which　first　saw　us　assembled　together　in　our　hillside　retreat；
  that　we　have　never　yet　wearied　of　the　time；　of　the　place；　or　of
  ourselves；　and　that　the　influence　of　solitude　on　our　hearts　and
  minds　has　not　altered　them　for　the　worse；　for　it　has　not
  embittered　us　toward　our　fellow…creatures；　and　it　has　not　dried
  up　in　us　the　sources　from　which　harmless　occupations　and　innocent
  pleasures　may　flow　refreshingly　to　the　last　over　the　waste　places
  of　human　life。　Thus　much　for　our　own　story；　and　for　the
  circumstances　which　have　withdrawn　us　from　the　world　for　the　rest
  of　our　days。
  And　now　imagine　us　three　lonely　old　men；　tall　and　lean；　and
  white…headed；　dressed；　more　from　past　habit　than　from　present
  association；　in　customary　suits　of　solemn　black：　Brother　Owen；
  yielding；　gentle；　and　affectionate　in　look；　voice；　and　manner；
  brother　Morgan；　with　a　quaint；　surface…sourness　of　address；　and　a
  tone　of　dry　sarcasm　in　his　talk；　which　single　him　out；　on　all
  occasions；　as　a　character　in　our　little　circle；　brother　Griffith
  forming　the　link　between　his　two　elder　companions；　capable；　at
  one　time；　of　sympathizing　with　the　quiet；　thoughtful　tone　of
  Owen's　conversation；　and　ready；　at　another；　to　exchange　brisk
  severities　on　life　and　manners　with　Morganin　short；　a　pliable；
  double…sided　old　lawyer；　who　stands　between　the　clergyman…brother
  and　the　physician…brother　with　an　ear　ready　for　each；　and　with　a
  heart　open　to　both；　share　and　share　together。
  Imagine　the　strange　old　building　in　which　we　live　to　be　really
  what　its　name　impliesa　tower　standing　in　a　glen；　in　past　times
  the　fortress　of　a　fighting　Welsh　chieftain；　in　present　times　a
  dreary　land…lighthouse；　built　up　in　many　stories　of　two　rooms
  each；　with　a　little　modern　lean…to　of　cottage　form　tacked　on
  quaintly　to　one　of　its　sides；　the　great　hill；　on　whose　lowest
  slope　it　stands；　rising　precipitously　behind　it；　a　dark；
  swift…flowing　stream　in　the　valley　below；　hills　on　hills　all
  round；　and　no　way　of　approach　but　by　one　of　the　loneliest　and
  wildest　crossroads　in　all　South　Wales。
  Imagine　such　a　place　of　abode　as　this；　and　such　inhabitants　of　it
  as　ourselves；　and　them　picture　the　descent　among　usas　of　a
  goddess　dropping　from　the　cloudsof　a　lively；　handsome；
  fashionable　young　ladya　bright；　gay；　butterfly　creature；　used
  to　flutter　away　its　existence　in　the　broad　sunshine　of　perpetual
  gayetya　child　of　the　new　generation；　with　all　the　modern　ideas
  whirling　together　in　her　pretty　head；　and　all　the　modern
  accomplishments　at　the　tips　of　her　delicate　fingers。　Imagine　such
  a　light…hearted　daughter　of　Eve　as　this；　the　spoiled　darling　of
  society；　the　charming　spendthrift　of　Nature's　choicest　treasures
  of　beauty　and　youth；　suddenly　flashing　into　the　dim　life　of　three
  weary　old　mensuddenly　dropped　into　the　place；　of　all　others；
  which　is　least　fit　for　hersuddenly　shut　out　from　the　world　in
  the　lonely　quiet　of　the　loneliest　home　in　England。　Realize；　if　it
  be　possible；　all　that　is　most　whimsical　and　most　anomalous　in
  such　a　situation　as　this；　and　the　startling　confession　contained
  in　the　opening　sentence　of　these　pages　will　no　longer　excite　the
  faintest　emotion　of　surprise。　Who　can　wonder　now；　when　our　bright
  young　goddess　really　descended　on　us；　that　I　and　my　brothers　were
  all　three　at　our　wits'　end　what　to　do　with　her！
  CHAPTER　II。
  OUR　DILEMMA。
  WHO　is　the　young　lady？　And　how　did　she　find　her　way　into　The　Glen
  Tower？
  Her　name　（in　relation　to　which　I　shall　have　something　more　to　say
  a　little　further　on）　is　Jessie　Yelverton。　She　is　an　orphan　and　an
  only　child。　Her　mother　died　while　she　was　an　infant；　her　father
  was　my　dear　and　valued　friend；　Major　Yelverton。　He　lived　long
  enough　to　celebrate　his　darling's　seventh　birthday。　When　he　died
  he　intrusted　his　authority　over　her　and　his　responsibility　toward
  her　to　his　brother　and　to　me。
  When　I　was　summoned　to　the　reading　of　the　major's　will；　I　knew
  perfectly　well　that　I　should　hear　myself　appointed　guardian　and
  executor　with　his　brother；　and　I　had　been　also　made　acquainted
  with　my　lost　friend's　wishes　as　to　his　daughter's　education；　and
  with　his　intentions　as　to　the　disposal　of　all　his　property　in　her
  favor。　My　own　idea；　therefore；　was；　that　the　reading　of　the　will
  would　inform　me　of　nothing　which　I　had　not　known　in　the
  testator's　lifetime。　When　the　day　came　for　hearing　it；　however；　I
  found　that　I　had　been　over　hasty　in　arriving　at　this　conclusion。
  Toward　the　end　of　the　document　there　was　a　clause　inserted　which
  took　me　entirely　by　surprise。
  After　providing　for　the　education　of　Miss　Yelverton　under　the
  direction　of　her　guardians；　and　for　her　residence；　under　ordinary
  circumstances；　with　the　major's　sister；　Lady　Westwick；　the　clause
  concluded　by　saddling　the　child's　future　inheritance　with　this
  curious　condition：
  From　the　period　of　her　leaving　school　to　the　period　of　her
  reaching　the　age　of　twenty…one　years；　Miss　Yelverton　was　to　pass
  not　less　than　six　consecutive　weeks　out　of　every　year　under　the
  roof　of　one　of　her　two　guardians。　During　the　lives　of　both　of
  them；　it　was　left　to　her　own　choice　to　say　which　of　the　two　she
  would　prefer　to　live　with。　In　all　other　respects　the　condition
  was　imperative。　If　she　forfeited　it；　excepting；　of　course；　the
  case　of　the　deaths　of　both　her　guardians；　she　was　only　to　have　a
  life…interest　in　the　property；　if　she　obeyed　it；　the　money　itself
  was　to　become　her　own　possession　on　the　day　when　she　completed
  her　twenty…first　year。
  This　clause　in　the　will；　as　I　have　said；　took　me　at　first　by
  surprise。　I　remembered　how　devotedly　Lady　Westwick　had　soothed
  her　sister…in…law's　death…bed　sufferings；　and　how　tenderly　she
  had　afterward　watched　over　the　welfare　of　the　little　motherless
  childI　remembered　the　innumerable　claims　she　had　established　in
  this　way　on　her　brother's　confidence　in　her　affection　for　his
  orphan　daughter；　and　I　was；　therefore；　naturally　amazed　at　the
  appearance　of　a　condition　in　his　will　which　seemed　to　show　a
  positive　distrust　of　Lady　Westwick's　undivided　influence　over　the
  character　and　conduct　of　her　niece。
  A　few　words　from　my　fellow…guardian；　Mr。　Richard　Yelverton；　and　a
  little　after…consideration　of　some　of　my　deceased　friend's
  peculiarities　of　disposition　and　feeling；　to　which　I　had　not
  hitherto　attached　sufficient　importance；　were　enough　to　make　me
  understand　the　motives　by　which　he　had　been　influenced　in
  providing　for　the　future　of　his　child。
  Major　Yelverton　had　raised　himself　to　a　position　of　affluence　and
  eminence　from　a　very　humble　origin。　He　was　the　son　of　a　small
  farmer；　and　it　was　his　pride　never　to　forget　this　circumstance；
  never　to　be　ashamed　of　it；　and　never　to　allow　the　prejudices　of
  society　to　influence　his　own　settled　opinions　on　social　questions
  in　general。
  Acting；　in　all　that　related　to　his　intercourse　with　the　world；　on
  such　principles　as　these；　the　major；　it　is　hardly　necessary　to
  say；　held　some　strangely　heterodox　opinions　on　the　modern
  education　of　girls；　and　on　the　evil　influence　of　society　over　the
  characters　of　women　in　general。　Out　of　the　strength　of　those
  opinions；　and　out　of　the　certainty　of　his　conviction　that　his
  sister　did　not　share　them；　had　grown　that　condition　in　his　will
  which　removed　his　daughter　from　the　influence　of　her　aunt　for　six
  consec　utive　weeks　in　every　year。　Lady　Westwick　was　the　most
  light…hearted；　the　most　generous；　the　most　impulsive　of　women；
  capable；　when　any　serious　occasion　called　it　forth；　of　all　that
  was　devoted　and　self…sacrificing；　but；　at　other　and　ordinary
  times；　constitutionally　restless；　frivolous；　and　eager　for
  perpetual　gayety。　Distrusting　the　sort　of　life　which　he　knew　his
  daughter　would　lead　under　her　aunt's　roof；　and　at　the　same　time
  gratefully　remembering　his　sister's　affectionate　devotion　toward
  his　dying　wife　and　her　helpless　infant；　Major　Yelverton　had
  attempted　to　make　a　compromise；　which；　while　it　allowed　Lady
  Westwick　the　close　domestic　intercourse　with　her　niece　that　she
  had　earned　by　innumerable　kind　offices；　should；　at　the　same　time；
  place　the　young　girl　for　a　fixed　period　of　every　year　of　her
  minority　under　the　corrective　care　of　two　such　quiet
  old…fashioned　guardians　as　his　brother　and　myself。　Such　is　the
  history　of　the　clause　in　the　will。　My　friend　little　thought；　when
  he　dictated　it；　of　the　extraordinary　result　to　which　it　was　one
  day　to　lead。
  For　some　years；　however；　events　ran　on　smoothly　enough。　Little
  Jessie　was　sent　to　an　excellent　school；　with　strict　instructions
  to　the　mistress　to　make　a　good　girl　of　her；　and　not　a　fashionable
  young　lady。　Although　she　was　reported　to　be　anything　but　a
  pattern　pupil　in　respect　of　attention　to　her　lessons；　she　became
  from　the　first　the　chosen　favorite　of　every　one　about　her。　The
  very　offenses　which　she　committed　against　the　discipline　of　the
  school　were　of　the　sort　which　provoke　a　smile　even　on　the　stern
  countenance　of　authority　itself。　One　of　these　quaint　freaks　of
  mischief　may　not　inappropriately　be　mentioned　here；　inasmuch　as
  it　gained　her　the　pretty　nickname　under　which　she　will　be　found
  to　appear　occasionally　in　these　pages。
  On　a　certain　autumn　night　shortly　after　the　Midsummer　vacation；
  the　mistress　of　the　school　fancied　she　saw　a　light　under