The Argosy — page 204: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

188 The Master of Greylanas. ‘“‘ And the pistol again !—or gun!” remonstrated Mr. Castlemaine. ‘‘Tt does not stand to reason that people should be firing off guns and pistols at midnight. I fancy that must be altogether a mistake ” ‘‘ The Grey Ladiescan speak to that much, sir,” interrupted Mrs. Bent. ‘‘ As Sister Ann, here, can tell you.” Mr. Castlemaine turned on his heel and brought his eyes to bear on Sister Ann. She was sitting in the corner near the clock, her basket as usual in her hand. For she had come out to do errands, and been seduced by curiosity into the Dolphin, to take her share in the gossip. ‘‘ Ves, sir, we heard the pistol, or gun, whichever it was, and the human cry that came with it,” she said to Mr. Castlemaine. “Sister Mona and I were watching in Sister Mildred’s room—for the fever was very bad upon her last night and she was restless and wandering, poor lady! It was all quite still. I was knitting’ and Sister Mona was reading; you might have heard a pin drop indoors, or out; when there burst upon our ears a loud shot, followed by a human cry. A loud scream it was, making me and Sister Mona start up in terror.” ‘It was like a death-scream,” said John Bent. ‘‘ And I cannot,” he added, looking at Mr. Castlemaine, “ get it out of my head that it was his scream—young Mr. Anthony’s.”’ ‘From what direction did itcome?” asked Mr. Castlemaine of the landlord. “T can’t tell, sir. I was walking about on the opposite side of the road, and I thought it came from seaward. It sounded very near.” ‘Tt sounded to us as though it came from the chapel ruins, or from the strip of land below it,” said Sister Ann. “ We did not hear any more.” ‘‘ And I did not think at the time to connect that shot and scream with Mr. Anthony Castlemaine,” pursued John Bent. ‘TI do now.” “ Well, it 1s altogether a most extraordinary and unaccountable affair,” remarked Mr. Castlemaine. ‘Strange to say, I was abroad last night myself and near the spot, but not as late as you describe this to have been. Between ten and eleven I went down the lane as far as the Hutt, gl eague was, I had heard, purposing to go out in his boat for a few hours to-day ; and I, not having been very well lately, thought I should like to go with him, and went down to sayso. I stayed and hada pipe with him, and I think it must have ben half-past eleven when I left.” ‘¢ And did you go straight home from the Hutt, sir?” asked John Bent, eagerly. , ‘Straight home from the Hutt’s door to my door,” emphatically replied Mr. Castlemaine. _ “ And did not go anigh the other end of the lane at all?—nor the Fniar’s Keep ? ” “Most certainly not. I went direct from Teague’s house to mine.” That Mr. Castlemaine was candid in stating this little matter spon- ECORNICLOOO SS (C(O) in —_)