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Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan, 1814-1873

"Uncle Silas A Tale of Bartram-Haugh"


'Pooh! I haven't a notion; but, probably, one way or another, he has been
all his days working on his nerves and his brain. These men of pleasure,
who have no other pursuit, use themselves up mostly, and pay a smart price
for their sins. And so he's kind and affectionate, but hands you over to
your cousin and the servants. Are his people civil and obliging?'
'Well, I can't say much for them; there is a man named Hawkes, and his
daughter, who are very rude, and even abusive sometimes, and say they have
orders from my uncle to shut us out from a portion of the grounds; but I
don't believe that, for Uncle Silas never alluded to it when I was making
my complaint of them to-day.'
'From what part of the grounds is that?' asked Doctor Bryerly, sharply.
I described the situation as well as I could.
'Can we see it from this?' he asked, peeping from the window.
'Oh, no.'
Doctor Bryerly made a note in his pocket-book here, and I said--
'But I am really quite sure it was a story of Dickon's, he is such a surly,
disobliging man.'
'And what sort is that old servant that came in and out of his room?'
'Oh, that is old L'Amour,' I answered, rather indirectly, and forgetting
that I was using Milly's nickname.


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