This arranged, Mr. Edmonstone hurried away, and Charles began by
saying, 'Isn't there a ghost at Redclyffe?'

'So it is said,' answered his cousin; 'though I don't think it is
certain whose it is. There is a room called Sir Hugh's Chamber, over
the gateway, but the honour of naming it is undecided between Hugo de
Morville, who murdered Thomas a Becket, and his namesake, the first
Baronet, who lived in the time of William of Orange, when the quarrel
began with our branch of the family. Do you know the history of it,
aunt?'

'It was about some property,' said Mrs Edmonstone, 'though I don't know
the rights of it. But the Morvilles were always a fiery, violent race,
and the enmity once begun between Sir Hugh and his brother, was kept
up, generation after generation, in a most unjustifiable way. Even I
can remember when the Morvilles of Redclyffe used to be spoken of in
our family like a sort of ogres.'

'Not undeservedly, I should think,' said Philip. 'This poor old man,
who is just dead, ran a strange career. Stories of his duels and mad
freaks are still extant.'

'Poor man! I believe he went all lengths,' said Mrs. Edmonstone.

'What was the true version of that horrible story about his son?' said
Philip. 'Did he strike him?'

'Oh, no! it was bad enough without that.'

'How?' asked Laura.