Old House A Novel

Excerpt: "Night fell as the coach reached the excise barrier. Beyond, two sentry boxes buried in the snow faced each other. The coachman shouted between his hands. A drowsy voice answered and white cockades began to move in the dark recesses of the boxes. The light of a lamp emerged from the guard''s cottage. Behind the gleam a man with a rifle over his arm strolled towards the vehicle. The high-wh...