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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: MAUPRAT. N the borders of Marche and Berry, in a provlnc called Varenne, which is little more than a vast heath intersected with forests of oak and chestnut, in the most thickly-wooded and unfrequented part of the country, a smlll ruined chateau, whose dilapidated turrets cannot be seen more than a hundred steps from the principal portcullis, lies hidden in the depths of a ravine. The aged trees that surround this ruin, and the scattered rocks that tower over it, bury it in perpetual obscurity; even in broad daylight it is acarcely possible to cross the deserted path that leads to it, without stumbling against the gnarled trunks and rubbish that obstruct every step. This sombre ravine and melancholy chateau are called la Roche Mauprat. Not long ago the last of the Mauprats, the heir of this property, had the chateau unroofed, and the timber sold; then, as if wishing to give a final blow to the memory of his ancestors, he had the main entrance thrown down, the northern tower gutted, and the outer walls dismantled and breached, and departed with his workmen, shaking the dust from his feet, and abandoning his ancestral domain to eagles, foxes and vipers. Since that time, the wood-cutters and charcoal burners who live in the huts scattered through the neighborhood, when they pass the ravine of la Roche Mauprat in the daytime, whistle boldly, or hurl down upon the ruins some energetic malediction; but when day is declining, and the evening wind begins to moan through the high loop-holes of the turrets, they hurry by in silence, and every now and thencross themselves, to exorcise the evil spirits who reign over this haunted spot. . For my part, I acknowledge that I have never gone by this ravine after dark without feeling a sort of uneasiness, nor would I dare affirm upon oa...
| ISBN-13 | 9780217017510 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 0217017517 |
| Weight | 0.95 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 9.00 x 6.00 x 0.66 In |
| List Price | $20.31 |
| Format | Paperback |
|---|---|
| Pages | 292 pages |
| Publisher | |
| Published On | 2009-08-01 |
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