The Weird of the Wentworths, Vol. 1

gue have gone

inchpin."-Prog

sting over the sunny shingle, and revealing to the practised eye myriads of trout gaily shooting past. After heavy rains, or when the snows on the hill began to thaw, the bubbling rivulet changed its character, and "tumbling brown the burn came down, and roared frae bank to brae." The castle was itself a large quadrangular pile, with four lofty towers at the four corners: from these towers it took its name, and as they peeped above the woods they served for a landmark to the country for many a league round. The round towers proclaimed it

in conformity with ancient usage, was still hung there, wait till the massive oaken door with its clamps of brass is opened, and discloses the entrance hall, a small square room full of ancient armour, intermingled with trophies of the chase. Above the door are crossed two pennons, which had been wrung from the Moslems in the days of the Crusades. All round spears, battle-axes, and lances of the olden time, with whole suits of chain and steel armour, hung side by side with more modern implements of war, guns-swords,

an abbess, wandering with naked feet through dense woods-this was Augusta de Vere. Opposite, was the portrait of the stern Sir Ralph. From these two pictures an endless line of family portraits was continued to the end of the hall either way. There were many winning faces, none more so than the two last, pictures of the Ladies Edith and Flore

nd high, he looks what he is, and yet there is about his face something which tells us he has all the love of his race for the field, and his look does not belie his character; never was he happier than when he had flown the pomps of a court in which he shone a star of the first magnitude, and forgot anxious cares in the calm retreats of The Towers-wound the view halloo, and was first in at the death. The Earl was fully six feet in height, and stout and strong in proportion. He is now standing before a blazing wood fire, and close beside him stands a fair-haired girl of perhaps fifteen years. Her melting blue

urch this morning," said Lady Edi

carriage to be here in plenty of time for t

, Edie?" said

you are going t

wonderful pew; do you think, Wentwort

again. Are you going?" continued Lord Wentworth, addressing a y

nd his height, which exceeded the Earl's slightly, combined with a splendid figure, gave him a fine manly mien; but there was something in his face cruel and unrelenting; his fierce

?" he answer

," replied

. "Nor will Arranmore; he and I are goin

," said Lady Florence; "but where

ank's keeper?" answered the Captain, sho

rranmore, "looking after some woodc

ured Earl; "however, this is Liberty Hall, ever

me, Arranmore?" s

is looked

nd Arranmore, and rob me of my companion; you don't catch us darkening your accursed church d

as the irreligious young officer went off with his friend, coolly whistling "Deil tak' the minister," an

"but, Lord bless us, he suld need wings wha wad

ames, and be

sisters to church, accompanied, however, by Frank, as he was always called, a youn

as I can't shoot to-day, I will go to church for once in a way to kill time," said Frank

ly found fault with him the previous afternoon. Just as he was about to leave the plate and enter the church, a grand carriage, drawn by four horses, drew up. His f

ning prayers however passed through and no member of the family appeared; and amongst others Johnny and Ellen were beginning to augur a similar disappointment in the afternoon, when Mr. Lennox, strutting as proudly as a peacock before our friends, appeared, and immediately following the two ladies and the Earl and Frank. The ladies were handsomely but qui

hispered Ellen,

and it was at him, and not Ellen, that the latter had gazed. It so happened that the two families met coming out of church, and the Earl shook hands with Mr. Ravensworth, telling him the pew was all he desired now; he then patted Johnny on the shoulder, calling him "young Nimrod," in allusion to the day before, and telling him he must come some day and get a riding lesson at the Towers. Johnny was much elated, and politely hastened to hold open the carriage-door for the young ladies; for this he was rewarded by a dignified bow from Lady Edith, and a sweet "Oh! tha

is," said Lord Wentwort

sted such a beauty; it will be something t

ncy a sister of my little

is to-morrow: he seems uncommonly sweet on her-you kno

nvitation to the Towers; she might yet get acquainted with the De Veres through him; and

e house. Oh! how Ellen prized them! with what haste she placed them in water! and when at last they faded, how she prayed the friendship, of which this seemed a prelude, if it came, might not fade away as fleetly! During the week L'Estrange again went shooting, and took with him a note from Ellen, thanking Lady Edith for her kind and beautiful present. Next Saturday, about one o'clock in the day, Captain de Ve

By G-- it's a good idea, I'm d--d if I don't do it," he exclaimed, as he drew up the horses with a round turn at the gate of Seaview. Tossing the reins to Arranmore

g Nimrod

he little boy, thinkin

little fool. Is young Nimrod at ho

y is, if t

m at last. Tell

hurried to inform Johnny, who was then at

Johnny hurried down

deuce have you kep

ardon, my lor

me Captain, that will do; but never m

he had hardly done so ere the Captain drove off at his break-neck pace; it alm

little man?" said Lord A

thank you," sai

the Captain; "you lorded me who am nobody, and sirred him

perceived, for the first time, the immense proportions of the Mar

d his protégé well. They then turned their backs on the Castle once more, and were proceeding down Princes Street towards home at a furious rate when, to the Captain's horror, who thus knew his fate, one of the wheels wa

' school walking quietly along, where he occasioned great confusion among the girls, who fancied, in their terror, as they gazed on his colossal limbs, a Titan had fallen f

, intermingled with roars of laughter at the old man's expense, who could by no means treat the affair as "such a joke," as the Captain called it. Arr

ss of which had caused the accident, was readily procured, the machine, as the Scotch say, "righted;" and, shaking the dust off their clothes, the trio soon mounted

l, which the Captain made with the coolest indifference, fancying Johnny could do what his brother's tigers were accustomed to execute with such nimbleness, he could not summon courage to tell him h

ool! why didn

. Don't be an

" and he checked the horses into a fast

omersault was the immediate result, and as he rose from his discomfiture and shook off the dust, h

dows. And so you had to drop, Johnny! Aha! so like De

hether to like th

s the Earl promised to pay his Christmas bills; no sinecure if report said true. However, he hiccoughed it out that night over his toddy in the smok