CHAPTER VIII.

"And shall no lay of death

With pleasing murmur sooth

Her parted soul?

Shall no tear wet her grave?"

Ar the expiration of five weeks we left Brussels. The weather was charming, and every thing contributed to exhilarate the spirits, and if I could but have buried the past in oblivion, I should have been happy. As it was, with my young hopes blighted, I could only be contented and tolerably cheerful.

My little companion and myself had become quite fond of each other, and we were almost inseparable. I endeavoured to teach him English, while I gained a little Spanish from him. My lady, too, who was extremely anxious to learn the language, so dear to her, as that of her beloved husband, took regular lessons of me

every day when we were together, being anxious to surprise him by her proficiency, and as I was often alone with her in the carriage, and she took great pains, she made wonderful pro

gress.

We slept the first night at Lisle, on our way to Cologne, for Lord Henry wished to visit the banks of the Rhine, previous to settling for a time on the shores of the Mediterranean. I do not remember any thing particular of Lisle, as we reached it late in the evening, and set off soon after breakfast the following day.

The scenery along the banks of the Meuse was delightful. One day was dedicated to the ancient city of Aix-la-Chapelle. Its cathedral interested me much.

The baths greatly disappointed me. They were dingy and squalid, at least when I visited the place. Juliers is a small, but strongly fortified place, where we only stopped to breakfast and change horses.

At length we reached Cologne. I need not detail the beauties of the enchanting Rhine. They must be seen to be appreciated. Neither

need I dwell on the deplorable want of accommodation and cleanliness in the inns, so absolutely necessary to English travellers. The scenery, however, of the day, almost compensated for the want of common comforts at night.

There was at most of the inns abundance of fish and poultry, but when sent up to table so disfigured by grease and dirt as to be uneatable. We had also great difficulty in making ourselves understood, as scarcely one in a hundred spoke French.

We crossed the Rhine at Coblentz, to view the magnificent fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, were delighted with the cheerful town of Bingen, and finally quitted the Rhine at Mayence. From the latter place it was intended to cut across the country to Lyons, and from thence to make the best of our way to the south. Lady Henry was already in much better health from the change of air, and we looked forwards to the termination of our journey for her complete restoration.

Nothing worth mentioning occurred till we

reached a small village, within about ten or twelve miles of Lyons, at which latter place Lord Henry had intended to pass the night; but the roads were so bad, that we had made but slow progress the whole day, and night had closed in before we reached the little village; and Lady Henry feeling alarmed at going on twelves miles farther in the dark, it was determined, if we could find accommodations, to remain for the night where we were. We found a miserable inn, but the people seemed civil and anxious to accommodate our party, therefore Lord Henry resolved to stop. The first place we entered was the kitchen, large, dirty, and ill-furnished; an excellent wood fire, however, was blazing on the hearth, which, after the chilly night air, was not a little cheering. While Lord and Lady Henry remained at the kitchen fire, I went to reconnoitre, and see what could be done for their comfort. I found one large, dreary-looking sitting-room, nearly unfurnished, but I ordered a good fire to be made in it immediately, and it soon assumed a more comfortable aspect, and my lord and

lady took possession of it, while I went to look after the sleeping apartments. These were large and cheerless, but the good fires which were soon made in them by the good-natured girl of the inn, made them also look less desolate.

Griffith and Patrick had brought up the luggage, and while I was arranging Lady Henry's room, I had desired young Carlos to keep by the kitchen fire till I joined him, for he was shivering with cold, and the small sitting-room which was preparing for him and me was not yet ready. Before I had finished my affairs up-stairs, the rattling of wheels and the noise below announced another arrival. Before I returned down stairs, I secured the bed-rooms I had ordered, by locking the doors, in case, as had once before happened on the road, they should be seized by the new

comers.

When I returned to the kitchen it was filled with the servants of the inn and those of the strangers, and two ladies and a gentleman were warming themselves at the fire, and laughing and