AsachildIwasnothandsome。WhenIconsultedthetriangularbitoflooking-glasswhichIalwayscarriedwithme，itshowedapale，sandy，andfreckledface，shadedbylockslikethecolorofseaweedwhenthesunstrikesitindeepwater。Myeyesweresaidtobeindistinctive;theywereafaint，ashengray;butabovethemrose——
myonlybeauty——ahigh，massive，domelikeforehead，withpolishedtemples，likedoor-knobsofthepurestporcelain。
Ourfamilywasafamilyofgovernesses。Mymotherhadbeenone，andmysistershadthesameoccupation。Consequently，when，attheageofthirteen，myeldestsisterhandedmetheadvertisementofMr。Rawjester，clippedfromthatday’s\"Times，\"Iaccepteditasmydestiny。Nevertheless，amysteriouspresentimentofanindefinitefuturehauntedmeinmydreamsthatnight，asIlayuponmylittlesnow-whitebed。Thenextmorning，withtwobandboxestiedupinsilkhandkerchiefs，andahairtrunk，IturnedmybackuponMinervaCottageforever。
CHAPTERII。
BlunderboreHall，theseatofJamesRawjester，Esq。，wasencompassedbydarkpinesandfunerealhemlocksonallsides。Thewindsangweirdlyintheturretsandmoanedthroughthelong-drawnavenuesofthepark。AsIapproachedthehouseIsawseveralmysteriousfiguresflitbeforethewindows，andayellofdemoniaclaughteransweredmysummonsatthebell。WhileIstrovetorepressmygloomyforebodings，thehousekeeper，atimid，scared-