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 that Lige would have kept him straight . HE had always such a reputation for saintliness . '' `` I do n't suppose Lige knew anything about it , '' said Mrs. Rachel indignantly . `` Well , he 'd ought to , then . If he is n't a knave he 's a fool , '' said Mrs. Harmon Andrews , who had formerly been among his warmest partisans . `` He should have kept watch on Peter and found out how the business was being run .
Well , Sara , you were the level-headest of us all -- I 'll admit XXXXX now .
If about above among as at by for like that