“I’ve heard tell of a murder that was done here in old times.” “There are murders enough in these times, as to that, Luke,”
This is one of my favorite lines in the whole book so far. I loved it the first time I encountered it, and I love it even more now. I’ve always loved how creepy and atmospheric it is, but now I realize it sets up foreshadowing, to the murders going on in the countryside, which were alluded to(which I believe Lady Audley has something to do with). The double use of the word “times” shows repetition, as well as the double use of murder. The use of repetition shows how one character is correcting the other, by having her repeat his same words back to him. It also adds to the character of the house itself, by providing some potential backstory or foreshadowing for something to come, like a new murder that will happen in these times. It also makes you curious what Phoebe knows about the house to make her say this. She could also just be going off urban legends, which is another interesting question about the lore of the house before the novel began. I also love how easily I can see this playing out. Them being in some creepy old dark passage only lit by candles whispering ghost stories to each other. To me this line is just peak gothic literature, and I love it so much.
What I’m trying to say here is that these lines are creepy and vibey which is everything an amazing piece of gothic fiction should be.