THE-WATCH TOWKR OF KOAT-VEU 



A TALE OF THE SEA. 



PREFACE. 



THIS novel has gained considerable popularity in France; and in a philoso- 

 phic sense it may be deserving of its favour. It is one of several by the same 

 author, written expressly for the purpose of exposing the state of scepticism 

 at present prevailing amongsi-a large proportion of the French people. In 

 his preface he explains his vie,ws very, distinctly in a single paragraph : be 

 says, " Every age having its peculiar expression and indelible character, it 

 appeared to me that the most prominent and decisive feature of the present 

 age is un des enchantement profond et amer, which has its source in the thou- 

 sand social and political deceptions by which we have been mocked, a spirit 

 incontestibly proved by the organic and constituent materialism of our epoch." 

 Again, in stating that the present age has been characterized by the majority 

 of writers as a " siecle positif," he continues, " According to the acceptation 

 which the liberal, progressive,, and philosophic party give to this word, it ap- 

 pears to me that siecle positif et materialists, or desenchante et athee, is one and 

 the same." All the characters have been carefully drawn under a full impres- 

 sion of the wretchedness of mind produced by religious scepticism, and with 

 a view to prove satisfactorily the existence of a future state. If, therefore, 

 it should be objected that the continuity and uniformity of the story is 

 occasionally broken, English readers will understand that the object of the 

 author has been rather to pourtray character and evolve results than to follow 

 the plan of a consecutive story which is more familiar to them. 



CHAPTER I. 



TOWARDS the close of the month of September, 1780, a lady on 

 horseback, followed by her esquire, appearing- to quit the margin of 

 of the ocean, and make her way inwards towards the country, clam- 

 bered the mountain of Fal-Goet, which is situated near the little 

 town of St. Renan, on the coast of Brittany. 



Having reached the summit of the mountain, the lady reined in her 

 steed, as if to enjoy the majestic picture which spread before her 

 view. 



In the west the sun was setting behind the rocky isles, half veiled 

 in the vapoury mists of evening, and streaked with long crests of 

 crimson the light waves as they broke playfully upon the coast. 

 On the north rose the turrets of the castle of Kervan, Its tall spires, 

 glittering in the last rays of departing day, towered over the dense 

 masses of green foliage of the forest of Ar-Toel-Cout, already 

 darkening in the shade. On the east were verdant meadows di- 

 vided by luxuriant hedgerows of hawthorn, which serve as fences to 

 all the fields of Brittany, and these spangled by a thousand flowerets, 

 were encompassed by the mountains of Arres, whose heather slopes 

 bristled with the forms of yews and pines. And on the south, SL 



M. M. No. 1. F 



