But in this she was disappointed;
for though the good clergyman and his wife received her kindly, they
could not offer her shelter for the night, as they had already more
guests than they could conveniently accommodate. Anna would have been
contented and thankful for a bed of straw by the kitchen fire; but
even this they could not give, as the lower apartments were wanted by
those who had been obliged to give up their beds.
At length, after some hesitation, the clergyman said, 'I know but of
one place where you could at this time find a lodging. You appear to
be a woman of good courage, and if you dare venture, you may occupy a
room in that house you see from this window. It is uninhabited, and
has been so for some years, as it has the reputation of being
haunted. Anna looked in the direction indicated, and saw through the
deepening twilight a large two-storied house, built of a dull red
brick, with stone copings, standing at some distance from the
high-road. The house itself occupied a considerable extent of ground,
being beautifully situated, with fronts to the south and west.
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