The Washington herald., 1914-02-15

less easy to fix the impression in the
man at the left end of the table, who
to say truth, was as commonplace a
person as could be seen anywhere
with a rounds brown-haired head and
a round snub nose, but also clad in
clerical black, of stricter cut. II was
only when l saw his broad curved hat
lying on the table beside him that ]
realized why | connected him with any
thing ancient. He was a Roman Cath
Ole priest. Perhaps the third man, at
the other end of the table, had really
more to do with 1t than the rest, though
he was both slighter in physical pres
ence and more inconsiderate in his
dress. His lank limbs were clad-I
might almost say clutched-in very
tight gray sleeves and pantsloons; he
had long. sallow, aqtiline face, which
seemed somehow all the more saturnine
because his lantern jaws were impris-
oned in his collar and neckcloth more
in the style of the old stock; and his
hair (Which ought to have been dark
brown was of an odd dim russell COL
Or which, in conjunction with his vel
low face, looked rather purple than red.
The, unobrusive yet unusual color was
all the more notable because his hair
was almost unnaturally healthy and
curling, and he wore it full. But, after
III analysis, incline to. think that what
gave me my first old-fashioned impress
lion was simply set of tall, old-fash-
oned wine glasses, one or two lemons,
md two church-warden pipes. And
Ilso, perhaps, the old-world GRAND on
which had come.
Being a hardened reporter, and it
'eing apparently public inn, did not
iced to summon much Of my impl-
lence to sit down at the long table and
rider some cider. The big man in
lack seemed very learned, especially
bout local anti uities. The small man
n black, though he talked much less,
urprised me with a yet wider culture.
SO we got on very well together. But
he third man, the old gentleman in the !
light pantaloons, seemed rather distant
nd naughty, until I slid into the sub
ect of the Duke of Exeter and his an
es.ry. thought the subject seemed
0 embarrass the other two little; but |
/ broke the spell of the third mans |
Hence most successfully.
Speaking with restraint and with the
ccent of highly-educated gentleman,
nd putting at intervals at his long
pipe, he proceeded to
ell me some OF the most horrible
tories l have ever heard in my life;
ow one of the Eyres in former ages
ad hanged his own father; and an
Their had his wife scourged at the cart
all through the village; and another
ad set fire to church full of chill
rep; and so on. And all this red roll
t impieties came from his thin, gen. !
,el lips rather primiy than otherwise,
5 he sat slipping the wine out of his
III. thin glass. 4
/ could see that the big man oppo-
tie me was trying, if anything, to stop
i'm; but he evidently held the old
entleman in considerable respect, and
ould not venture to do so at all
bruptly. And the little priest at the
ther end of the table, though free
'om any such air of fear or embar-
looked steadily at the table,
nd seemed to listen to the recital with
reat pain-as well he might.
"You don't SEEM" / said, ito be very
md of the Exeter pedigree"
He looked at me moment, his lips
i'll prim, but whitening and tightening;
zen he deliberately broke his long pipe
I'd glass on the table, and stood up,
lie very picture of a perfect gentle
an with the flaming temper of fiend.
These gentlemen he said, will tell
,u whether | have cause 10 like it.
he Curse OF the Eyres of old has
in heavy on this country. and many
I'VE suffered from it They know
ere is none who have suffered from
as l have"
And with that he crushed piece of
c fallen glass under his heel, and