his sister. Uncle Kit's death had enabled
Charles Charteris, or rather his creditors, to advertise Castle Blanch
for sale, and Lucilla, who had a more genuine affection for the place
than had any of the natives, grieved extremely over the family disgrace
that was causing it to pass into other hands.

She had an earnest desire to take advantage of the display of the house
and grounds to pay the scenes of her youth one last visit. The vehemence
of this wish was her first recurrence to her old strength of will, and
Honora beheld it as a symptom of recovery, though dreading the long and
fatiguing day of emotion. Yet it might be taken as another token of
improvement that she had ceased from that instinctive caution of
feebleness which had made her shrink from all exertion or agitation.

Her chest was pronounced to be in a satisfactory state, her health
greatly improved; and as there was no longer need for extra precaution,
the three ladies set forth together on the first fine day.

The Indian summer was in full glory, every wood arrayed in brightness;
and as they drove from the Wrapworth Station, the banks of the river were
surpassingly lovely, brown, red, and olive, illuminated by sprays of
yellow, like fireworks, and contrasting with the vivid green of the
meadows and dark blue water. Honor recollected the fairy boat that once
had floated there, and glancing at the pale girl beside her, could not
but own the truth of the similitude of the crushed fire-fly; yet the fire
of those days had scorched, not lighted; and it had been the mirth that
tendeth to heaviness.

Cilla was gazing, with all her soul in her eyes, in silence. She was
trying to revive the sense of home that once had made her heart bound at
the first glimpse of Wrapworth; but her spirit leapt up no more. The
familiar scene only impressed the sense of homelessness, and of the
severance of the last tie to her father's parish, her mother's native
place. Honor asked if she would stop in the village. 'Not yet,' she
said; 'let us have the Castle first.'

At the next turn they overtook Mr. Prendergast, and he was instantly at
the carriage-door, exacting a willing promise of taking luncheon with him
on the way back, a rest for which Honor was thankful, sure as she was
that this visit was costing Lucy more than she had anticipated.

Without a word, she beheld the green space of park, scattered with groups
of glowing trees, the elms spangled with gold, the m