human
So it seems Lady Verney has got a tenant in Malory?
gpt
Yes, _indeed_, sir, she replied, in her most confidential manner;
human
Why, is there anything odd?
gpt
Well, it is _not_, now, _altogether_ what I would _wish_ for Lady Verney. I haven't seen any of the Malory family, excepting in church to-day; not one, indeed, sir; they are very strange; they never _come_ into the town--not once since ever they came to Malory! but _dear_ me! you know, sir, that might _be_, and yet everything as we could wish, mightn't it; yes, sure; still, you know, people _will_ be _talking_; it's a pity we don't mind our own business more, and let others be, isn't it, sir?
human
Great pity; but--but what's the matter?
gpt
Well, Master Cleve, you know, Cardyllian, and how we _do talk_ here; I don't say _more_ than _other_ places, but we _do_, and I do not like _repeatin'_ everything I hear. There's more mischief than good, _I_ think, comes of repeatin' stories.
human
Oh! come, pray what's the good of a story except to repeat it? I ought to know, perhaps I should tell Lady Verney about it,
gpt
They haven't been here, you know, very _long_,
human
No, I _don't_ know. I know nothing about it; _how_ long?
gpt
Well, about five weeks--a little more; and we never saw the gentleman once; he's never been down to the town since he came; never indeed, sir, not once.
human
He shows his sense; doesn't he?
gpt
Ah, you were always pleasant, Master Cleve, but you don't think _so_; no, you don't _indeed_; his conduct is _really most singular_, he's never been outside the walls of Malory all that time, in the _daylight_; very odd; he has hired Christmass Owen's boat, and he goes out in it _every night_, unless twice, the wind was too high, and Owen didn't choose to venture his boat. He's a _tall_ man, Christmass Owen says, and holds himself straight, like an officer, for people _will_ be making _inquiries_, you know; and he has _gray_ hair; not _quite_ white, you know.
human
How _should_ I know?
gpt
Ah, ha, you were always _funny_; yes, indeed, but it _is_ gray, gone _quite_ gray, Christmass Owen says.
human
Well, and what about the ladies? inquired the young gentleman.
gpt
The _ladies_? _Well_. There's _two_, you know; there's Miss Sheckleton, that's the elderly lady, and all the Malory accounts in the town is opened in her name. Anne Sheckleton, very reg'lar she is. I have nothing to say concerning her. They don't spend a great _deal_, you understand, but their money is _sure_.
human
Yes, of course; but, you said, didn't you? that there was something not quite right about them.
gpt
Oh dear, no, sir; I did not say quite _that_; nothing _wrong_, no sure, but very odd, sir, and most _unpleasant_, and that is all.
human
And that's a good deal; isn't it?
gpt
Well, it _is_ something; it is _indeed_ a great _deal_,
human
And _what is_ it, what do you know of them, or the people here what do they _say?_
gpt
Well, they say, putting this and that together, and some hints from the servant that comes down to order things up from the town--for servants, you know, will be talking--that the family is _mad_.
human
That's what they say.
gpt
The whole family are _mad!_ and yet continue to manage their affairs as they do! By Jove, it is a comfort to find that people can get on without heads, on emergency.
human
They don't say, no, dear me! that _all_ that's in the house are mad; _only_ the old man and the young lady.
gpt
And what is she mad upon?
human
Well, they don't say. I don't know--melancholy I do suppose.
gpt
And what is the old gentleman's name?
human
We don't _know_, the _servants_ don't know, they say; they were hired by Miss Sheckleton, in Chester, and never saw the old gentleman, nor the young lady, till after they were two or three days in Malory; and one night comes a carriage, with a madhouse gentleman, they do say, a doctor, in charge of the old gentleman, and the young lady, poor thing! and so they were handed over by him, to Miss Sheckleton.
gpt
And what sort of lunacies do they commit? They're not pulling down the house among them, I hope?
human
Very gentle--very. I'm told, quite, as you may say, _manageable_. It's a very sad thing, sir, but _what_ a world it is! yes, indeed. Isn't it?
gpt
Ay, so it is.--I've heard that, I think, before.
human
You may have heard it from _me_, sir, and it's long been my feeling and opinion, dear me! The longer I live the more melancholy sights I see!
gpt
How long is Malory let for?
human
Can't say, indeed, sir. That is they may give it up every three months, but has the right to keep it two whole years, that is if they _like_, you understand.
gpt
Well, it is rather odd. It was they who sat in the Malory seat to-day?
human
That was Miss Sheckleton, was the old lady; and the young one, didn't you think her very pretty, sir?
gpt
Yes--she's pretty, he answered carelessly.
human
But I really could not see very well.
gpt
I was very near as she turned to leave--before she took down her veil--and I thought what a really _beautiful_ creature she was!
human
And what do they call her?
gpt
Miss Margaret, sir.
human
Margaret! a pretty name--rather. Oh! here's Mr. Jones;