Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-12-13
CHAPTER V.

| BLACKBOARD GRANGE.
Margaret's journey to Foulhaven was
not short one. She had yet again to
change trains at little Yorkshire coun-
try junction, and then to journey on
ward for another hour, through love-
ly country, full of green hills, of rough
ly wooded dells, of clear, pebbly bot
toned streams, ferns and CONSCIOUSNESS;
through some clean-looking country
towns, until at last they ran into a
terminus, and the porters called out,
Foulhaven."
| There were very few people to be
seen. The Foulhaven season had not
begun, and when it was the season there
it was always small, even contempti-
BILE season. A man in livery regarded
Miss Darlington undoubtedly for some
little time, but at last, apparently de-
Gliding that she must be the person he
had been sent to meet, advanced to her,
and touching his hat inquired if she
were Miss Percival.
yes" said Margaret, and felt mis-
cradle the instant she had uttered the
falsehood. Even now she began to
wish that she had allowed Hiss Percival
to do what she had at first wished, ex-
plain to Mrs. Lascelles that she could
not come to her, but that a friend, eff
possible, more competent than your
SELF" as Margaret had said, could take
| her place.
Meantime Thomas, privately decid.
| ing that this lady was not at all what
| he should have expected, showed her to
| where the carriage was standing out
side the station.
1t was handsome, substantial equip
| age, but, as Margaret quickly decided,
not q very dashing one; somewhat
solid and old-fashioned, as if it be-
longed to steady-going country people.
Very soon she was being driven away
traordinary, old-fashioned, narrow
street. with little alleys and gulleys on
the right, sloping down TO a river,
which, as Margaret saw, was almost
empty just now, for it was low-water
time. On the dry banks or in the half
filled channel, she perceived ships;
great black-looking hulks, rolled over
to one side as the retreating tide had
of the ship-builder's yards which might
be seen on the opposite side OF the
river, which was backed up by high
Cllu. ol VIC up VI WI NClC llOtiSCos
1t was altogether quaint and unusual
prospect, and my heroine, with the
deep, fresh interest in things new which
in with keen, quick powers of observa-
ton, as she was driven swiftly past it
all, and, after a steep hill had been
climbed, she found herself outside the
town, upon a high, wild country road,
with the same river still ON the right,
but more like large brook now, rush
ing swiftly downward toward the sea.
Looking across the country she saw
to the right some rolling downs, and
the tops of the cliffs, and then streak
of blue, which made her heart rejoice.
To the left a fine billy country-moors,
now green, now purple, under the
changing sky; woods, fields. streams
and all of a fresh, breezy, thoroughly
English beauty.
They drove for some distance along
this road. Then the river took bend.
They crossed a stone bridge, and now
had the stream on their left, after
which they began to drive down hill,
and presently turned in at some iron
gates, whose stone pillars were moss
grown, and which were also at the left
hand of the road; down a dark, damp
kind of drive, into a garden which,
despite the radiant sunshine of the
afternoon, was dull, and up to an old
house, the approach to which struck
Margaret as being the strangest she
had ever seen. After driving for some
distance down the dark drive already
alluded to, under thick avenue of
elms, almost frnereal in the shade they
gave, they suddenly emerged from this
avenue, and Margaret perceived that
the drive proceeded over stout stone
bridge, crossing the river, which ran
through the grounds of the place.
Then up hill again, the slope of
which was laid out in terraces, leading
gradually to the top, where was stu
ated a fine old house. 1t was of the
Elizabetnan style of architecture, and
stood proudly on the top of the little
hill, so that Margaret understood that
from its windows one must look
straight down into the rushing stream,
and upon the tops of the avenue trees.
Most likely there would be, from the
upper windows, at least, a view of the sea.
Of course, she observed all these
things, and thought all these thoughts,
in much shorter space of time than it
has taken me to write them down.
Despite the beauty Of. the scene; despite
the quaintness and almost grandeur of
that fine old house; despite her own
buoyant nature, and the keen interest
she felt in all around her, Margaret's
chief sensation was chilly one, re-
sembling foreboding : a depression
which seemed to close around her as
she entered the place. With all its
beauty, it was so still-almost weirdly
still-the mutfied rushing of the stream
sound gap her the as an
being uncanny.
But before She had time to do more