Wanderings through unknown Austria

ame down u

d, and the

mad, and dea

A.

d at present I am neither deaf nor blind. I cannot be sure about the

papers or a novel all day, and justly feel it is quite impossible to be energetic. I am often told that my besetting sin is laziness. I am not sure whether it is true, but all I can say is, it is very

it. We explored the castle thoroughly from dungeon to att

ensely business-like, and keeps me at it from early morn till dewy eve. I never have a moment's rest. It somewhat detr

ROTTO

ar to be hovering about the room. Enormous shells, quaint Venetian lamps and mirrors, funny old china, are scattered all about. There is a curious old sedan chair standing in one corner, and near it are two pianos. I never made out the mystery of those two pianos. I believe they are near relations, and that they would be heart- (or string-) broken if they were to be separated. There is a massive marble mantelpiece at the

imson to the faintest daffodil. The most beautiful moment is, I think, when the sun has sunk to rest behind the distant Alps,

normously thick walls-you see their immense thickness when you enter. The last man who was confined here (it was not so very long ago) hung himsel

e beginning of this century, written by an Englishman of the name of Cockburn. Fired by this discovery we rushed up the tower stairs to another little room, formerly used as a study by an old priest who had once belonged to the household. We fou

y built up flush with the wall, and recently whitewashed over, so as to conceal it. Then we explored all t

this neglected spot. Some fragments of Roman columns have been built into the wall of the castle-one sees them from the moat. Then we explored some terraces that are round the outside walls, where enormous yellow roses cling to the crumbling stones and lemon-scented verbenas grow wild. We made another interestin

wo old field-pieces here that formerly belonged to the French Republic. They have the fasces engraved upon them and the inscription, "An VII. République francaise 6 Fructidor." I could not discover the history of these guns. I was told a hazy story abo

UINO FRO

Admiral Freemantle sailed up the Adriatic with some English men-of-war, whilst General Nugent advanced on the land side with the Austrian tro

d has always been an object for attack. Even as recently as 1866, in the war between Austria and Italy,

. "Our host" disapproves of this net. He maintains that if any one bathing at Duino is unfortunate enough to be eaten by the one solitary shark tha

n only approach by one little narrow path that could easily have been held in the old days by two or three resolute men. There is not much to be seen in the ruin. It is all crumbling to pieces and is half-smothered with creepers and grass. In one vaulted arch, probably

E

ere. Only on some bit of old crumbling masonry the ivy has extended a funereal pall. No birds seem to nestle in this solitary spot, and the earth smells damp, whilst you shiver a little in the cool shade of the sacred trees. It is peculiarly quiet and silent under the ilex; and if, sitting there in the long summer afternoon

nce both pass away in the night of time,

or later, when the silver moon tried with her trembling rays to pierce the dark gloom

lity, what d