Themainbodyofthebuildingisofthetimeofthathighly-overratedwoman，QueenElizabeth。Onthegroundfloortherearetwohugelylonggalleries，withlowceilingslyingparallelwitheachother，andrenderedadditionallydarkanddismalbyhideousfamilyportraits——everyoneofwhichIshouldliketoburn。Theroomsonthefloorabovethetwogalleriesarekeptintolerablerepair，butareveryseldomused。Thecivilhousekeeper，whoactedasmyguide，offeredtoshowmeoverthem，butconsideratelyaddedthatshefearedIshouldfindthemratheroutoforder。MyrespectfortheintegrityofmyownpetticoatsandstockingsinfinitelyexceedsmyrespectforalltheElizabethanbedroomsinthekingdom，soIpositivelydeclinedexploringtheupperregionsofdustanddirtattheriskofsoilingmynicecleanclothes。Thehousekeepersaid。`Iamquiteofyouropinion，miss，’andappearedtothinkmethemostsensiblewomanshehadmetwithforalongtimepast。
Somuch，then，forthemainbuilding。Twowingsareaddedateitherendofit。Thehalf-ruinedwingontheleft(asyouapproachthehouse)
wasonceaPlaceofresidencestandingbyitself，andwasbuiltinthefourteenthcentury。OneofSirPercival’smaternalancestors——Idon’tremember，anddon’tcarewhich——tackedonthemainbuilding，atrightanglestoit，intheaforesaidQueenElizabeth’stime。Thehousekeepertoldmethatthearchitectureof`theoldwing。’bothoutsideandinside。
wasconsideredremarkablyfinebygoodjudges。OnfurtherinvestigationIdiscoveredthatgoodjudgescouldonlyexercisetheirabilitiesonSirPercival’spieceofantiquitybypreviouslydismissingfromtheirmindsallfearofdamp，darkness，andrats。Underthesecircumstances，Iunhesitatinglyacknowledgedmyselftobenojudgeatall，andsuggestedthatweshouldtreat`theoldwing’preciselyaswehadpreviouslytreatedtheElizabethanbedrooms。Oncemorethehousekeepersaid，`Iamquiteofyouropinion，miss，’andoncemoreshelookedatmewithundisguisedadmirationofmyextraordinarycommon-sense。
Wewentnexttothewingontheright，whichwasbuilt，bywayofcompletingthewonderfularchitecturaljumbleatBlackwaterPark，inthetimeofGeorgetheSecond。
Thisisthehabitablepartofthehouse，whichhasbeenrepairedandredecoratedinsideonLaura’saccount。Mytworooms，andallthegoodbedroomsbesides，areonthefirstfloor，andthebasementcontainsadrawing-room，adining-room，amorning-room，alibrary，andaprettylittleboudoirforLaura，allverynicelyornamentedinthebrightmodernway，andallveryelegantlyfurnishedwiththedelightfulmodernluxuries。NoneoftheroomsareanythinglikesolargeandairyasourroomsatLimmeridge，buttheyalllookpleasanttolivein。Iwasterriblyafraid，fromwhatIhadheardofBlackwaterPark，offatiguingantiquechairs，anddismalstainedglass，andmusty，frowzyhangings，andallthebarbarouslumberwhichpeoplebornwithoutasenseofcomfortaccumulateaboutthem，indefianceoftheconsiderationduetotheconvenienceoftheirfriends。Itisaninexpressiblerelieftofindthatthenineteenthcenturyhasinvadedthisstrangefuturehomeofmine，andhassweptthedirty`goodoldtimes’outofthewayofourdailylife。
Idawdledawaythemorning——partofthetimeintheroomsdownstairs，andpartoutofdoorsinthegreatsquarewhichisformedbythethreesidesofthehouse，andbytheloftyironrailingsandgateswhichprotectitinfront。Alargecircularfishpondwithstonesides，andanallegoricalleadenmonsterinthemiddle，occupiesthecentreofthesquare。Theponditselfisfullofgoldandsilverfish，andisencircledbyabroadbeltofthesoftestturfIeverwalkedon。Iloiteredhereontheshadysidepleasantlyenoughtillluncheon-time，andafterthattookmybroadstrawhatandwanderedoutaloneinthewarmlovelysunlighttoexplorethegrounds。
DaylightconfirmedtheimpressionwhichIhadfeltthenightbefore，oftherebeingtoomanytreesatBlackwater。Thehouseisstifledbythem。
Theyare，forthemostpart，young，andplantedfartoothickly。IsuspecttheremusthavebeenaruinouscuttingdownoftimberallovertheestatebeforeSirPercival’stime，andanangryanxietyonthepartofthenextpossessortofillupallthegapsasthicklyandrapidlyaspossible。Afterlookingaboutmeinfrontofthehouse，Iobservedaflower-gardenonmylefthand，andwalkedtowardsittoseewhatIcoulddiscoverinthatdirection。
Onanearerviewthegardenprovedtobesmallandpoorandillkept。
Ileftitbehindme，openedalittlegateinaringfence，andfoundmyselfinaplantationoffir-trees。
Aprettywindingpath，artificiallymade，ledmeonamongthetrees，andmynorth-countryexperiencesooninformedmethatIwasapproachingsandy，heathyground-Afterawalkofmorethanhalfamile，Ishouldthink，amongthefirs，thepathtookasharpturn——thetreesabruptlyceasedtoappearoneithersideofme，andIfoundmyselfstandingsuddenlyonthemarginofavastopenspace，andlookingdownattheBlackwaterlakefromwhichthehousetakesitsname。
Theground，shelvingawaybelowme，wasallsand，withafewlittleheathyhillockstobreakthemonotonyofitincertainplaces。ThelakeitselfhadevidentlyonceflowedtothespotonwhichIstood，andhadbeengraduallywastedanddrieduptolessthanathirdofitsformersize。
Isawitsstill，stagnantwaters，aquarterofamileawayfrommeinthehollow，separatedintopoolsandpondsbytwiningreedsandrushes，andlittleknollsofearth。Onthefartherbankfrommethetreesrosethicklyagain，andshutouttheview，andcasttheirblackshadowsonthesluggish，shallowwater。AsIwalkeddowntothelake，Isawthatthegroundonitsfarthersidewasdampandmarshy，overgrownwithrankgrassanddismalwillows。Thewater，whichwasclearenoughontheopensandyside，wherethesunshone，lookedblackandpoisonousoppositetome，whereitlaydeeperundertheshadeofthespongybanks，andtherankoverhangingthicketsandtangledtrees。Thefrogswerecroaking，andtheratswereslippinginandoutoftheshadowywater，likeliveshadowsthemselves，asIgotnearertothemarshysideofthelake。Isawhere，lyinghalfinandhalfoutofthewater，therottenwreckofanoldoverturnedboat。withasicklyspotofsunlightglimmeringthroughagapinthetreesonitsdrysurface，andasnakebaskinginthemidstofthespot，fantasticallycoiledandtreacherouslystill。Farandneartheviewsuggestedthesamedrearyimpressionsofsolitudeanddecay，andthegloriousbrightnessofthesummerskyoverheadseemedonlytodeepenandhardenthegloomandbarrennessofthewildernessonwhichitshone。Iturnedandretracedmystepstothehighheathyground，directingthemalittleasidefrommyformerpathtowardsashabbyoldwoodenshed，whichstoodontheouterskirtofthefirplantation，andwhichhadhithertobeentoounimportanttosharemynoticewiththewide，wildprospectofthelake。
OnapproachingtheshedIfoundthatithadoncebeenaboathouse，andthatanattempthadapparentlybeenmadetoconvertitafterwardsintoasortofrudearbour，byplacinginsideitafirwoodseat，afewstools，andatable。Ienteredtheplace，andsatdownforalittlewhiletorestandgetmybreathagain。
Ihadnotbeenintheboat-housemorethanaminutewhenitstruckmethatthesoundofmyownquickbreathingwasverystrangelyechoedbysomethingbeneathme。Ilistenedintentlyforamoment，andheardalow，thick，sobbingbreaththatseemedtocomefromthegroundundertheseatwhichIwasoccupying。
Mynervesarenoteasilyshakenbytrifles，butonthisoccasionIstartedtomyfeetinafright——calledout——receivednoanswer——summonedmyrecreantcourage，andlookedundertheseat。
There，crouchedupinthefarthestcorner，laytheforlorncauseofmyterror，intheshapeofapoorlittledog——ablackandwhitespaniel。
ThecreaturemoanedfeeblywhenIlookedatitandcalledtoit，butneverstirred。Imovedawaytheseatandlookedcloser。Thepoorlittledog’seyeswereglazingfast，andtherewerespotsofbloodonitsglossywhiteside。Themiseryofaweak，helpless，dumbcreatureissurelyoneofthesaddestofallthemournfulsightswhichthisworldcanshow。IliftedthepoordoginmyarmsasgentlyasIcould，andcontrivedasortofmake-shifthammockforhimtoliein，bygatheringupthefrontofmydressallroundhim。InthiswayItookthecreature，asPainlesslyaspossible，andasfastaspossible，backtothehouse。
FindingnooneinthehallIwentupatoncetomyownsitting-room，madeabedforthedogwithoneofmyoldshawls，andrangthebell。Thelargestandfattestofallpossiblehousemaidsansweredit，inastateofcheerfulstupiditywhichwouldhaveprovokedthepatienceofasaint。
Thegirl’sfat，shapelessfaceactuallystretchedintoabroadgrinatthesightofthewoundedcreatureonthefloor。
`Whatdoyouseetheretolaughat？’Iasked，asangrilyasifshehadbeenaservantofmyown。`Doyouknowwhosedogitis？’
`No，miss，thatIcertainlydon’t。’Shestooped，andlookeddownatthespaniel’sinjuredside——brightenedsuddenlywiththeirradiationofanewidea——andpointingtothewoundwithachuckleofsatisfaction，said，`That’sBaxter’sdoings，thatis。’
IwassoexasperatedthatIcouldhaveboxedherears。`Baxter？’Isaid。
`WhoisthebruteyoucallBaxter？’
Thegirlgrinnedagainmorecheerfullythanever。`Blessyou，miss！
Baxter’sthekeeper，andwhenhefindsstrangedogshuntingabout，hetakesandshoots’em。It’skeeper’sdooty，miss。Ithinkthatdogwilldie。Here’swherehe’sbeenshot，ain’tit？That’sBaxter’sdoings，thatis。Baxter’sdoings，miss，andBaxter’sdooty。’
IwasalmostwickedenoughtowishthatBaxterhadshotthehousemaidinsteadofthedog。Seeingthatitwasquiteuselesstoexpectthisdenselyimpenetrablepersonagetogivemeanyhelpinrelievingthesufferingcreatureatourfeet，Itoldhertorequestthehousekeeper’sattendancewithmycompliments。Shewentoutexactlyasshehadcomein，grinningfromeartoear。Asthedoorclosedonhershesaidtoherselfsoftly，`It’sBaxter’sdoingsandBaxter’sdooty——that’swhatitis。’
Thehousekeeper，apersonofsomeeducationandintelligence，thoughtfullybroughtupstairswithhersomemilkandsomewarmwater。Theinstantshesawthedogonthefloorshestartedandchangedcolour。
`Why，Lordblessme，’criedthehousekeeper，`thatmustbeMisCatherick’sdog！’
`Whose？’Iasked，intheutmostastonishment。
`MisCatherick’s。YouseemtoknowMrsCatherick，MissHalcombe？’
`Notpersonally，butIhaveheardofher。Doesshelivehere？Hasshehadanynewsofherdaughter？’
`No，MissHalcombe，shecameheretoaskfornews。’
`When？’
