mile or more across the moor, the rain began again with
flashes of vivid lightning and long rolls of thunder. I turned up my
collar and buttoned my jacket, which was soon nearly wet through, and at
last stood up in the wet bracken under a beech-tree. A more vivid flash
of lightning, however, reminded me that I had heard of the danger of
standing beneath trees in storms; so, plunging into the deluge again, I
followed the road up a steep hill, in the hope of seeing a village, or
some kind of shelter, from the crest.

But the only human habitation in sight was a solitary house, which
looked curious enough amidst those lonely surroundings. It stood at the
corner of a cross-road still several hundred yards distant, a
new-looking house, built of red bricks, with a tiled roof, with a garden
and railings in front. Determined to find shelter somewhere, I set off
down the hill at a run, and, as I drew near the house, rejoiced to see
that it was apparently empty. By the iron railings stood a black board,
announcing that it was to be let unfurnished, while the wisps of straw
about the path seemed to show that the tenants had but recently forsaken
it, because of its lonely situation, no doubt. Opening the gate, I went
up the stone steps and stood beneath a small porch before its front
door, where at least I was out of the rain, which now poured down in
torrents. On each side of the small porch was a shelf, evidently
intended to support flower-pots, and underneath one of the shelves I saw
an old sack.

This I picked up and examined, and finding that it was not very dirty, I
thought there could be no harm in taking possession of it, for if the
rain continued, the sack would serve the purpose of a cape to protect my
shoulders. Placing it round them at once, I stood gazing at the rain,
while the evening gradually darkened. The thunder sounded as if it were
exactly overhead, and the lightning seemed to dance around me. Presently
I began to wonder how to pass the night, since it would be madness to
leave this shelter in the deluge, while yet I could not very comfortably
remain where I was.

It must have been between seven and eight o'clock when a happy thought
occurred. How idiotic to feel doubtful where to sleep when here was a
whole house apparently at my disposal! It could not injure anybody if I
made it a shelter for myself for the night, whereas it would be an
immense boon to have a roof over one's head until the rain
ceased--alth