Tom Burke of Ours Author:Hablot Knight Browne, Charles James Lever 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: The conversation now became general; and as they seemed resolved to continue their festivities to a late hour, I took the first opportunity I could, when unobser... more »ved, to steal away and return to my own room. No sooner alone again than all the sorrow of my lonely state came back upon me; and as I laid my head on my pillow, the full measure of my misery flowed in upon my heart, and I sobbed myself to sleep. CHAPTER III. THE DEPASTURE. The violent beating of the rain against the glass, and the loud crash of the storm as it shook the window frames, or snapped the sturdy branches of the old trees, awoke me. I got up, and, opening the shutters, endeavoured to look out; but the darkness was impenetrable, and I could see nothing but the gnarled and grotesque forms of the leafless trees dimly marked against the sky, as they moved to and fro like the arms of some mighty giant—masses of heavy snow melted by the rain fell at intervals from the steep roof, and struck the ground beneath with a low sumph like thunder— a greyish, leaden tinge that marked the horizon showed it was near daybreak; but there was nought of promise in this harbinger of morning. Like my own career, it opened gloomily, and in sadness; so felt I at least; and as I sat beside the window, and strained my eyes to pierce the darkening storm, I thought that even watching the wild hurricane without was better than brooding over the sorrows within my own bosom. How long I remained thus I know not; but already the faint streak that announces sunrise marked the dull-coloured sky, when the cheerful sounds of a voice singing in the room underneath attracted me. I listened, and in a moment recognised the piper, Darby M'Keown. He moved quickly about, and by his motions I could collect that he was making preparations for ...« less