thence the tortuous shoots straggled to the wall, clutched it, and ran

the whole length of the house, ending near the wood-pile, where the

logs were ranged with as much precision as the books in a library. The

pavement of the court-yard showed the black stains produced in time by

lichens, herbage, and the absence of all movement or friction. The

thick walls wore a coating of green moss streaked with waving brown

lines, and the eight stone steps at the bottom of the court-yard which

led up to the gate of the garden were disjointed and hidden beneath