FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132  
133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   >>   >|  
ered the room. And with the parson came Mr. Puddleham. The Marquis had thought that the parson might, perhaps, intrude; and Mr. Puddleham was in waiting as a make-weight, should he be wanting. When Mr. Fenwick had met the minister hanging about the farmyard, he had displayed not the slightest anger. If Mr. Puddleham chose to come in also, and make good his doing so before the Marquis, it was nothing to Mr. Fenwick. The great man looked up, as though he were very much startled and somewhat offended; but he did at last condescend to shake hands, first with one clergyman and then with the other, and to ask them to sit down. He explained that he had come over to make some personal inquiry into the melancholy matter, and then proceeded with his opinion respecting Sam Brattle. "From all that I can hear and see," said his lordship, "I fear there can be no doubt that this murder has been due to the malignity of a near neighbour." "Do you mean the poor boy that is in prison, my lord?" asked the parson. "Of course I do, Mr. Fenwick. The constabulary are of opinion--" "We know that, Lord Trowbridge." "Perhaps, Mr. Fenwick, you will allow me to express my own ideas. The constabulary, I say, are of opinion that there is no manner of doubt that he was one of those who broke into my tenant's house on that fatal night; and, as I was explaining to Mr. Gilmore when you did us the honour to join us, in the course of a long provincial experience I have seldom known the police to be in error." "Why, Lord Trowbridge--!" "If you please, Mr. Fenwick, I will go on. My time here cannot be long, and I have a proposition which I am desirous of making to Mr. Gilmore, as a magistrate acting in this part of the county. Of course, it is not for me to animadvert upon what the magistrates may do at the bench to-morrow." "I am sure your lordship would make no such animadversion," said Mr. Gilmore. "I do not intend it, for many reasons. But I may go so far as to say that a demand for the young man's release will be made." "He is to be released, I presume, as a matter of course," said the parson. The Marquis made no allusion to this, but went on. "If that be done,--and I must say that I think no such step would be taken by the bench at Westbury,--whither will the young man betake himself?" "Home to his father, of course," said the parson. "Back into this parish, with his paramour, to murder more of my tenants." "My lord, I c
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132  
133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
parson
 

Fenwick

 

Puddleham

 

Marquis

 

opinion

 
Gilmore
 
matter
 

lordship

 
murder
 

constabulary


Trowbridge

 

provincial

 
experience
 

tenant

 
explaining
 

seldom

 
honour
 
police
 

release

 

released


presume

 

allusion

 

Westbury

 

paramour

 

tenants

 

parish

 

betake

 

father

 

demand

 

magistrate


acting

 
county
 

making

 

desirous

 

proposition

 
animadvert
 

intend

 
reasons
 

animadversion

 
magistrates

morrow
 

looked

 
condescend
 
offended
 

startled

 

intrude

 
waiting
 

weight

 
thought
 

wanting