"Well, one of them. You hadn't begun being chambermaid then?"
"No, I hadn't; I was housemaid at Orley Farm."
"Were you upper or under there?"
"Well, I believe I was both; that is, the cook was upper in the house."
"Oh, the cook was upper. Why wasn't she called to sign her name?"
"That I can't say. She was a very decent woman,—that I can say,—and her name was Martha Mullens."
So far Mr. Chaffanbrass had not done much; but that was only the preliminary skirmish, as fencers play with their foils before they begin.
"And now, Bridget Bolster, if I understand you," he said, "you have sworn that on the 14th of July you only signed one of these documents."
"I only signed once, sir. I didn't say nothing about the 14th of July, because I don't remember."
"But when you signed the one deed, you did not sign any other?"