kept it from developing itself
until the beginning of his troubles, but since that time it had been
gradually gaining ground, and this was a time of great suffering, as he
stood alone in his forefathers' house, and felt himself, in his early
youth, a doomed man, destined to bear the penalty of their crimes in the
ruin of his dearest hopes, as if his heirloom of misery had but waited
to seize on him till the very moment when it would give him the most to
endure.

'But bear it, I must and will!' said he, lifting his head from the
carved chimney-piece, where he had been resting it. 'I have been in will
a murderer myself, and what right have I to repine like the Israelites,
with their self-justifying proverb? No; let me be thankful that I was
not given up even then, but have been able to repent, and do a little
better next time. It will be a blessing as yet ungranted to any of us,
if indeed I should bear to the full the doom of sorrow, so that it may
be vouchsafed me only to avoid actual guilt. Yes, Amy, your words are
still with me--"Sintram conquered his doom,"--and it was by following
death! Welcome, then, whatever may be in store for me, were it even a
long, cheerless life without you, Amy. There is another world!'

With the energy of freshened resolution, he lighted his candle, and
walked, with echoing steps, up the black oak staircase, along the broad
gallery, up another flight, down another passage, to his own room. He
had expressly written 'his own room,' and confirmed it on his arrival,
or Mrs. Drew would have lodged him as she thought more suitably for the
master of the house. Nothing had been done to alter its old familiar
aspect, except lighting a fire, which he had never seen there before.
There were all his boyish treasures, his bows and arrows, his collection
of birds' wings, his wonderful weapons and contrivances, from his
fire-balloon down to the wren's-egg, all just as he left them, their
good condition attesting the care that Mrs. Drew had taken for his sake.

He renewed his acquaintance with them with a sort of regretful affection
and superiority; but there was a refreshment in these old memories which
aided the new feeling of life imparted to him by his resolution to bear.
Nor had he only to bear, he had also to do; and before the late hour at
which he fell asleep, he had made up his mind what was the first step
to be taken about Coombe Priory, and had remembered with rejoicing that
whereas he had re