night shade sat deeply on the mountains beyond and their indented outline alone could be faintly traced on the horizon, where a red streak yet glimmered in the west. The valley between was sunk in darkness.

The scene within, upon which Emily turned on the opening of the door, was scarcely less gloomy. The old servant who had received them at the gates now entered, bending under a load of pine-branches, while two of Montoni's Venetian servants followed with lights.

Your Excellenza is welcome to the castle, said the old man, as he raised himself from the hearth, where he had laid the wood: it has been a lonely place a long while; but you will excuse it, Signor, knowing we had but short notice. It is near two years, come next feast of St. Mark, since your Excellenza was within these walls.

You have a good memory, old Carlo, said Montoni; it is thereabout: and how hast thou contrived to live so long?

A-well-a-day, Sir, with much ado; the cold winds that blow through the castle in winter are almost too much for me; and I thought sometimes of asking your Excellenza to let me leave the mountains, and go down into the lowlands. But I don't know how it is I am loth to quit these old walls I have lived in so long.

Well, how have you gone on in the castle, since I left it? said Montoni.

Why much as usual, Signor; only it wants a good deal of repairing. There is the north tower-some of the battlements have tumbled down, and had liked one day to have knocked my poor wife (God rest her soul!) on the head. Your Excellenza must know

Well, but the repairs, interrupted Montoni.

Ay, the repairs, said Carlo: a part of the roof of the great hall has fallen in, and all the winds from the mountains rushed through it last winter, and whistled through the whole castle so, that there was no keeping one's self warm, be where one would. There my wife and I used to sit shivering over a great fire in one corner of the little hall, ready to die with cold, and

But there are no more repairs wanted, said Montoni impatiently.

O Lord! your Excellenza, yes-the wall of the rampart has tumbled down in three places; then, the stairs that lead to the west gallery have been a long time so bad that it is dangerous to go up them; and the passage leading to the great oak chamber, that overhangs the north rampart-one night last winter I ventured to go there by myself, and your Excellenza

Well, well, enough of this, said Montoni with quickness: I will talk more with thee to-morrow.

The fire was now lighted; Carlo swept the hearth, placed chairs, wiped the dust from a large marble table that stood near it, and then left the room.

Montoni and his family drew round the fire. Madame Montoni made several attempts at conversation, but his sullen answers repulsed her, while Emily sat endeavouring to acquire courage enough to speak to him. At length, in a tremulous voice, she said, May I ask, Sir, the motive of this sudden. journey?-After a long pause she recovered sufficient courage to repeat the question.

It does not suit me to answer inquiries, said Montoni, nor does it become you to make them; time may unfold them all: but I desire I may be no further harassed, and I recommend it to you to retire to your chamber, and to endeavour to adopt a more

VOL. XLVI.

rational conduct than that of yielding to fancies, and to a sensibility which, to call it by the gentlest name, is only a weakness.

Emily rose to withdraw. Good night, Madame, said she to her aunt with an assumed composure that could not disguise her emotion.

Good night, my dear, said Madame Montoni in a tone of kindness which her niece had never before heard from her; and the unexpected endearment brought tears to Emily's eyes. She curtsied to Montoni, and was retiring: But you do not know the way to your chamber, said her aunt. Montoni called the servant, who waited in the anteroom, and bade him send Madame Montoni's woman; with whom, in a few minutes, Emily withdrew.

Do you know which is my room? said she to Annette, as they crossed the hall.

Yes, I believe I do, Ma'amselle; but this is such a strange rambling place! I have been lost in it already: they call it the double chamber over the south rampart, and I went up this great staircase to it. My lady's room is at the other end of the castle.

Emily ascended the marble staircase, and came to the corridor, as they passed through which Annette resumed her chat: - What a wild lonely place this is, Ma'am! I shall be quite frightened to live in it. How often and often have I wished myselfin France again! I little thought, when I came with my lady to see the world, that I should ever be shut up in such a place as this, or I would never have left my own country! This way, Ma'amselle, down this turning. I can almost believe in giants again, and such like, for this is just like one of their castles ; and some night or other, I suppose, I shall see fairies

too hopping about in that great old hall, that looks more like a church, with its huge pillars, than any thing else.

Yes, said Emily smiling, and glad to escape from more serious thought, if we come to the corridor about midnight and look down into the hall, we shall certainly see it illuminated with a thousand lamps, and the fairies tripping in gay circles to the sound of delicious music; for it is in such places as this, you know, that they come to hold their revels. But I am afraid, Annette, you will not be able to pay the necessary penance for such a sight: and if once they hear your voice, the whole scene will vanish in an instant.

O! if you will bear me company, Ma'amselle, І will come to the corridor this very night, and I promise you I will hold my tongue; it shall not be my fault if the show vanishes. But do you think they will come ?

I cannot promise that with certainty, but I will venture to say it will not be your fault if the enchantment should vanish.

Well, Ma'amselle, that is saying more than I expected of you: but I am not so much afraid of fairies as of ghosts; and they say there are a plentiful many of them about the castle: now I should be frightened to death if I should chance to see any of them. But hush! Ma'amselle, walk softly! I have thought several times something passed by

me.

Ridiculous! said Emily; you must not indulge such fancies.

O Ma'am! they are not fancies, for aught I know; Benedetto says these dismal galleries and halls are fit for nothing but ghosts to live in; and I verily believe, if I live long in them, I shall turn to one myself!

I hope, said Emily, you will not suffer Signor Montoni to hear of these weak fears; they would highly displease him.

What, you know then, Ma'amselle, all about it! rejoined Annette. No, no, I do know better than to do so; though, if the signor can sleep sound, nobody else in the castle has any right to lie awake, I am sure. Emily did not appear to notice this re

mark.

Down this passage, Ma'amselle; this leads to a back staircase. O! if I see any thing, I shall be frightened out of my wits!

That will scarcely be possible, said Emily smiling, as she followed the winding of the passage which opened into another gallery: and then Annette, perceiving that she had missed her way while she had been so eloquently haranguing on ghosts and fairies, wandered about through other passages and gal. leries, till at length, frightened by their intricacies and desolation, she called aloud for assistance: but they were beyond the hearing of the servants, who were on the other side of the castle, and Emily now opened the door of a chamber on the left.

O! do not go in there, Ma'amselle, said Annette, you will only lose yourself further,

Bring the light forward, said Emily, we may pos sibly find our way through these rooms.

Annette stood at the door in an attitude of hesi tation, with the light held up to show the chamber, but the feeble rays spread through not half of it. Why do you hesitate ? said Emily; let me see whither this room leads.

Annette advanced reluctantly. It opened into a suite of spacious and ancient apartments, some of which were hung with tapestry, and others wainscoted with cedar and black larch-wood. What furpiture there was seemed to be almost as old as the