"That he hath," answered Giles Gosling, "in as fair Harry-nobles as ever

were melted into sack by a good fellow. So, luck to your enterprise,

since you will needs venture on Tony Foster; but, by my credit, you had

better take another draught before you depart, for your welcome at

the Hall yonder will be somewhat of the driest. And if you do get into

peril, beware of taking to cold steel; but send for me, Giles Gosling,

the head-borough, and I may be able to make something out of Tony yet,

for as proud as he is."

The nephew dutifully obeyed his uncle's hint, by taking a second

powerful pull at the tankard, observing that his wit never served him

so well as when he had washed his temples with a deep morning's draught;

and they set forth together for the habitation of Anthony Foster.

The village of Cumnor is pleasantly built on a hill, and in a wooded

park closely adjacent was situated the ancient mansion occupied at this

time by Anthony Foster, of which the ruins may be still extant. The park

was then full of large trees, and in particular of ancient and mighty

oaks, which stretched their giant arms over the high wall surrounding

the demesne, thus giving it a melancholy, secluded, and monastic

appearance. The entrance to the park lay through an old-fashioned

gateway in the outer wall, the door of which was formed of two huge

oaken leaves thickly studded with nails, like the gate of an old town.

"We shall be finely helped up here," said Michael Lambourne, looking at

the gateway and gate, "if this fellow's suspicious humour should

refuse us admission altogether, as it is like he may, in case this

linsey-wolsey fellow of a mercer's visit to his premises has disquieted

him. But, no," he added, pushing the huge gate, which gave way, "the

door stands invitingly open; and here we are within the forbidden

ground, without other impediment than the passive resistance of a heavy

oak door moving on rusty hinges."

They stood now in an avenue overshadowed by such old trees as we have

described, and which had been bordered at one time by high hedges of yew

and holly. But these, having been untrimmed for many years, had run up

into great bushes, or rather dwarf-trees, and now encroached, with their

dark and melancholy boughs, upon the road which they once had screened.

The avenue itself was grown up with grass, and, in one or two places,

interrupted by piles of withered brushwood, which had been lopped from

the trees cut down in the neighbouring park, and was here stacked for

drying. Formal walks and avenues, which, at different points, crossed

this principal approach, were, in like manner, choked up and interrupted

by piles of brushwood and billets, and in other places by underwood and

brambles. Besides the general effect of desolation which is so strongly

impressed whenever we behold the contrivances of man wasted and

obliterated by neglect, and witness the marks of social life effaced

gradually by the influence of vegetation, the size of the trees and the

outspreading extent of their boughs diffused a gloom over the scene,

even when the sun was at the highest, and made a proportional impression

on the mind of those who visited it. This was felt even by Michael

Lambourne, however alien his habits were to receiving any impressions,

excepting from things which addressed themselves immediately to his

passions.




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