The Robber, A Tale.James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
The Robber, A Tale.
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
England -- Social life and customs -- 17th century -- Fiction
He was a tall, handsome, powerful man, wide-chested, broad-shouldered,
and still very muscular, without being at all corpulent. He might be
sixty-three or sixty-four years of age, and his hair was snowy white.
His eyebrows, however, and his eyelashes, both of which were long and
full, were as black as night. There was many a long, deep furrow on his
brow, and a sort of scornful, but habitual wrinkle between the nostril
of the strong aquiline nose and the corner of his mouth. On his right
cheek appeared a deep scar, round, and of about the size of a
pistol-ball; and on the chin, was a longer scar, cutting nearly from
the lip down into the throat and neck. He was dressed in a suit of
plain black velvet, with the large riding boots and heavy sword, which
were common about fifteen or sixteen years before the period of which
we now speak, but which were beginning by this time to go out of
fashion.
On entering the room, his teeth were hard set together, his brow
contracted till the large thick eyebrows almost met, and his whole air
fierce and agitated. His quick eyes darted round the room in a moment,
and alighted upon Langford, who turned and faced him at once.
The moment, however, that their looks met, a strange and sudden change
came over the whole appearance of Lord Danemore. He paused abruptly,
and stood still in the middle of the room, gazing in Langford's face,
while the frown departed from his brow, and he raised his hand towards
his head, passing it twice before his eyes, as if he fancied that some
delusion had affected his sight. His lips opened as if he would have
spoken, but for a moment or two no sounds issued forth; and the calm,
quiet, steady gaze with which Langford regarded him seemed to trouble
and agitate him.
"What is your name? what is your name?" he exclaimed rapidly, when he
could speak. "Who brought you here?"
"My name is Henry Langford," replied the prisoner--"an officer, in the
service of his majesty; and if you seriously ask, my lord--for I
suppose, I have the honour of speaking to the Earl of Danemore--if you
seriously ask who brought me hither, I have only to reply two very
silly persons calling themselves magistrates, who have entertained or
rather manufactured, amongst themselves a charge against me for which
there is not the slightest foundation."
"Henry Langford! Henry Langford!" repeated the Earl, casting his eyes
on the ground, and then raising them again to Langford's face, every
line and feature of which he seemed to scan with anxious care. "Pray of
what family are you?"
"My father," replied Langford, "was a gentleman of some property in
England, of which property, however, I have been unjustly deprived;"
and as he spoke, he fixed his eyes steadfastly upon the Earl; but that
nobleman's countenance underwent no change, and he proceeded--"My
mother was also a lady of some property----"
"Where were you born?" demanded the Earl, quickly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account