’Mr. Peachey, of De Crespigny Park.  I believe you are on terms of friendship with the family.’

‘Oh, you can hardly call it friendship.  I know them.’

’Then I may speak without fear of paining you.  You are aware that Mr Peachey is a member of the firm of Ducker, Blunt & Co., who manufacture disinfectants.  Now, if any manufacture should be carried on in a conscientious spirit—­as of course all manufactures should—­surely it is that of disinfectants.  Only think what depends upon it!  People who make disinfectants ought to regard themselves as invested with a sacred trust.  The whole community looks to them for protection against disease.  The abuse of such confidence cannot be too severely condemned, all the more so, that there is absolutely no legal remedy against the adulteration of disinfectants.  Did you know that, Miss.  Lord?  The law guards against adulteration of food, but it seems—­I have been making inquiry into the matter—­that no thought has ever been given by the legislature to the subject of disinfectants!’

Nancy saw that Jessica was watching the speaker with jealous eyes, and, in spite of prudence, she could not help behaving to Mr. Barmby more graciously than usual; a small revenge for the treatment she had suffered at the hands of Miss.  Morgan.

‘I could point out a great number of such anomalies,’ pursued Samuel.  ’But this matter of disinfectants is really one of the gravest.  My father has written to The Times about it, and his letter will probably be inserted to-morrow.  I am thinking of bringing it before the attention of our Society.’

‘Do Mr. Peachey’s people adulterate their disinfectants?’ inquired Nancy.

’I was going to tell you.  Some acquaintances of ours have had a severe illness in their house, and have been using disinfectants made by Ducker, Blunt & Co.  Fortunately they have a very good medical man, and through him it has been discovered that these pretended safeguards are all but absolutely worthless.  He had the stuff analysed.  Now, isn’t this shameful?  Isn’t this abominable?  For my own part, I should call it constructive murder.’

The phrase came by haphazard to Samuel’s tongue, and he uttered it with gusto, repeating it twice or thrice.

’Constructive murder—­nothing short of that.  And to think that these people enjoy a positive immunity—­impunity.’  He corrected himself quickly; then, uncertain whether he had really made a mistake, reddened and twisted his gloves.  ’To think’—­he raised his voice—­’that they are capable of making money out of disease and death!  It is one of the worst illustrations of a corrupt spirit in the commercial life of our times that has yet come under my observation.’

He remained for a couple of hours, talking ceaselessly.  A glance which he now and then cast at Miss.  Morgan betrayed his hope that she would take her leave before the necessary time of his own departure.  Jessica, perfectly aware of this desire, sat as though no less at home than Nancy.  Every remark she made was a stroke of malice at her friend, and in her drawn features appeared the passions by which she was tormented.