Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) THE HOUSE ON THE MOOR BY THE AUTHOR OF "MARGARET MAITLAND," "ADAM GRAEME," "THE LAIRD OF NORLAW," &c., &c. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1861. _The right of Translation is reserved._ LONDON: PRINTED BY R. BORN, GLOUCESTER STREET, REGENT'S PARK. PREFACE. This book was overshadowed and interrupted by the heaviest grief. The author says so, not to deprecate criticism, but to crave the tender forbearance of her unknown friends. THE HOUSE ON THE MOOR. CHAPTER I. In a gloomy room, looking out through one narrow window upon a moor, two young people together, and yet alone, consumed the dreary hours of a February afternoon. The scene within doors exhibited scarcely less monotony and dreariness than did the moor without, which stretched black and heavy to the hills under a leaden sky. The room was well-sized, and lighted only by that one window, which was deeply sunk in the deep wall, and hung with terrible curtains of red moreen, enough to kill what little amount of light there was. A large dining-table, of cold, well-polished mahogany, occupied the centre of the apartment--an old-fashioned sideboard and mysterious bureau of the same character stood out darkly from the walls--and hard, angular chairs furnished forth the dining-room, as it was called--but which was, indeed, drawing-room, study, boudoir, everything to the brother and sister who held occupation of it now.