Crime & punishment > Peveril of the Peak > Volume 2

PEVEB.IL OP THE PEAK.
45
vice of many years. — Reply not to me now, but
go, and peace be with.you.”
He retired so quickly, after speaking, that Pe-
veril had literally not an instant to reply. He
cast his eyes around the apartment, but Deborah
and her charge had also disappeared. His gaze
rested for a moment on the portrait of Christian,
and his imagination suggested, that his dark
features were illuminated by a smile of haughty
triumph. He started, and looked more atten¬
tively—it was but the effect of the evening beam, .
which touched the picture at the instant. The
effect was gone, and there remained but the fix¬
ed, grave, inflexible features of the republican
soldier.
Julian left the apartment as one who walks in
a dream; he mounted Fairy, and, agitated by a
variety of thoughts, which he was unable to re¬
duce to order, he returned to Castle-Rushin be¬
fore the night sat down.
Here he found all in movement. The Count¬
ess, with her son, had, upon some news received,
or resolution formed, during his absence, remo¬
ved, with a principal part of their family, to the
yet stronger Castle of Holm-Peel, about eight
miles distance across the island 5 and which had
been suffered to fall into a much more dilapida¬
ted condition than that of Castletown; so far as
it could be considered as a place of residence.
But as a fortress, Holm-Peel was stronger than
Castle-town; nay, unless assailed regularly, was