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(Sliucn |&ar'0 2Foto?r. 59 



feet hurricane, making the tall trees groan and sway, 

 beneath its fury, and driving the autumn leaves in shoals 

 upon the ground. But the rain had ceased, and the loud 

 wind was still, except when it came in gusts, moaning 

 over the wide heath, and around the ancient castle, with 

 that wailing sound which is heard only in places where 

 men have dwelt, as if singing the wild requiem of departed 

 greatness. The skirt of the heavy storm-cloud was seen 

 retreating in the west, with its grey windy banners ; while, 

 on high, rolling masses of dark clouds were following 

 swiftly, as if they feared to be left behind. Now they 

 were no more seen ; clouds, of a still somewhat stormy 

 character, succeeded them, hurrying across the heavens, 

 and changing as they passed, at one moment dark and 

 threatening, at another light and fleecy; while at intervals 

 the blue sky appeared, and the sun broke forth gloriously, 

 causing the earth to look as if it smiled from some inter- 

 nal consciousness of delight. 



The view from the old tree accorded well with the 

 stonny aspect of the heavens on that day. Full in front 

 rises the stately keep, with its broken battlements and 

 rusted portcullis, its strong iron-bossed oaken door, rusted 

 also on its hinges, brown and broken, with large spaces, 

 showing the desolate and grass-grown area within. To 

 the right of the keep extends a high wall, flanked with a 

 round tower, and then a long sweep of wall, without win- 

 dows, separated by a strong jutting out from another wall, 

 wherein are the state apartments which Mary occupied. 



