with those phantoms of indigestion commonly called "blue devils."

Disappointed both in love and friendship, he had come to the conclusion
that there was but one good thing in the world, videlicet, a good
dinner; and remained a widower, with one only son and heir, Scythrop.

This son had been sent to a public-school, where a little learning was
painfully beaten into him, and thence to the university, where it was
carefully taken out of him, and he finished his education to the high
satisfaction of the master and fellows of his college. He passed his
vacations sometimes at Nightmare Abbey, and sometimes in London, at the
house of his uncle, Mr. Hilary, a very cheerful and elastic gentleman.
The company that frequented his house was the gayest of the gay.
Scythrop danced with the ladies and drank with the gentlemen, and was
pronounced by both a very accomplished, charming fellow.

Here he first saw the beautiful Miss Emily Girouette, and fell in love;
he was favourably received, but the respective fathers quarrelled about
the terms of the bargain, and the two lovers were torn asunder, weeping
and vowing eternal constancy; and in three weeks the lady was led a
smiling bride to the altar, leaving Scythrop half distracted. His
father, to comfort him, read him a commentary on Ecclesiastes, of his
own composition; it was thrown away upon Scythrop, who retired to his
tower as dismal and disconsolate as before.

The tower which Scythrop inhabited stood at the south-eastern angle of
the abbey; the south-western was ruinous and full of owls; the
north-eastern contained the apartments of Mr. Glowry; the north-eastern
tower was appropriated to the servants, whom Mr. Glowry always chose by
one of two criterions--a long face or a dismal name. The main building was