He
did not at any rate go on the Friday,--nor on the Saturday. And on
the Saturday Mr. Wobytrade, the undertaker, had received orders
from Mrs. Morton to go at once to Bragton. All this was felt to be
strong against Reginald. But when it was discovered that on the
Saturday afternoon Mrs. Morton herself had gone up to London, not
waiting even for the coming of any one else to take possession of
the house,--and that she had again carried all her own personal
luggage with her, then opinion in Dillsborough again veered. Upon
the whole the betting was a point or two in favour of Reginald,
when the club met.
Mrs. Masters, who had been much quelled of late, had been urgent
with her husband to go over to the Bush; but he was unwilling, he
said, to be making jolly while the Squire of Bragton was lying
unburied. "He was nothing to you, Gregory," said his wife, who had
in vain endeavoured to learn from him why he had been summoned to
Bragton--"You will hear something over there, and it will relieve
your spirits." So instigated he did go across, and found all the
accustomed members of the club congregated in the room. Even Larry
Twentyman was present, who of late had kept himself aloof from all
such meetings. Both the Botseys were there, and Nupper and Harry
Stubbings, and Ribbs the butcher. Runciman himself of course was in
the room, and he had introduced on this occasion Captain Glomax,
the master of the hunt, who was staying at his house that night,--
perhaps with a view to hunting duties on the Monday, perhaps in
order that he might hear something as to the Bragton property.
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