{"product_id":"2940015925791","title":"MYSTERY AND CONFIDENCE, Volume I","description":"CHAP. I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Due westward, fronting to the green,\u003cbr\u003e    A rural portico was seen,\u003cbr\u003e    Where Ellen's hand had taught to twine\u003cbr\u003e    The ivy and Idean vine;\u003cbr\u003e    The clematis, the favor'd flow'r,\u003cbr\u003e    Which boasts the name of virgin's bow'r.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    LADY OF THE LAKE.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the foot of one of the most romantic mountains in North Wales, about\u003cbr\u003ea mile from the coast of Carnarvonshire, stands the little village of\u003cbr\u003eLlanwyllan: there, amongst trees which seemed coeval with the dwelling,\u003cbr\u003ewas a very large farm-house, the residence of Farmer Powis. Its high\u003cbr\u003echimneys, and neatly white-washed walls, rendered it a pleasing object\u003cbr\u003eto those who travelled on the high-road, about a mile off, which led to\u003cbr\u003ethe next market-town, if high-road that might be called which merely\u003cbr\u003eserved to facilitate the journies of the neighbouring farmers' wives to\u003cbr\u003emarket and back again, or those of the curate, who served the churches\u003cbr\u003ein the immediate vicinity. The hand of native taste had removed a few\u003cbr\u003ebranches from the immense trees which shaded this rural dwelling, and by\u003cbr\u003ethat means afforded to the inhabitants a view of the road, the spire of\u003cbr\u003ethe village church, and two or three natural rills of water, which,\u003cbr\u003efalling from the adjacent hills, increased the beauty of the scene. At\u003cbr\u003ethis dwelling a traveller arrived on the evening of a day which had been\u003cbr\u003eintensely hot, in the summer of 18--: the dust which covered his shoes,\u003cbr\u003eand almost concealed the colour of his coat, declared him a pedestrian;\u003cbr\u003eprobably, therefore, of inferior rank; yet, under the shade which\u003cbr\u003efatigue had thrown over his features, might be discerned a fine and\u003cbr\u003einteresting countenance; and when at the door of the farm-house, where\u003cbr\u003ePowis sat inhaling the mixed fumes of his evening pipe, and the\u003cbr\u003efragrance of a fine honeysuckle which entwined around the porch, he\u003cbr\u003einquired the nearest way to----, the tones of his voice, and the\u003cbr\u003efineness of his accent, would, to a practised ear, have proclaimed a man\u003cbr\u003ewho had mixed with the higher orders of society: to Powis, however, they\u003cbr\u003econveyed no idea but that the traveller was weary and spoke with\u003cbr\u003ecivility; and either would have demanded from him civility, nay,\u003cbr\u003ekindness in return: he rose therefore from his seat, and pushing aside\u003cbr\u003ehis little table, made room for the stranger, and requested him to be\u003cbr\u003eseated. The stranger thankfully complied, and taking off his hat, wiped\u003cbr\u003ethe dust from his face, and shewed a fine forehead and eyes, whose\u003cbr\u003ebrilliant rays seemed more obscured by sorrow than by time, though he\u003cbr\u003eappeared to be about five-and-thirty. While the farmer went into the\u003cbr\u003ehouse to order some refreshment for his weary guest, the stranger turned\u003cbr\u003ehis eyes, and saw with surprise that every thing about him bore the\u003cbr\u003emarks of taste; of taste not indeed highly refined, but simple, natural,\u003cbr\u003eand delicate: every tree round the spot on which he sat was intertwined\u003cbr\u003ewith woodbines, clematis, and the wild hop; and the long shoots of all\u003cbr\u003ewere carried from tree to tree, forming festoons of exquisite grace and\u003cbr\u003ebeauty. At the foot of each tree a space had been cleared and filled\u003cbr\u003ewith fragrant plants, whose culture requires little trouble.\u003cbr\u003eMignionette, roses, pinks, and carnations, perfumed the air, while the\u003cbr\u003etoo powerful seringa was only suffered to rise at a considerable\u003cbr\u003edistance, whence its odour came occasionally wafted by the evening\u003cbr\u003ebreeze, and (if the expression may be allowed) harmonized well with the\u003cbr\u003esofter scents in the immediate vicinity of the dwelling. A variety of\u003cbr\u003ebirds in the adjacent orchard and fields yet poured their mingled songs,\u003cbr\u003ewhich, as the sun declined gradually, sunk into a softer strain, and\u003cbr\u003esoon all was hushed into repose. In the meantime the table was spread\u003cbr\u003ewith a neat cloth, cold meat, brown bread, some fresh-gathered fruit,\u003cbr\u003ecream, ale, and home-made wine; each excellent in its kind.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47081050833136,"sku":"2940015925791","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940015925791","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}