dream became indistinct, and I can recall but two other incidents. We were still wandering about the house, with a feeling of awe and an ardent desire to find our way out, when, pausing for a moment in a dark passage, we both distinctly heard a deep sigh close to us; and as we grasped one another's hands in horror, footsteps approached us—uneven, halting footsteps, with a squeaking sound of iron against iron, as though one walked with an iron frame. Soon after this, we were in a gloomy gallery, in which the pictures hung strangely, not against the wall, but from the ceiling. They were moved slowly and grimly backwards and forwards by the draughts of the old building. One moved, not backwards and forwards, but up and down. It was the picture of a large fair woman, with a hateful face; a cruel wicked face. There was a slight squint in the eyes, and the heavy flaxen hair was brought very forward over the brow, and bunched out on each side. She was dressed in crimson velvet, over which hung long black robes, which swept the ground. In her hand was a lighted candle, which cast a lurid red light on her bare arm and on one half of her face. In my dream I stopped before her, and with a ghastly effort to overcome the scene of terror, boldly asked her: 'Why do you move like that?'

There was a long shivering whisper, every word as distinct as possible.

'Because I loved dancing too much in my past, and now they will not let me rest.'

They were mocking tones, and instinctively I knew that it was a lying whisper, and in my heart I hated that woman. Yet I could not leave her, and tauntingly I remarked on the quaintness of her long black robes, and said I should like to have them for a masquerade. I was no way surprised to see her slide down from the ceiling and step out of her frame; but I felt half strangled when, after taking off the black robes, she passed her dead arm round my neck to fasten them upon me. Beautifully formed and white as snow, half that arm was of icy coldness-half burnt like fire. After that all was confusion. Only I know that Harry was no longer with me. I was alone, yet not alone, for every picture was astir. Men, women, and children stepped out of their frames, some turning and hanging them carefully up, others smashing every atom. They walked up and down, wringing their hands and moaning bitterly. The backgrounds were a sore puzzle to me; some remained in the frames, but some still clung to the figures. That was the only thing that surprised If a picture disputed the passage with me, I merely replaced him in his frame. If he did it again, I hung him up. Some stood back to let me pass, others turned to follow me. One old man caught his wig in his own frame, and I was in the act of helping him, when I turned into a picture myself, and was hung to the ceiling by the cruel-faced woman.

me.

At this moment I awoke, to find myself in bed, a person and not a picture, but a more uncomfortable person than I ever remember to have been before. Drops of moisture stood on my face, my very hair was wet, my heart beat painfully, and when I tried to get up, I found myself too giddy to stand. It was the very strongest possible proof of the impression that dream had made that I did not at once call out for Harry. I staggered to the table and took a long draught of water, and then staggered back to bed to recover as I could.

CHAPTER II.

AN ADVENTURE.

I MANAGED to be in time for breakfast, and to keep out of the way of Harry's remarks until I had somewhat recovered myself; but not one word of my dream did I breathe to him or anybody else. The day was long and dull, to me at least, although it was chiefly spent in walking and riding over the property at some future time to be Harry's.

He was not dull, for Gwen was with us all day; and although it was hardly a case of love at first sight, that good calm face had evidently a growing attraction for him. Mrs. Bandeswyke meant that it should be so, and was officious enough to have spoiled all. Harry, however, seemed scarely aware of her existence in the fascination of her daughter's presence, and to the same cause I attributed his taking no notice of my unusual silence.

After breakfast we all set forth to look over the house, first going out of doors to gain an idea of the exterior. I had never even imagined such a place. Its size alone made it remarkable, and the massive walls and buttresses, the enormous beams, and narrow loop holes of windows suggested the idea that it had been originally built for defence. It stood on a terrace or table-land of the mountain, which towered thousands of feet above it at the back, and descended precipitately about a hundred yards from the front. Yet few places could be more entirely concealed from view from below, for gigantic arms of rock formed a natural wall of great height on the edge of the precipice, entirely enclosing the castle, which was only approachable from two points. A short artificial tunnel hewn in the rocks at the back, and guarded by a portcullis, admitted the carriage road into the very house, while a natural gap in the rocks in front let in a narrow view of the glorious landscape below, and formed the entrance to a short flight of steps leading directly to a mountain path which rivalled the Wengern Alp for abruptness and beauty. So completely was the castle, in the oldest part, built into the rock, that God's work and man's work were here hardly to be distinguished apart. The difficulty was increased by the partially-ruined state of this portion of the building, and still

more so by one peculiar feature of this magnificent place, viz. the luxuriance of the trees and foliage. Three enormous cedars partially concealed the ruin from almost every point of view, and the mass of foliage which crept down the mountain side entwined itself alike round rock and stone, brick and buttress. The morning light showed us that the hall into which we had driven the night before divided the older building from the more modern part, which alone was inhabited, and I made the farther discovery that our bedrooms were the last occupied rooms on that side, and were consequently adjoining the deserted portion of the castle.

When we had looked and admired long enough, we passed through the great hall to the cloisters, and from thence to a gloomy chapel full of banners and escutcheons of many a generation past. At the end of all the sight-seeing, we found ourselves on the battlements, from which a fabulous number of counties and churches were to be seen. We returned to the house by a trap-door and short steps into a low dark lobby, full of rubbish, boxes piled up, old furniture, injured pictures, &c.

The lumber-room,' said Mr. Bandeswyke shortly, as he led the way rapidly to the staircase. My attention was attracted by a curious old screen, and I stopped to examine it. Behind it was a door so curious that I called to Harry to come and look at it. in form, and of immense strength, though very low. iron nearly a foot in breadth were nailed across it.

It was arched

Five bands of

Surely, sir, this is a curiosity,' said I, turning to Mr. Bandeswyke. He was gone, but Gwen stood beside us. Gwen and Harry and I. Ah, once more were we destined to stand side by side at that door!

It is,' said she, answering my remark; it leads to the old part of the house, which my father considers unsafe, so that it is never entered. I believe this door has sad associations for him. He never likes to hear it talked of.'

At another time I should have teased Gwen with boyish curiosity to tell us more, but the oppression which I could not shake off kept me silent. By five o'clock the day set in for rain. By six, we had one of the most tremendous storms it has ever been my lot to witness. Our ride had been cut short, and we were employing ourselves as best we might in the billiard-room, when the door burst open, and the old butler tottered into the room. There was that in his appearance which made us leave our game and gaze at him with astonishment. His head trembled, his dress and hair were disarranged and wet. Evidently he had been out in the storm.

Master, the tree's down, and this is the 26th August!' he exclaimed in a choked voice. And Mr. Bandeswyke, the last to see him, turned suddenly in the very act of playing, and promptly responded, 'You old fool!' in a tone of such energy, and a manner so

different from his usual reserve, that Harry and I looked at one another in amazement.

Mr. Bandeswyke and his servant vanished behind the swingdoor almost as soon as the two sentences were uttered, and Gwen recalled us to our game with a composure which made us feel that the incident was no business of ours. Mrs. Bandeswyke had less tact, and poured forth excuses for master and man. Gwen quietly stopped her with the remark that Ransley was a very old servant, and so attached to the place that the loss of a single tree was a real trial to him. With a mind prepared to receive strange impressions in this strange place, I however fancied that her carelessness was assumed, and narrowly watching, I perceived that her hand trembled as she tried to steady her mace.

Mr. Bandeswyke appeared no more till the arrival of the other guests, and before that event occurred we had a dreary time of it; for Gwen likewise disappeared, and we were left to the tender mercies of her mother. I escaped after a while, and was in the act of opening the front-door to have a look at the storm, when it was hastily opened from without, and Gwen, covered by a large plaid, but wet from head to foot, stepped quietly into the hall. I uttered an exclamation of astonishment, but without the slightest word of explanation she merely bowed her head and passed on to her room. I had no time to wonder, for at that moment the guests arrived, and I was captured by my host.

The guests were dull, Harry was dull, Mr. Bandeswyke was dull, I was dull. I may as well say it at once: we were all dull, save Gwen, who was just as usual. In spite of that, I was glad when we dispersed for the night, even while I dreaded the night.

'Let's go out and smoke,' I whispered to Harry, as we stood together at the drawing-room door.

Gwen was close to us and heard. She turned back and said, loud enough for her father to hear,

'O, not to-night, do not go out to-night. It is so damp after these storms.'

It was unlike Gwen. I felt annoyed. Old Bandeswyke waxed paternal on the spot.

My dear boys, don't think of such a thing. You have no idea of our mountain air after a storm. Go to the billiard-room."

We thanked him, and vanished to our rooms. My curiosity was again roused. Why were father and daughter leagued to prevent us from going out? Of course we went.

I wonder why they did not want us to go,' said I.
Rheumatism,' said Harry shortly.

Humbug,' responded I, not more lengthily, and then added,

That might do for madam, not for master, or for

'Miss Bandeswyke,' interrupted Harry with decision.