As I looked toward them I could not determine whether the ground beyond me rose or fell--whether it was grassy, or earthy, or rocky.

I could see nothing but the all-pervading leaves, brambles, ferns, and long grass.
Not a sound broke the oppressive stillness.

No bird's note rose from the leafy wilderness around me; no voices spoke in the convent garden behind the scowling wall; no clock struck in the chapel-tower; no dog barked in the ruined outhouse.

The dead silence deepened the solitude of the place inexpressibly.

I began to feel it weighing on my spirits--the more, because woods were never favorite places with me to walk in.