te, observed that she
listened attentively to his conversation, which, although he could not
catch the substance of it, he saw was of an interesting character. Dr
Nathaniel Deane, however, took upon himself the entertainment of a
larger portion of the guests, Mrs Deane occasionally keeping up the
ball of conversation by a hearty joke and a jovial laugh, while Mr
Deane, with more gravity of manner than his spouse, threw in a remark
here and there as occasion required.

Nottingham was at this time, as its inhabitants asserted, the most
genteel town in the midland counties, a distinction it owed in some
measure to the noble palace, built by the Duke of Newcastle as his
family residence, on the site of the old fortified castle that had been
identified with nearly all the chief periods of English history, from
the time of Isabella and Mortimer, who made it their stronghold, to that
when Cromwell, riding back towards London, the Civil War being over, saw
the greater part of the walls pulled down. On that occasion he told
Colonel Hutchinson, who had so bravely defended those stout walls for
the Parliament, that he was heartily vexed at it. The Colonel replied
that he had procured it to be done, and believed it to be his duty to
ease the people of charge when there was no more need for it. Some of
the tower? and walls, however, still stood conspicuous among the newer
parts of the edifice with which they had been incorporated by the
architect. In the market-place, as has been observed, there were a
number of fine old mansions belonging to the country families who were
accustomed to spend their winters in the town. There were also a good
many other handsome places in the immediate neighbourhood. None,
however, could be compared for beauty of situation with the castle which
crowns the rock rising abruptly from the Trent valley, with its stream
at the bottom, which, after coming down from the Yorkshire moors, finds
its way through the midst of that vast forest district, with its heaths
and leafy alleys, which was once all included under the name of Sherwood
Forest.

"Well, Neighbour Deane, what news do you bring from the big city of
London?" inquired Mr Samuel Pinkstone, a most respected burgess of
Nottingham, during a pause in the conversation. "I am glad to see that
you and Master Jasper have escaped all the dangers you had to encounter
there and on your way back. They say that housebreakers are as thick
there as goose