To the south of these cliffs there runs inland a broad bay,--Liscannor bay, on the sides of which are two little villages, Liscannor and Lahinch.

At the latter, Fred Neville, since he had been quartered at Ennis, had kept a boat for the sake of shooting seals and exploring the coast,--and generally carrying out his spirit of adventure.

Not far from Liscannor was Castle Quin, the seat of the Earl of Kilfenora; and some way up from Liscannor towards the cliffs, about two miles from the village, there is a cottage called Ardkill.

Here lived Mrs.and Miss O'Hara.
It was the nearest house to the rocks, from which it was distant less than half a mile.

The cottage, so called, was a low rambling long house, but one storey high,--very unlike an English cottage.