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188 atmosphere—Nature's royal mourning over her king. Far as the eye could reach, the waves had a faint lilac dye, reflected from deeper-dyed heavens above, whose magnificence at last faded into a broad and clear amber line, with an eddy of pale crimson on its extremest verge. Then upsprung a single star, lonely and lovely over the far sea. The long shadows now heralded the coming darkness; and there was something very cheerful in the numerous fires that were visible from the different windows. The old castle alone looked gloomy, as it stood, gray and rugged, close upon the water-side; they passed it rapidly, and anchored by the quay.

Arden, who had stood by them unperceived, now approached, and, taking Francesca's hand, said, in a low and solemn voice,—

"I dare not bless you! but, at least, I may welcome the Lady Francesca Stukeley to her father's country and her father's home."