Part 1 (1/2)

The Adventures of Harry Riche Meredith

CHAPTER I I AM A SUBJECT OF CONTENTION

One e were awakened by a ringing of the outer bell and blows upon the great hall-doors Squire Beltham was master there: the other hter Dorothy Belthahter Mrs

Richmond; Benjamin Sewis, an old half-caste butler; various domestic servants; and a little boy, christened Harry Lepel Riche lay in a rich watered hollow of the Hampshi+re heath-country; a lonely circle of enclosed brook and pasture, within view of some of its dependent far except the stables and the head-gardener's cottage

Traditions of audacious highway fir-scenery, kept it alive to fears of solitude and the night; and there was that in the determined violence of the knocks and repeated bell-peals which assured all those who had ever listened in the servants' hall to prognostications of a possible night attack, that the robbers had co the upper corridor of thelower down, bold in attitude Suddenly the noise ended, and soon after the voice of old Sewis commanded theile leaps to the post of danger, while the women, in whose bosoms intense curiosity now supplanted terror, proceeded to a vacant roo the front entrance, and spied from the

Meanwhile Sewis stood by his master's bedside The squire was a hunter, of the old sort: a hard rider, deep drinker, and heavy sluht and flashed it over the squire's eyelids tohi by his Lord Harry he had just drea of buckets

'Sewis! you're the man, are you: where has it broken out?'

'No, sir; no fire,' said Sewis; 'you be cool, sir'

'Cool, sir! confound it, Sewis, haven't I heard a whole town of steeples at work? I don't sleep so thick but I can hear, you dog! Fellow coives me a start, tells ht!'

The squire had fallen back on his pillow and was relapsing to sleep

Sewis spoke ientleman downstairs, sir He has come rather late'

'Gentleman downstairs coence to possess it thoroughly 'Rather late, eh? Oh! Shove hied to hi a severely distasteful announceentle That is not his business It 's rather late for him to arrive'

'Rather late!' roared the squire 'Why, what's it o'clock?'

Reaching a hand to the watch over his head, he caught sight of the unearthly hour 'A quarter to two? Gentleman downstairs? Can't be that infernal apothecary who broke 's engagee, if it is I'll souse hih the rascal 'd been drawn through the duck-pond Two o'clock in the istrate, and I'll coive him fourteen days for a sot; another fourteen for iiven a month 'fore now Comes to me, a Justice of the peace!--man 's mad! Tell him he's in peril of a lunatic asylu? Lift him out o' the house on the top o' your boot, Sewis, and say it 's mine; you 've my leave'

Seithdrew a step from the bedside At a safe distance he fronted his ly 'It 's Mr Richmond, sir,' he said

'Mr' The squire checked his breath That was a nae 'The scoundrel?' he inquired harshly, half in a tone of one assuring hiid dropped jaw shut

The fact had to be denied or affir his bedclothes in a lump, the squire cried:

'Downstairs? downstairs, Sewis? You've admitted him into my house?'

'No, sir'

'You have!'

'He is not in the house, sir'