"More than you can say for the Brading villa!" "You mustn't interrupt, sure," said Mrs Gilmour, tapping him with her parasol as her brother laughed, exchanging winks with the old sailor.
"After the time of good Queen Bess, however, the castle is not memorable for much in its history till we come to the early part of the present century; when it was used as a depot for the prisoners taken in the French war, some eight or ten thousand being incarcerated within its walls at one time!" "What a lot!" cried Bob.

"It must have cost a heap of money to keep them in food, auntie ?" "It did, `a lot,' my dear," replied his aunt, adopting his favourite word.

"Several men with names distinguished in the Revolution were confined here, among them being the Irish general Tate, who led that ridiculous invasion of this country planned by Buonaparte, which was routed by a body of Welsh women at Fishguard." "Hurrah for the sex!" interrupted the Captain again, Mr Strong joining in his cheer, while the boatmen grinned.

"More power to their petticoats!" Mrs Gilmour only smiled at this, not venturing to explain that the invaders mistook the red-cloaked, tall-hatted women of the Principality, who were ranged along the crests of their native mountains, for British regiments on the march to annihilate them; and so, capitulated to avoid capture! "One of the most comical characters imprisoned in the castle," she went on, "was a seaman named Francois Dufresne, who was a regular Jack Sheppard in the way of breaking out of confinement." "Oh!" exclaimed Bob, pricking up his ears at the mention of the noted celebrity of the Newgate Calendar.

"That's jolly! What did he do, auntie ?" "Why, he would, for a mere frolic or for a trifling wager, seals the walls of the castle under the very eye; of the sentries, making his way into the woodlands on the north of Portsdown Hill, where he would ramble at large, stealing all the eggs and fowls he could lay his hands on.