E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Annika Feilbach, and Project
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THE HOUSE OF WHISPERS
By
WILLIAM LE QUEUX
1910
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ITHE LAIRD OF GLENCARDINE
CHAPTER IIFROM OUT THE NIGHT
CHAPTER IIISEALS OF DESTINY
CHAPTER IVSOMETHING CONCERNING JAMES FLOCKART
CHAPTER VTHE MURIES OF CONNACHAN
CHAPTER VICONCERNS GABRIELLE'S SECRET
CHAPTER VIICONTAINS CURIOUS CONFIDENCES
CHAPTER VIIICASTING THE BAIT
CHAPTER IXREVEALS A MYSTERIOUS BUSINESS
CHAPTER XDECLARES A WOMAN'S LOVE
CHAPTER XICONCERNS THE WHISPERS
CHAPTER XIIEXPLAINS SOME CURIOUS FACTS
CHAPTER XIIIWHAT FLOCKART FORESAW
CHAPTER XIVCONCERNS THE CURSE OF THE CARDINAL
CHAPTER XVFOLLOWS FLOCKART'S FORTUNES
CHAPTER XVISHOWS A GIRL'S BONDAGE
CHAPTER XVIIDESCRIBES A FRENCHMAN'S VISIT
CHAPTER XVIIIREVEALS THE SPY
CHAPTER XIXSHOWS GABRIELLE DEFIANT
CHAPTER XXTELLS OF FLOCKART'S TRIUMPH
CHAPTER XXITHROUGH THE MISTS
CHAPTER XXIIBY THE MEDITERRANEAN
CHAPTER XXIIIWHICH SHOWS A SHABBY FOREIGNER
CHAPTER XXIV"WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK"
CHAPTER XXVSHOWS GABRIELLE IN EXILE
CHAPTER XXVITHE VELVET PAW
CHAPTER XXVIIBETRAYS THE BOND
CHAPTER XXVIIITHE WHISPERS AGAIN
CHAPTER XXIXCONTAINS A FURTHER MYSTERY
CHAPTER XXXREVEALS SOMETHING TO HAMILTON
CHAPTER XXXIDESCRIBES A CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE
CHAPTER XXXIIOUTSIDE THE WINDOW
CHAPTER XXXIIIIS ABOUT THE MAISON LÉNARD
CHAPTER XXXIVSURPRISES MR. FLOCKART
CHAPTER XXXVDISCLOSES A SECRET
CHAPTER XXXVIIN WHICH GABRIELLE TELLS A STRANGE STORY
CHAPTER XXXVIIINCREASES THE INTEREST
CHAPTER XXXVIII"THAT MAN'S VOICE!"
CHAPTER XXXIXCONTAINS THE CONCLUSION
THE HOUSE OF WHISPERS
CHAPTER I
THE LAIRD OF GLENCARDINE
"Why, what's the matter, child? Tell me."
"Nothing, dad—really nothing."
"But you are breathing hard; your hand trembles; your pulse beatsquickly. There's something amiss—I'm sure there is. Now, what is it?Come, no secrets."
The girl, quickly snatching away her hand, answered with a forced laugh,"How absurd you really are, dear old dad! You're always fancyingsomething or other."
"Because my senses of hearing and feeling are sharper and more developedthan those of other folk perhaps," replied the grey-bearded oldgentleman, as he turned his sharp-cut, grey, but expressionlesscountenance to the tall, sweet-faced girl standing beside his chair.
No second glance was needed to realise the pitiful truth. The man seatedthere in his fine library, with the summer sunset slanting acros