Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

36 RAVENSHOE.
tween them and Ravenshoe. For some time they were well
enough sheltered, and made capital way, till the wood began to
grow sparer, and the road to rise abruptly. Here the blast began to be more sensibly felt, and in a quarter of a mile they had
to leap three uprooted trees; before them they heard a rushing
noise like the sea. It was the wind upon the moor.
Creeping along under the high stone walls and bending down,
they pushed on still, until, coming to the open moor, and receiving for the first time the terrible tornado full in their faces, the
horses reared up and refused to proceed; but, being got side by
side, and their heads being homeward, they managed to get on,
though the rain upon their faces was agonizing.
As they were proceeding thus, with Michael on the windward
side, Charles looked up, and there was another horseman beside
him. He knew him directly; it was Lloyd's agent.
"Anything wrong, Mr. Lewis? Any ship ashore?" he
shouted.
" Not yet, sir," said the agent. " But there'll be many a good
sailor gone to the bottom before to-morrow morning, I am thinking. This is the heaviest gale for forty years."
By degrees they descended to more sheltered valleys, and after
a time found themselves in the court-yard of the hall. Charles
was caught up by his father; Lloyd's agent was sent to the
housekeeper's room; and very soon- Charles had forgotten all
about wind and weather, and was pouring into his father's ear all
his impressions of Ranford.
" I am glad you like it," said Densil, " and I'll be bound they
liked you. You ought to have gone first; Cuthbert don't suit
them."
" O, Cuthbert's too clever for them," said Charles; "they are
not at all clever people, bless you! " And only just in time, too,
for Cuthbert walked into the room.
"Well, Charley," he said coolly, "so you're come back. Well,
and what did you think of Welter, eh? I suppose he suited you?"
" I thought him very funny, Cuthbert," said Charles, timidly.
"I thought him an abominable young nuisance," said Cuthbert.
"I hope he has n't taught you any of his fool's tricks."
Charles was n't to be put off like this; so he went and kissed
his brother, and then came back to his father. There was a long,
dull evening, and when they went to complines, he went to bed.
Up in his room he could hear that the wind was worse than ever,
not rushing up in great gusts and sinking again, as in ordinary
gales, but keeping up one continued, unvarying scream against
the house, which was terrible to hear.
He got frightened at being alone; afraid of finding some ghostly
thing at his elbow, which had approached him unheard through