ragged paling many feet in height, and of considerable
strength, framed of rough timber from the woods, the space within
being appropriated to a singular and choice breed of deer, imported
from the East by one of the former counts, who, being of an
adventurous and roving disposition, had sojourned for some time in the
French settlements of Hindostan. Beyond this dell again, which was
defended on the outer side by a strong and lofty wall of brick, all
over-run with luxuriant ivy, the ground rose in a small rounded knoll,
or hillock of small extent, richly wooded, and crowned by the gray
turrets and steep flagged roofs of the old chateau d'Argenson.

This building, however, was as much inferior in size and stateliness
to the grand feudal fortalice of St. Renan, as the little round-topped
hill on which it stood, so slightly elevated above the face of the
surrounding country as to detract nothing, at least in appearance,
from its general slope to the south-eastward, was lower than the great
rock-bound ridge from which it overlooked the territories, all of
which had in distant times obeyed the rule of its almost princely
dwellers.

The sun of a lovely evening in the latter part of July had already
sunk so far down in the west that only half of its great golden disc
was visible above the well-defined, dark outline of the seaward crags,
which relieved by the glowing radiance of the whole western sky,
stood out massive and solid like a huge purple wall, and seemed so
close at hand that the spectator could almost persuade himself that he
had but to stretch out his arm, in order to touch the great barrier,
which was in truth several miles distant.

Over the crest, and through the gaps of this continuous line of
highland, the long level rays streamed down in the slope in one vast
flood of golden glory, which was checkered only by the interminable
length of shadows which were projected from every single tree, or
scattered clump, from every petty elevation of the soil, down the soft
glimmering declivity.

Three years had elapsed since the frightful fate of the unhappy Lord
of Kerguelen, and the various incidents, which in some sort took their
origin from the nature of his crime and its consequence, affecting in
the highest degree the happiness of the families of St. Renan and
D'Argenson.

Three years had elapsed--three years! That is a little space in the
annals of the world, in the life of nations, nay, in the narrow
records