第10部分(第1/7 頁)

Ryan　knew；　having　had　it　proved　by　many　circumstances；　that　his　friend　was　a　man　of　his　word。 With　him；　a　thing　promised　was　a　thing　done。 Now；　at　the　Irvine　merry…making；　nothing　was　wanting；　neither　song；　nor　dance；　nor　fun　of　any　sort……nothing　but　Harry　Ford。

The　notice　relative　to　James　Starr；　published　in　the　papers；　had　not　yet　been　seen　by　Ryan。 The　honest　fellow　was　therefore　only　worried　by　Harry's　absence；　telling　himself　that　something　serious　could　alone　have　prevented　him　from　keeping　his　promise。　So；　the　day　after　the　Irvine　games；　Jack　Ryan　intended　to　take　the　railway　from　Glasgow　and　go　to　the　Dochart　pit；　and　this　he　would　have　done　had　he　not　been　detained　by　an　accident　which　nearly　cost　him　his　life。　Something　which　occurred　on　the　night　of　the　12th　of　December　was　of　a　nature　to　support　the　opinions　of　all　partisans　of　the　supernatural；　and　there　were　many　at　Melrose　Farm。

Irvine；　a　little　seaport　of　Renfrew；　containing　nearly　seven　thousand　inhabitants；　lies　in　a　sharp　bend　made　by　the　Scottish　coast；　near　the　mouth　of　the　Firth　of　Clyde。 The　most　ancient　and　the　most　famed　ruins　on　this　part

of　the　coast　were　those　of　this　castle　of　Robert　Stuart；　which　bore　the　name　of　Dundonald　Castle。

At　this　period　Dundonald　Castle；　a　refuge　for　all　the　stray　goblins　of　the　country；　was　pletely　deserted。 It　stood　on　the　top　of　a　high　rock；　two　miles　from　the　town；　and　was　seldom　visited。　Sometimes　a　few　strangers　took　it　into　their　heads　to　explore　these　old　historical　remains；　but　then　they　always　went　alone。　The　inhabitants　of　Irvine　would　not　have　taken　them　there　at　any　price。 Indeed；　several　legends　were　based　on　the　story　of　certain　〃fire…maidens；〃　who　haunted　the　old　castle。

The　most　superstitious　declared　t