The doctor came. He said that no doubt there would have to be an inquest.
They left Lydia alone in the room, When it was midway through the winter morning, Mrs. Poole came down and told Luke that the girl wished to speak to him; he would find her in the parlour.
She had swollen eyes, but spoke with perfect calmness.
'Mr. Ackroyd, what did he mean? The last thing he said was, 'Mary Bower gave me all I wanted.' I don't know what he meant. Your sister says you'll tell me.'
Luke could only guess at the sense of the words, but he told her all he knew.
'I only heard it on Friday night, from Totty,' he said. 'I was thinking of every way I could to help him.'
'Oh, but to think that you never told me!' she exclaimed. 'You'd no right to keep such a thing from me. It wasn't kindness; it wasn't kindness at all, See what's come of it!
'I do wish I had told you.'
Early in the afternoon Lydia went home. But before leaving, she searched in the poor old garments to see if; indeed, he had been penniless. The discovery of the money at first astonished her, but immediately after she found the pawn ticket. It was proof enough.
She was sitting in her room, at nightfall, when someone knocked. She went to the door. Mary Bower was there.