You could have knocked me down with a feather . I should have thought that firm was as steady as the Rock of Gibraltar ! But they 're ruined -- absolutely ruined . Louisa , dear , can you find me a good needle ? '' `` Louisa , dear , '' had set her biscuits down with a sharp thud , reckless of results . A sharp , metallic tinkle sounded at the closet where Sara had struck the edge of her tray against a shelf . The sound seemed to loosen the paralyzed tongues , and everybody began talking and exclaiming at once . Clear and shrill above the confusion rose Mrs. George Pye 's voice . `` Yes , indeed , you may well say so . It IS disgraceful . And to think how everybody trusted them ! George will lose considerable by the crash , and so will a good many folks . Everything will have to go -- Peter Baxter 's farm and Lige 's grand new house . Mrs. Peter wo n't carry her head so high after this , I 'll be bound . George saw Lige at the Bridge , and he said he looked dreadful cut up and ashamed . '' `` Who , or what 's to blame for the failure ? '' asked Mrs. Rachel Lynde sharply . She did not like Mrs. George Pye . `` There are a dozen different stories on the go , '' was the reply . `` As far as George could make out , Peter Baxter has been speculating with other folks ' money , and this is the result .
Everybody always suspected that Peter was crooked ; but you 'd have thought XXXXX Lige would have kept him straight .
As after against at by like of on that to