Kenilworth Chapter I

In which the tale commences within the hospitable walls of the Black Bear inn at Cumnor, where the jovial innkeeper Giles Gosling, renowned for his good cheer and fair welcome, receives a stranger whose appearance and manners stir curiosity among the villagers. Amid lively conviviality and the return of his wild nephew Michael Lambourne, the stranger—who reveals himself as Master Tressilian—associates with the merry company, while an air of thoughtful melancholy yet dignity marks his presence.