human
Howsoever, that don't concern us now. When I knew Scholar Gloam, he was a middling-sized, slender-built young gentleman, having queer hair not all of the same colour, and a trick of talking to himself in a sort of a low mumbling way, as it might be the bubbling of water under a ship's stern, if ye know what I mean, sir. He was a comely favoured man of the pale sort, and grave and silent, though always the gentleman in his manners, as by blood and breeding. For the Gloams was the great family here fifty years ago, and was landlords of most of the farms roundabout; but they steered a bad course, as I might say, and died out, so as Scholar Gloam was the last of 'em. Old Harold, the Scholar's father, he was a reckless devil if any man ever was; and when he died 'twas found that Gloam Hall and all belonging thereto must go to the auction. The only bit left was the Laughing Mill itself, and an acre or two of land round about it.
gpt
What did the mill laugh at, Mr. Poyntz? its own prosperity?
human
Nay, sir! returned the burly mariner, shaking his head.
gpt
I heard it laugh once, and I'd as soon crack jokes with Davy Jones as listen to it again. 'Twas a mad, wild scream more than a laugh, and like nothing human, praise goodness, that ever I heard! There was ugly yarns about that mill, d'ye see; folks said as how it had killed a man, and afterwards had got possessed with his evil spirit that was always roaming about seeking whom it might devour ... or maybe I've got things a bit mixed!
human
Who was it that was killed?
gpt
Ay, surely, said Mr. Poyntz thoughtfully,
human
I should have told ye that. It was the man that was married to old Squire Harold's housekeeper. And that housekeeper, sir, when she was a young one, was about as well-favoured a wench as a man would care to speak with on a week day; and 'twas said, hitching himself nearer to me on the bench and rumbling in my ear,
gpt
Wasn't that rather an odd thing for him to do, Mr. Poyntz, under the circumstances?