Alnwick Castle was at that time the abode of the Dowager Duchess of Athol, the mother of Lord Charles Murray Aynsley. This same Duchess was also (in her own right) Baroness Strange and Lady of Man. Her husband, the third Duke of Athol, had died some thirty years before, and ever since his death she seems to have enjoyed a position of ever-increasing power and authority. “To-morrow,” writes Mary, “is expected to be a very full day at the Castle on account of the Sessions Ball. The ladies—the married ones I mean—go in court dresses without hoops, and display their diamonds and finery upon the occasion.” Mary had to make her preparations accordingly. “You would have been greatly amused,” she writes, “at my having my hair cut by Lord Charles’s _frisseur_, who is by occupation a joiner, and actually attended me with an apron covered with glue and a rule in his hand instead of scissors. “Thursday morning we rose early. I wore my ball dress, and Lady C. lent me a beautiful necklace of Scotch pebbles very elegantly set, with brooches and ornaments to match. My dress was never the least discomposed during the whole day, though we travelled thirty miles of dreadful roads to the Castle. Lord Charles’s horses had been sent on to Framlington (eighteen miles) the day before, and we took four post horses from Cambo to that place. We set out at eleven and reached Framlington by two.... We passed Netherwitten ... and Sworland, the magnificent seat of the famous Alexander Davison. I had likewise a good view of the beautiful Roadly Craggs, by which the road passes, and likewise over some of the moors. “The entrance to Alnwick Castle is extremely striking. After passing through three massive gateways you alight and enter a most magnificent hall, lined with servants, who repeat your name to those stationed on the stairs; these again re-echo the sound from one to the other, till you find yourself in a most sumptuous drawing-room of great size and, as I should imagine, forty feet in height. This is at least rather formidable, but the sweetness of the Duchess soon did away every impression but that of admiration. We arrived first, and Lady Charles introduced me with particular distinction to the whole family; and during the whole day I was never for one instant unaccompanied by one of the charming Lady Percys, and principally by Lady Emily, the youngest and most beautiful.