were procured, and the two ladies and their
attendants renewed their journey, with strong injunctions to the driver
to quicken their rate of travelling as much as possible, and promises of
reward in case of his doing so.

Roads were then in much worse condition throughout the south, even than
they now are; and the fifteen miles which modern posting would have
passed in little more than an hour and a half, were not completed even
with every possible exertion in twice the time. Miss F----d had been
nervously restless during the journey. Her head had been constantly
out of the carriage window; and as they approached the entrance to the
castle demesne, which lay about a mile from the building, her anxiety
began to communicate itself to her sister. The postillion had just
dismounted, and was endeavouring to open the gate--at that time a
necessary trouble; for in the middle of the last century porter's lodges
were not common in the south of Ireland, and locks and keys almost
unknown. He had just succeeded in rolling back the heavy oaken gate so
as to admit the vehicle, when a mounted servant rode rapidly down the
avenue, and drawing up at the carriage, asked of the postillion who the
party were; and on hearing, he rode round to the carriage window and
handed in a note, which Lady D---- received. By the assistance of one
of the coach-lamps they succeeded in deciphering it. It was scrawled in
great agitation, and ran thus:

'MY DEAR SISTER--MY DEAR SISTERS BOTH,--In God's name lose no time, I am
frightened and miserable; I cannot explain all till you come. I am too
much terrified to write coherently; but understand me--hasten--do not
waste a minute. I am afraid you will come too late.

'E. A.'

The servant could tell nothing more than that the castle was in great
confusion, and that Lady Ardagh had been crying bitterly all the night.
Sir Robert was perfectly well. Altogether at a loss as to the cause
of Lady Ardagh's great distress, they urged their way up the steep and
broken avenue which wound through the crowding trees, whose wild and
grotesque branches, now left stripped and naked by the blasts of winter,
stretched drearily across the road. As the carriage drew up in the area
before the door, the anxiety of the ladies almost amounted to agony; and
scarcely waiting for the assistance of their attendant, they sprang to
the ground, and in an instant stood at the castle door. From within
were distinctly audible the sou