CHAPTERI——ADAMSALTONARRIVES
AdamSaltonsaunteredintotheEmpireClub，Sydney，andfoundawaitinghimaletterfromhisgrand—uncle。Hehadfirstheardfromtheoldgentlemanlessthanayearbefore，whenRichardSaltonhadclaimedkinship，statingthathehadbeenunabletowriteearlier，ashehadfounditverydifficulttotracehisgrand—nephew’saddress。Adamwasdelightedandrepliedcordially;hehadoftenheardhisfatherspeakoftheolderbranchofthefamilywithwhomhispeoplehadlonglosttouch。Someinterestingcorrespondencehadensued。Adameagerlyopenedtheletterwhichhadonlyjustarrived，andconveyedacordialinvitationtostopwithhisgrand—uncleatLesserHill，foraslongatimeashecouldspare。
\"Indeed，\"RichardSaltonwenton，\"Iaminhopesthatyouwillmakeyourpermanenthomehere。Yousee，mydearboy，youandIareallthatremainofourrace，anditisbutfittingthatyoushouldsucceedmewhenthetimecomes。Inthisyearofgrace，1860，Iamcloseoneightyyearsofage，andthoughwehavebeenalong—livedrace，thespanoflifecannotbeprolongedbeyondreasonablebounds。
Iampreparedtolikeyou，andtomakeyourhomewithmeashappyasyoucouldwish。Sodocomeatonceonreceiptofthis，andfindthewelcomeIamwaitingtogiveyou。Isend，incasesuchmaymakematterseasyforyou，abanker’sdraftfor200pounds。Comesoon，sothatwemaybothofusenjoymanyhappydaystogether。Ifyouareabletogivemethepleasureofseeingyou，sendmeassoonasyoucanalettertellingmewhentoexpectyou。ThenwhenyouarriveatPlymouthorSouthamptonorwhateverportyouareboundfor，waitonboard，andIwillmeetyouattheearliesthourpossible。\"
OldMr。SaltonwasdelightedwhenAdam’sreplyarrivedandsentagroomhot—foottohiscrony，SirNathanieldeSalis，toinformhimthathisgrand—nephewwasdueatSouthamptononthetwelfthofJune。
Mr。Saltongaveinstructionstohavereadyacarriageearlyontheimportantday，tostartforStafford，wherehewouldcatchthe11。40
a。m。train。Hewouldstaythatnightwithhisgrand—nephew，eitherontheship，whichwouldbeanewexperienceforhim，or，ifhisguestshouldpreferit，atahotel。Ineithercasetheywouldstartintheearlymorningforhome。HehadgiveninstructionstohisbailifftosendthepostillioncarriageontoSouthampton，tobereadyfortheirjourneyhome，andtoarrangeforrelaysofhisownhorsestobesentonatonce。Heintendedthathisgrand—nephew，whohadbeenallhislifeinAustralia，shouldseesomethingofruralEnglandonthedrive。Hehadplentyofyounghorsesofhisownbreedingandbreaking，andcoulddependonajourneymemorabletotheyoungman。TheluggagewouldbesentonbyrailtoStafford，whereoneofhiscartswouldmeetit。Mr。Salton，duringthejourneytoSouthampton，oftenwonderedifhisgrand—nephewwasasmuchexcitedashewasattheideaofmeetingsoneararelationforthefirsttime;anditwaswithaneffortthathecontrolledhimself。TheendlessrailwaylinesandswitchesroundtheSouthamptonDocksfiredhisanxietyafresh。
Asthetraindrewuponthedockside，hewasgettinghishandtrapstogether，whenthecarriagedoorwaswrenchedopenandayoungmanjumpedin。
\"Howareyou，uncle？Irecognisedyoufromthephotoyousentme！
IwantedtomeetyouassoonasIcould，buteverythingissostrangetomethatIdidn’tquiteknowwhattodo。However，hereI
am。Iamgladtoseeyou，sir。Ihavebeendreamingofthishappinessforthousandsofmiles;nowIfindthattherealitybeatsallthedreaming！\"Ashespoketheoldmanandtheyoungonewereheartilywringingeachother’shands。
Themeetingsoauspiciouslybegunproceededwell。Adam，seeingthattheoldmanwasinterestedinthenoveltyoftheship，suggestedthatheshouldstaythenightonboard，andthathewouldhimselfbereadytostartatanyhourandgoanywherethattheothersuggested。
Thisaffectionatewillingnesstofallinwithhisownplansquitewontheoldman’sheart。Hewarmlyacceptedtheinvitation，andatoncetheybecamenotonlyontermsofaffectionaterelationship，butalmostlikeoldfriends。Theheartoftheoldman，whichhadbeenemptyforsolong，foundanewdelight。Theyoungmanfound，onlandingintheoldcountry，awelcomeandasurroundinginfullharmonywithallhisdreamsthroughouthiswanderingsandsolitude，andthepromiseofafreshandadventurouslife。ItwasnotlongbeforetheoldmanacceptedhimtofullrelationshipbycallinghimbyhisChristianname。Afteralongtalkonaffairsofinterest，theyretiredtothecabin，whichtheelderwastoshare。RichardSaltonputhishandsaffectionatelyontheboy’sshoulders——thoughAdamwasinhistwenty—seventhyear，hewasaboy，andalwayswouldbe，tohisgrand—uncle。
\"Iamsogladtofindyouasyouare，mydearboy——justsuchayoungmanasIhadalwayshopedforasason，inthedayswhenIstillhadsuchhopes。However，thatisallpast。ButthankGodthereisanewlifetobeginforbothofus。Toyoumustbethelargerpart——
butthereisstilltimeforsomeofittobesharedincommon。I
havewaitedtillweshouldhaveseeneachothertoenteruponthesubject;forIthoughtitbetternottotieupyouryounglifetomyoldonetillweshouldhavesufficientpersonalknowledgetojustifysuchaventure。NowIcan，sofarasIamconcerned，enterintoitfreely，sincefromthemomentmyeyesrestedonyouIsawmyson——asheshallbe，Godwilling——ifhechoosessuchacoursehimself。\"
\"IndeedIdo，sir——withallmyheart！\"
\"Thankyou，Adam，forthat。\"Theold，man’seyesfilledandhisvoicetrembled。Then，afteralongsilencebetweenthem，hewenton：\"WhenIheardyouwerecomingImademywill。Itwaswellthatyourinterestsshouldbeprotectedfromthatmomenton。Hereisthedeed——keepit，Adam。AllIhaveshallbelongtoyou;andifloveandgoodwishes，orthememoryofthem，canmakelifesweeter，yoursshallbeahappyone。Now，mydearboy，letusturnin。Westartearlyinthemorningandhavealongdrivebeforeus。Ihopeyoudon’tminddriving？Iwasgoingtohavetheoldtravellingcarriageinwhichmygrandfather，yourgreat—grand—uncle，wenttoCourtwhenWilliamIV。wasking。Itisallright——theybuiltwellinthosedays——andithasbeenkeptinperfectorder。ButIthinkIhavedonebetter：IhavesentthecarriageinwhichItravelmyself。
Thehorsesareofmyownbreeding，andrelaysofthemshalltakeusalltheway。Ihopeyoulikehorses？Theyhavelongbeenoneofmygreatestinterestsinlife。\"
\"Ilovethem，sir，andIamhappytosayIhavemanyofmyown。MyfathergavemeahorsefarmformyselfwhenIwaseighteen。I
devotedmyselftoit，andithasgoneon。BeforeIcameaway，mystewardgavemeamemorandumthatwehaveinmyownplacemorethanathousand，nearlyallgood。\"
\"Iamglad，myboy。Anotherlinkbetweenus。\"
\"Justfancywhatadelightitwillbe，sir，toseesomuchofEngland——andwithyou！\"
\"Thankyouagain，myboy。Iwilltellyouallaboutyourfuturehomeanditssurroundingsaswego。Weshalltravelinold—
fashionedstate，Itellyou。Mygrandfatheralwaysdrovefour—in—
hand;andsoshallwe。\"
\"Oh，thanks，sir，thanks。MayItaketheribbonssometimes？\"
\"Wheneveryouchoose，Adam。Theteamisyourown。Everyhorseweuseto—dayistobeyourown。\"
\"Youaretoogenerous，uncle！\"
\"Notatall。Onlyanoldman’sselfishpleasure。Itisnoteverydaythatanheirtotheoldhomecomesback。And——oh，bytheway……No，wehadbetterturninnow——Ishalltellyoutherestinthemorning。\"
CHAPTERII——THECASWALLSOFCASTRAREGIS
Mr。Saltonhadallhislifebeenanearlyriser，andnecessarilyanearlywaker。Butearlyashewokeonthenextmorning——andalthoughtherewasanexcusefornotprolongingsleepintheconstantwhirrandrattleofthe\"donkey\"enginewinchesofthegreatship——hemettheeyesofAdamfixedonhimfromhisberth。Hisgrand—nephewhadgivenhimthesofa，occupyingthelowerberthhimself。Theoldman，despitehisgreatstrengthandnormalactivity，wassomewhattiredbyhislongjourneyofthedaybefore，andtheprolongedandexcitinginterviewwhichfollowedit。Sohewasgladtoliestillandresthisbody，whilsthismindwasactivelyexercisedintakinginallhecouldofhisstrangesurroundings。Adam，too，afterthepastoralhabittowhichhehadbeenbred，wokewiththedawn，andwasreadytoenterontheexperiencesofthenewdaywheneveritmightsuithiseldercompanion。Itwaslittlewonder，then，that，sosoonaseachrealisedtheother’sreadiness，theysimultaneouslyjumpedupandbegantodress。Thestewardhadbypreviousinstructionsearlybreakfastprepared，anditwasnotlongbeforetheywentdownthegangwayonshoreinsearchofthecarriage。
TheyfoundMr。Salton’sbailifflookingoutforthemonthedock，andhebroughtthematoncetowherethecarriagewaswaitinginthestreet。RichardSaltonpointedoutwithpridetohisyoungcompanionthesuitabilityofthevehicleforeveryneedoftravel。
Toitwereharnessedfourusefulhorses，withapostilliontoeachpair。
\"See，\"saidtheoldmanproudly，\"howithasalltheluxuriesofusefultravel——silenceandisolationaswellasspeed。Thereisnothingtoobstructtheviewofthosetravellingandnoonetooverhearwhattheymaysay。Ihaveusedthattrapforaquarterofacentury，andIneversawonemoresuitablefortravel。Youshalltestitshortly。WearegoingtodrivethroughtheheartofEngland;andaswegoI’lltellyouwhatIwasspeakingoflastnight。OurrouteistobebySalisbury，Bath，Bristol，Cheltenham，Worcester，Stafford;andsohome。\"
Adamremainedsilentafewminutes，duringwhichheseemedalleyes，forheperpetuallyrangedthewholecircleofthehorizon。
\"Hasourjourneyto—day，sir，\"heasked，\"anyspecialrelationtowhatyousaidlastnightthatyouwantedtotellme？\"
\"Notdirectly;butindirectly，everything。\"
\"Won’tyoutellmenow——Iseewecannotbeoverheard——andifanythingstrikesyouaswegoalong，justrunitin。Ishallunderstand。\"
SooldSaltonspoke：
\"Tobeginatthebeginning，Adam。Thatlectureofyourson’TheRomansinBritain，’areportofwhichyoupostedtome，setmethinking——inadditiontotellingmeyourtastes。Iwrotetoyouatonceandaskedyoutocomehome，foritstruckmethatifyouwerefondofhistoricalresearch——asseemedafact——thiswasexactlytheplaceforyou，inadditiontoitsbeingthehomeofyourownforbears。IfyoucouldlearnsomuchoftheBritishRomanssofarawayinNewSouthWales，wheretherecannotbeevenatraditionofthem，whatmightyounotmakeofthesameamountofstudyontheveryspot。WherewearegoingisintherealheartoftheoldkingdomofMercia，wheretherearetracesofallthevariousnationalitieswhichmadeuptheconglomeratewhichbecameBritain。\"
\"Irathergatheredthatyouhadsomemoredefinite——morepersonalreasonformyhurrying。Afterall，historycankeep——exceptinthemaking！\"
\"Quiteright，myboy。Ihadareasonsuchasyouverywiselyguessed。Iwasanxiousforyoutobeherewhenaratherimportantphaseofourlocalhistoryoccurred。\"
\"Whatisthat，ifImayask，sir？\"
\"Certainly。Theprincipalland—ownerofourpartofthecountyisonhiswayhome，andtherewillbeagreathome—coming，whichyoumaycaretosee。Thefactis，formorethanacenturythevariousownersinthesuccessionhere，withtheexceptionofashorttime，havelivedabroad。\"
\"Howisthat，sir，ifImayask？\"
\"ThegreathouseandestateinourpartoftheworldisCastraRegis，thefamilyseatoftheCaswallfamily。ThelastownerwholivedherewasEdgarCaswall，grandfatherofthemanwhoiscominghere——andhewastheonlyonewhostayedevenashorttime。Thisman’sgrandfather，alsonamedEdgar——theykeepthetraditionofthefamilyChristianname——quarrelledwithhisfamilyandwenttoliveabroad，notkeepingupanyintercourse，goodorbad，withhisrelatives，althoughthisparticularEdgar，asItoldyou，didvisithisfamilyestate，yethissonwasbornandlivedanddiedabroad，whilehisgrandson，thelatestinheritor，wasalsobornandlivedabroadtillhewasoverthirty——hispresentage。Thiswasthesecondlineofabsentees。ThegreatestateofCastraRegishashadnoknowledgeofitsownerforfivegenerations——coveringmorethanahundredandtwentyyears。Ithasbeenwelladministered，however，andnotenantorotherconnectedwithithashadanythingofwhichtocomplain。Allthesame，therehasbeenmuchnaturalanxietytoseethenewowner，andweareallexcitedabouttheeventofhiscoming。EvenIam，thoughIownmyownestate，which，thoughadjacent，isquiteapartfromCastraRegis。——Herewearenowinnewgroundforyou。ThatisthespireofSalisburyCathedral，andwhenweleavethatweshallbegettingclosetotheoldRomancounty，andyouwillnaturallywantyoureyes。SoweshallshortlyhavetokeepourmindsonoldMercia。However，youneednotbedisappointed。Myoldfriend，SirNathanieldeSalis，who，likemyself，isafree—
holdernearCastraRegis——hisestate，DoomTower，isovertheborderofDerbyshire，onthePeak——iscomingtostaywithmeforthefestivitiestowelcomeEdgarCaswall。Heisjustthesortofmanyouwilllike。Heisdevotedtohistory，andisPresidentoftheMercianArchaeologicalSociety。Heknowsmoreofourownpartofthecountry，withitshistoryanditspeople，thananyoneelse。I
expecthewillhavearrivedbeforeus，andwethreecanhavealongchatafterdinner。Heisalsoourlocalgeologistandnaturalhistorian。Soyouandhewillhavemanyinterestsincommon。
AmongstotherthingshehasaspecialknowledgeofthePeakanditscaverns，andknowsalltheoldlegendsofprehistorictimes。\"
TheyspentthenightatCheltenham，andonthefollowingmorningresumedtheirjourneytoStafford。Adam’seyeswereinconstantemployment，anditwasnottillSaltondeclaredthattheyhadnowenteredonthelaststageoftheirjourney，thathereferredtoSirNathaniel’scoming。
Astheduskwasclosingdown，theydroveontoLesserHill，Mr。
Salton’shouse。Itwasnowtoodarktoseeanydetailsoftheirsurroundings。Adamcouldjustseethatitwasonthetopofahill，notquitesohighasthatwhichwascoveredbytheCastle，onwhosetowerflewtheflag，andwhichwasallablazewithmovinglights，manifestlyusedinthepreparationsforthefestivitiesonthemorrow。SoAdamdeferredhiscuriositytilldaylight。Hisgrand—
unclewasmetatthedoorbyafineoldman，whogreetedhimwarmly。
\"Icameoverearlyasyouwished。Isupposethisisyourgrand—
nephew——Iamgladtomeetyou，Mr。AdamSalton。IamNathanieldeSalis，andyouruncleisoneofmyoldestfriends。\"
Adam，fromthemomentoftheireyesmeeting，feltasiftheywerealreadyfriends。Themeetingwasanewnoteofwelcometothosethathadalreadysoundedinhisears。
ThecordialitywithwhichSirNathanielandAdammet，madetheimpartingofinformationeasy。SirNathanielwasaclevermanoftheworld，whohadtravelledmuch，andwithinacertainareastudieddeeply。Hewasabrilliantconversationalist，aswastobeexpectedfromasuccessfuldiplomatist，evenunderunstimulatingconditions。
Buthehadbeentouchedandtoacertainextentfiredbytheyoungerman’sevidentadmirationandwillingnesstolearnfromhim。
Accordinglytheconversation，whichbeganonthemostfriendlybasis，soonwarmedtoaninterestaboveproof，astheoldmanspokeofitnextdaytoRichardSalton。Heknewalreadythathisoldfriendwantedhisgrand—nephewtolearnallhecouldofthesubjectinhand，andsohadduringhisjourneyfromthePeakputhisthoughtsinsequencefornarrationandexplanation。Accordingly，Adamhadonlytolistenandhemustlearnmuchthathewantedtoknow。Whendinnerwasoverandtheservantshadwithdrawn，leavingthethreemenattheirwine，SirNathanielbegan。
\"Igatherfromyouruncle——bytheway，Isupposewehadbetterspeakofyouasuncleandnephew，insteadofgoingintoexactrelationship？Infact，youruncleissooldanddearafriend，that，withyourpermission，IshalldropformalitywithyoualtogetherandspeakofyouandtoyouasAdam，asthoughyouwerehisson。\"
\"Ishouldlike，\"answeredtheyoungman，\"nothingbetter！\"
Theanswerwarmedtheheartsofboththeoldmen，but，withtheusualavoidanceofEnglishmenofemotionalsubjectspersonaltothemselves，theyinstinctivelyreturnedtothepreviousquestion。
SirNathanieltookthelead。
\"Iunderstand，Adam，thatyourunclehaspostedyouregardingtherelationshipsoftheCaswallfamily？\"
\"Partly，sir;butIunderstoodthatIwastohearminuterdetailsfromyou——ifyouwouldbesogood。\"
\"Ishallbedelightedtotellyouanythingsofarasmyknowledgegoes。Well，thefirstCaswallinourimmediaterecordisanEdgar，headofthefamilyandowneroftheestate，whocameintohiskingdomjustaboutthetimethatGeorgeIII。did。Hehadonesonofabouttwenty—four。Therewasaviolentquarrelbetweenthetwo。Nooneofthisgenerationhasanyideaofthecause;but，consideringthefamilycharacteristics，wemaytakeitforgrantedthatthoughitwasdeepandviolent，itwasonthesurfacetrivial。
\"Theresultofthequarrelwasthatthesonleftthehousewithoutareconciliationorwithouteventellinghisfatherwherehewasgoing。Henevercamebackagain。Afewyearsafter，hedied，withouthavinginthemeantimeexchangedawordoraletterwithhisfather。Hemarriedabroadandleftoneson，whoseemstohavebeenbroughtupinignoranceofallbelongingtohim。Thegulfbetweenthemappearstohavebeenunbridgable;forintimethissonmarriedandinturnhadason，butneitherjoynorsorrowbroughtthesunderedtogether。UndersuchconditionsnoRAPPROCHEMENTwastobelookedfor，andanutterindifference，foundedatbestonignorance，tooktheplaceoffamilyaffection——evenoncommunityofinterests。
Itwasonlyduetothewatchfulnessofthelawyersthatthebirthofthisnewheirwasevermadeknown。Heactuallyspentafewmonthsintheancestralhome。
\"Afterthisthefamilyinterestmerelyrestedonheirshipoftheestate。Asnootherchildrenhavebeenborntoanyofthenewergenerationsintheinterveningyears，allhopesofheritagearenowcentredinthegrandsonofthisman。
\"Now，itwillbewellforyoutobearinmindtheprevailingcharacteristicsofthisrace。Thesewerewellpreservedandunchanging;oneandalltheyarethesame：cold，selfish，dominant，recklessofconsequencesinpursuitoftheirownwill。Itwasnotthattheydidnotkeepfaith，thoughthatwasamatterwhichgavethemlittleconcern，butthattheytookcaretothinkbeforehandofwhattheyshoulddoinordertogaintheirownends。Iftheyshouldmakeamistake，someoneelseshouldbeartheburthenofit。Thiswassoperpetuallyrecurrentthatitseemedtobeapartofafixedpolicy。Itwasnowonderthat，whateverchangestookplace，theywerealwaysensuredintheirownpossessions。Theywereabsolutelycoldandhardbynature。Notoneofthem——sofaraswehaveanyknowledge——waseverknowntobetouchedbythesoftersentiments，toswervefromhispurpose，orholdhishandinobediencetothedictatesofhisheart。ThepicturesandeffigiesofthemallshowtheiradherencetotheearlyRomantype。Theireyeswerefull;
theirhair，ofravenblackness，grewthickandcloseandcurly。
Theirfiguresweremassiveandtypicalofstrength。
\"Thethickblackhair，growinglowdownontheneck，toldofvastphysicalstrengthandendurance。Butthemostremarkablecharacteristicistheeyes。Black，piercing，almostunendurable，theyseemtocontaininthemselvesaremarkablewillpowerwhichthereisnogainsaying。Itisapowerthatispartlyracialandpartlyindividual：apowerimpregnatedwithsomemysteriousquality，partlyhypnotic，partlymesmeric，whichseemstotakeawayfromeyesthatmeetthemallpowerofresistance——nay，allpowerofwishingtoresist。Witheyeslikethose，setinthatall—commandingface，onewouldneedtobestrongindeedtothinkofresistingtheinflexiblewillthatlaybehind。
\"Youmaythink，Adam，thatallthisisimaginationonmypart，especiallyasIhaveneverseenanyofthem。Soitis，butimaginationbasedondeepstudy。IhavemadeuseofallIknoworcansurmiselogicallyregardingthisstrangerace。Withsuchstrangecompellingqualities，isitanywonderthatthereisabroadanideathatintheracethereissomedemoniacpossession，whichtendstoamoredefinitebeliefthatcertainindividualshaveinthepastsoldthemselvestotheDevil？
\"ButIthinkwehadbettergotobednow。Wehavealottogetthroughto—morrow，andIwantyoutohaveyourbrainclear，andallyoursusceptibilitiesfresh。Moreover，Iwantyoutocomewithmeforanearlywalk，duringwhichwemaynotice，whilstthematterisfreshinourminds，thepeculiardispositionofthisplace——notmerelyyourgrand—uncle’sestate，butthelieofthecountryaroundit。Therearemanythingsonwhichwemayseek——andperhapsfind——
enlightenment。Themoreweknowatthestart，themorethingswhichmaycomeintoourviewwilldevelopthemselves。\"
CHAPTERIII——DIANA’SGROVE
CuriositytookAdamSaltonoutofbedintheearlymorning，butwhenhehaddressedandgonedownstairs;hefoundthat，earlyashewas，SirNathanielwasaheadofhim。Theoldgentlemanwasquitepreparedforalongwalk，andtheystartedatonce。
SirNathaniel，withoutspeaking，ledthewaytotheeast，downthehill。Whentheyhaddescendedandrisenagain，theyfoundthemselvesontheeasternbrinkofasteephill。ItwasoflesserheightthanthatonwhichtheCastlewassituated;butitwassoplacedthatitcommandedthevarioushillsthatcrownedtheridge。
Allalongtheridgetherockcroppedout，bareandbleak，butbrokeninroughnaturalcastellation。Theformoftheridgewasasegmentofacircle，withthehigherpointsinlandtothewest。InthecentrerosetheCastle，onthehighestpointofall。Betweenthevariousrockyexcrescencesweregroupsoftreesofvarioussizesandheights，amongstsomeofwhichwerewhat，intheearlymorninglight，lookedlikeruins。These——whatevertheywere——wereofmassivegreystone，probablylimestonerudelycut——ifindeedtheywerenotshapednaturally。Thefallofthegroundwassteepallalongtheridge，sosteepthathereandtherebothtreesandrocksandbuildingsseemedtooverhangtheplainfarbelow，throughwhichranmanystreams。
SirNathanielstoppedandlookedaround，asthoughtolosenothingoftheeffect。Thesunhadclimbedtheeasternskyandwasmakingalldetailsclear。Hepointedwithasweepinggesture，asthoughcallingAdam’sattentiontotheextentoftheview。Havingdoneso，hecoveredthegroundmoreslowly，asthoughinvitingattentiontodetail。Adamwasawillingandattentivepupil，andfollowedhismotionsexactly，missing——ortryingtomiss——nothing。
\"Ihavebroughtyouhere，Adam，becauseitseemstomethatthisisthespotonwhichtobeginourinvestigations。YouhavenowinfrontofyoualmostthewholeoftheancientkingdomofMercia。Infact，weseethewholeofitexceptthatfurthestpart，whichiscoveredbytheWelshMarchesandthosepartswhicharehiddenfromwherewestandbythehighgroundoftheimmediatewest。Wecansee——theoretically——thewholeoftheeasternboundofthekingdom，whichransouthfromtheHumbertotheWash。Iwantyoutobearinmindthetrendoftheground，forsometime，soonerorlater，weshalldowelltohaveitinourmind’seyewhenweareconsideringtheancienttraditionsandsuperstitions，andaretryingtofindtheRATIONALEofthem。Eachlegend，eachsuperstitionwhichwereceive，willhelpintheunderstandingandpossibleelucidationoftheothers。Andasallsuchhavealocalbasis，wecancomeclosertothetruth——ortheprobability——byknowingthelocalconditionsaswegoalong。Itwillhelpustobringtoouraidsuchgeologicaltruthaswemayhavebetweenus。Forinstance，thebuildingmaterialsusedinvariousagescanaffordtheirownlessonstounderstandingeyes。Theveryheightsandshapesandmaterialsofthesehills——
nay，evenofthewideplainthatliesbetweenusandthesea——haveinthemselvesthematerialsofenlighteningbooks。\"
\"Forinstance，sir？\"saidAdam，venturingaquestion。
\"Well，lookatthosehillswhichsurroundthemainonewherethesitefortheCastlewaswiselychosen——onthehighestground。Taketheothers。Thereissomethingostensibleineachofthem，andinallprobabilitysomethingunseenandunproved，buttobeimagined，also。\"
\"Forinstance？\"continuedAdam。
\"LetustakethemSERIATIM。Thattotheeast，wherethetreesare，lowerdown——thatwasoncethelocationofaRomantemple，possiblyfoundedonapre—existingDruidicalone。Itsnameimpliestheformer，andthegroveofancientoakssuggeststhelatter。\"
\"Pleaseexplain。\"
\"Theoldnametranslatedmeans’Diana’sGrove。’Thenthenextonehigherthanit，butjustbeyondit，iscalled’MERCY’——inallprobabilityacorruptionorfamiliarisationofthewordMERCIA，withaRomanpunincluded。WelearnfromearlymanuscriptsthattheplacewascalledVILULAMISERICORDIAE。Itwasoriginallyanunnery，foundedbyQueenBertha，butdoneawaywithbyKingPenda，thereactionarytoPaganismafterSt。Augustine。Thencomesyouruncle’splace——LesserHill。ThoughitissoclosetotheCastle，itisnotconnectedwithit。Itisafreehold，and，sofarasweknow，ofequalage。Ithasalwaysbelongedtoyourfamily。\"
\"ThenthereonlyremainstheCastle！\"
\"Thatisall;butitshistorycontainsthehistoriesofalltheothers——infact，thewholehistoryofearlyEngland。\"SirNathaniel，seeingtheexpectantlookonAdam’sface，wenton：
\"ThehistoryoftheCastlehasnobeginningsofarasweknow。Thefurthestrecordsorsurmisesorinferencessimplyacceptitasexisting。Someofthese——guesses，letuscallthem——seemtoshowthattherewassomesortofstructuretherewhentheRomanscame，thereforeitmusthavebeenaplaceofimportanceinDruidtimes——ifindeedthatwasthebeginning。NaturallytheRomansacceptedit，astheydideverythingofthekindthatwas，ormightbe，useful。ThechangeisshownorinferredinthenameCastra。Itwasthehighestprotectedground，andsonaturallybecamethemostimportantoftheircamps。Astudyofthemapwillshowyouthatitmusthavebeenamostimportantcentre。Itbothprotectedtheadvancesalreadymadetothenorth，andhelpedtodominatetheseacoast。Itshelteredthewesternmarches，beyondwhichlaysavageWales——anddanger。ItprovidedameansofgettingtotheSevern，roundwhichlaythegreatRomanroadsthencomingintoexistence，andmadepossiblethegreatwaterwaytotheheartofEngland——throughtheSevernanditstributaries。Itbroughttheeastandthewesttogetherbytheswiftestandeasiestwaysknowntothosetimes。
And，finally，itprovidedmeansofdescentonLondonandalltheexpanseofcountrywateredbytheThames。
\"Withsuchacentre，alreadyknownandorganised，wecaneasilyseethateachfreshwaveofinvasion——theAngles，theSaxons，theDanes，andtheNormans——founditadesirablepossessionandsoensureditsupholding。Intheearliercenturiesitwasmerelyavantageground。
ButwhenthevictoriousRomansbroughtwiththemtheheavysolidfortificationsimpregnabletotheweaponsofthetime，itscommandingpositionaloneensureditsadequatebuildingandequipment。ThenitwasthatthefortifiedcampoftheCaesarsdevelopedintothecastleoftheking。AsweareasyetignorantofthenamesofthefirstkingsofMercia，nohistorianhasbeenabletoguesswhichofthemmadeithisultimatedefence;andIsupposeweshallneverknownow。Inprocessoftime，astheartsofwardeveloped，itincreasedinsizeandstrength，andalthoughrecordeddetailsarelacking，thehistoryiswrittennotmerelyinthestoneofitsbuilding，butisinferredinthechangesofstructure。ThenthesweepingchangeswhichfollowedtheNormanConquestwipedoutalllesserrecordsthanitsown。To—daywemustacceptitasoneoftheearliestcastlesoftheConquest，probablynotlaterthanthetimeofHenryI。RomanandNormanwerebothwiseintheirretentionofplacesofapprovedstrengthorutility。Soitwasthatthesesurroundingheights，alreadyestablishedandtoacertainextentproved，wereretained。Indeed，suchcharacteristicsasalreadypertainedtothemwerepreserved，andto—dayaffordtouslessonsregardingthingswhichhavethemselveslongsincepassedaway。
\"Somuchforthefortifiedheights;butthehollowstoohavetheirownstory。Buthowthetimepasses！Wemusthurryhome，oryourunclewillwonderwhathasbecomeofus。\"
HestartedwithlongstepstowardsLesserHill，andAdamwassoonfurtivelyrunninginordertokeepupwithhim。
CHAPTERIV——THELADYARABELLAMARCH
\"Now，thereisnohurry，butsosoonasyouarebothreadyweshallstart，\"Mr。Saltonsaidwhenbreakfasthadbegun。\"IwanttotakeyoufirsttoseearemarkablerelicofMercia，andthenwe’llgotoLiverpoolthroughwhatiscalled’TheGreatValeofCheshire。’Youmaybedisappointed，buttakecarenottoprepareyourmind\"——thistoAdam——\"foranythingstupendousorheroic。Youwouldnotthinktheplaceavaleatall，unlessyouweretoldsobeforehand，andhadconfidenceintheveracityoftheteller。WeshouldgettotheLandingStageintimetomeettheWESTAFRICAN，andcatchMr。
Caswallashecomesashore。Wewanttodohimhonour——and，besides，itwillbemorepleasanttohavetheintroductionsoverbeforewegotohisFETEattheCastle。\"
Thecarriagewasready，thesameashadbeenusedthepreviousday，butthereweredifferenthorses——magnificentanimals，andkeenforwork。Breakfastwassoonover，andtheyshortlytooktheirplaces。
Thepostillionshadtheirorders，andwerequicklyontheirwayatanexhilaratingpace。
Presently，inobediencetoMr。Salton’ssignal，thecarriagedrewupoppositeagreatheapofstonesbythewayside。
\"Here，Adam，\"hesaid，\"issomethingthatyouofallmenshouldnotpassbyunnoticed。ThatheapofstonesbringsusatoncetothedawnoftheAngliankingdom。Itwasbegunmorethanathousandyearsago——inthelatterpartoftheseventhcentury——inmemoryofamurder。Wulfere，KingofMercia，nephewofPenda，heremurderedhistwosonsforembracingChristianity。Aswasthecustomofthetime，eachpasser—byaddedastonetothememorialheap。PendarepresentedheathenreactionafterSt。Augustine’smission。SirNathanielcantellyouasmuchasyouwantaboutthis，andputyou，ifyouwish，onthetrackofsuchaccurateknowledgeasthereis。\"
Whilsttheywerelookingattheheapofstones，theynoticedthatanothercarriagehaddrawnupbesidethem，andthepassenger——therewasonlyone——wasregardingthemcuriously。Thecarriagewasanoldheavytravellingone，witharmsblazonedonitgorgeously。Thementookofftheirhats，astheoccupant，alady，addressedthem。
\"Howdoyoudo，SirNathaniel？Howdoyoudo，Mr。Salton？Ihopeyouhavenotmetwithanyaccident。Lookatme！\"
Asshespokeshepointedtowhereoneoftheheavyspringswasbrokenacross，thebrokenmetalshowingbright。Adamspokeupatonce：
\"Oh，thatcansoonbeputright。\"
\"Soon？Thereisnoonenearwhocanmendabreaklikethat。\"
\"Ican。\"
\"You！\"Shelookedincredulouslyatthedapperyounggentlemanwhospoke。\"You——why，it’saworkman’sjob。\"
\"Allright，Iamaworkman——thoughthatisnottheonlysortofworkIdo。IamanAustralian，and，aswehavetomoveaboutfast，wearealltrainedtofarrieryandsuchmechanicsascomeintotravel——
Iamquiteatyourservice。\"
\"Ihardlyknowhowtothankyouforyourkindness，ofwhichIgladlyavailmyself。Idon’tknowwhatelseIcando，asIwishtomeetMr。CaswallofCastraRegis，whoarriveshomefromAfricato—day。
Itisanotablehome—coming;allthecountrysidewanttodohimhonour。\"Shelookedattheoldmenandquicklymadeuphermindastotheidentityofthestranger。\"YoumustbeMr。AdamSaltonofLesserHill。IamLadyArabellaMarchofDiana’sGrove。\"AsshespokesheturnedslightlytoMr。Salton，whotookthehintandmadeaformalintroduction。
Sosoonasthiswasdone，Adamtooksometoolsfromhisuncle’scarriage，andatoncebeganworkonthebrokenspring。Hewasanexpertworkman，andthebreachwassoonmadegood。Adamwasgatheringthetoolswhichhehadbeenusing——which，afterthemannerofallworkmen，hadbeenscatteredabout——whenhenoticedthatseveralblacksnakeshadcrawledoutfromtheheapofstonesandweregatheringroundhim。Thisnaturallyoccupiedhismind，andhewasnotthinkingofanythingelsewhenhenoticedLadyArabella，whohadopenedthedoorofthecarriage，slipfromitwithaquickglidingmotion。Shewasalreadyamongthesnakeswhenhecalledouttowarnher。Butthereseemedtobenoneedofwarning。Thesnakeshadturnedandwerewrigglingbacktothemoundasquicklyastheycould。Helaughedtohimselfbehindhisteethashewhispered，\"Noneedtofearthere。Theyseemmuchmoreafraidofherthansheofthem。\"Allthesamehebegantobeatonthegroundwithastickwhichwaslyingclosetohim，withtheinstinctofoneusedtosuchvermin。InaninstanthewasalonebesidethemoundwithLadyArabella，whoappearedquiteunconcernedattheincident。Thenhetookalonglookather，andherdressalonewassufficienttoattractattention。Shewascladinsomekindofsoftwhitestuff，whichclungclosetoherform，showingtothefulleverymovementofhersinuousfigure。Sheworeaclose—fittingcapofsomefinefurofdazzlingwhite。Coiledroundherwhitethroatwasalargenecklaceofemeralds，whoseprofusionofcolourdazzledwhenthesunshoneonthem。Hervoicewaspeculiar，verylowandsweet，andsosoftthatthedominantnotewasofsibilation。Herhands，too，werepeculiar——long，flexible，white，withastrangemovementasofwavinggentlytoandfro。
Sheappearedquiteatease，and，afterthankingAdam，saidthatifanyofhisuncle’spartyweregoingtoLiverpoolshewouldbemosthappytojoinforces。
\"Whilstyouarestayinghere，Mr。Salton，youmustlookonthegroundsofDiana’sGroveasyourown，sothatyoumaycomeandgojustasyoudoinLesserHill。Therearesomefineviews，andnotafewnaturalcuriositieswhicharesuretointerestyou，ifyouareastudentofnaturalhistory——speciallyofanearlierkind，whentheworldwasyounger。\"
Theheartinesswithwhichshespoke，andthewarmthofherwords——
notofhermanner，whichwascoldanddistant——madehimsuspicious。
InthemeantimebothhisuncleandSirNathanielhadthankedherfortheinvitation——ofwhich，however，theysaidtheywereunabletoavailthemselves。Adamhadasuspicionthat，thoughsheansweredregretfully，shewasinrealityrelieved。Whenhehadgotintothecarriagewiththetwooldmen，andtheyhaddrivenoff，hewasnotsurprisedwhenSirNathanielspoke。
\"Icouldnotbutfeelthatshewasgladtoberidofus。Shecanplayhergamebetteralone！\"
\"Whatishergame？\"askedAdamunthinkingly。
\"Allthecountyknowsit，myboy。Caswallisaveryrichman。Herhusbandwasrichwhenshemarriedhim——orseemedtobe。Whenhecommittedsuicide，itwasfoundthathehadnothingleft，andtheestatewasmortgageduptothehilt。Heronlyhopeisinarichmarriage。IsupposeIneednotdrawanyconclusion;youcandothataswellasIcan。\"
AdamremainedsilentnearlyallthetimetheyweretravellingthroughtheallegedValeofCheshire。Hethoughtmuchduringthatjourneyandcametoseveralconclusions，thoughhislipswereunmoved。OneoftheseconclusionswasthathewouldbeverycarefulaboutpayinganyattentiontoLadyArabella。Hewashimselfarichman，howrichnotevenhisunclehadtheleastidea，andwouldhavebeensurprisedhadheknown。
Theremainderofthejourneywasuneventful，anduponarrivalatLiverpooltheywentaboardtheWESTAFRICAN，whichhadjustcometothelanding—stage。TherehisuncleintroducedhimselftoMr。
Caswall，andfollowedthisupbyintroducingSirNathanielandthenAdam。Thenew—comerreceivedthemgraciously，andsaidwhatapleasureitwastobecominghomeaftersolonganabsenceofhisfamilyfromtheiroldseat。Adamwaspleasedatthewarmthofthereception;buthecouldnotavoidafeelingofrepugnanceattheman’sface。HewastryinghardtoovercomethiswhenadiversionwascausedbythearrivalofLadyArabella。Thediversionwaswelcometoall;thetwoSaltonsandSirNathanielwereshockedatCaswall’sface——sohard，soruthless，soselfish，sodominant。\"Godhelpany，\"wasthecommonthought，\"whoisunderthedominationofsuchaman！\"
PresentlyhisAfricanservantapproachedhim，andatoncetheirthoughtschangedtoalargertoleration。Caswalllookedindeedasavage——butaculturedsavage。Inhimweretracesofthesofteningcivilisationofages——ofsomeofthehigherinstinctsandeducationofman，nomatterhowrudimentarythesemightbe。ButthefaceofOolanga，ashismastercalledhim，wasunreformed，unsoftenedsavage，andinherentinitwereallthehideouspossibilitiesofalost，devil—riddenchildoftheforestandtheswamp——thelowestofallcreatedthingsthatcouldberegardedasinsomeformostensiblyhuman。LadyArabellaandOolangaarrivedalmostsimultaneously，andAdamwassurprisedtonoticewhateffecttheirappearancehadoneachother。Thewomanseemedasifshewouldnot——couldnot——
condescendtoexhibitanyconcernorinterestinsuchacreature。
Ontheotherhand，thenegro’sbearingwassuchasinitselftojustifyherpride。Hetreatedhernotmerelyasaslavetreatshismaster，butasaworshipperwouldtreatadeity。Hekneltbeforeherwithhishandsout—stretchedandhisforeheadinthedust。Solongassheremainedhedidnotmove;itwasonlywhenshewentovertoCaswallthatherelaxedhisattitudeofdevotionandstoodbyrespectfully。
Adamspoketohisownman，Davenport，whowasstandingby，havingarrivedwiththebailiffofLesserHill，whohadfollowedMr。Saltoninaponytrap。Ashespoke，hepointedtoanattentiveship’ssteward，andpresentlythetwomenwereconversing。
\"Ithinkweoughttobemoving，\"Mr。SaltonsaidtoAdam。\"IhavesomethingstodoinLiverpool，andIamsurethatbothMr。CaswallandLadyArabellawouldliketogetunderweighforCastraRegis。\"
\"Itoo，sir，wouldliketodosomething，\"repliedAdam。\"IwanttofindoutwhereRoss，theanimalmerchant，lives——Iwanttotakeasmallanimalhomewithme，ifyoudon’tmind。Heisonlyalittlething，andwillbenotrouble。\"
\"Ofcoursenot，myboy。Whatkindofanimalisitthatyouwant？\"
\"Amongoose。\"
\"Amongoose！Whatonearthdoyouwantitfor？\"
\"Tokillsnakes。\"
\"Good！\"Theoldmanrememberedthemoundofstones。Noexplanationwasneeded。
WhenRossheardwhatwaswanted，heasked：
\"Doyouwantsomethingspecial，orwillanordinarymongoosedo？\"
\"Well，ofcourseIwantagoodone。ButIseenoneedforanythingspecial。Itisforordinaryuse。\"
\"Icanletyouhaveachoiceofordinaryones。Ionlyasked，becauseIhaveinstockaveryspecialonewhichIgotlatelyfromNepaul。Hehasarecordofhisown。HekilledakingcobrathathadbeenseenintheRajah’sgarden。ButIdon’tsupposewehaveanysnakesofthekindinthiscoldclimate——Idaresayanordinaryonewilldo。\"
WhenAdamgotbacktothecarriage，carefullycarryingtheboxwiththemongoose，SirNathanielsaid：\"Hullo！whathaveyougotthere？\"
\"Amongoose。\"
\"Whatfor？\"
\"Tokillsnakes！\"
SirNathaniellaughed。
\"IheardLadyArabella’sinvitationtoyoutocometoDiana’sGrove。\"
\"Well，whatonearthhasthatgottodowithit？\"
\"NothingdirectlythatIknowof。Butweshallsee。\"Adamwaited，andtheoldmanwenton：\"Haveyoubyanychanceheardtheothernamewhichwasgivenlongagotothatplace。\"
\"No，sir。\"
\"Itwascalled——Lookhere，thissubjectwantsalotoftalkingover。Supposewewaittillwearealoneandhavelotsoftimebeforeus。\"
\"Allright，sir。\"Adamwasfilledwithcuriosity，buthethoughtitbetternottohurrymatters。Allwouldcomeingoodtime。Thenthethreemenreturnedhome，leavingMr。CaswalltospendthenightinLiverpool。
ThefollowingdaytheLesserHillpartysetoutforCastraRegis，andforthetimeAdamthoughtnomoreofDiana’sGroveorofwhatmysteriesithadcontained——ormightstillcontain。
Theguestswerecrowdingin，andspecialplacesweremarkedforimportantpeople。Adam，seeingsomanypersonsofvarieddegree，lookedroundforLadyArabella，butcouldnotlocateher。Itwasonlywhenhesawtheold—fashionedtravellingcarriageapproachandheardthesoundofcheeringwhichwentwithit，thatherealisedthatEdgarCaswallhadarrived。Then，onlookingmoreclosely，hesawthatLadyArabella，dressedashehadseenherlast，wasseatedbesidehim。Whenthecarriagedrewupatthegreatflightofsteps，thehostjumpeddownandgaveherhishand。
Itwasevidenttoallthatshewasthechiefguestatthefestivities。Itwasnotlongbeforetheseatsonthedaiswerefilled，whilethetenantsandguestsoflesserimportancehadoccupiedallthecoignsofvantagenotreserved。Theorderofthedayhadbeencarefullyarrangedbyacommittee。Thereweresomespeeches，happilyneithermanynorlong;andthenfestivitiesweresuspendedtillthetimeforfeastingarrived。IntheintervalCaswallwalkedamonghisguests，speakingtoallinafriendlymannerandexpressingageneralwelcome。Theotherguestscamedownfromthedaisandfollowedhisexample，sotherewasunceremoniousmeetingandgreetingbetweengentleandsimple。
AdamSaltonnaturallyfollowedwithhiseyesallthatwentonwithintheirscope，takingnoteofallwhoseemedtoaffordanyinterest。
Hewasyoungandamanandastrangerfromafardistance;soonalltheseaccountshenaturallytookstockratherofthewomenthanofthemen，andofthese，thosewhowereyoungandattractive。Therewerelotsofprettygirlsamongthecrowd，andAdam，whowasahandsomeyoungmanandwellsetup，gothisfullshareofadmiringglances。Thesedidnotconcernhimmuch，andheremainedunmoveduntiltherecamealongagroupofthree，bytheirdressandbearing，ofthefarmerclass。Onewasasturdyoldman;theothertwoweregood—lookinggirls，oneofalittleovertwenty，theothernotquitesoold。SosoonasAdam’seyesmetthoseoftheyoungergirl，whostoodnearesttohim，somesortofelectricityflashed——thatdivinesparkwhichbeginsbyrecognition，andendsinobedience。Mencallit\"Love。\"
BothhiscompanionsnoticedhowmuchAdamwastakenbytheprettygirl，andspokeofhertohiminawaywhichmadehisheartwarmtothem。
\"Didyounoticethatpartythatpassed？TheoldmanisMichaelWatford，oneofthetenantsofMr。Caswall。HeoccupiesMercyFarm，whichSirNathanielpointedouttoyouto—day。Thegirlsarehisgrand—daughters，theelder，Lilla，beingtheonlychildofhiselderson，whodiedwhenshewaslessthanayearold。Hiswifediedonthesameday。Sheisagoodgirl——asgoodassheispretty。Theotherisherfirstcousin，thedaughterofWatford’ssecondson。Hewentforasoldierwhenhewasjustovertwenty，andwasdraftedabroad。Hewasnotagoodcorrespondent，thoughhewasagoodenoughson。Afewletterscame，andthenhisfatherheardfromthecolonelofhisregimentthathehadbeenkilledbydacoitsinBurmah。HeheardfromthesamesourcethathisboyhadbeenmarriedtoaBurmese，andthattherewasadaughteronlyayearold。
Watfordhadthechildbroughthome，andshegrewupbesideLilla。
TheonlythingthattheyheardofherbirthwasthathernamewasMimi。Thetwochildrenadoredeachother，anddotothisday。
Strangehowdifferenttheyare！Lillaallfair，liketheoldSaxonstockfromwhichsheissprung;Mimishowingatraceofhermother’srace。Lillaisasgentleasadove，butMimi’sblackeyescanglowwheneversheisupset。TheonlythingthatupsetsheriswhenanythinghappenstoinjureorthreatenorannoyLilla。Thenhereyesglowasdotheeyesofabirdwhenheryoungaremenaced。\"
CHAPTERV——THEWHITEWORM
Mr。SaltonintroducedAdamtoMr。Watfordandhisgrand—daughters，andtheyallmovedontogether。OfcourseneighboursinthepositionoftheWatfordsknewallaboutAdamSalton，hisrelationship，circumstances，andprospects。Soitwouldhavebeenstrangeindeedifbothgirlsdidnotdreamofpossibilitiesofthefuture。InagriculturalEngland，eligiblemenofanyclassarerare。Thisparticularmanwasspeciallyeligible，forhedidnotbelongtoaclassinwhichbarriersofcastewerestrong。SowhenitbegantobenoticedthathewalkedbesideMimiWatfordandseemedtodesirehersociety，alltheirfriendsendeavouredtogivethepromisingaffairahelpinghand。Whenthegongssoundedforthebanquet，hewentwithherintothetentwherehergrandfatherhadseats。Mr。SaltonandSirNathanielnoticedthattheyoungmandidnotcometoclaimhisappointedplaceatthedaistable;buttheyunderstoodandmadenoremark，orindeeddidnotseemtonoticehisabsence。
LadyArabellasatasbeforeatEdgarCaswall’srighthand。Shewascertainlyastrikingandunusualwoman，andtoallitseemedfittingfromherrankandpersonalqualitiesthatsheshouldbethechosenpartneroftheheironhisfirstappearance。Ofcoursenothingwassaidopenlybythoseofherownclasswhowerepresent;butwordswerenotnecessarywhensomuchcouldbeexpressedbynodsandsmiles。ItseemedtobeanacceptedthingthatatlasttherewastobeamistressofCastraRegis，andthatshewaspresentamongstthem。Therewerenotlackingsomewho，whilstadmittingallhercharmandbeauty，placedherinthesecondrank，LillaWatfordbeingmarkedasfirst。Therewassufficientdivergenceoftype，aswellasofindividualbeauty，toallowoffaircomment;LadyArabellarepresentedthearistocratictype，andLillathatofthecommonalty。
Whentheduskbegantothicken，Mr。SaltonandSirNathanielwalkedhome——thetraphadbeensentawayearlyintheday——leavingAdamtofollowinhisowntime。Hecameinearlierthanwasexpected，andseemedupsetaboutsomething。Neitheroftheeldersmadeanycomment。Theyalllitcigarettes，and，asdinner—timewascloseathand，wenttotheirroomstogetready。
Adamhadevidentlybeenthinkingintheinterval。Hejoinedtheothersinthedrawing—room，lookingruffledandimpatient——aconditionofthingsseenforthefirsttime。Theothers，withthepatience——ortheexperience——ofage，trustedtotimetounfoldandexplainthings。Theyhadnotlongtowait。Aftersittingdownandstandingupseveraltimes，Adamsuddenlyburstout。
\"Thatfellowseemstothinkheownstheearth。Can’theletpeoplealone！Heseemstothinkthathehasonlytothrowhishandkerchieftoanywoman，andbehermaster。\"
Thisoutburstwasinitselfenlightening。Onlythwartedaffectioninsomeguisecouldproducethisfeelinginanamiableyoungman。
SirNathaniel，asanolddiplomatist，hadawayofunderstanding，asifbyforeknowledge，thetrueinwardnessofthings，andaskedsuddenly，butinamatter—of—fact，indifferentvoice：
\"WasheafterLilla？\"
\"Yes，andthefellowdidn’tloseanytimeeither。Almostassoonastheymet，hebegantobutterherup，andtellherhowbeautifulshewas。Why，beforeheleftherside，hehadaskedhimselftoteato—
morrowatMercyFarm。Stupidass！Hemightseethatthegirlisn’thissort！Ineversawanythinglikeit。Itwasjustlikeahawkandapigeon。\"
Ashespoke，SirNathanielturnedandlookedatMr。Salton——akeenlookwhichimpliedafullunderstanding。
\"Tellusallaboutit，Adam。Therearestillafewminutesbeforedinner，andweshallallhavebetterappetiteswhenwehavecometosomeconclusiononthismatter。\"
\"Thereisnothingtotell，sir;thatistheworstofit。Iamboundtosaythattherewasnotawordsaidthatahumanbeingcouldobjectto。Hewasverycivil，andallthatwasproper——justwhatalandlordmightbetoatenant’sdaughter……Yet——yet——well，I
don’tknowhowitwas，butitmademybloodboil。\"
\"Howdidthehawkandthepigeoncomein？\"SirNathaniel’svoicewassoftandsoothing，nothingofcontradictionoroverdonecuriosityinit——atoneeminentlysuitedtowinconfidence。
\"Icanhardlyexplain。Icanonlysaythathelookedlikeahawkandshelikeadove——and，nowthatIthinkofit，thatiswhattheyeachdidlooklike;anddolooklikeintheirnormalcondition。\"
\"Thatisso！\"camethesoftvoiceofSirNathaniel。
Adamwenton：
\"PerhapsthatearlyRomanlookofhissetmeoff。ButIwantedtoprotecther;sheseemedindanger。\"
\"Sheseemsindanger，inaway，fromallyouyoungmen。Icouldn’thelpnoticingthewaythatevenyoulooked——asifyouwishedtoabsorbher！\"
\"Ihopebothyouyoungmenwillkeepyourheadscool，\"putinMr。
Salton。\"Youknow，Adam，itwon’tdotohaveanyquarrelbetweenyou，especiallysosoonafterhishome—comingandyourarrivalhere。
Wemustthinkofthefeelingsandhappinessofourneighbours;
mustn’twe？\"
\"Ihopeso，sir。Iassureyouthat，whatevermayhappen，oreventhreaten，Ishallobeyyourwishesinthisasinallthings。\"
\"Hush！\"whisperedSirNathaniel，whoheardtheservantsinthepassagebringingdinner。
Afterdinner，overthewalnutsandthewine，SirNathanielreturnedtothesubjectofthelocallegends。
\"Itwillperhapsbealessdangeroustopicforustodiscussthanmorerecentones。\"
\"Allright，sir，\"saidAdamheartily。\"Ithinkyoumaydependonmenowwithregardtoanytopic。IcanevendiscussMr。Caswall。
Indeed，Imaymeethimto—morrow。Heisgoing，asIsaid，tocallatMercyFarmatthreeo’clock——butIhaveanappointmentattwo。\"
\"Inotice，\"saidMr。Salton，\"thatyoudonotloseanytime。\"
Thetwooldmenoncemorelookedateachothersteadily。Then，lestthemoodofhislistenershouldchangewithdelay，SirNathanielbeganatonce：
\"Idon’tproposetotellyouallthelegendsofMercia，oreventomakeaselectionofthem。Itwillbebetter，Ithink，forourpurposeifweconsiderafewfacts——recordedorunrecorded——aboutthisneighbourhood。IthinkwemightbeginwithDiana’sGrove。Ithasrootsinthedifferentepochsofourhistory，andeachhasitsspecialcropoflegend。TheDruidandtheRomanaretoofaroffformattersofdetail;butitseemstometheSaxonandtheAnglesarenearenoughtoyieldmaterialforlegendarylore。WefindthatthisparticularplacehadanothernamebesidesDiana’sGrove。ThiswasmanifestlyofRomanorigin，orofGrecianacceptedasRoman。TheotherismorepregnantofadventureandromancethantheRomanname。
InMerciantongueitwas’TheLairoftheWhiteWorm。’Thisneedsawordofexplanationatthebeginning。
\"Inthedawnofthelanguage，theword’worm’hadasomewhatdifferentmeaningfromthatinuseto—day。ItwasanadaptationoftheAnglo—Saxon’wyrm，’meaningadragonorsnake;orfromtheGothic’waurms，’aserpent;ortheIcelandic’ormur，’ortheGerman’wurm。’Wegatherthatitconveyedoriginallyanideaofsizeandpower，notasnowinthediminutiveofboththesemeanings。Herelegendaryhistoryhelpsus。Wehavethewell—knownlegendofthe’WormWell’ofLambtonCastle，andthatofthe’LaidlyWormofSpindlestonHeugh’nearBamborough。Inboththeselegendsthe’worm’wasamonsterofvastsizeandpower——averitabledragonorserpent，suchaslegendattributestovastfensorquagswheretherewasillimitableroomforexpansion。Aglanceatageologicalmapwillshowthatwhatevertruththeremayhavebeenoftheactualityofsuchmonstersintheearlygeologicperiods，atleasttherewasplentyofpossibility。InEnglandtherewereoriginallyvastplainswheretheplentifulsupplyofwatercouldgather。Thestreamsweredeepandslow，andtherewereholesofabysmaldepth，whereanykindandsizeofantediluvianmonstercouldfindahabitat。Inplaces，whichnowwecanseefromourwindows，weremud—holesahundredormorefeetdeep。Whocantelluswhentheageofthemonsterswhichflourishedinslimecametoanend？Theremusthavebeenplacesandconditionswhichmadeforgreaterlongevity，greatersize，greaterstrengththanwasusual。Suchover—lappingsmayhavecomedowneventoourearliercenturies。Nay，aretherenotnowcreaturesofavastnessofbulkregardedbythegeneralityofmenasimpossible？
Eveninourowndaythereareseenthetracesofanimals，ifnottheanimalsthemselves，ofstupendoussize——veritablesurvivalsfromearlierages，preservedbysomespecialqualitiesintheirhabitats。
IremembermeetingadistinguishedmaninIndia，whohadthereputationofbeingagreatshikaree，whotoldmethatthegreatesttemptationhehadeverhadinhislifewastoshootagiantsnakewhichhehadcomeacrossintheTeraiofUpperIndia。Hewasonatiger—shootingexpedition，andashiselephantwascrossinganullah，itsquealed。Helookeddownfromhishowdahandsawthattheelephanthadsteppedacrossthebodyofasnakewhichwasdraggingitselfthroughthejungle。’SofarasIcouldsee，’hesaid，’itmusthavebeeneightyoronehundredfeetinlength。
Fullyfortyorfiftyfeetwasoneachsideofthetrack，andthoughtheweightwhichitdraggedhadthinnedit，itwasasthickroundasaman’sbody。Isupposeyouknowthatwhenyouareaftertiger，itisapointofhonournottoshootatanythingelse，aslifemaydependonit。Icouldeasilyhavespinedthismonster，butIfeltthatImustnot——so，withregret，Ihadtoletitgo。’
\"Justimaginesuchamonsteranywhereinthiscountry，andatoncewecouldgetasortofideaofthe’worms，’whichpossiblydidfrequentthegreatmorasseswhichspreadroundthemouthsofmanyofthegreatEuropeanrivers。\"
\"Ihaven’ttheleastdoubt，sir，thattheremayhavebeensuchmonstersasyouhavespokenofstillexistingatamuchlaterperiodthanisgenerallyaccepted，\"repliedAdam。\"Also，ifthereweresuchthings，thatthiswastheveryplaceforthem。Ihavetriedtothinkoverthemattersinceyoupointedouttheconfigurationoftheground。Butitseemstomethatthereisahiatussomewhere。Aretherenotmechanicaldifficulties？\"
\"Inwhatway？\"
\"Well，ourantiquemonstermusthavebeenmightyheavy，andthedistanceshehadtotravelwerelongandthewaysdifficult。Fromwherewearenowsittingdowntothelevelofthemud—holesisadistanceofseveralhundredfeet——Iamleavingoutofconsiderationaltogetheranylateraldistance。Isitpossiblethattherewasawaybywhichamonstercouldtravelupanddown，andyetnochancerecorderhaveeverseenhim？Ofcoursewehavethelegends;butisnotsomemoreexactevidencenecessaryinascientificinvestigation？\"
\"MydearAdam，allyousayisperfectlyright，and，werewestartingonsuchaninvestigation，wecouldnotdobetterthanfollowyourreasoning。But，mydearboy，youmustrememberthatallthistookplacethousandsofyearsago。Youmustremember，too，thatallrecordsofthekindthatwouldhelpusarelacking。Also，thattheplacestobeconsideredweredesert，sofarashumanhabitationorpopulationareconsidered。Inthevastdesolationofsuchaplaceascompliedwiththenecessaryconditions，theremusthavebeensuchprofusionofnaturalgrowthaswouldbartheprogressofmenformedasweare。Thelairofsuchamonsterwouldnothavebeendisturbedforhundreds——orthousands——ofyears。Moreover，thesecreaturesmusthaveoccupiedplacesquiteinaccessibletoman。Asnakewhocouldmakehimselfcomfortableinaquagmire，ahundredfeetdeep，wouldbeprotectedontheoutskirtsbysuchstupendousmorassesasnownolongerexist，orwhich，iftheyexistanywhereatall，canbeonveryfewplacesontheearth’ssurface。Farbeitfrommetosaythatinmoreelementaltimessuchthingscouldnothavebeen。Theconditionbelongstothegeologicage——thegreatbirthandgrowthoftheworld，whennaturalforcesranriot，whenthestruggleforexistencewassosavagethatnovitalitywhichwasnotfoundedinagiganticformcouldhaveevenapossibilityofsurvival。Thatsuchatimeexisted，wehaveevidencesingeology，butthereonly;wecanneverexpectproofssuchasthisagedemands。Wecanonlyimagineorsurmisesuchthings——orsuchconditionsandsuchforcesasovercamethem。\"
CHAPTERVI——HAWKANDPIGEON
Atbreakfast—timenextmorningSirNathanielandMr。SaltonwereseatedwhenAdamcamehurriedlyintotheroom。
\"Anynews？\"askedhisunclemechanically。
\"Four。\"
\"Fourwhat？\"askedSirNathaniel。
\"Snakes，\"saidAdam，helpinghimselftoagrilledkidney。