Poor boys, they are footsore and weary with the walk across your hilly moors.

Excuse this emotion, young sir, and lead me to my old brother's side." There was something comic in the boy's look of perplexity and disgust, as, after a few moments' hesitation, he began to lead the way toward the half castle, half manor-house, which crowned the great limestone cliff.
"Surely," he thought, "my father cannot wish to see such a ragamuffin as this, with his coarse, bloated features, and disgraceful rags and dirt." But the next minute his thoughts took a different turn.
"If what the man says be true, father will be only too glad to help an old brother-officer in misfortune, and be sorry to see him in such a plight." With the frank generosity of youth, then, he softened his manner toward his companion, as they slowly climbed upward, the great beeches which grew out of the huge cracks and faults of the cliff shading them from the sun.
"So this is the way ?" cried the man.
"Yes: the castle is up there," and Ralph pointed.
"What! in ruins ?" cried the captain.
"Ruins?
No!" cried Ralph.

"Those stones are natural; the top of the cliff.

Our place is behind them.

They do look like ruins, though." "Hah! But what an eagle's nest.