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Evidently that gate is never opened, for the long grass and the great heainst it, and if it were opened, it is so rusty that the force necessary to turn it on its hinges would be likely to pull down the square stone-built pillars, to the detririn with a doubtful carnivorous affability above a coat of arh, by the aid of the nicks in the stone pillars, to cli; but by putting our eyes close to the rusty bars of the gate, we can see the house well enough, and all but the very corners of the grassy enclosure
It is a very fine old place, of red brick, softened by a pale powdery lichen, which has dispersed itself with happy irregularity, so as to bring the red brick into terms of friendly co the three gables, the s, and the door-place But the s are patched ooden panes, and the door, I think, is like the gate--it is never opened Hoould groan and grate against the stone floor if it were! For it is a solid, heavy, handso with a sonorous bang behind a liveried lackey, who had just seen his e and pair
But at present one e of a chancery suit, and that the fruit froht hand of the enclosure would fall and rot a bark of dogs echoing fros at the back And now the half-weaned calves that have been sheltering theainst the left-hand wall come out and set up a silly answer to that terrible bark, doubtless supposing that it has reference to buckets of milk
Yes, the house ination is a licensed trespasser: it has no fear of dogs, but may climb over walls and peep in at ith iht-hand hat do you see? A large open fireplace, with rusty dogs in it, and a bare boarded floor; at the far end, fleeces of wool stacked up; in the s That is the furniture of the dining-rooh the left-hand ? Several clothes-horses, a pillion, a spinning-wheel, and an old box wide open and stuffed full of coloured rags At the edge of this box there lies a great wooden doll, which, so far asresemblance to the finest Greek sculpture, and especially in the total loss of its nose Near it there is a little chair, and the butt end of a boy's leather long-lashed whip