"we saw a great and stately house, with many trees close around it, so close that in some places their branches dragged against the walls when the wind blew; and some hung broken down; for no one seemed to take much charge of the place;..."See in text(The Old Nurse's Story)
The setting of this tale is appropriately for a Gothic tale: the landscape is unkempt, which contributes to a feeling of neglect overtaking a once-great home. The lack of care for the house also creates a sense of isolation, which adds to the overall tone of eeriness.
"(that was the baby, who is now your mother)..."See in text(The Old Nurse's Story)
From this phrase, the scene is set at several decades earlier, when the children’s mother was just a baby. It also reinforces the story’s frame structure.
