The few moments she had to wait far more than repaid her for the
trouble she had taken: through a side-door she looked into the
great roofless hall, the one grand thing about the house. Its
majesty laid hold upon her, and the shopkeeper's daughter felt
the power of the ancient dignity and ineffaceable beauty far more
than any of the family to which it had for centuries belonged.
She was standing lost in delight, when a rude voice called to her
from half-way up a stair:
"You're to come this way, miss."
With a start, she turned and went. It was a large room to which
she was led. There was no one in it, and she walked to an open
window, which had a wide outlook across the fields. A little to
the right, over some trees, were the chimneys of Thornwick. She
almost started to see them--so near, and yet so far--like the
memory of a sweet, sad story.
"Do you like my prospect?" asked the voice of Hesper behind her.
"It is flat."
"I like it much, Miss Mortimer," answered Mary, turning quickly
with a bright face. "Flatness has its own beauty. I sometimes
feel as if room was all I wanted; and of that there is so much
there! You see over the tree-tops, too, and that is good--
sometimes--don't you think?"
Miss Mortimer gave no other reply than a gentle stare, which
expressed no curiosity, although she had a vague feeling that
Mary's words meant something.
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