“I suppose this village takes the name from the Hall—or is it the Hall that is named after the village?”
“Well, neither, Sir. Both of them were named after the Brandon family.”
“Is it an old family? It must be, of course.”
“The oldest in the county, Sir.”
“I wonder if Mr. Brandon would let a stranger go through his grounds? There is a hill back of the house that I should like to see.”
“Mr. Brandon!” exclaimed the tailor, shaking his head; “Mr. Brandon! There ain’t no Mr. Brandon now!”
“How is that?”
“Gone, Sir—ruined—died out.”
“Then the man that lives there now is not Mr. Brandon?”
“Nothing of the kind, Sir! He, Sir! Why he isn’t fit to clean the shoes of any of the old Brandons!”