It was a sufficiently varied and vigorous prospect, and one which years had endeared to the old gentleman, as if it were the features of a friend.
Especially was he fond of looking at a certain open space, near the summit of a high, wooded hill, directly opposite.

It was like an oasis among a desert of trees.

Had it become overgrown, or had the surrounding timber been cut away, the professor would have taken it much to heart.

A voluntary superstition of this kind is not uncommon in elderly gentlemen of more than ordinary intellectual power.

It is a sort of half-playful revenge they wreak upon themselves for being so wise.