t the ladies described their passage home,
and the feelings with which they had returned once more to the old
Castle.

"Things are greatly changed," observed Lady Nora, "we have none of the
gay society we used to have here; my father also is too much out of
spirits to see company. Occasionally a few neighbours look in upon us;
or when any ship comes into the bay we see some of the officers, and Mr
Jamieson and dear Miss O'Reilly come over to pay us a visit; but you,
Captain Denham, will always be welcome."

Captain Denham and his fair companions had arrived at the Castle some
time before the midshipmen with the boat appeared, having been joined in
the meantime by the second lieutenant.

The Earl welcomed him warmly, and begged him to take up his residence at
the Castle; but this invitation he was compelled to decline, as he made
it a point of duty never to sleep away from the ship at night.

Lady Nora had sufficiently recovered to appear at dinner, to which
Denham's officers, who had come on shore, were also invited. Just
before dinner Mr Jamieson and his blind niece arrived. Lady Nora was
delighted to see them, and introduced Captain Denham to them both. The
blind lady seemed to take especial interest in him. She plied him with
questions, asking him what part of the world he had visited, in what
ship he had served, and in what actions he had been engaged.

The Earl had broken through the usual custom of sitting late at dinner;
indeed the gentlemen present seemed in no way disposed to follow it.
Soon after the ladies had retired, Mr Jamieson and Captain Denham led
the way to the drawing-room. Captain Denham approached Lady Nora and
inquired anxiously if she felt perfectly recovered from the effects of
her alarming accident. "Oh, yes; indeed I am," she answered, glancing
up at him with a look which might have made many men vain. "I dare not
trust myself to thank you as I ought, or to speak about it. I cannot
help thinking of what would have been my fate had you not been there to
save me. How often have I crossed those downs without dreaming of
danger; and indeed it was very curious how that poor mad woman should
have startled my horse. I have met her often before, and she has done
much the same sort of thing; but the poor animal was young, and had not
been ridden for some days. Sophy and I were on our way to visit some of
the poor people we are accustomed to call upon, and I was anxious to see
an old wid