Part 20 (2/2)
”Gregory, you fool, you have drunk overdeep in ory, ”and, my God, 'twas he was h, like enough,” returned Joseph, with a conteory, the wine has so fouled your worthless wits at last, that they conjure up phantoms to sit at the table with you Come, man, what petticoat business is this? Bestir yourself, fool”
At that Gregory caught the drift of Joseph's suspicions
”Tis you are the fool,” he retorted angrily, springing to his feet, and towering above his brother
”It was no ghost sat with ely changed by tied that I knew him not, nor should I know hio, I overheard”
His earnestness was too impressive, his sanity too obvious, and Joseph's suspicions were all scattered before it
He caught Gregory's wrist in a grip that made him wince, and forced him back into his seat
”Gadslife, h set teeth
”Tell ory told hihah, accompanied by one Crispin Galliard, the same that had been known for his mad exploits in the late wars as ”rakehelly Galliard,” and that was non to the ht” for his debauched habits Crispin's ht of his arrival now returned vividly to Gregory'swith the story that that very evening he had overheard Kenneth telling Cynthia
”And this Galliard, then, is none other than that pup of insolence, Roland Marleigh, grown into a dog of war?” quoth Joseph
He was calularly calm for one who had heard such news
”There remains no doubt of it”
”And you saw this ht over your damned sack, and knew him not? Oddswounds, man, where were your eyes?”
”I ed I would defy you, Joseph, to have recognized him”
Joseph sneered, and the flash of his eyes told of the conteory I have cause enough to reh Then as suddenly changing his tone for one of eager anxiety:
”But the lad, Gregory, does he suspect, think you?”
”Not a whit In that lies this fellow's diabolical cunning Learning of Kenneth's relations with us, he seized the opportunity Fate offered hiht at Worcester, and bound the lad on oath to help hi the naainst whom he should require his services The boy expects at any o forth with hi that it is here that that tragedy is to be played out”
”This comes of your fine matrihed his unpleasant laugh again, and for a spell there was silence
”To think, Gregory,” he broke out at last, ”that for a fortnight he should have been beneath this roof, and you should have found nohteen years ago”
He spoke as coldly as though the ory shuddered and looked at his brother in alar ”Are you as cowardly as you are blind? damn me, sir, it seeue e for me” He paused awas sinister beyond words: ”To of war to so his hilt as he spoke, ”besides, you shall be there, Gregory” And he sory, in distress
”There was,” answered Joseph ”There was in Parliament At Whitehall I met a man--one Colonel Pride--a bloodthirsty old Puritan soldier, ould give his right hand to see this Galliard hanged Galliard, it seems, slew the fellow's son at Worcester Had I but known,” he added regretfully--”had your wits been keener, and you had discovered it and sent e As it is”--he shrugged his shoulders--”there is not time”