what I eat."

Helbeck offered no reply. Conversation between them indeed did not flow
very readily. They talked a little about the journey from London; and
Laura asked a few questions about the house. She was, indeed, studying
the room in which they sat, and her host himself, all the time. "He may
be a saint," she thought, "but I am sure he knows all the time there are
very few saints of such an old family! His head's splendid--so dark and
fine--with the great waves of grey-black hair--and the long features and
the pointed chin. He's immensely tall too--six feet two at least--taller
than father. He looks hard and bigoted. I suppose most people would be
afraid of him--I'm not!"

And as though to prove even to herself she was not, she carried on a
rattle of questions. How old was the tower? How old was the room in which
they were sitting? She looked round it with ignorant, girlish eyes.

He pointed her to the date on the carved mantelpiece--1583.

"That is a very important date for us," he began, then checked himself.

"Why?"

He seemed to find a difficulty in going on, but at last he said:

"The man who put up that chimney-piece was hanged at Manchester later in
the same year."

"Why?--what for?"