“ruined chimneys rose above masses of broken bricks”

“And above [the three of] them, Old Star and Old Mother rose into their appointed places and stared at each other across the starry ruins of their ancient broken marriage.”

“I want this chimney to smoke worse than Lucifer's own fire. Let's add another brick to be certain.Dougal stiffened. He'd thought they were repairing the chimney, but they wanted it to smoke. What in the hell was going on?”

“A brick can be used to represent a ruin, or the beginning of new construction. With a brick, the past is the future.
”

“As soon as she could discern the outline of the house, it had all its old effect upon Tess's imagination. Part of her body and life it ever seemed to be; the slope of its dormers, the finish of its gables, the broken courses of brick which topped the chimney, all had something in common with her personal character.”

“A brick could be broken—shattered—and then given as a gift, a jigsaw puzzle.
”