"
"Why the last three days, Norman?"
"Haven't you heard the news, sir?"
"No, I have heard nothing. Captain Jervoise and I--my old friend,
you know, Norman--have posted all the way from London, and should
have been here six days ago, if it had not been for the storm."
"Well, sir, there is bad news; at least, I don't know whether you
will consider it bad. Most of the folk about here looks at it the
other way. But the man in there shot hisself, three days ago. A
magistrate, with some men from Lancaster, came over here. They say
it was to arrest him, but I don't know the rights of the case.
Anyhow, it is said they read some paper over to him, and then he
opened a drawer at the table where he was sitting, and pulled out a
pistol, and shot hisself before anyone could stop him.
"There have been bad goings here of late, Mr. Charles, very bad,
especially for the last year. He was not friends with his son, they
say, but the news of his death drove him to drink, worse than
before; and besides, there have been dicing, and all sorts of
goings on, and I doubt not but that the ladies have had a terrible
time of it. There were several men staying in the house, but they
all took themselves off, as soon as it was over, and there are only
the ladies there now.
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