earned by rote. But the guides who show the Castle of
Loch Leven seem to me exceptions to this rule. I have visited the place
two or three times, at intervals of many years, and the guides who have
conducted me to the spot have always been very intelligent and
well-informed young men, and have seemed to possess a very clear and
comprehensive understanding of the events of Queen Mary's life. At any
rate, the guide in this instance gave Waldron and Rollo a very good
account of the escape; separating in his narrative, in a very
discriminating manner, those things which are known, on good historical
evidence, to be true, from those which rest only on the authority of
traditionary legends. He gave his account, too, in a very gentle tone of
voice, and with a Scotch accent, which seemed so appropriate to the
place and to the occasion that it imparted to his conversation a
peculiar charm.

"The country was divided in those days," said he, "and some of the
nobles were for the poor queen, and some were against her. The owner of
this castle was Lady Douglass, and she was against her; and so they sent
Mary here, for Lady Douglass to keep her safely, while they arranged a
new government.

"But she made her escape by this window, which I will show ye."

So saying, the guide led the way up two or three old, time-worn, and
dilapidated steps, into the hexagonal tower. The tower was small--being,
apparently, not more than twelve feet diameter within. The floors,
except the lower one, and also the roof, were entirely gone, so that as
soon as you entered you could look up to the sky.

The walls were very thick, so that there was room, not only for deep
fireplaces, but also for closets and for a staircase, in them. You
could see the openings for these closets, and also various loopholes and
windows, at different heights. The top of the wall was all broken away,
and so were the sills of the windows; and little tufts of grass and of
wall flowers were to be seen, here and there, growing out of clefts and
crevices. There were also rows of small square holes to be seen, at
different heights, where the ends of the timbers had been inserted, to
form the floors of the several stories.

"This was the window where she is supposed to have got out," said the
guide.

So saying, he pointed to a large opening in the wall, on the outer side,
where there had once, evidently, been a window.

The boys went to the place, and looked out. They saw beneat