ocowerbehindagate-post,iopeepupatchamberlattices,fearinglifewasastirbehindthem!olistenfordoorsopening—tofancystepsonthepavementravel-walk!Thelawn,thegrouroddenandwaste:theportalyawnedvoid.Thefrontwas,asIhadoinadream,butawell-likewall,veryhighandveryfragile-looking,perforatedwithpanelesswindows:noroof,nobattlements,noeys—allhadcrashedin.

    Andtherewasthesilenceofdeathaboutit:thesolitudeofalonesomewild.Nowohatlettersaddressedtopeopleherehadneverreceivedananswer:aswelldespatchepistlestoavaultinachurchaisle.ThegrimblaessofthestooldbywhatfatetheHallhadfallen—byflagration:buthowkindled?Whatstorybelohisdisaster?Whatloss,besidesmortarandmarbleandwood-workhadfolloweduponit?Hadlifebeenwreckedasroperty?Ifso,whose?Dreadfulquestion:therewasnoooa—notevendumbsign,mutetoken.

    Inwanderingrouteredwallsandthroughthedevastatedinteriatheredevidethecalamitywasnotoflateoccurrence.Wintersnows,Ithought,haddriftedthroughthatvoidarch,winterraieninatthosehollowcasements;for,amidstthedrenchedpilesofrubbish,springhadcherishedvegetation:grassandweedgrewhereandtherebetweeonesandfallenrafters.Andoh!wheremeahehaplessowhiswrewhatland?Underices?Myeyeinvoluntarilywahegreychurchtowerhegates,andIasked,“IshewithDamerdeRochester,sharingtheshelterofhisnarrowmarblehouse?”

    Someanswermustbehadtothesequestions.Icouldfinditnowherebutattheinn,andthither,erelong,Ireturhehosthimselfbroughtmybreakfastintotheparlour.Irequestedhimtoshutthedoorandsitdown:Ihadsomequestionstoaskhim.Butwhenheplied,Iscarcelykn