CHAPTER XIV.
THE CASTLE INN.
The noise of their approach, heard from the bottom of the ascent, within the lonely winter castle, awoke profound conjecture, and Grizzie proceeded to light the lanthern that she might learn the sooner what catastrophe could cause such a phenomenon: something awful must have taken place! Perhaps they had cut off the king's head as they did in France! But such was the rapidity of the horses' ascent in the hope of rest, and warmth, and supper, that the carriage was in the close, and rattling up to the door, ere she had got the long wick of the tallow candle to acknowledge the dominion of fire.

The laird rose in haste from his arm-chair, and went to the door.

There stood the chaise, in the cloud of steam that rose from the quick-heaving sides of the horses.

And there were Cosmo and Agnes at the door of it, assisting somebody to descend.

The laird was never in a hurry.