They knew they were under suspicion, and,
being hitherto of excellent name, it made them very unhappy, for it must
be confessed that they believed what they did to be uncanny if not
absolutely wicked; nevertheless, in spite of this they throve, and kept
their strength when all their neighbours were pinched.
At length matters came to a head and the clergyman of the parish cross-
questioned the poor woman so closely that with many tears and a bitter
sense of degradation she confessed the truth; she and her children went
into the hedges and gathered snails, which they made into broth and
ate--could she ever be forgiven? Was there any hope of salvation for her
either in this world or the next after such unnatural conduct?
So again I have heard of an old dowager countess whose money was all in
Consols; she had had many sons, and in her anxiety to give the younger
ones a good start, wanted a larger income than Consols would give her.
She consulted her solicitor and was advised to sell her Consols and
invest in the London and North-Western Railway, then at about 85. This
was to her what eating snails was to the poor widow whose story I have
told above.
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