300 Aber-Merlyn. 



and on its summit the eagle had built her nest, sole guardian as it 

 were of England's fame 



" Whose banner hung upon the time-worn tower 

 So idly, that rapt fancy deemed it 

 A metaphor of peace." 



They had been for some time clearing away from what they sup- 

 posed a door, and no sooner had they opened a passage, than with 

 the aid of torches they entered upon a chamber ; but instead of bags 

 of wealth and heaps of treasure, they discovered three skeletons. Two 

 were lying side by side, clasped in each other's embrace, whilst near 

 them there leaned a figure upon its knees, with its arms still raised 

 as in the attitude of prayer. Thus then was the mystery explained, 

 Eva had been pursued by Percy, and had taken refuge in this cham- 

 ber. Her cries had alarmed Hymel and attracted him there. A 

 contest between the two took place, and each grasped in the other's 

 hold had breathed his last. In the distraction of her mind Eva had 

 bent over her dying husband, reason had forsaken her, and with her 

 arms lifted up to heaven she had breathed her last. They no sooner 

 saw this spectacle, than with horror and dismay they closed it up as 

 they had previously found it, and the report that they spread, by no 

 means diminished by their terror, hindered for ever the superstitious 

 inhabitants from desecrating by their search for treasure the dwell- 

 ing-places of the dead. 



Gentles, my tale is finished : I have tried to discover, but in vain, 

 at what time the ruins of the castle disappeared ; no vestige of it now 

 remains. The hill is covered with the greenest turf, and sheep now 

 feed where once the turret stood. There is still a cave to be seen, 

 leading as I was informed to the interior of the hill, and I proposed 

 to explore it, but I found it so choaked with sand and dirt that I 

 was unable to proceed. The side of the mountain is exceedingly 

 steep, approaching almost the perpendicular ; but it is now covered 

 with aged forest trees of immense size, over whose heads some 

 hundred years have passed. 



Many a time since have I wandered upon the hill, and many a 

 time has imagination raised the castled turret, and fancy pictured 

 the beauteous Eva; but alas! reality has too soon dispelled these 

 dreams, and brought me back to earth. Often now do I think upon 

 the happy days I spent in that vicinity, and if ever, reader, whoever 

 you be, your steps should lead you that way, I am certain you will 

 meet with as hearty a welcome as I did from the kind inhabitants 

 of ABER-MERLYN. 



