But the castle looked like a
castle, and was interesting. As a house it was not particularly eligible,
the castle form of domestic architecture being exigent in its nature, and
demanding that space, which in less ambitious houses can be applied to
comfort, shall be surrendered to magnificence. There was a great hall, and
a fine dining-room, with plate-glass windows looking out upon the sea; but
the other sitting-rooms were insignificant, and the bedrooms were here and
there, and were for the most part small and dark. That, however, which
Lizzie had appropriated to her own use was a grand chamber, looking also
out upon the open sea.
The castle stood upon a bluff of land, with a fine prospect of the Firth
of Clyde, and with a distant view of the Isle of Arran. When the air was
clear, as it often is clear there, the Arran hills could be seen from
Lizzie's window, and she was proud of talking of the prospect. In other
respects, perhaps, the castle was somewhat desolate. There were a few
stunted trees around it, but timber had not prospered there. There was a
grand kitchen garden, or rather a kitchen garden which had been intended
to be grand; but since Lizzie's reign had been commenced, the grandeur had
been neglected.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331