Larkhall Hill stood in the centre of a circle, on a gentle eminence,
commanding a view over a farm whose fertile fields and well-trimmed fences
sufficiently indicated its boundaries, and looked indeed as if all the good
of the country had come up to it. It was green and luxuriant even in
winter, while the strong cane-coloured stubbles showed what a crop there
had been. Turnips as big as cheeses swelled above the ground. In a little
narrow dell, whose existence was more plainly indicated from the house by
several healthy spindling larches shooting up from among the green gorse,
was the cover--an almost certain find, with the almost equal certainty of a
run from it. It occupied both sides of the sandy, rabbit-frequented dell,
through which ran a sparkling stream, and it possessed the great advantage
to foot-people of letting them see the fox found. Larkhall Hill was,
therefore, a favourite both with horse and foot. So much good--at all
events, so much well-farmed land would seem to justify a better or more
imposing-looking house, the present one consisting, exclusive of the
projecting garret ones in the Dutch tile roof, of the usual four windows
and a door, that so well tell their own tale; passage in the middle,
staircase in front, parlour on the right, best ditto on the left, with
rooms to correspond above.
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