The trees and flowering shrubs and ferns
were all gone, lava, pumice, and ashes lay thick on everything around,
and only a few blackened and twisted stumps of the larger trees remained
to tell that an umbrageous forest had once flourished there. The whole
scene might be fittingly described in the two words--grey desolation.

"That is the entrance to your father's old home," said Nigel, as he set
his fair burden down and pointed to the entrance.

"What a dreadful place!" said Winnie, peering into the black depths of
the cavern.

"It was not dreadful when I first saw it, Winnie, with rich verdure
everywhere; and inside you will find it surprisingly comfortable. But
we must not enter until your father arrives to do the honours of the
place himself."

They had not to wait long. First Moses arrived, and, shrewdly
suspecting from the appearance of the young couple that they were
engaged in conversation that would not brook interruption, or, perhaps,
judging from what might be his own wishes in similar circumstances, he
turned his back suddenly on them, and, stooping down, addressed himself
to an imaginary creature of the animal kingdom.

"What a bootiful bufferfly you is, to be sure! up on sitch a place too,
wid nuffin' to eat 'cept Krakatoa dust. I wonder what your moder would
say if she know'd you was here. You should be ashamed ob yourself!"

"Hallo! Moses, what are you talking to over there?"

"Nuffin', Massa Nadgel. I was on'y habin' a brief conv'sation wid a
member ob de insect wurld in commemoration ob de purfesser. Leastwise,
if it warn't a insect it must hab bin suffin' else. Won't you go in,
Miss Winnie?"

"No, I'd rather wait for father," returned the girl, looking a little
flushed, for some strange and totally unfamiliar ideas had recently
floated into her brain and caused some incomprehensible flutterings of
the heart to which hitherto she had been a stranger.

Mindful of his father's injunctions, however, Nigel had been
particularly careful to avoid increasing these flutterings.

In a few minutes the hermit came up.

"Ah! Winnie," he said, "there has been dire devastation here. Perhaps
inside things may look better. Come, take my hand and don't be afraid.
The floor is level and your eyes will soon get accustomed to the dim
light."

"I's afeared, massa," remarked Moses, as they entered the cavern, "dat
your sun-lights won't be wu'th much now."

"You are right, lad. Go on before us and