[The Touchstone of Fortune by Charles Major]@TWC D-Link book
The Touchstone of Fortune

CHAPTER III
17/32

As soon as he could get on his feet again, he went to the coach door, spoke to Frances, ran to Sir William, who was waiting at the top of the house steps, candle in hand, to welcome Roger, and spoke but one word: "Dead!" Frances hurriedly came from the coach, and Sir William went to meet her.
Holding out her hands to him, she cried:-- "Oh, Sir William, they have killed your brother! Robbed him and killed him!" Frances was incoherently explaining to Sir William when Lady Wentworth came down the steps and led her into the house.

Then the doors were opened wide, and poor old Roger's body was carried reverently to the best parlor.
The following morning, when I was notified that Frances was at Sir William's house, I went to see her and learned the particulars of the tragedy, though she said nothing at that time about having recognized any of the highwaymen, and seemed strangely reluctant to talk about the affair.
On the fourth day after Roger's death he was buried in Saint-Martin's-in-the-Fields churchyard, good Sir William taking the only means in his power to express his love for his brother by an elaborate funeral.

Never were there more beautiful hatchments seen in London.

They bore Roger's humble coat-of-arms, half in white and half in black, to denote that the deceased had left a widow.

Never were there more nor finer white mourning scarfs distributed among the mourners, and never in the memory of man had so much burnt sherry been served at a funeral.
These extraordinary arrangements attracted a great deal of attention throughout London and caused Roger's murder to be talked about far and near.


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