the hearth , and mademakea bright blazing firefirefor our reception ; the servant had just broughtbringin the tea-tray ; and Rose was producingproducethe sugar-basin and tea-caddy from the cupboard in the black oak side-board , that shoneshinelike polished ebony , in the cheerful parlour twilight .
As young readers like to know ' how people look ' , we will taketakethis moment to givegivethem a little sketch of the four sisters , who sat knittingknitaway in the twilight , while the December snowsnowfell quietly without , and the firefirecrackledcracklecheerfully within .
The surgeon had been sitting with his face turned towards the firefire: giving the palms of his hands a warmwarmand a rubrubalternately .
But the gleam of a bright red firefirethrough the parlour window had more effect in cheeringcheermy spirits , and rebukingrebukemy thankless repinings , than all the sage reflectionsreflectionand good resolutionsresolutionI had forcedforcemy mind to frame ; — for I was young then , remember — only four-and-twenty — and had not acquired half the rule over my own spirit that I now possess — trifling as that may be .
It was May , and the weather was warm for the season ; but Lucilla had caused the firefireto be lighted in the large gloomy library where Dr Marjoribanks always sat in the evenings , with the ideaideathat it would be " a comfort " to him ; and , for the same reason , she had orderedordertea to be served there , instead of the dinner , for which her father , as she imaginedimagine, could have little appetite .
Without waiting to rise he whippedwhipa revolver from his pocket , firingfirepoint blank at the great mountain of muscle towering before him ; but , quick as he was , John Clayton was almost as quick , so that the bullet which was intended for the sailor 's heart lodgedlodgein the sailor 's leg instead , for Lord Greystoke had struckstrikedown the captain 's arm as he had seenseethe weapon flashflashin the sun .
Although the firefirewas burning up briskly , she was surprisedsurpriseto seeseethat her visitor still wore his hat and coat , standing with his back to her and staringstareout of the window at the falling snowsnowin the yard .
Involuntarily the boy gave a gasping crycryand awokeawaketo swamp and night and firefire, while a white face , drawn , red-eyed , peeredpeeroutward from some hidden throng within the cabin .
He had longedlongfor the quiet and the coolness and the solitude of his library , apart from everybody ; and when he foundfindit radiant with firelight , tea set on the table , and Lucilla cryingcryby the firefire, in her new crape , the effect upon a temper by no means perfect may be imagined .
They wentgointo the parlour my mother had comecomefrom , the firefirein the best room on the other side of the passage not being lighted -- not having been lighted , indeed , since my father ’s funeralfuneral; and when they were both seatedseat, and Miss Betsey said nothing , my mother , after vainly tryingtryto restrain herself , began to crycry.
But in the corridors that followed the suite , there stood , opposite to each window , a heavy tripod , bearing a brazier of firefire, that projectedprojectits rays through the tinted glass and so glaringly illuminedilluminethe room .
There she foundfindby the half-extinguished firefirean iron saucepan filled with cold boiled potatoes , which she putputupon a broken chair with a pint-cup of ale .
The medical gentleman walkedwalkaway to dinner ; and the nurse , having once more appliedapplyherself to the green bottle , satsitdown on a low chair before the firefire, and proceeded to dressdressthe infant .
We hadhaveit from him again before the firefirein the hall , as we had had our mild wonderswonderof the previous night .
Then he stood before the firefireand lookedlookme over in his singular introspective fashion .
My mother was sitting by the firefire, but poorly in health , and very low in spirits , lookinglookat it through her tearstear, and despondingdespondheavily about herself and the fatherless little stranger , who was already welcomedwelcomeby some grosses of prophetic pins , in a drawer upstairs , to a world not at all excited on the subject of his arrivalarrival; my mother , I say , was sitting by the firefire, that bright , windy March afternoon , very timid and sad , and very doubtful of ever coming alive out of the trial that was before her , when , liftinglifther eyes as she drieddrythem , to the window opposite , she sawseea strange lady comingcomeup the garden .
The smokesmokefrom the firefireat times neglectedneglectthe clay chimney and wreathedwreatheinto the room , and this flimsy chimney of clay and sticks made endless threats to set ablaze the whole establishment .
THE TURN OF THE SCREW The story had heldholdus , round the firefire, sufficiently breathlessbreathless, but except the obvious remarkremarkthat it was gruesome , as , on Christmas Eve in an old house , a strange tale should essentially be , I rememberrememberno comment uttered till somebody happened to saysaythat it was the only case he had metmeetin which such a visitationvisitationhad fallen on a child .