ad passed his life amid these scenes. It seemed to them
to give a certain degree of authenticity to the old legend.

There was not much to see, except an opening in the rock, the mouth
of the tunnel, with rushes, and mosses, and grasses, and shrubbery
growing around it. Having seen it, they were satisfied, and turned
to go back to the hotel. After a short distance, the guide showed
them where there was a path turning off through the fields, which
formed a short cut back. Upon this they paid him for his trouble,
and he went back to the convent, while they went along the path by
which he had directed them.

CHAPTER XXV.

_The lonely Path.--The sequestered Vale.--The old House.--A Feudal
Castle.--A baronial Windmill.--A mysterious Sound.--A terrible
Discovery.--At Bay.--The Wild Beasts Lair!--What is It!--A great
Bore!_

The path by which Clive and David returned to the hotel, went down
a slope of the hill into a valley, and led over a second hill,
beyond which was Albano. There were no houses visible, for the town
was hidden by the hill, except, of course, the convent, which, from
its conspicuous position, was never out of sight. As they descended
into the valley, they came to a grove of olive trees; and beyond
this there was a ruined edifice, built of stone, and apparently
long since deserted. It was two stories in height, but the stories
were high, and it looked as though it might once have been used,
for a tower of some sort. The attention of both of the boys was at
once arrested by it, and they stood and looked at it for some time.

"I wonder what it has been," said David.

"No doubt," said Clive, "it is the ruin of some mediaeval castle."

"It does not have much of the look of a castle."

"Why not?"

"O, why, there are no architectural features in it; no battlements;
it has, in fact, a rather modern air."

"Not a bit of it," said Clive. "See those old stones grown over
with moss; and look at the ivy."

"Yes, but look at the windows. They didn't have such large windows
in castles, you know."

"Yes, but these windows were probably made afterwards. The place
was once a castle; but at length, of course it became deserted,
and began to fall to ruins. Then somebody fixed it tip for a
dwelling-house, and made these windows in the walls."

"Well, that's not improbable."

"Not improbable! Why, I'm sure it's very natural. Look how thick
the walls are!"

"They do seem pretty thick."

"O, they are