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-