The Master of Phoenix Hall Read Online Free PDF

away?”
    â€œI have no idea.”
    â€œThe stable boy—I talked to him while you came on upstairs—told me this black highwayman has been operating in this part of the country a long time, almost two years. They haven’t been able to trap him. He has a secret hideout where he keeps his loot, and he only goes out three or four times a year, when there is a large amount of money being sent. He must be a clever devil.”
    It all sounded fantastic to me, too much like an adventure tale. In the clean, calm room with the soft candlelight, it seemed hard to believe that it had actually happened.
    â€œHe’s not an ordinary bandit,” Nan continued. “The boy says he’s a resident of these parts, probably very respectable, with access to information about the money shipments. That makes it all the more exciting, don’t you think, Miss Angel?”
    â€œThey’ll catch him, Nan. Without your help,” I added.
    â€œI’d like to be there when they take his hood off.”
    â€œStop prattling,” I said. “We must hurry. The meal will be cold.”
    She laid the brush aside and arranged my hair, fastening it with my silver hairpins.
    I was wearing a blue and brown checked dress with a dark brown bodice. The long skirts rustled as I moved across the room. We went down the narrow wooden staircase and stepped into the warm atmosphere of the public room. It was very large, with dull red walls and sawdust over the rough stone floor. A fire was roaring in the large stone fireplace, and the flames cast reflections on the copper pots and pans that hung on the walls. Rough wooden tables and chairs were arranged comfortably. There was the smell of hot sausage and the not unpleasing odor of stale beer.
    The mistress brought up hot rolls and sausage and a dish of hashed potatoes. Like everyone else, she had been excited by the holdup, and she lingered at our table while Nan related for the tenth time what had happened, adding the expected embellishments. The woman’s brown eyes grew large and Nan told of her defiance of the bandit. She called Nan a brave girl and patted her hand before leaving the table.
    The driver was sitting at a table in the corner, surrounded by a group of men who were talking quietly. A local constable had already arrived and he came over to our table and asked us to make statements. We told him what had taken place and he listened gravely. The mistress came in with an apple pie and thick cream. We finished our meal in silence, both of us beginning to grow a little weary after the hot food. I was ready to go back to my room when the innkeeper approached us.
    â€œYou’re a brave pair,” he said, putting his beefy hands on his hips. He wore a leather apron and his sleeves were rolled up. He had a typically peasant face, large, open, weathered, with strong features. Honesty was apparent in every line.
    â€œGoing to the Coast?” he asked.
    â€œYes, near Penzance,” I replied.
    â€œRough weather there,” he said, “rough country for two young women alone. Going to join your family, Miss?” His questions were not rude. They were merely the questions of a simple, straightforward man who was genuinely interested. This was a lonely part of the country. I could understand why he liked to talk to anyone who stopped at his inn. I told him our exact destination and that I had inherited a house there on the Mellory estate.
    â€œThe Mellorys of Phoenix Hall?” he asked.
    I nodded. His eyes grew dark with concern.
    â€œThe worst spot in Cornwall,” he told me. “I fancy you won’t be staying there too long, Miss. It’s a rowdy county, and there is much dislike for those Mellorys—at least for the Master. He closed down the granite quarries and put a lot of people out of work. I wouldn’t be anywhere near Phoenix Hall, not on your life.”
    Much later, as the pale moonlight poured into my room, I thought