men of the latter place, which had been only to me a cold, cheerless and heartless prison.

I need not dwell on the unpleasant occurrences of the intermediate time I had to pass at the castle, before I left it for ever.

A heavy weight seemed taken from my heart when I gave the last look to that gloomy abode.

CHAPTER VI.

"Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy sphere;

This must not be ;

SHAKSPEARE.

It was a cold morning in March, when Lady Eustace, little Annie and myself entered the comfortable travelling carriage, Mrs. Kelly and a man servant on the box, while Lord Eustace and his groom preceded us on horseback.

I never can forget the sensations of joy, gratitude and delight with which I was filled, as we drove from that hateful door; and when, turning an angle in the road, I saw for the last time the cold dreary-looking loch, with the dismal castle on its edge, I felt as if I were leaving a prison behind me.

Lady Eustace stopped my overflowing gratitude, by assuring me it gave her much pleasure to see me so happy, and told me that a striking likeness I bore to a dead sister was the original cause of her feeling interested about me; and that afterwards my extreme youth and friendless condition excited her compassion, and induced her to make some inquiries about Mr. Moreton and my connexion with his family, from a friend who was staying in the Isle of Wight.

The result being perfectly satisfactory, and confirmatory of all I had told her, she resolved, with a kindness seldom exerted, to extricate me from my unpleasant situation at Loch Ruff, and which she effected in the manner already described.

We stayed about a week at an hotel in Edinburgh, and then started for England. Dear, cheerful-looking England! What a

contrast to the country I had just left!

I had then never slept at an inn in England, and was quite astonished at the comfort and elegance of them all along the great North

road. They appeared like palaces when compared to the tall dull house in Edinburgh, or to the still more desolate castle on Loch Ruff.

At night, too, instead of poor Annie and myself being thrust into the most damp and desolate room, and the hardest bed—a comfortable, airy, double-bedded room, with a blazing fire, was always provided for us by the kind Mrs. Kelly, who slept in a room close by, and paid us both the greatest at

tention.

Our meals, too, which had always been so scanty, often only porridge and hard oat-cake, which tasted more like saw-dust than any thing else, were now so plentiful and delicate, that we both (as Mrs. Kelly observed) began to look quite different creatures, adding, "Is not my sweet lady the darling of the world?"

That we most cordially agreed with the warm-hearted Irish woman may readily be believed; and Annie and myself, from two poor melancholy, neglected, half-starved creatures, became the most happy ones.

Every thing on the road was

new to us,

and Lady Eustace was often much amused with our surprise and admiration.

He

Lord Eustace was exceedingly kind to us, but like his cousin, (Sir James,) and countrymen in general, he was very reserved. appeared to doat upon his wife, who was equally attached to him, and I often thought I never saw so happy a couple, though it was almost impossible for any two people to be so different; for she, like most of the natives of the Emerald Isle, was all life and animation, while he was thoughtful and grave. Her ladyship was always in good spirits, but never seemed so happy as when making others so.

It may easily be supposed that our journey was one of unbroken delight; and when we reached London, and drove up to the splendid mansion in Grosvenor Square, my feelings were very different from those which swelled my bosom when first set down in that great metropolis nine months before.

A room where Annie might pursue her studies with me, was set apart for our use till she