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uncle；　each　being　of　sedentary；　procrastinating；

and　secluded　habits；　and　their　respective

residences　being　very　far　apart

the　one　lying　in　the　county　of　Galway；　the

other　in　that　of　Corkhe　was　strongly

attached　to　his　brother；　and　evinced　his

affection　by　an　active　correspondence；　and

by　deeply　and　proudly　resenting　that

neglect　which　had　marked　Sir　Arthur　as

unfit　to　mix　in　society。



When　I　was　about　eighteen　years　of

age；　my　father；　whose　health　had　been

gradually　declining；　died；　leaving　me　in

heart　wretched　and　desolate；　and；　owing　to

his　previous　seclusion；　with　few　acquaintances；

and　almost　no　friends。



The　provisions　of　his　will　were　curious；

and　when　I　had　sufficiently　come　to　myself

to　listen　to　or　comprehend　them；

surprised　me　not　a　little：　all　his　vast　property

was　left　to　me；　and　to　the　heirs　of　my

body；　for　ever；　and；　in　default　of　such

heirs；　it　was　to　go　after　my　death　to　my

uncle；　Sir　Arthur；　without　any　entail。



At　the　same　time；　the　will　appointed

him　my　guardian；　desiring　that　I　might　be

received　within　his　house；　and　reside　with

his　family；　and　under　his　care；　during　the

term　of　my　minority；　and　in　consideration

of　the　increased　expense　consequent　upon

such　an　arrangement；　a　handsome　annuity

was　allotted　to　him　during　the　term　of　my

proposed　residence。



The　object　of　this　last　provision　I　at

once　understood：　my　father　desired；　by

making　it　the　direct；　apparent　interest　of

Sir　Arthur　that　I　should　die　without

issue；　while　at　the　same　time　he　placed　me

wholly　in　his　power；　to　prove　to　the　world

how　great　and　unshaken　was　his

confidence　in　his　brother's　innocence　and

honour；　and　also　to　afford　him　an

opportunity　of　showing　that　this　mark　of

confidence　was　not　unworthily　bestowed。



It　was　a　strange；　perhaps　an　idle

scheme；　but　as　I　had　been　always　brought

up　in　the　habit　of　considering　my　uncle　as

a　deeply…injured　man；　and　had　been　taught；

almost　as　a　part　of　my　religion；　to　regard

him　as　the　very　soul　of　honour；　I　felt　no

further　uneasiness　respecting　the　arrangement

than　that　likely　to　result　to　a　timid

girl；　of　secluded　habits；　from　the　immediate

prospect　of　taking　up　her　abode　for　the

first　time　in　her　life　among　total　strangers。

Previous　to　leaving　my　home；　which　I　felt

I　should　do　with　a　heavy　heart；　I　re…

ceived　a　most　tender　and　affectionate　letter

from　my　uncle；　calculated；　if　anything

could　do　so；　to　remove　the　bitterness　of

parting　from　scenes　familiar　and　dear　from

my　earliest　childhood；　and　in　some　degree

to　reconcile　me　to　the　measure。



It　was　during　a　fine　autumn　that　I

approached　the　old　domain　of　Carrickleigh。

I　shall　not　soon　forget　the　impression　of

sadness　and　of　gloom　which　all　that　I　saw

produced　upon　my　mind；　the　sunbeams

were　falling　with　a　rich　and　melancholy

tint　upon　the　fine　old　trees；　which　stood　in

lordly　groups；　casting　their　long；　sweeping

shadows　over　rock　and　sward。　There　was

an　air　of　neglect　and　decay　about　the　spot；

which　amounted　almost　to　desolation；　the

symptoms　of　this　increased　in　number　as

we　approached　the　building　itself；　near

which　the　ground　had　been　originally　more

artificially　and　carefully　cultivated　than

elsewhere；　and　whose　neglect　consequently

more　immediately　and　strikingly　betrayed

itself。



As　we　proceeded；　the　road　wound　near

the　beds　of　what　had　been　formally　two

fish…ponds；　which　were　now　nothing　more

than　stagnant　swamps；　overgrown　with

rank　weeds；　and　here　and　there　encroached

upon　by　the　straggling　underwood；　the

avenue　itself　was　much　broken；　and　in

many　places　the　stones　were　almost

concealed　by　grass　and　nettles；　the　loose

stone　walls　which　had　here　and　there

intersected　the　broad　park　were；　in　many

places；　broken　down；　so　as　no　longer　to

answer　their　original　purpose　as　fences；

piers　were　now　and　then　to　be　seen；　but

the　gates　were　gone；　and；　to　add　to　the

general　air　of　dilapidation；　some　huge　

trunks　were　lying　scattered　through　the

venerable　old　trees；　either　the　work　of　the

winter　storms；　or　perhaps　the　victims　of

some　extensive　but　desultory　scheme　of

denudation；　which　the　projector　had　not

capital　or　perseverance　to　carry　into　full

effect。



After　the　carriage　had　travelled　a　mile

of　this　avenue；　we　reached　the　summit　of

rather　an　abrupt　eminence；　one　of　the

many　which　added　to　the　picturesqueness；

if　not　to　the　convenience　of　this　rude

passage。　From　the　top　of　this　ridge　the

grey　walls　of　Carrickleigh　were　visible；

rising　at　a　small　distance　in　front；　and

darkened　by　the　hoary　wood　which

crowded　around　them。　It　was　a　quadrangular

building　of　considerable　extent；

and　the　front　which　lay　towards　us；　and

in　which　the　great　entrance　was　placed；

bore　unequivocal　marks　of　antiquity；　the

time…worn；　solemn　aspect　of　the　old　building；

the　ruinous　and　deserted　appearance

of　the　whole　place；　and　the　associations

which　connected　it　with　a　dark　page　in　the

history　of　my　family；　combined　to　depress

spirits　already　predisposed　for　the　reception

of　sombre　and　dejecting　impressions。



When　the　carriage　drew　up　in　the　grass…

grown　court　yard　before　the　hall…door；　two

lazy…looking　men；　whose　appearance　well

accorded　with　that　of　the　place　which　they

tenanted；　alarmed　by　the　obstreperous

barking　of　a　great　chained　dog；　ran　out

from　some　half…ruinous　out…houses；　and

took　charge　of　the　horses；　the　hall…door

stood　open；　and　I　entered　a　gloomy　and

imperfectly　lighted　apartment；　and　found

no　one　within。　However；　I　had　not　long

to　wait　in　this　awkward　predicament；　for

before　my　luggage　had　been　deposited　in

the　house；　indeed；　before　I　had　well

removed　my　cloak　and　other　wraps；　so　as

to　enable　me　to　look　around；　a　young　girl

ran　lightly　into　the　hall；　and　kissing　me

heartily；　and　somewhat　boisterously；

exclaimed：



'My　dear　cousin；　my　dear　Margaret

I　am　so　delightedso　out　of　breath。　We

did　not　expect　you　till　ten　o'clock；　my

father　is　somewhere　about　the　place；　he

must　be　close　at　hand。　JamesCorney

run　out　and　tell　your　mastermy

brother　is　seldom　at　home；　at　least　at　any

reasonable　houryou　must　be　so　tiredso

fatiguedlet　me　show　you　to　your　room

see　that　Lady　Margaret's　luggage　is　all

brought　upyou　must　lie　down　and　rest

yourselfDeborah；　bring　some　coffeeup

these　stairs；　we　are　so　delighted　to　see

youyou　cannot　think　how　lonely　I　have

beenhow　steep　these　stairs　are；　are　not

they？　I　am　so　glad　you　are　comeI

could　hardly　bring　myself　to　believe　that

you　were　really　cominghow　good　of　you；

dear　Lady　Margaret。'



There　was　real　good…nature　and　delight

in　my　cousin's　greeting；　and　a　kind　of

constitutional　confidence　of　manner　which

placed　me　at　once　at　ease；　and　made　me

feel　immediately　upon　terms　of　intimacy

with　her。　The　room　into　which　she

ushered　me；　although　partaking　in　the

general　air　of　decay　which　pervaded　the

mansion　and　all　about　it；　had　nevertheless

been　fitted　up　with　evident　attention　to

comfort；　and　even　with　some　dingy　attempt

at　luxury；　but　what　pleased　me　most　was

that　it　opened；　by　a　second　door；　upon　a

lobby　which　communicated　with　my　fair

cousin's　apartment；　a　circumstance　which

divested　the　room；　in　my　eyes；　of　the　air

of　solitude　and　sadness　which　would　otherwise

have　characterised　it；　to　a　degree

almost　painful　to　one　so　dejected　in　spirits

as　I　was。



After　such　arrangements　as　I　found

necessary　were　completed；　we　both　went

down　to　the　parlour；　a　large　wainscoted

room；　hung　round　with　grim　old　portraits；

and；　as　I　was　not　sorry　to　see；　containing

in　its　ample　grate　a　large　and　cheerful

fire。　Here　my　cousin　had　leisure　to　talk

more　at　her　ease；　and　from　her　I　learned

something　of　the　manners　and　the　habits

of　the　two　remaining　members　of　her

family；　whom　I　had　not　yet　seen。



On　my　arrival　I　had　known　nothing　of

the　family　among　whom　I　was　come　to

reside；　except　that　it　consisted　of　three

individuals；　my　uncle；　and　his　son　and

daughter；　Lady　Tn　having　been　long

dead。　In　addition　to　this　very　scanty　stock

of　information；　I　shortly　learned　from　my

communicative　companion　that　my　uncle

was；　as　I　had　suspected；　completely　retired

in　his　habits；　and　besides　that；　having　been

so　far　back　as　she　could　well　recollect；

always　rather　strict；　as　reformed　rakes

frequently　become；　he　had　latterly　been

growing　more　gloomily　and　sternly

religious　than　heretofore。



Her　account　of　her　brother　was　far　less

favourable；　though　she　did　not　say　anything

directly　to　his　disadvantage。　From　all

that　I　could　gather　from　her；　I　was　led　to

suppose　that　he　was　a　specimen　of　the　idle；

coarse…mannered；　profligate；　low…minded

'squirearchy'a　result　which　might

naturally　have　flowed　from　the　circum…

stance　of　his　being；　as　it　were；　outlawed

from　society；　and　driven　for　companionship

to　grades　below　his　ownenjoyin