no pulpit to protect
you from him, but stuck so to his text that there was no amusement to
be got out of the business!"

She did not know that if she could have met him, breaking the
ocean-tide of his thoughts with fitting opposition, his answers would
have come short and sharp as the flashes of waves on rocks.

"If Mr. Grant believes in such things," said Mr. Graeme, "he must find
himself at home in the castle, every room of which way well be the
haunt of some weary ghost!"

"I do not believe," said Donal, "that any work of man's hands, however
awful with crime done in it, can have nearly such an influence for
belief in the marvellous, as the still presence of live Nature. I
never saw an old castle before--at least not to make any close
acquaintance with it, but there is not an aspect of the grim old
survival up there, interesting as every corner of it is, that moves me
like the mere thought of a hill-side with the veil of the twilight
coming down over it, making of it the last step of a stair for the
descending foot of the Lord."

"Surely, Mr. Grant, you do not expect such a personal advent!" said
Miss Graeme.

"I should not like to say what I do or don't expect," answered
Donal--and held his peace, for he saw he was but casting
stumbling-blocks.

The silence grew awkward; and Mr. Graeme's good breeding called on him
to say something; he supposed Donal felt himself snubbed by his sister.

"If you are fond of the marvellous, though, Mr. Grant," he said, "there
are some old stories about the castle would interest you. One of them
was brought to my mind the other day in the town. It is strange how
superstition seems to have its ebbs and flows! A story or legend will
go to sleep, and after a time revive with fresh interest, no one knows
why."

"Probably," said Donal, "it is when the tale comes to ears fitted for
its reception. They are now in many counties trying to get together
and store the remnants of such tales: possibly the wind of some such
inquiry may have set old people recollecting, and young people
inventing. That would account for a good deal--would it not?"

"Yes, but not for all, I think. There has been no such inquiry made
anywhere near us, so far as I am aware. I went to the Morven Arms last
night to meet a tenant, and found the tradesmen were talking, over
their toddy, of various events at the castle, and especially of one,
the most frightful of all. It should have been forgotten by th