The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Grey Room, by Eden Phillpotts

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Grey Room

Author: Eden Phillpotts

Posting Date: August 20, 2008 [EBook #1577]
Release Date: December, 1998

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GREY ROOM ***

Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer

THE GREY ROOM

by Eden Phillpotts

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
I. THE HOUSE PARTY
II. AN EXPERIMENT
III. AT THE ORIEL
IV. "BY THE HAND OF GOD"
V. THE UNSEEN MOVES
VI. THE ORDER FROM LONDON
VII. THE FANATIC
VIII. THE LABORS OF THE FOUR
IX. THE NIGHT WATCH
X. SIGNOR VERGILIO MANNETTI
XI. PRINCE DJEM
XII. THE GOLDEN BULL
XIII. TWO NOTES

CHAPTER I. THE HOUSE PARTY

The piers of the main entrance of Chadlands were of red brick, and upon
each reposed a mighty sphere of grey granite. Behind them stretched away
the park, where forest trees, nearly shorn of their leaves at the
edge of winter, still answered the setting sun with fires of thinning
foliage. They sank away through stretches of brake fern, and already
amid their trunks arose a thin, blue haze--breath of earth made visible
by coming cold. There was frost in the air, and the sickle of a new moon
hung where dusk of evening dimmed the green of the western sky.

The guns were returning, and eight men with three women arrived at the
lofty gates. One of the party rode a grey pony, and a woman walked on
each side of him. They chattered together, and the little company of
tweed-clad people passed into Chadlands Park and trudged forward, where
the manor house rose half a mile ahead.

Then an old man emerged from a lodge, hidden behind a grove of laurel
and bay within the entrance, and shut the great gates of scroll iron.
They were of a flamboyant Italian period, and more arrestive than
distinguished. Panelled upon them, and belonging to a later day than
they, had been imposed two iron coats of arms, with crest above and
motto beneath--the heraldic bearings of the present owner of Chadlands.
He set store upon suc