After ascending several long dark stairs, and following divers windings and turnings, the party at length reached the door of the sanctum sanctorum, and having gently tapped, the voice of the priestess was heard in no very encouraging accents, demanding “Who was there?”

“It’s only us,” replied her trembling friend.

“Only us? humph!  I wonder what fool is called only us! Open the door, Philistine, and see what only us wants.”

The door was opened and the party entered.  The day was closing in, but by the faint twilight that mingled with the gleams from a smoky smouldering fire, Lady Maclaughlan was dimly discernible, as she stood upon the hearth, watching the contents of an enormous kettle that emitted both steam and odour.  She regarded the invaders with her usual marble aspect, and without moving either joint or muscle as they drew near.

“I declare—­I don’t think you know us, Lady Maclaughlan,” said Miss Grizzy in a tone of affected vivacity, with which she strove to conceal her agitation.

“Know you!” repeated her friend—­“humph!  Who you are, I know very well; but what brings you here, I do not know.  Do you know yourselves?”

“I declare—–­I can’t conceive——­” began Miss Grizzy; but her trepidation arrested her speech, and her sister therefore proceeded—­

“Your ladyship’s declaration is no less astonishing than incomprehensible.  We have waited upon you by your own express invitation on the day appointed by yourself; and we have been received in a manner, I must say, we did not expect, considering this is the first visit of our niece Lady Juliana Douglas.”

“I’ll tell you what, girls,” replied their friend, as she still stood with her back to the fire, and her hands behind her; “I’ll tell you what,—­you are not yourselves—­you are all lost—­quite mad—­that’s all—­humph!”

“If that’s the case, we cannot be fit company for your ladyship,” retorted Miss Jacky warmly; “and therefore the best thing we can do is to return the way we came.  Come, Lady Juliana—­come, sister.”

“I declare, Jacky, the impetuosity of your temper is—­I really cannot stand it—­” and the gentle Grizzy gave way to a flood of tears.

“You used to be rational, intelligent creatures,” resumed her ladyship; “but what has come over you, I don’t know.  You come tumbling in here at the middle of the night—­and at the top of the house nobody knows how—­when I never was thinking of you; and because I don’t tell a parcel of lies, and pretend I expected you, you are for flying off again —­humph!  Is this the behaviour of women in their senses?  But since you are here, you may as well sit down and say what brought you.  Get down, Gil Blas—­go along, Tom Jones,” addressing two huge cats, who occupied a three-cornered leather chair by the fireside, and who relinquished it with much reluctance.

“How do you do, pretty creature?” kissing Lady Juliana, as she seated her in this eat’s cradle.  “Now, girls, sit down, and tell what brought you here to-day—­humph!”