Explore "The Gates of Dawn" by Fergus Hume on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
My Dear Jack, Not wishing to cut myself off entirely from civilization, I write to apprise you of my adventures while exploring England. I am in the wilds -- that is, in a lonely village surrounded by moors, and twenty miles from the nearest town. A ragged boy on a ragged pony carries letters to and fro from this place -- Farbis it is called -- twice a week. Other communication with the world there is none, so you see I am sufficiently isolated from the influences of the nineteenth century.
Of course you knew my intention of coming here, therefore you can express no surprise at the name of the village. I have seen the Court at a distance -- a red-brick structure embosomed in pine woods -- but as yet I have not called on the old lady who lives there. I cannot very well present myself in my character of a vagabond, as you may suppose; and, moreover, this wild life is so delightful that I wish to keep to myself as much as possible.