“It may be a gentleman’s house or a lord’s house, but it must be a civilized Christian’s house, and therefore it must afford me shelter from the storm for this one night.”
So, though nearly blinded, deafened, and drowned by the lightning, thunder, and rain, Annella valiantly pushed on towards the goal.
But ah! that place of refuge was much farther off than she had supposed it to be. A brilliant light set upon a hill is seen for a long way off in a dark night; and long after Annella had first caught sight of the illuminated windows, she continued to toil on through night and storm and darkness, through thunder, lightning, and rain, up and down hill, over the rough road, without seeming to get much nearer the desired haven.
Even the storm grew weary of raging and growled itself to rest. The lightning ceased to flash, the thunder to roll, and the rain to fall; the clouds dispersed, the stars came out, and the moon arose; and Annella, hungry, wet, and weary, still pushed on up hill and down hill towards the illuminated house, which, at last, she was certainly drawing near.
At length she began to ascend a hill on which the mansion stood, blazing like a beacon-light at sea. When she reached the summit of the hill she found herself arrested by the low brick wall that seemed to enclose the home-park attached to the house. Taking this wall for her guide, she followed it, hoping that it would bring her at last to the gate or the gamekeeper’s lodge. Keeping close to the wall, and walking rapidly, she came indeed to the gate, which stood wide open and unguarded, as the lodge beside it was untenanted.
She passed through the gate and entered a long semi-circular avenue of elms, that in the course of fifteen minutes’ rapid walk brought her up in front of a magnificent house, the whole square front of which was illuminated from top to bottom.
And yet there was not a living creature to be seen!
Annella paused in awe, and gazed upon the brilliant and imposing front, muttering to herself:
“There must be a party here to-night. And yet there cannot be, either, for I see no servants, no carriages, and no crowd. And though everything is as bright as heaven, it is also as silent as the grave! What in the world can be the meaning of it all?”
Without daring to go up and knock at the principal door, Annella turned and went around to seek admittance at some humbler back entrance, thinking, with a shudder: