Innocent and loving, they were beloved by men worthy of their
esteem.
The room--a large and lofty one, with an arched roof--had somewhat
of a somber character, from being wainscoted and ceiled with
polished black oak of a great age. There were mirrors, and there
were pictures on the walls, and handsome furniture, and marble
chimney-pieces, and a gay Tournay carpet; but these merely appeared
as bright spots on the dark background of the Elizabethan woodwork.
Many lights were burning, but the blackness of the walls and roof
seemed absolutely to swallow up their rays, like the mouth of a
cavern. A hundred candles could not have given that apartment the
cheerful lightness of a modern drawing room. But the gloomy
richness of the panels matched well with the ruddy gleam from the
enormous wood-fire, in which, crackling and glowing, now lay the
mighty Yule log. Quite a blood-red luster poured forth from the
fire, and quivered on the walls and the groined roof. We had
gathered round the vast antique hearth in a wide circle. The
quivering light of the fire and candles fell upon us all, but not
equally, for some were in shadow.
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