y was faded and worn, and every thing showed neglect and
desertion. Francisca, after escorting them to these apartments, told
them that she would send Maria, the housemaid, to make up fires, bring
water, and provide every thing else that they wished, but the girl was
always out of the way when she was wanted, and was really not worth the
salt she ate. Maria speedily appeared, however: a pale young girl of
dejected aspect, with black hair drawn off from a forehead of marble
whiteness, and large, sad eyes cast upon the ground. Her appearance
greatly interested the kind feelings of Clara and Magdalena; she looked
sorrowful and reserved, as if her heart had been chilled, and her spirit
broken by harsh treatment; and the girls, who were very much of her own
age, felt an instinctive pity, and resolved to win her confidence. They
learned by their questions that she was an orphan, and had been brought
up in the castle. She had never known any other home, and had no
relations in the world, so it was not wonderful that she appeared
unhappy.

As their maid appeared to be quite unwell from the journey, they
dispensed with any further services from her for the day, and descended
to the hall. Its aspect was considerably changed by a large, sparkling
fire which blazed upon the hearth; and, after supper, Don Alonzo and his
daughters drew around it, with a feeling of comfort they had not
experienced since they had entered the castle. As the Conde wished to
discover the character of the castellan as much as possible from
personal observation, he ordered him to be sent for, and invited him to
a seat with them by the fire; and they were soon engaged in interesting
conversation. Senor Baptista was undoubtedly a person of quick
intelligence, and endowed with the gift of imparting a vivid, dramatic
interest to any narrative: he told several ancient legends connected
with the castle, in such a manner as to enchain the attention of his
hearers. One story excited the deepest interest in Magdalena: we will
call it

DONA INEZ; OR THE CASTELLAN'S TALE.

Several centuries ago, as my lord the Conde and the noble Senoritas very
well know, this castle was in the possession of an older branch of the
Alcantra family, long since extinct; and at that time the lord of the
manor was a certain Don Pedro, a dark, stern man, whose portrait, clad
in armor, the senoritas may see on the morrow in the old
picture-gallery. Don Pedro was a man of unflinching bra