THE HOUSE OF WHISPERS By WILLIAM LE QUEUX 1910 CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE LAIRD OF GLENCARDINE CHAPTER II FROM OUT THE NIGHT CHAPTER III SEALS OF DESTINY CHAPTER IV SOMETHING CONCERNING JAMES FLOCKART CHAPTER V THE MURIES OF CONNACHAN CHAPTER VI CONCERNS GABRIELLE'S SECRET CHAPTER VII CONTAINS CURIOUS CONFIDENCES CHAPTER VIII CASTING THE BAIT CHAPTER IX REVEALS A MYSTERIOUS BUSINESS CHAPTER X DECLARES A WOMAN'S LOVE CHAPTER XI CONCERNS THE WHISPERS CHAPTER XII EXPLAINS SOME CURIOUS FACTS CHAPTER XIII WHAT FLOCKART FORESAW CHAPTER XIV CONCERNS THE CURSE OF THE CARDINAL CHAPTER XV FOLLOWS FLOCKART'S FORTUNES CHAPTER XVI SHOWS A GIRL'S BONDAGE CHAPTER XVII DESCRIBES A FRENCHMAN'S VISIT CHAPTER XVIII REVEALS THE SPY CHAPTER XIX SHOWS GABRIELLE DEFIANT CHAPTER XX TELLS OF FLOCKART'S TRIUMPH CHAPTER XXI THROUGH THE MISTS CHAPTER XXII BY THE MEDITERRANEAN CHAPTER XXIII WHICH SHOWS A SHABBY FOREIGNER CHAPTER XXIV "WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK" CHAPTER XXV SHOWS GABRIELLE IN EXILE CHAPTER XXVI THE VELVET PAW CHAPTER XXVII BETRAYS THE BOND CHAPTER XXVIII THE WHISPERS AGAIN CHAPTER XXIX CONTAINS A FURTHER MYSTERY CHAPTER XXX REVEALS SOMETHING TO HAMILTON CHAPTER XXXI DESCRIBES A CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE CHAPTER XXXII OUTSIDE THE WINDOW CHAPTER XXXIII IS ABOUT THE MAISON LÉNARD CHAPTER XXXIV SURPRISES MR. FLOCKART CHAPTER XXXV DISCLOSES A SECRET CHAPTER XXXVI IN WHICH GABRIELLE TELLS A STRANGE STORY CHAPTER XXXVII INCREASES THE INTEREST CHAPTER XXXVIII "THAT MAN'S VOICE!" CHAPTER XXXIX CONTAINS THE CONCLUSION THE HOUSE OF WHISPERS CHAPTER I THE LAIRD OF GLENCARDINE "Why, what's the matter, child? Tell me." "Nothing, dad--really nothing." "But you are breathing hard; your hand trembles; your pulse beats quickly. There's something amiss--I'm sure there is. Now, what is it? Come, no secrets." The girl, quickly snatching away her hand, answered with a forced laugh, "How absurd you really are, dear old dad! You're always fancying something or other." "Because my senses of hearing and feeling are sharper and more developed than those of other folk perhaps," replied the grey-bearded old gentleman, as he turned his sharp-cut, grey, but expressionless countenance to the tall, sweet-faced girl standing beside his chair. No second glance was needed to realise the pitiful truth. The man seated there in his fine library, with the summer sunset slanting across the red carpet from the open French windows, was blind. Since his daughter Gabrielle had been a pretty, prattling child of nine, nursing her dolly, he had never looked upon her fair face. But he was ever as devoted to her as she to him.