sunrise:  since she could understand, since it seemed that she too, even she, could interest this sorrowful Apollo, might she not learn? or was she not learning?  Would not her soul awake and put forth wings?  Was she not, in fact, an enchanted princess, waiting but a touch to become royal?  She saw herself transformed, radiantly attired, but in the most exquisite taste:  her face grown longer and more refined; her tint etherealised; and she heard herself with delighted wonder talking like a book.

Meanwhile they had arrived at where the track comes out above the river dell, and saw in front of them the castle, faintly shadowed on the night, covering with its broken battlements a bold projection of the bank, and showing at the extreme end, where were the habitable tower and wing, some crevices of candle-light.  Hence she called loudly upon her uncle, and he was seen to issue, lantern in hand, from the tower door, and, where the ruins did not intervene, to pick his way over the swarded courtyard, avoiding treacherous cellars and winding among blocks of fallen masonry.  The arch of the great gate was still entire, flanked by two tottering bastions, and it was here that Jonathan met them, standing at the edge of the bridge, bent somewhat forward, and blinking at them through the glow of his own lantern.  Mr. Archer greeted him with civility; but the old man was in no humour of compliance.  He guided the newcomer across the court-yard, looking sharply and quickly in his face, and grumbling all the time about the cold, and the discomfort and dilapidation of the castle.  He was sure he hoped that Mr. Archer would like it; but in truth he could not think what brought him there.  Doubtless he had a good reason—­this with a look of cunning scrutiny—­but, indeed, the place was quite unfit for any person of repute; he himself was eaten up with the rheumatics.  It was the most rheumaticky place in England, and some fine day the whole habitable part (to call it habitable) would fetch away bodily and go down the slope into the river.  He had seen the cracks widening; there was a plaguy issue in the bank below; he thought a spring was mining it; it might be to-morrow, it might be next day; but they were all sure of a come-down sooner or later.  ‘And that is a poor death,’ said he, ’for any one, let alone a gentleman, to have a whole old ruin dumped upon his belly.  Have a care to your left there; these cellar vaults have all broke down, and the grass and hemlock hide ’em.  Well, sir, here is welcome to you, such as it is, and wishing you well away.’

And with that Jonathan ushered his guest through the tower door, and down three steps on the left hand into the kitchen or common room of the castle.  It was a huge, low room, as large as a meadow, occupying the whole width of the habitable wing, with six barred windows looking on the court, and two into the river valley.  A dresser, a table, and a few chairs stood dotted here and there upon the uneven flags.  Under the great chimney a good fire burned in an iron fire-basket; a high old settee, rudely carved with figures and Gothic lettering, flanked it on either side; there was a hinge table and a stone bench in the chimney corner, and above the arch hung guns, axes, lanterns, and great sheaves of rusty keys.