at　the　mist　and　spray　rising　into　mysterious　shapes；　moving
  mystically　in　the　white　light　like　living　things。
  〃It's　the　Woman　of　the　Water；〃　she　used　to　say；　and　sometimes　she
  would　threaten　that　if　I　did　not　go　to　sleep　the　Woman　of　the　Water
  would　steal　up　to　the　high　window　and　carry　me　away　in　her　wet
  arms。
  The　place　was　gloomy。　　The　broad　basins　of　water　and　the　tall
  evergreen　hedges　gave　it　a　funereal　look；　and　the　damp…stained
  marble　causeways　by　the　pools　might　have　been　made　of　tombstones。
  The　gray　and　weather…beaten　walls　and　towers　without；　the　dark　and
  massively　furnished　rooms　within；　the　deep；　mysterious　recesses　and
  the　heavy　curtains；　all　affected　my　spirits。　　I　was　silent　and　sad
  from　my　childhood。　　There　was　a　great　clock　tower　above；　from　which
  the　hours　rang　dismally　during　the　day；　and　tolled　like　a　knell　in
  the　dead　of　night。　　There　was　no　light　nor　life　in　the　house；　for
  my　mother　was　a　helpless　invalid；　and　my　father　had　grown
  melancholy　in　his　long　task　of　caring　for　her。　　He　was　a　thin；　dark
  man；　with　sad　eyes；　kind；　I　think；　but　silent　and　unhappy。　　Next　to
  my　mother；　I　believe　he　loved　me　better　than　anything　on　earth；　for
  he　took　immense　pains　and　trouble　in　teaching　me；　and　what　he
  taught　me　I　have　never　forgotten。　　Perhaps　it　was　his　only
  amusement；　and　that　may　be　the　reason　why　I　had　no　nursery
  governess　or　teacher　of　any　kind　while　he　lived。
  I　used　to　be　taken　to　see　my　mother　every　day；　and　sometimes　twice
  a　day；　for　an　hour　at　a　time。　　Then　I　sat　upon　a　little　stool　near
  her　feet；　and　she　would　ask　me　what　I　had　been　doing；　and　what　I
  wanted　to　do。　　I　dare　say　she　saw　already　the　seeds　of　a　profound
  melancholy　in　my　nature；　for　she　looked　at　me　always　with　a　sad
  smile；　and　kissed　me　with　a　sigh　when　I　was　taken　away。
  One　night；　when　I　was　just　six　years　old；　I　lay　awake　in　the
  nursery。　　The　door　was　not　quite　shut；　and　the　Welsh　nurse　was
  sitting　sewing　in　the　next　room。　　Suddenly　I　heard　her　groan；　and
  say　in　a　strange　voice；　〃Onetwoonetwo！〃　　I　was　frightened；
  and　I　jumped　up　and　ran　to　the　door；　barefooted　as　I　was。
  〃What　is　it；　Judith？〃　I　cried；　clinging　to　her　skirts。　　I　can
  remember　the　look　in　her　strange　dark　eyes　as　she　answered：
  〃Onetwo　leaden　coffins；　fallen　from　the　ceiling！〃　she　crooned；
  working　herself　in　her　chair。　　〃Onetwoa　light　coffin　and　a
  heavy　coffin；　falling　to　the　floor！〃
  Then　she　seemed　to　notice　me；　and　she　took　me　back　to　bed　and　sang
  me　to　sleep　with　a　queer　old　Welsh　song。
  I　do　not　know　how　it　was；　but　the　impression　got　hold　of　me　that
  she　had　meant　that　my　father　and　mother　were　going　to　die　very
  soon。　　They　died　in　the　very　room　where　she　had　been　sitting　that
  night。　　It　was　a　great　room；　my　day　nursery；　full　of　sun　when　there
  was　any；　and　when　the　days　were　dark　it　was　the　most　cheerful　place
  in　the　house。　　My　mother　grew　rapidly　worse；　and　I　was　transferred
  to　another　part　of　the　building　to　make　place　for　her。　　They
  thought　my　nursery　was　gayer　for　her；　I　suppose；　but　she　could　not
  live。　　She　was　beautiful　when　she　was　dead；　and　I　cried　bitterly。
  The　light　one；　the　light　onethe　heavy　one　to　come；〃　crooned　the
  Welshwoman。　　And　she　was　right。　　My　father　took　the　room　after　my
  mother　was　gone；　and　day　by　day　he　grew　thinner　and　paler　and
  sadder。
  〃The　heavy　one；　the　heavy　oneall　of　lead；〃　moaned　my　nurse；　one
  night　in　December；　standing　still；　just　as　she　was　going　to　take
  away　the　light　after　putting　me　to　bed。　　Then　she　took　me　up　again
  and　wrapped　me　in　a　little　gown；　and　led　me　away　to　my　father's
  room。　　She　knocked；　but　no　one　answered。　　She　opened　the　door；　and
  we　found　him　in　his　easy　chair　before　the　fire；　very　white；　quite
  dead。
  So　I　was　alone　with　the　Welshwoman　till　strange　people　came；　and
  relations　whom　I　had　never　seen；　and　then　I　heard　them　saying　that
  I　must　be　taken　away　to　some　more　cheerful　place。　　They　were　kind
  people；　and　I　will　not　believe　that　they　were　kind　only　because　I
  was　to　be　very　rich　when　I　grew　to　be　a　man。　　The　world　never
  seemed　to　be　a　very　bad　place　to　me；　nor　all　the　people　to　be
  miserable　sinners；　even　when　I　was　most　melancholy。　　I　do　not
  remember　that　anyone　ever　did　me　any　great　injustice；　nor　that　I
  was　ever　oppressed　or　ill　treated　in　any　way；　even　by　the　boys　at
  school。　　I　was　sad；　I　suppose；　because　my　childhood　was　so　gloomy；
  and；　later；　because　I　was　unlucky　in　everything　I　undertook；　till　I
  finally　believed　I　was　pursued　by　fate；　and　I　used　to　dream　that
  the　old　Welsh　nurse　and　the　Woman　of　the　Water　between　them　had
  vowed　to　pursue　me　to　my　end。　　But　my　natural　disposition　should
  have　been　cheerful；　as　I　have　often　thought。
  Among　the　lads　of　my　age　I　was　never　last；　or　even　among　the　last；
  in　anything；　but　I　was　never　first。　　If　I　trained　for　a　race；　I　was
  sure　to　sprain　my　ankle　on　the　day　when　I　was　to　run。　　If　I　pulled
  an　oar　with　others；　my　oar　was　sure　to　break。　　If　I　competed　for　a
  prize；　some　unforeseen　accident　prevented　my　winning　it　at　the　last
  moment。　　Nothing　to　which　I　put　my　hand　succeeded；　and　I　got　the
  reputation　of　being　unlucky；　until　my　companions　felt　it　was　always
  safe　to　bet　against　me；　no　matter　what　the　appearances　might　be。　　I
  became　discouraged　and　listless　in　everything。　　I　gave　up　the　idea
  of　competing　for　any　distinction　at　the　University；　comforting
  myself　with　the　thought　that　I　could　not　fail　in　the　examination
  for　the　ordinary　degree。　　The　day　before　the　examination　began　I
  fell　ill；　and　when　at　last　I　recovered；　after　a　narrow　escape　from
  death；　I　turned　my　back　upon　Oxford；　and　went　down　alone　to　visit
  the　old　place　where　I　had　been　born；　feeble　in　health　and
  profoundly　disgusted　and　discouraged。　　I　was　twenty…one　years　of
  age；　master　of　myself　and　of　my　fortune；　but　so　deeply　had　the　long
  chain　of　small　unlucky　circumstances　affected　me　that　I　thought
  seriously　of　shutting　myself　up　from　the　world　to　live　the　life　of
  a　hermit　and　to　die　as　soon　as　possible。　　Death　seemed　the　only
  cheerful　possibility　in　my　existence；　and　my　thoughts　soon　dwelt
  upon　it　altogether。
  I　had　never　shown　any　wish　to　return　to　my　own　home　since　I　had
  been　taken　away　as　a　little　boy；　and　no　one　had　ever　pressed　me　to
  do　so。　　The　place　had　been　kept　in　order　after　a　fashion；　and　did
  not　seem　to　have　suffered　during　the　fifteen　years　or　more　of　my
  absence。　　Nothing　earthly　could　affect　those　old　gray　walls　that
  had　fought　the　elements　for　so　many　centuries。　　The　garden　was　more
  wild　than　I　remembered　it；　the　marble　causeways　about　the　pools
  looked　more　yellow　and　damp　than　of　old；　and　the　whole　place　at
  first　looked　smaller。　　It　was　not　until　I　had　wandered　about　the
  house　and　grounds　for　many　hours　that　I　realized　the　huge　size　of
  the　home　where　I　was　to　live　in　solitude。　　Then　I　began　to　delight
  in　it；　and　my　resolution　to　live　alone　grew　stronger。
  The　people　had　turned　out　to　welcome　me；　of　course；　and　I　tried　to
  recognize　the　changed　faces　of　the　old　gardener　and　the　old
  housekeeper；　and　to　call　them　by　name。　　My　old　nurse　I　knew　at
  once。　　She　had　grown　very　gray　since　she　heard　the　coffins　fall　in
  the　nursery　fifteen　years　before；　but　her　strange　eyes　were　the
  same；　and　the　look　in　them　woke　all　my　old　memories。　　She　went　over
  the　house　with　me。
  〃And　how　is　the　Woman　of　the　Water？〃　I　asked；　trying　to　laugh　a
  little。　　〃Does　she　still　play　in　the　moonlight？〃
  〃She　is　hungry；〃　answered　the　Welshwoman；　in　a　low　voice。
  〃Hungry？　　Then　we　will　feed　her。〃　　I　laughed。　　But　old　Judith
  turned　very　pale；　and　looked　at　me　strangely。
  〃Feed　her？　　Ayeyou　will　feed　her　well；〃　she　muttered；　glancing
  behind　her　at　the　ancient　housekeeper；　who　tottered　after　us　with
  feeble　steps　through　the　halls　and　passages。
  I　did　not　think　much　of　her　words。　　She　had　always　talked　oddly；　as
  Welshwomen　will；　and　though　I　was　very　melancholy　I　am　sure　I　was
  not　superstitious；　and　I　was　certainly　not　timid。　　Only；　as　in　a
  far…off　dream；　I　seemed　to　see　her　standing　with　the　light　in　her
  hand　and　muttering；　〃The　heavy　oneall　of　lead；〃　and　then　leading
  a　little　boy　through　the　long　corridors　to　see　his　father　lying
  dead　in　a　great　easy　chair　before　a　smoldering　fire。　　So　we　went
  over　the　house；　and　I　chose　the　rooms　where　I　would　live；　and　the
  servants　I　had　brought　with　me　ordered　and　arranged　everything；　and
  I　had　no　more　trouble。　　I　did　not　care　what　they　did　provided　I　was
  left　in　peace　and　was　not　expected　to　give　directions；　for　I　was
  more　listless　than　ever；　owing　to　the　effects　of　my　illness　at
  college。
  I　dined　in　solitary　state；　and　the　melancholy　grandeur　of　the　vast
  old　dining…room　pleased　me。　　Then　I　went　to　the　room　I　had　selected
  for　my　study；　and　sat　down　in　a　deep　chair；　under　a　bright　light；
  to　think；　or　to　let　my　thoughts　meander　through　labyrinths　of　their
  own　choosing；　utterly　indifferent　to　the　course　they　might　take。
  The　tal