here the priest lived, came in sight. It was
an humble abode, but beautifully situated at the bottom of the glen; the
whole valley lying expanded in front, with its bright rivulet and its
bold sides of granite. The cottage itself was little better than that of
a poor farmer; and save from the ornament of some creepers, which were
trained against the walls, and formed into a deep porch at the
entrance, differed in no respect from such. A few straggling patches of
cultivation, of the very rudest kind, were seen, here and there, but
all without any effort at fence or enclosure. Some wild fruit-trees were
scattered over the little lawn in front, if the narrow strip of grass
that flanked the river could be called such, and here, a small Kerry cow
was grazing, the only living thing to be seen.

A little well, arched over with pieces of rock, and surmounted by a
small wooden cross, stood close to the road-side, and the wild-thorn
that overshadowed it was hung on every side with small patches of rags
of every colour and texture that human dress ever consisted of; a sight
new to the eyes of the travellers, who knew not, that the shrine was
deemed holy, and the tree, the receptacle of the humble offering of
those, whose sorrows of mind and body came there for alleviation and
succour.

Sir Marmaduke dismounted and approached the door, which lay wide open;
he knocked gently with his whip, and as no answer to his summons was
returned, repeated it again and again. He now ventured to call aloud,
but no one came, and at last, both father and daughter began to suspect
there might be no one in the house.

"This is most strange," said he, after a long pause, and an effort to
peep in through the windows, half hid with honey-suckle.

"The place seems totally deserted. Let us try at the back, however."

As the old baronet wended his way to the rear of the cottage, he
muttered a half upbraiding against his daughter for not complying with
his desire to have a groom along with them--a want, which now increased
the inconvenience of their position. She laughingly defended herself
against the charge, and at the same moment sprang down from her saddle,
to assist in the search.

"I certainly perceived some smoke from the chimney as we came up the
glen and there must have been some one here lately, at least," said
she, looking eagerly around on every side.

"This is indeed solitude," muttered her father, as he listened for some
minutes, durin