324 SULLEN FUEL. 



rushing along in fitful gusts, and the rain- drops striking 

 fiercely against the panes of the casement ; shortly, per- 

 haps, they cease ; the moon flashes out for awhile, and her 

 light strikes clear against the furniture of the little 

 chamber : then the black clouds hurry along, blot out her 

 orb, and leave the cottage and glen in darkness and in 

 mystery : thus the night wanes ; and amid these contentions 

 of nature, the blustering waters of the Tilt sound loud and 

 continuous : their voice may be somewhat smothered for 

 the moment by the noise of the wind ; but, in proportion 

 as that abates, the eternal roar of the torrent swells forth 

 again in all its turbulence. 



At length the morning began to dawn, and Tortoise 

 went forth and paced about the Lodge, that he might 

 endeavour to satisfy himself as to the weather. The 

 wind was still fair ; but the air was raw and wintry, and 

 a thick vapour rested upon the mountain ranges. Well, 

 that might pass away : and now for the morning meal. 

 Who can tell how often the bellows was applied to the 

 sullen fuel, and how reluctant the peats were to confess 

 the slightest capacity for a flare-up ? At length, after 

 much coaxing and perseverance, behold a faint ignition ; 

 thus things began to brighten, and breakfast was soon put 

 upon the table, warm and redundant. But the less we 

 say about the viands the better ; we are rather shy of 

 mentioning such things in detail. We should despair, 

 indeed, of making ourselves understood as to the extent to 

 which the principle of eating may be carried on in such 

 a salubrious climate. 



We may be allowed to hint our opinion, however, that 

 those were rational times, when maids of honour drank ale 



