The Ancestral Footstep (fragment) Outlines of an English Romance

"The Ancestral Footstep" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an incomplete romance from the late 19th century that follows Middleton, an American man with English roots, as he journeys to England to solve a mystery surrounding a bloody footprint in his family's old house. Themes of who we are, where we come from, and how the past sticks with us come up as Middleton travels the English countryside, meets a strange old man, and falls for a mysterious young woman named Alice. Initially, Middleton is hopeful as he travels through England, but he also wonders if he'll ever find what he's looking for while he creates relationships with strange characters and experiences the weight of dark family secrets. The story's setting builds anticipation for the problems and information that Middleton will soon discover about his family.