ABSTRACT
Tom was a powerful lout who worked about the farm attached to the main building. He was an excellent servant and reliable in work which required strength but no initiative or intelligence. His grin was a feature of the homestead. Roland had sometimes spoken of his cruelty, but Alice did not think it amounted to much more than the thoughtlessness of a good-humoured but otherwise likeable person. It was exasperating when Rosemary complained that she had been assaulted by him. Roland was unwilling to dismiss him. He was too valuable a worker, he said; besides, who knew what Rosemary had been up to? She was no saint—always making eyes at all and sundry. 'Well, you ought to know', said Alice with meaning that made Roland colour angrily. 'Don't be ridiculous, Alice. You're jealous. She's pretty in a servant-girlish sort of way and she may have made eyes at Tom I admit—very probable in fact; but I don't want to lose a good workman.' So it fell to Alice to see her lady's maid as the culprit. This she was willing to do, for she was jealous and her jealousy was not appeased by her own very good looks. After thinking the matter over she called Rosemary to see her privately.
