Uncle Silas

, and a very cheerful fire blazing, a pleasant mixture of good round coal and spluttering dry wood, in a genuine old fireplace, in a sombre old room. Black wainscoting glimmered up to the ceil

would have taken the room for our parlour. It was not like our modern notion of a d

ther tall, with a great deal of golden hair, dark grey-eyed, and with a countenance rath

ineage, who had refused a baronetage often, and it was said even a viscounty, being of a proud and defiant spirit, and thinking themselves higher in station and purer of blood than two-thirds of the nobil

is ambition to succeed. Though a clever man, he failed there, where very inferior men did extremely well. Then he went abroad, and became a connoisseur and a collector; took a part, on his return, in literary and scientific institutions, and also in the fou

s bereavement, I have been told, changed him - made him more odd and taciturn than ever, and his temper also, except

own thus, without speaking - an exercise which used to remind me of Chateaubriand's father in the great chamber of the Chateau de Combourg. At the far end he nearly d

it than I. As it was, it had its effect. I have known my father a whole day withou

outine, that a very trifling occurrence was enough to set people wondering and conjecturing in that serene household. My father lived in remarkable se

ld carriage brought my governess, when I had one, the old housekeeper, Mrs. Rusk, and myself to the parish church every Sunday. And my father, in the view of the honest rector who shook his head over him -"a cloud without water, carried about of winds, and a wandering star to whom is reserv

r charging my father with supernatural pretensions; and in all points when her

pieces of tapestry that covered its walls, representing scenes à la Wouvermans, of falconry, and the chase, dogs, hawks, ladie

oming, Mr

a Mr. Bryerly. My papa expected him

just to Dr. Clay (the rector), and he says there is a Doctor Bryerly,

gled a suspicion of necromancy, and a weird freemas

choker, with either a black wig, or black hair dressed in imitation of one, a pair of spectacles, and a dark, sharp, short visage, rubbing his large hands t

I remember very well the resentment

prepossesses us favourably. He seemed restless, as men of busy habits do in country hous

ry, directly opposite to my father's, which had a sort of an

ther's water caraffe and glass had been duly laid on the table in thi

t off, Mr. Bryerly kneeling on a stool beside him, rather facing him, his black scratch wig leaning close to my father's grizzled hair. There was a large tome of th

hink, than I ever saw him till then, and he

o my shoulders, and smiled down from his dark feat

the door was the tall, slim figure in black, and the dark, significant smile following me

debasing incantation - a suspicion of this Mr. Bryerly, of the ill-fitting black coat, and white choker - and a sort

er, as I had seen him, it might be, confessing to this man in black, who was I knew not what, haunted

the sinister visitor took his departure the morning after, a

d a ghost, did not in that particular; for no one but I in his household - and I very seldom - dared to address him until first addressed by him.

culiar figure, strongly made, thick-set, with a face large, and very stern; he wore a loose, black velvet coat and waistcoat. It was,

close by me, I lifted my eyes, and saw that large, rugged co

n, taking one of the heavy candlesticks in his gnarled hand, he beckone

lights burning, and into a lobby by the foot

s. Dusky it was with but one candle; and he paused near the door, at the left-hand side of which

ore to himself, I believe, than to al

spered, looking at me enquirin

unch of some half-dozen keys, on one of which he looked frowningly, every now and then

ll, of course, to

ned - ay, they are. I'd

ed in my face as he

nother way - another way; yes - and sh

me, suddenly lifting it up, and said abruptly, "See, c

shaped, and u

I always cal

In the daytime it is always here," at which word he dropped it into his

s,

t - oak - next the door - on

, s

ay, a girl, and so young - no sense

s,

ehove

on; and I think for a moment he had made up his mind to tell me a great deal more.

hat I have said, under

no,

d ch

Bryerly - you recollect the tin gentleman, in spectacles and a black wig, who spent three

s,

e on the foreh

us re

storm outside, like a dirge on a great organ