Thestrangerrose；’No，myyoungfriend，’saidhe，smiling，’thatwouldscarcebefair。Itismyturnnow-praydomethefavourtogohomewithme，andacceptwhathospitalitymypoorroofcanoffer；totellyouthetruth，Iwishtohavesomeparticulardiscoursewithyouwhichwouldhardlybepossibleinthisplace。
Asforwine，Icangiveyousomemuchbetterthanyoucangethere：
thelandlordisanexcellentfellow，butheisaninnkeeperafterall。Iamgoingoutforamoment，andwillsendhimin，sothatyoumaysettleyouraccount；Itrustyouwillnotrefuseme，Ionlyliveabouttwomilesfromhere。’
Ilookedinthefaceofthestranger-itwasafineintelligentface，withacastofmelancholyinit。’Sir，’saidI，’Iwouldgowithyouthoughyoulivedfourmilesinsteadoftwo。’
’Whoisthatgentleman？’saidItothelandlord，afterIhadsettledhisbill；’Iamgoinghomewithhim。’
’IwishIweregoingtoo，’saidthefatlandlord，layinghishanduponhisstomach。’Younggentleman，Ishallbealoserbyhishonour’stakingyouaway；but，afterall，thetruthisthetruth-
therearefewgentlemeninthesepartslikehishonour，eitherforlearningorwelcominghisfriends。Younggentleman，Icongratulateyou。’
CHAPTERLXIV
Newacquaintance-OldFrenchstyle-Theportrait-Taciturnity-
Theevergreentree-Thedarkhour-Theflash-Ancestors-A
fortunateman-Aposthumouschild-Antagonistideas-Thehawks-
Flaws-Thepony-Irresistibleimpulse-Favourablecrisis-Thetopmostbranch-Twentyfeet-Heartilyashamed。
IFOUNDthestrangerawaitingmeatthedooroftheinn。’Likeyourself，Iamfondofwalking，’saidhe，’andwhenanylittlebusinesscallsmetothisplaceIgenerallycomeonfoot。’
Weweresoonoutofthetown，andinaverybeautifulcountry。
Afterproceedingsomedistanceonthehigh-road，weturnedoff，andwerepresentlyinoneofthosemazesoflanesforwhichEnglandisfamous；thestrangeratfirstseemedinclinedtobetaciturn；afewobservations，however，whichImadeappearedtorousehim，andhesoonexhibitednotonlyconsiderablepowersofconversation，butstoresofinformationwhichsurprisedme。SopleaseddidIbecomewithmynewacquaintancethatIsoonceasedtopaytheslightestattentioneithertoplaceordistance。Atlengththestrangerwassilent，andIperceivedthatwehadarrivedatahandsomeirongateandalodge；thestrangerhavingrungabell，thegatewasopenedbyanoldman，andweproceededalongagravelpath，whichinaboutfiveminutesbroughtustoalargebrickhouse，builtsomethingintheoldFrenchstyle，havingaspaciouslawnbeforeit，andimmediatelyinfrontapondinwhichweregoldenfish，andinthemiddleastoneswandischargingquantitiesofwaterfromitsbill。
Weascendedaspaciousflightofstepstothedoor，whichwasatonceflungopen，andtwoservantswithpowderedhairandinliveryofblueplushcameoutandstoodoneoneithersideaswepassedthethreshold。Weenteredalargehall，andthestranger，takingmebythehand，welcomedmetohispoorhome，ashecalledit，andthengaveorderstoanotherservant，butoutoflivery，toshowmetoanapartment，andgivemewhateverassistanceImightrequireinmytoilet。NotwithstandingthepleaastoprimitivehabitswhichI
hadlatelymadetomyotherhostinthetown，Iofferednoobjectiontothisarrangement，butfollowedthebowingdomestictoaspaciousandairychamber，whereherenderedmeallthoselittlenamelessofficeswhichthesomewhatneglectedstateofmydressrequired。Wheneverythinghadbeencompletedtomyperfectsatisfaction，hetoldmethatifIpleasedhewouldconductmetothelibrary，wheredinnerwouldbespeedilyserved。
InthelibraryIfoundatablelaidfortwo；myhostwasnotthere，havingasIsupposednotbeenquitesospeedywithhistoiletashisguest。Leftalone，Ilookedroundtheapartmentwithinquiringeyes；itwaslongandtolerablylofty，thewallsfromthetoptothebottomwerelinedwithcasescontainingbooksofallsizesandbindings；therewasaglobeortwo，acouch，andaneasy-chair。
Statuesandbuststherewerenone，andonlyonepainting，aportrait，thatofmyhost，butnothimofthemansion。Overthemantelpiece，thefeaturesstaringlylike，butsoridiculouslyexaggeratedthattheyscarcelyresembledthoseofahumanbeing，daubedevidentlybythehandofthecommonestsign-artist，hungahalf-lengthportraitofhimofroundofbeefcelebrity-mysturdyhostofthetown。
Ihadbeeninthelibraryabouttenminutes，amusingmyselfasI
bestcould，whenmyfriendentered；heseemedtohaveresumedhistaciturnity-scarceawordescapedhislipstilldinnerwasserved，whenhesaid，smiling，’Isupposeitwouldbemerelyacomplimenttoaskyoutopartake？’
’Idon’tknow，’saidI，seatingmyself；’yourfirstcourseconsistsoftroutlets，Iamfondoftroutlets，andIalwaysliketobecompanionable。’
Thedinnerwasexcellent，thoughIdidbutlittlejusticetoitfromthecircumstanceofhavingalreadydined；thestrangeralso，thoughwithoutmyexcuse，partookbutslightlyofthegoodcheer；
hestillcontinuedtaciturn，andappearedlostinthought，andeveryattemptwhichImadetoinducehimtoconversewassignallyunsuccessful。
Andnowdinnerwasremoved，andwesatoverourwine，andI
rememberthatthewinewasgood，andfullyjustifiedtheencomiumsofmyhostofthetown。OverthewineImadesurethatmyentertainerwouldhaveloosenedthechainwhichseemedtotiehistongue-butno!Iendeavouredtotempthimbyvarioustopics，andtalkedofgeometryandtheuseoftheglobes，oftheheavenlysphere，andthestarJupiter，whichIsaidIhadheardwasaverylargestar，alsooftheevergreentree，which，accordingtoOlaus，stoodofoldbeforetheheathentempleofUpsal，andwhichI
affirmedwasayew-butno，nothingthatIsaidcouldinducemyentertainertorelaxhistaciturnity。
Itgrewdark，andIbecameuncomfortable。’Imustpresentlybegoing，’Iatlastexclaimed。
Atthesewordshegaveasuddenstart；’Going，’saidhe，’areyounotmyguest，andanhonouredone？’
’Youknowbest，’saidI；’butIwasapprehensiveIwasanintruder；
toseveralofmyquestionsyouhavereturnednoanswer。’
’Tenthousandpardons!’heexclaimed，seizingmebythehand；’butyoucannotgonow，Ihavemuchtotalktoyouabout-thereisonethinginparticular-’
’IfitbetheevergreentreeatUpsal，’saidI，interruptinghim，’Iholdittohavebeenayew-whatelse？Theevergreensofthesouth，astheoldbishopobserves，willnotgrowinthenorth，andapinewasunfittedforsuchalocality，beingavulgartree。Whatelsecouldithavebeenbuttheyew-thesacredyewwhichourancestorswereinthehabitofplantingintheirchurchyards？
Moreover，Iaffirmittohavebeentheyewforthehonourofthetree；forIlovetheyew，andhadIhomeandland，Iwouldhaveonegrowingbeforemyfrontwindows。’
’Youwoulddoright，theyewisindeedavenerabletree，butitisnotabouttheyew。’
’ThestarJupiter，perhaps？’
’NorthestarJupiter，noritsmoons；anobservationwhichescapedyouattheinnhasmadeaconsiderableimpressionuponme。’
’ButIreallymusttakemydeparture，’saidI；’thedarkhourisathand。’
AndasIutteredtheselatterwordsthestrangertouchedrapidlysomethingwhichlaynearhim-Iforgetwhatitwas。ItwasthefirstactionofthekindwhichIhadobservedonhispartsincewesatdowntotable。
’Youalludetotheevilchance，’saidI；’butitisgettingbothdarkandlate。’
’Ibelievewearegoingtohaveastorm，’saidmyfriend，’butI
reallyhopethatyouwillgivemeyourcompanyforadayortwo；I
have，asIsaidbefore，muchtotalktoyouabout。’
’Well，’saidI，’Ishallbemosthappytobeyourguestforthisnight；Iamignorantofthecountry，anditisnotpleasanttotravelunknownpathsbynight-dearme，whataflashoflightning。’
Ithadbecomeverydark；suddenlyablazeofsheetlightningillumedtheroom。BythemomentarylightIdistinctlysawmyhosttouchanotherobjectuponthetable。
’Willyouallowmetoaskyouaquestionortwo？’saidheatlast。
’Asmanyasyouplease，’saidI；’butshallwenothavelights？’
’Notunlessyouparticularlywishit，’saidmyentertainer；’I
ratherlikethedark，andthoughastormisevidentlyathand，neitherthundernorlightninghasanyterrorsforme。ItisotherthingsIquakeat-Ishouldrathersayideas。Nowpermitmetoaskyou-’
Andthenmyentertaineraskedmevariousquestions，toallofwhichIansweredunreservedly；hewasthensilentforsometime，atlastheexclaimed，’Ishouldwishtotellyouthehistoryofmylife-
thoughnotanadventurousone，Ithinkitcontainssomethingswhichwillinterestyou。’
Withoutwaitingformyreplyhebegan。Amidstdarknessandgloom，occasionallybrokenbyflashesoflightning，thestrangerrelatedtome，aswesatattableinthelibrary，histrulytouchinghistory。
’Beforeproceedingtorelatetheeventsofmylife，itwillnotbeamisstogiveyousomeaccountofmyancestors。Mygreat-