ry road, brought them to the well-known bridge over
the Avon, and revealed the fact that the river had not lost a bit of
its beauty since they left it at the Weir Brake. It is from this
bridge that the famous view of Warwick Castle is to be had, and a more
charming picture cannot well be imagined. Just at a bend of the river,
the great gray front looms up, long and straight, the turrets here and
there giving it a most formidable air of old-time majesty and
strength.

Leaving the carriage at the castle entrance, Mrs. Pitt led the way up
the narrow walk, bounded by high walls of rock, to which the damp moss
clings and over which flowers and trailing vines hang. Finally they
passed under an old gateway with a portcullis, and found themselves in
the inner court-yard of the castle, which is almost round in shape.
Old towers or buildings very nearly surround this court, and in the
center is a wonderfully smooth grass-plot, which is sometimes used as
a tennis-court. Several stately peacocks strutted about displaying
their magnificent feathers. They were very tame, and almost allowed
Betty to come near enough to touch them. She was delighted when the
largest most obligingly dropped a gorgeous feather at her very feet.

"For a souvenir!" she exclaimed, as she picked it up. "How dear of
him! I like peacocks even if they are proud! I would be, if I lived
here! They know how important they are, and that this garden wouldn't
be complete without them."

[Illustration: "THEY KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE, AND THAT THIS GARDEN
WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THEM."--_Page 184._]

"Do you see that high mound?" asked Mrs. Pitt, pointing to the
northern end of the court. "There AEthelflaed, the daughter of Alfred
the Great, is supposed to have built a castle, and thus the history of
Warwick may be said to have commenced in 914. Just fancy! Since that
day, many great families have been in possession here (De Newburghs,
Beauchamps, Nevilles, Plantagenets),--from traditional Guy of Warwick
to 'Warwick the King-maker,' and all along the line to the Greville
family, which has owned it since 1759. 'Warwick the King-maker,' or
Richard Neville, was the famous baron who possessed such wonderful
power in England that he could make and unmake kings at his will. It
was he who captured poor, weak Edward IV, and brought him here as a
prisoner. Of Guy of Warwick, the great warrior and hero, I shall
tell you more when we are at Guy's Cliff, where he lived