Excerpt from Question of Honor: A Novel There is something in the place itself which is suggestive of melancholy, some people think; though there are others who like nothing better than these old houses which are full of the dignity of age. The Severn house is one of them. It is of brick, substantially built after the manner of a past generation, though there is nothing inconveniently ancient about it, owmg to its having been remodeled once or twice according to modern ideas of comfort. Its dark tone gives it a somewhat sombre look, as it stands among the large brown trunks and green, overhanging boughs of its noble oaks, but this aspect pleases the eye which is able to appreciate the exquisite repose that dwells in subdued coloring. There is a stone-flagged portico in front, and many quaint, pleasant nooks both within and without, while a growth of English ivy spreads like a green wall over its western side, climbing to the very attic-window, and almost closing up one or two of the chamber-easements. The grounds surrounding the house are very spacious. On one side is a stretch of close-shorn turf, over which a few beautiful evergreens are set, while on the other a hedge divides the lawn from one of the most attrae tive of old-fashioned gardens, where cedar and box, roses and mignonette flourish, and there is always fragrance and repose. Strangers are invariably struck by the air of space and comfort which pervades every thing. How much room you have! About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.