MacbetJis Castle. 329 



She is very often a true prophet. We shall see, we 

 shall see ! 



After dinner we strolled about the city and admired 

 its many beauties, especially the pretty Ness, which 

 flows through the town to the sea. Its banks and isl- 

 ands constitute one of the finest of pleasure-grounds 

 for the people, and many a lover's tale, I trow, has been 

 told in the shady walks beside it. I felt quite senti- 

 mental myself, sauntering along between the gloaming 

 and the mirk with one of the young ladies. The long, 

 long gloaming of the north adds immensely to the 

 charms of such a journey as this we have just taken. 

 These are the sweetly precious hours of the day. 



At Inverness we are again on classic ground ; for 

 Macbeth had a castle there, which good King Duncan 

 visited, and of which he said : 



" This castle hath a pleasant seat : the air 

 Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself 

 Unto our gentle senses." 



It was razed by Malcolm III. or Canmore, Duncan's 

 son, who built a new castle not far from its site. This 

 latter fortress existed until about the middle of the 

 last century, when it was blown up by the troops of 

 Charles Edward Stuart. Portions of its walls may still 

 be seen. Culloden field, too, is hard by, and all the 

 country round is rich in ruined keeps and towers. 



On reassembling in our parlor an ominous lack of 



