Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/102

 place she saw and described, and which afterwards reflected upon me one day at dinner, when we had a clerical meeting at Dulham. Here, uncle, I say! uncle! uncle!’ calling to Mr Bristley, who was standing a few yards off at the bulwark.

‘Well, Lesbie?’

‘Do you recognise that?’ she asked, very loudly, her outstretched arm pointing at the hill top and her figure posed in a graceful, eager attitude.

‘Recognise what? No; I’ve never been here before.’

‘It’s the Hill of the Dream,’ she said solemnly.

‘The hill of— Oh, nonsense! Lesbia dear; how that bogey does haunt you!’ he said, looking vexed and anxious. ‘I had hoped the change of scene would have rid you of all that sort of thing.’

‘I can’t help being somewhat of a visionary, Uncle Spines,’ replied Lesbia; ‘and, after all, it’s better to be that than a weaker vessel, eh?’

‘A thousand times, Lesbie—no doubt of that.’

‘I should think so indeed,’ assented Letitia; ‘and now to come down from dreaming dreams and seeing visions, to real life, There’s Queenstown before us; that island before us in the harbour is Spike Island, where they used to keep convicts, but which is now a depot of some sort; and those two forts frowning down upon us right and left are Forts Carlisle and Camden.’

While Lesbia was looking up at the two forts very attentively, a boat came alongside, the captain of the steamer having signalled one to land our party at Queenstown, while he steamed further up the harbour to Passage and thence with the tide to Cork. They accordingly landed at Queenstown, and took rooms at the principal hotel, on the quay. They spent that afternoon in walking about the place, and visiting the fine Catholic church; and the next morning, a berth having been previously engaged for Miss Blemmyketts in