Excerpt from The Sins of the Fathers: Or the Wye Valley MysteryOn the crest of a hill just beyond the northern suburbs of the city of Leeds stood a substantially built house known as Thomcliffe Hall It was approached through an avenue of elms from the lodge gates, which were on the side of the main road leading into Wharfedale. No one passing by would have imagined that just beyond the belt of the thick hawthorn hedge, shrubbery, and trees - in summer-time white with the dust raised by passing motor-cars - there was such a delightful residence, or that from it such a magnificent view of the surrounding country could be obtained. The stables, kitchens, and the vegetable garden were between the house and the road, so that the noise of the traffic was scarcely heard by the occupants of the Hall. The grounds were tastefully laid out and well kept, falling in terraces southwards towards a valley in which nestled an old-time village.When visitors entered Thomcliffe Hall they were impressed with the skill, elegance, and good taste everywhere displayed - in decorations, furniture, and even in the arrangement of the bric-à-brac. The general effect was pleasing and restful. There was nothing loud or gaudy, nothing to suggest extravagance, nothing to irritate or jar, but an air of culture and refinement in every room.This was the home of John Moorhouse, the head of one of the largest engineering firms in the North of England It had been the home of two generations of the family. It was in the first place a plain, square, stone-walled structure, built by the first Moorhouse, the founder of the prosperous firm of Moorhouse and Son.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.