign
of interest or hearing.
"Is she deaf?" asked Mrs. Tom after a while.
"Dear me, no. Grannie hears everything," said Mrs. Hamon, with a smile
at thought of all the old lady would have to say presently.
"Nom d'un nom, then why doesn't she speak? Is it dumb she is?"
"Neither deaf nor dumb--nor yet a fool," rapped Grannie, so sharply that
the visitor jumped.
And during the remainder of her visit, no matter to whom she was talking
or what she was saying, Julie's snapping black eyes would inevitably
keep working round to the depths of the big black sun-bonnet, and at
times her discourse lost point and trailed to a ragged end.
"It's my belief that old woman next door is a witch," she said to her
husband later on.
"She's an old devil," he said bluntly.
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