The Weird Sisters, Volume I (of 3)

laret on the evening of Monday, the 27th August, 1866.

ency, and yet pleasantly rounded and full. There was no angularity or harshness in his face or figure. The figure was active looking and powerfu

e, with quickly-mobile sensitive nostrils; and his mouth well formed and full, having a sly upt

th as a young girl's cheek. He stood six feet without his boots. He was this evening in the

Danefordian, ever called him either Henry or Walter. He was universally known as Wat Grey. Daneford believed him to be

Christian name; and if anyone said, "Wat did so-and-so," and you asked, "Wat wh

heartedness, had prospered in the world, and kept his youth and made his money, and

ence. Lads of twenty never thought of him as a fogey, and men of thirty looked upon him as a younger man, who had learned the folly of vicious vanities very much sooner than others; and consequently they confided in him, and submitted themselves to him w

ord. He was Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce,

ford Boat Club, and Treasurer of

zed more highly the distinction of familiarity his town had conferred upon him than any conventional array of Christian and surnames, or any title of cold courtesy or routine right. It was not often he dropped from his c

small constituency any time he chose when the Liberal seat was vacant. Daneford was one of those constituencies which give one hand

row wiser and more corrupt. Then you can put me in, and I sha

ght be induced to stand at the next vacancy. Then all who knew of his personal qualities, his immense knowledge of finance, and his large fortune, said that if he chose

ing for her, or revolving the ordinary matters of his banking business, or devising some scheme for the reduction of taxation in the city, or dallying mentally with the s

the newness of his black clothes and of the bands on his hats in the hall accounted for the absence of guests. He was not dressed for dinner. One of the things which had made

postulated with her unreasonable prejudice, but I can't get her to concede no coat at all. You may wear your hat and your glo

t, she saw little company; tea wa

ough his cigar on that evening of the 27th

the window, turned round his head

ames, wh

r, wants t

ness. But he had been long enough in uniform to acquire the accomplishment of strict and literal attention to orders, and the complete suspension of his own faculties of judg

ishment, not unmixed with a sense of the ridiculo

to the shortness of the servant's sight the exp

stock of observation and no

n, sir; like a man yo

Ah! Which, James, do you mean: the sort of man you'd see wa

e droll dulness and droller

e description narrowed down to the selection of one of two

, sir, as if he'd been leaning

ded the master, laughing softly, and brushing imaginary cigar-ash

uick march!" he would have gone out of the window, through the glass, without a murmur and without a thought of reproach; but to be thus interrogated on subtleties of appear

as a public-house,

is all right, James. I am too lazy to go down to see him. Show hi

the master laughed still more loudly, and

se because he smelt of liquor! Ha, ha, ha! My quaint Jame

d the idea of James finally with a roguish

a small table between the dining-table and the easy-chair, and placed an ordinary oak and green dinin

threw himself back in his own chair and began smoking slowly, blowing the smoke towards the ceiling without takin

said, "The man, sir!" the door

nker, in a good-natured tone of voice, withou

no reply by either

uiet sigh, as though the ridiculous in the world was killing him slowly: "It's too droll, too droll." Then to the man, who still stood just inside the door:

sed and shoulders thrust up high, and a battered, worn sealskin-cap held in both hands close

which he had been standing, thrust up his shoulders, and pressed down his head in token of unspeakable hu

s already. Do come over, and sit down here. I can't keep on saying 'come' all th

man to the large easy-

nsisted of infernal-machines which might go off at any moment. His dress was ragged and torn; his face, a long narr

y, at the same time waving his hand towar

r stand," said the man,

orous of manner, broad-faced, generous-looking, perfectly dressed, scrupulously neat; the other, drawn toget

monotonous until you take my advice, and sit down in that chair. You need not be afraid o

chair. The smile, however, was a pleasant, cordial, happy one. He drew in his legs, sat upright, and, leaning his left elbow on the small table before him, pointed to the chair with his right hand,

cigar on the ash-tray beside him, clasping his hands over his waistcoat, and bending slightly fo

Far

ent tone, as though he felt he would be violating kindliness by insisting on a reply which had little or nothing to do with Farleg. He continued, "I don't think I have ever seen you or heard your name before; and alt

r!" cried the m

ood to you in not settin

gained his feet, and with an oath demanded: "How did you know I did it? Are you going to set them after me now?" His blue eye

ven spoken to the police about the matter, and I do not intend speaking to

in that chair aga

r with uneasiness and

e. He cast his large blue eyes once more hastily round the room, then r

d the harmlessly seductive appearance of the chair. Farleg was ashamed of his fears; upon another invitation, and an assurance that noth

in a position to go on smoo

r, the night of t

r-rooms, on the evening of the 17th of this month,

oing to send the

N

his chair until his elb

me, or whoever did the robbery; was that a true word? Di

hen I missed the things I thought you might call.

ee; but I thought you might like to have this one, and I brought it to you

es, no longer wandering, fixed th

rinkled up like a blighted leaf. Almost instantly it

wife's guard ring. You were very kind

the drawer of the little table tha