IT was in the second week of their visit at Digby Castle, that one morning, as Harry and Lucy were left alone in the workshop, Harry whirring happily at the lathe, he felt Lucy suddenly touch his arm, and saw her looking up in his face, as if eager to say something. Rather reluctantly he slackened the whirring motion, and held back the tool.

Well, what do you want, my dear?" "I want you to come with me, I have ade a discovery! Follow me, Harry." Harry laid down his tool and followed. The workshop was a large irregular room, surrounded by shelves and drawers,

VOL. IV.

B

and racks for tools, with various benches for carpenters and carvers, and for braziers and smiths; three lathes were placed obliquely to the windows; in the middle of the room stood a circular saw machine, a lapidary's wheel, and a treadle blow-pipe; and there were two flagged recesses, partly skreened off, and contrived for a camp forge and a small casting furnace. There was another recess, elevated two or three steps above the floor, which contained some tall models, and behind these Lucy had discovered a door, which, being unlatched, she had pushed a little more open, and now throwing it quite back, she said, "Look, Harry, at what is in that room." He looked in, and his eyes sparkled with joy. "An electrical machine! a great battery!"

But with his foot on the threshold he stopped, and laying his hand on her arm said, "Do not go in-I do not know whether we may I hope you have not been in there?"

"Oh no," said Lucy; "I would not without asking you."

"And I must not, without asking Sir Rupert. But Lucy, when you first saw this, what did you think it was?"

“Oh! I knew directly that it was an electrical machine," said Lucy.

"You never saw one before, that I know of," said Harry. "I saw my uncle's, but you did not; it has been packed up ever since you came home from aunt Pierrepoint's."

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Very true; but I have seen a print of one, with electrical machine written underneath; and I knew it directly from that; but I do not understand any thing about it. As you saw my uncle's real machine, you can explain this to me. We need not go in, Harry; but just as we stand here, you might show me the use of all the parts. First, tell me the use of that glass cylinder, which is something like a broad grindstone of glass, with a sort of a silk curtain hanging over it, and a long windlass handle; and I see a chain, and-"

B 2

"Yes, yes," interrupted Harry, "you see a great deal, of which I cannot explain to you the use."

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Why not?" said Lucy.

"You had better ask my father, or Sir Rupert," said Harry.

"So I will then, said Lucy, for I am exceedingly curious about electricity; I want to know all about the electrical kite, and the Leyden phial, and conductors and non-conductors, and electrics and nonelectrics, and electrics per se."

My dear Lucy," cried Harry, "how comes it that you know all these names, which you rattle off so finely?"

"I thought I should surprise you,” said Lucy, laughing.

"I do not remember my father ever having talked of them to you," said Harry, " and I am sure I never did."

No, you never did; but I heard them at aunt Pierrepoint's, and I will tell you how it happened. It all began from a bit of wit. One day, when there were a great many visitors, they were talking of a lady,