As she crossed the
portal, a sensation of terror ill-defined, but painful and
overwhelming, smote upon her heart, such as we feel in the presence
of a secret enemy, and Lord Greville's increasing uneasiness and
abstraction since he had returned to the mansion of his forefathers,
did not tend to enliven its gloomy precincts. The wind beat wildly
against the casement of the apartment in which they sat, and which
although named "the lady's chamber," afforded none of those feminine
luxuries, which are now to be found in the most remote parts of
England, in the dwellings of the noble and wealthy. By the side of
a huge hearth, where the crackling and blazing logs imparted the
only cheerful sound or sight in the apartment, in a richly-carved
oaken chair emblazoned with the armorial bearings of his house, sat
Lord Greville, lost in silent contemplation. A chased goblet of wine
with which he occasionally moistened his lips, stood on a table
beside him, on which an elegantly-fretted silver lamp was burning;
and while it only emitted sufficient light to render the gloom of
the spacious chamber still more apparent, it threw a strong glare
upon his expressive countenance and noble figure, and rendered
conspicuous that richness of attire which the fashion of those
stately days demanded from "the magnates of the land;" and which we
now only admire amid the mummeries of theatrical pageant, or on the
glowing canvas of Vandyck.
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