"Time has spared the epitaph on Adrian's horse, --confounded that of himself. "

 SIR THOMAS BROWNE. 

 TRADITIONS

 OF

 LANCASHIRE. 

 BY

 JOHN ROBY, M. R. S. L. 

 _ILLUSTRATED BY ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL AND WOOD. _

 IN TWO VOLUMES. 

 VOL. II. 

 Fifth Edition. 

 LONDON: GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS. MANCHESTER: L. C. GENT. 1872. 

 PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY EDINBURGH AND LONDON

 Transcriber's note: Minors spelling inconsistencies – mainly hyphenated words – have been harmonised. 

 Obvious printer errors have been corrected, but the original regional spelling of “properpty” (in "Clegg Hall") has been retained. 

 Letters after the sign ^ should be read as superscript. Example Edw^d, where the “d” is superscript. 

 Some chapters start with illustrations. In the original book those illustrations are not named. Here they are named after their chapters. 

 The Latin numbers (i, ii, etc. ) behind some words or expressions refer to the transcriber's notes at the end of this e-book. 

 CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. 

 PAGE THE FAIRIES' CHAPEL, 1

 THE LUCK OF MUNCASTER, 24

 THE PEEL OF FOULDREY, 35

 A LEGEND OF BEWSEY, 69

 THE BLESSING, 78

 THE DULE UPO' DUN, 82

 WINDLESHAW ABBEY, 96

 CLEGG HALL, 137

 THE MERMAID OF MARTIN MEER, 172

 GEORGE FOX, 189

 THE DEMON OF THE WELL, 206

 THE SANDS, 225

 THE RING AND THE CLIFF, 236

 THE DEAD MAN'S HAND, 247

 THE LOST FARM, 262

 THE MAID'S STRATAGEM, 294

 THE SKULL-HOUSE, 311

 RIVINGTON PIKE, 322

 MOTHER RED-CAP, 345

 THE DEATH-PAINTER, 389

 THE CRYSTAL GOBLET, 416

 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

 THE PEEL OF FOULDREY _To face page_ 35

 BEWSEY, NEAR WARRINGTON 69

 WINDLESHAW ABBEY 96

 CLEGG HALL, NEAR ROCHDALE 137

 PEG O'NELLY'S WELL, NEAR CLITHEROE 206

 ULVERSTONE SANDS 225

 THE LOST FARM, NEAR SOUTHPORT 262

 RIVINGTON PIKE 322

 "THE THRUTCH, " NEAR ROCHDALE 349

 THE FAIRIES' CHAPEL. 

 "Farewell, rewards and fairies! Good housewives now may say; For now foule sluts in dairies, Doe fare as well as they: And though they sweepe their hearths no less Than mayds were wont to doe, Yet who of late, for cleaneliness, Finds sixe-pence in her shoe?"

 --_Percy's Reliques. _

 The ancient mansion of Healey Hall was a cumbrous inconvenient dwelling of timber; but the spirit of improvement having gone forth in the reign of Elizabeth, an ordinary hall-house of stone was erected, about the year 1620, by Oliver Chadwick. On the south front was a projecting wing and three gables, with a large hall-window. The north front had two gables only, with a projecting barn. The north entrance, covered by a porch, was a thorough passage, answering to the screens of a college, having on one side the hall and parlour beyond; on the other were the kitchen, buttery, &c. On the river below was a corn-mill; this and a huge barn being necessary appendages to the hospitable mansions and plentiful boards of our forefathers. Over the front door was this inscription--

 C. C. DOC. T: R. C: I. C. A. C: R. B. ANO. DOM'I. 1168. 

 About the year 1756 the east wall gave way, and a considerable fishure appeared on the outside. This event was considered by many as the usual foretokening that its owner, Charles Chadwick, of Healey and Ridware, would speedily be removed by death from the seat of his ancestors; and so it proved, for in the course of a few months he died at Lichfield, _aged eighty-two_. His great age, though, will be thought the more probable token, the surer presage of approaching dissolution. 

 On a stone near the top of the building, on the north side, a human head was rudely carved in relief, which tradition affirms to have been a memorial of one of the workmen, accidentally killed while the house was building. 

 In 1773, the existing edifice was built, on the ancient site, by John Chadwick, grandfather to the present owner. 

 In Corry's _Lancashire_ is the following document, furnished by the recent possessor, Charles Chadwick, Esq. It relates to the foregoing John Chadwick, his father--

 "In 1745, at the rebellion, when the Pretender's son and his Highlanders reached Manchester, having obtained a list of the loyal subscribers, they began (of course) to enforce the payment of the money for their own use. An officer of the belted plaid, of the second division, came to the house of Mr C. , in King Street, whilst the master of it was with his father at Ridware, and, on being told that he was from home, and his lady ill in bed, he went up-stairs, and opening the chamber-door, where she was then lying-in, beckoned her sister to come to him on the stairs, where he told her (in a mild but decided tone) that the money before mentioned must be paid quickly for the use of 'the prince (who lodged at the house in Market Street, now called the Palace Inn), or the house would be burnt down. ' In this dilemma, the man-midwife calling first, and afterwards the physician, were both consulted by the ladies; when the former (a Tory) advised to send the money after them, whilst the latter (a Whig) thought it better to keep it till called for; consequently, never being called for in their hasty retreat, the money was not paid. It may be proper to add, Captain Lachlan MacLachlan, of the first division (afterwards one of the proscribed), being quartered in the same house, behaved with the greatest civility and politeness. On a party of horse coming to the door for quarters, he called for a lanthorn, and, though he had a cold (for which white wine whey was offered him, which he called 'varra good stuff'), walked as far as Salford, and there quartered them; two of his Highlanders, in the meantime, were dancing reels in the kitchen, and in the morning gave each of the maids sixpence at parting. "

 The name Healey Dene denotes a valley or dale, _convallis_, enclosed on both sides with steep hills; _dene_ being a Saxon word, signifying a narrow valley, with woods and streams of water convenient for the feeding of cattle. Here the river Spodden, which now keeps many fulling-mills and engines at work, formerly turned one solitary corn-mill only. It was built in the narrow dingle below the hall, for the supply of the hamlet. The feudal owners of most mansions usually erected corn-mills (where practicable) within their own demesnes. After the family had removed to the more mild and temperate climate of Mavesyn-Ridware, in Staffordshire, about the year 1636, Healey Mill was converted into a fulling-mill, so that one of the principal features in our story no longer exists. 

About two miles north from Rochdale lies the hamlet of Healey, a hightract of land, as its Saxon derivation seems to imply, heaʓe, _high_, and leaʓ _a pasture_, signifying the "_high pasture_. "

Our Saxon ancestors chiefly occupied their lands for grazingpurposes; hence the many terminations in ley, or leaʓ. Pasturage isstill called a "ley" for cattle in these parts. 

In this remote hamlet dwelt a family, probably of Saxon origin, whosename, De Heley, from their place of residence, had, in all likelihood, been assumed soon after the Norman conquest. Their descendants, of thesame name, continued to reside here until the reign of Edward III. , holding their lands as abbey lands, under the abbot of Stanlaw, soonafter the year 1172, in the reign of Henry II. , and subsequently underthe abbot of Whalley, from the year 1296. [1] In 1483, John Chadwyke, or(_Ceddevyc_, from the common appellation _Cedde_, and _vyc_, a mansionor vill, signifying Cedde's fort, peel, or fortified mansion) marriedAlice, eldest daughter and co-heir of Adam Okeden of Heley; and in herright settled at the mansion of Heley (or Healey) Hall, then a hugeunsightly structure of wood and plaster, built according to thefashion of those days. An ancestor of Adam Okeden having married"_Hawise, heir of Thomas de Heley_, " in the reign of Edward III. , became possessed of this inheritance. 

The origin of surnames would be an interesting inquiry. In the presentinstance it seems clear that the name and hamlet of Chadwick arederived from Cedde's vyc, or Chad's vyc. This mansion, situated on thesouthern extremity of Spotland, or Spoddenland, bounded on the east bythat stream, and southward by the Roche, was built on a bold eminenceabove the river, where Cedde and his descendants dwelt, like theJewish patriarchs, occupied in the breeding of sheep and other cattle. 

"But though this hamlet had been named _Ceddevic_, from itssubordinate Saxon chief, he himself could not have adopted it for hisown surname; because surnames were then scarcely, if at all, knownhere. He must have continued, therefore, to use his simple Saxon nameof _Cedde_ only, and his successors likewise, with the addition ofSaxon _patronymics_ even down to the Norman conquest, when the Normanfashion of local names or surnames was first introduced into England. "

But though the Norman addition of surnames "became general amongst thebarons, knights, and gentry, soon after the Conquest, yet Saxonpatronymics long continued in use amongst the common people, and arestill not unusual here. Thus, instead of John Ashworth and RobertButterworth, we hear of Robin o' Ben's and John o'Johnny's, "--meaningRobert the son of Benjamin, and John the son of John, "similar to theNorman Fitz, the Welsh Ap', the Scotch Mac, and the Irish O'; and thisancient mode of describing an individual sometimes includes severalgenerations, as Thomas O'Dick's, O'Ned's, O'Sam's, " &c. 

But besides patronymics, nicknames (the Norman soubriquets) have beenused in all ages and by all nations, and are still common here; someof them coarse and ludicrous enough: the real surname being seldomnoticed, but the nickname sometimes introduced, with an alias, even ina law instrument. And why are not Poden, Muz, Listing, &c. , as good as"the Bald, " "the Fat, " "the Simple, " &c. , of the French kings; or "theUnready, " "the Bastard, " "Lackland, " "Longshanks, " &c. , of our own? Alad named Edmund, some generations back, attended his master's sons toRochdale school, who latinised his name into "Edmundus;" then it wascontracted into "Mundus, " by which name his descendants are best knownto this day: some probably knowing "Tom Mundus" well who are ignorantof his real surname. Within late years individuals have been puzzledon hearing themselves inquired after by their own surname. AtWhitworth you might have asked in vain for the house of "SusannahTaylor, " though any child would have taken you straight to the door of"Susy O'Yem's, O' Fair-off's at top o' th' rake. "[2]

Another derivation of the surname De Heley, not at all improbable, hasbeen suggested--viz. , that Hely Dene may have been an early corruptionof Holy Dene, having formerly belonged to the Church, and possibly, inremote ages, dedicated to the religious rites of the Druids. A clearrock-spring, in a gloomy dell below the Hall, is still called "theSpaw, " and often frequented by youths and maidens on May mornings. Hence some have imagined that this Dene and its Spaw may have given tothe river running through it the name of Spodden, or Spaw-Dene. Another spring, higher up, is called Robin Hood's Well, from thatcelebrated outlaw, who seems to have been the favourite champion ofthese parts, and who, according to some authorities, lies buried atKirklaw, in the West Riding of York. [3]

Such holy wells were, in more superstitious if not happier ages, thesupposed haunts of elves, fairies, and other such beings, not unaptlydenominated the rabble of mythology. 

A warm sequestered dingle here conducts the Spodden through a scene ofwild, woodland, and picturesque beauty. Drayton, in his _Polyolbion_, has thus immortalised it:--

 "First Roche, a dainty rill, which Spodden from her springs, A petty rivulet, as her attendant, brings. "

From the mansion of Healey, built on an elevated slope above the dell, opens out an extensive prospect. Limepark in Cheshire, Cloud End inStaffordshire, with the Derbyshire hills, may be distinctly seen. Overthe smoke of Manchester, the banks of the Mersey are visible; and uponthe horizon rises up the barn-like ridge of Hellsby Tor, [4] in theforest of Delamere. Towards the west may be seen, far out, like a vastbarrier, the Welsh mountains, _Moel Famma_ (mother of mountains), withthe vale of Clwyd, like a narrow cleft in the blue hills, which extenduntil the chain of Penmaenmawr and the Isle of Anglesey abruptlyterminate in the sea. Few situations, without the toil of a laboriousascent, show so commanding a prospect; while under the very eye of thespectator, nature assumes an aspect of more than ordinary beauty. 

One wild scene, the subject of our legend, the pencil, not the pen, must describe. It would be impossible, in any other manner, to conveyan adequate idea of its extreme loveliness and grandeur. It is hereknown by its Saxon appellation, "the Thrutch, " or Thrust, signifying anarrow, but deep and rugged channel in the rocks. Through this cleftthe Spodden bursts with great force, forming several picturesquefalls, which, though of mean height, yet, combined with thesurrounding scenery, few behold without an expression of both wonderand delight. 

The ancient corn-mill was here situated, just below the mansion. Fromthe "Grist Yate, " by the main road to Rochdale, a winding horse-way, paved with stones set on edge, led down the steep bank and pointed tothe sequestered spot where for ages the clack of the hopper and theplash of the mill-wheel had usurped a noisy and undisputed possession. 

In the reign of our fourth Edward--we know not the precise year--anoccurrence, forming the basis of the following legend, is supposed tohave taken place, --when fraud and feud were unredressed; when bigotryand superstition had their "perfect work;" when barbaric cruelty, andhigh and heroic deeds, had their origin in one corrupt and commonsource, the passions of man being let loose, in wild uproar, throughout the land; when the wars of the Roses had almost desolatedthe realm, and England's best blood flowed like a torrent. Such wasthe aspect of the time to which the following events relate. 

It was in the beginning of the year, at the close of an unusuallysevere winter. The miller's craft was nigh useless, the current of therivulet was almost still. Everything seemed so hard and frost-bound, that nature looked as though her fetters were rivetted for ever. Butthe dark and sterile aspect she displayed was bedizened with suchbeauteous frost-work, that light and glory rested upon all, and winteritself lost half its terrors. 

Ralph Miller often looked out from his dusty, dreary tabernacle, watching the icicles that accumulated on his wheel, and the scantycurrent beneath, the hard surface of the brook scarcely dribbling outa sufficient supply for his daily wants. 

Every succeeding morn saw the liquid element becoming less, and theunhappy miller bethought him that he would shut up the millaltogether, until the reign of the frozen king should expire. 

A seven-weeks' frost was rapidly trenching on the fair proportions ofan eighth of these hebdomadal inconveniences, and still continued thesame hard, ringing sound and appearance, as if the sky itself o'nights had been frozen too--fixed and impervious--and the darkness hadbecome already palpable. Yet the moon looked out so calm, so pure andbeautiful, and the stars so spark-like and piercing, that it was aholy and a heavenly rapture to gaze upon their glorious forms, and tobehold them, fresh and undimmed, as when first launched from the handsof their Creator. 

Want of occupation breeds mischief, idleness being a thriftless carlethat leaves the house empty, and the door open to the next comer--anopportunity of which the enemy is sure to avail himself. The millerfelt the hours hang heavily, and he became listless and ill-humoured. 

"'Tis an ill-natured and cankered disposition this, " said he onenight, when sitting by the ingle with his drowsy helpmate, watchingthe sputtering billets devoured, one after another, by the raveningflame: "'Tis an ill-natured disposition that is abroad, I say, thatwill neither let a man go about his own business, nor grant him a fewhonest junkets these moonlight nights. I might have throttled a hareor so, or a brace of rabbits; or what dost think, dame, of a couple ofmoor-cocks or a cushat for a pie?"

"Thy liquorish tooth will lead thee into some snare, goodman, ere itha' done watering. What did Master Chadwyck say, who is to wedMistress Alice, our master's daughter, if nought forefend? What did hepromise thee but a week agone, should he catch thee at thy old tradeagain?"

"A murrain light on the snivelling bully! Let him stay at his ownhomestead, and not take mastership here, to trouble us with hishumours ere the portion be his. His younger brother Oliver is worth awhole pack of such down-looked, smooth-faced hypocrites. OliverChadwyck is the boy for a snug quarrel. His fingers itch for adrubbing, and he scents a feud as a crow scents out carrion. Theother--mercy on me!--is fit for nought but to be bed-ridden andpriest-ridden like his father and his mother to boot. "

"Hush, Ralph, " said the cautious dame; "let thine hard speeches fallmore gently on thy master's son, that is to be. His own parentstoo--methinks the son of Jordan and Eleanor Chadwyck should earn akinder word and a lighter judgment from thy tongue. "

"Whew! my courteous dame. How now! and so because they are become partof the movables of Holy Church, I trow, they must be handled softly, forsooth! Tut, tut, beldame, they are--let me see, so it runs; the oldclerk of St Chad's rang the nomine in my ears long enough, and I amnot like to forget it. They be 'Trinitarians, ' said he, 'of the houseof St Robert near Knaresborough, admitted by Brother Robert, theminister of the Holy Trinity, for the redemption of captivesimprisoned by the pagans, for the faith of Jesus Christ. ' Gramercy, what a bead-roll of hard words! They say we are like to have a '_HolyWar_' again, when we have settled our own reckonings; and the bloodand groats of old England are again to be spent for the purchase of'_Holy Land_. ' O' my halidome, wench, but I would let all the priestsand friars fight for it. Cunning rogues! they set us together by theears, and then run away with the pudding. "

No doubt this profane speech rendered him easier of access to thetempter, and the powers of evil; who, ever watchful for the slips ofsilly mortals, report such unholy words at head-quarters, where Satanand his crew are assembled in full council. 

The dame groaned deeply at this reply from her graceless husband. 

"Some time or another, " said she, "thou wilt rue these wickedspeeches; and who knows whether these very words of thine may not havebeen heard i' the Fairies' Chapel, or whispered away beyond the forestto the witches' tryst!"

"I care not for all the imps and warlocks i' th' parish, hags and oldwomen to boot. Let them come face to face. Here am I, honest Ralph themiller, who never took toll from an empty sack, nor e'er missed themouth of a full one. Tol-de-rol. "

Here he stood, with arms akimbo, as if daring the whole fellowship ofSatan, with their abettors and allies. This speech, too, was doubtlessreported at the Fairies' Chapel hard by; for the dame vowed ever afterthat she heard, as it were, an echo, or a low sooning sound, endingwith an eldritch laugh, amongst the rocks in that direction. Thiswell-known haunt of the elves and fays, ere they had fled before themarch of science and civilisation, was but a good bowshot from themill, and would have terrified many a stouter heart, had notfamiliarity lulled their apprehensions, and habit blunted the edge oftheir fears. Strangers often wondered that any human being dared tosojourn so near the haunts of the "good people, " and were sure that, sooner or later, the inhabitants would rue so dangerous a proximity. 

A few evenings after this foolhardy challenge Ralph had beenscrambling away, far up the dingle, for a supply of firewood. The samekeen tinkling air was abroad, but the sky, where the sun had thrownhis long coronal of rays, was streaked across with a mottled and hazylight, probably the forerunner of a change. Ralph was labouring downthe steep with his load, crashing through the boughs, and shaking offtheir hoary burdens in his progress. Suddenly he heard the shrill andwell-known shriek of a hare struggling in the toils. At this joyfuland refreshing sound the miller's appetite was wonderfully stimulated;his darling propensities were immediately called forth; he threw downhis burden, and, rushing through the brake, he saw, or thought he saw, in the soft twilight, an unfortunate puss in the noose. He threwhimself hastily forward expecting to grasp the prize, when lo! upstarted the timid animal, and limping away, as if hurt, kept theliquorish poacher at her heels, every minute supposing he was sure ofhis prey. Rueful was the pilgrimage of the unfortunate hunter. Thehare doubled, and sprang aside whenever he came within strikingdistance, then hirpling onward as before. Ralph made a full pausewhere a wide gap displayed the scanty waterfall, just glimmeringthrough the mist below him. The moon, then riding out brightly in theopposite direction, sparkled on the restless current, tipped withfoam. It was the nearest cut to the "Fairies' Chapel, " which liesbehind, and higher towards the source of the waterfall. The unluckyhare paused too for a moment, as though afraid to leap; but she lookedback at her pursuer so bewitchingly that his heart was in his mouth, and, fearless of consequences, he rushed towards her; but he slipped, and fell down the crumbling bank. When sufficiently recovered from theshock, he saw the animal stealing off, between the edge of the streamand the low copsewood by the brink, towards the Fairies' Chapel. Hemade one desperate effort to lay hold of her before she set foot uponenchanted ground. 

He seized her, luckily as he thought, by the scut; when lo! up startedsomething black and "uncanny, " with glaring eyes, making mouths, andgrinning at him, as though in mockery. He felt stupefied andbewildered. Fascinated by terror, he could not refrain from followingthis horrible appearance, which, as if delighted to have ensnared him, frisked away with uncouth and fiendish gambols, to the very centre ofthe Fairies' Chapel. 

Ralph, puissant and valorous upon his own hearthstone, felt hiscourage fast oozing out at elbows when he saw the cold moonlightstreaming through the branches above him, and their crawling shadowson the grotesque rocks at his side. 

He was now alone, shivering from cold and fright. He felt as thoughundergoing the unpleasant process of being frozen to the spot, consciously metamorphosing into stone, peradventure a sort ofornamental fixture for the fairies' apartment. His great hoofs werealready immovable; he felt his hair congealing; his locks hung likeicicles; and his whole body seemed like one solid lump of ice, throughwhich the blood crept with a gradually decreasing current. Suddenly heheard a loud yelping, as though the hounds were in full cry. Thesound passed right through the midst of the Fairies' Hall, and almostclose to his ear; but there was no visible sign of their presence, except a slight movement, and then a shiver amongst the frost-bittenboughs above the rocks. He had not power to bethink him of hisPaternosters and Ave Marias, which, doubtless, would have dissolvedthe impious charm. Ralph had so neglected these ordinances that histongue refused to repeat the usual nostrums for protection againstevil spirits. His creed was nigh forgotten, and his "_salve_" was notheard. Whilst he was pondering on this occurrence, there startedthrough a crevice a single light, like a glow-worm's lantern. Then atiny thing came forth, clad in white, like a miniature of the humanform, and, peeping about cautiously, ran back on beholding theunfortunate miller bolt upright in the narrow glen. 

Ralph now saw plainly that he had been enticed hither by some evilbeing for no good. It might be for the malicious purpose of drawingdown upon him the puny but fearful vengeance of those irritablecreatures the fairies; and soon he saw a whole troop of them issuingout of the crevice. As they came nearer he heard the short sharp treadof this tiny host. One of them mounted the little pillar called the"Fairies' Chair, " round which multitudes gathered, as if waiting forthe fiat of their king. It was evident that their purpose was toinflict a signal chastisement on him for his intrusion. 

Ralph watched their movements with a deplorable look. Horrible indeedwere his anticipations. The elf on the pillar, a little wrinkled beingwith a long nose, bottle-green eyes, and shrivelled yellowish-greenface, in a shrill squeaking tone, addressed him courteously, thoughwith an ill-suppressed sneer, inquiring his business in these regions. But Ralph was too terrified to reply. 

"How lucky!" said the old fairy: "we have a mortal here, just in thenick of time. He will do our bidding rarely, for 'tis the stout millerhard by, who fears neither fiend nor fairy, man nor witch, by his ownconfession. We'll put his courage to the proof. "

Ralph was now thawing through terror. 

"We would have punished this thine impertinent curiosity, had we notother business for thee, friend, " said the malicious little devilkin. "Place thy fingers on thy thigh, and swear by Hecate, Merlin, and theFairies' Hall, that within three days thou wilt fulfil our behest. "

Ralph assented, with a hideous grimace, glad upon any terms to escape. 

The whole company disappeared, but a faint, sulphur-like flame hoveredfor a while over the spot they had left. 

Soon he heard the following words, in a voice of ravishingsweetness:--

 "Mortal I must cease to be, If no maiden, honestly, Plight her virgin troth to me, By yon cold moon's silver shower, In the chill and mystic hour, When the arrowy moonbeams fall In the fairies' festive hall. Twice her light shall o'er me pass, Then I am what once I was, Should no maid, betrothed, but free, Plight her virgin vow to me. "

The music ceased for a short space; then a voice, like the softwhisper of the summer winds, chanted the following lines in a sort ofmonotonous recitation:--

 "Mortal, take this unstained token, Unpledged vows were never broken; Lay it where a Byron's hand This message finds from fairy-land, -- Fair Eleanor, the love-sick maid, Who sighs unto her own soft shade:-- Bid her on this tablet write What lover's wish would e'er indite; Then give it to the faithful stream (As bright and pure as love's first dream) That murmurs by, --'twill bring to me The messenger I give to thee. 

 "But the maiden thou must bring Hither, to our elfin king, Ere three days are come and gone, When the moon hath kissed the stone By our fairy monarch's throne. Shouldst thou fail, or she refuse, Death is thine; or thou may'st choose With us to chase the moonbeams bright, Around the busy world. Good night!"

He now felt something slipped into his hand. 

"Remember, " said the voice, "when that shadow is on the pillar, thoumust return. "

Immediately his bodily organs resumed their office, and the astonishedmiller was not long in regaining his own threshold. 

But he was a moody and an altered man. The dame could not helpshuddering as she saw his ashen visage, and his eyes fixed and almoststarting from their sockets. His cheeks were sunken, his head wasbare, and his locks covered with rime, and with fragments from theboughs that intercepted his path. 

"Mercy on me!" cried she, lifting up her hands, "what terrible thinghas happened? O Ralph, Ralph, thy silly gostering speeches, I do fearme, have had a sting in their tail thou hast little dreamed of!"

Here she crossed herself with much fervour and solemnity. She thenturned to gaze on the doomed wretch, who, groaning heavily, seatedhimself on the old settle without speaking. 

"He has seen the fairies or the black dog!" said the dame in greatterror. "I will not upbraid thee with thy foolish speeches, yet wouldI thou hadst not spoken so lightly of the good people. But takecourage, goodman; thou art never the worse yet for thy mishap, I trow;so tell me what has befallen thee, and ha' done snoring there, like anowl in a barn riggin'. "

A long time elapsed ere the affrighted miller could reveal the natureand extent of his misfortunes. But woman's wits are more fertile inexpedients, and therefore more adroit for plots and counterplots thanour own. The dame was greatly terrified at the recital, yet not so asto prevent her from being able to counsel her husband as to the planhe should pursue. 

We now leave our honest miller for a space, while we introduce anotherpersonage of great importance to the further development of our story. 

Oliver Chadwyck was the second son of Jordan Chadwyck before-named, then residing at their fort or peel of the same name, nearly two milesfrom Healey. Oliver had, from his youth, been betrothed to EleanorByron, a young and noble dame of great beauty, residing with heruncle, Sir Nicholas Byron, at his mansion, two or three miles distant. Oliver was a hot-brained, amorous youth, fitted for all weathers, ready either for brotherhood or blows, and would have won his "ladyelove" at the lance's point or by onslaught and hard knocks. 

Eleanor seemed to suffer his addresses for lack of other occupation. She looked upon him as her future husband; but she would rather havebeen wooed to be won. The agonies of doubt and suspense, the pangs ofjealousy and apprehension, would have been bliss compared to the dullmonotony of the "betrothed. " The lazy current would have sparkled if afew pebbles had been cast into the stream. Her sensitive spirit, likewise, shrank from contact with this fiery and impetuous youth; herheart yearned for some deep and hallowed affection. Strongly imbuedwith the witcheries of romance, she would rather have been sought byblandishments than blows, which, from his known prowess in the latteraccomplishment, the youthful aspirant had no necessity to detail inthe ears of his mistress. She liked not the coarse blunt manner of hergallant, nor the hard gripe and iron tramp for which he wassufficiently distinguished. 

Yet was Oliver Chadwyck reckoned the best-looking cavalier in theneighbourhood, and, moreover, an adherent to the "Red Rose, " underwhose banner he had fought, and, even when very young, had gaineddistinction for his bravery--no mean recommendation, truly, in thosedays, when courage was reckoned a sure passport to a lady's favour, the which, it might seem, whoever held out longest and stuck thehardest was sure to win. 

One evening, about the time of the miller's adventure in the Fairies'Chapel, Eleanor was looking through her casement listlessly, perhapsunconsciously. She sighed for occupation. The glorious hues of sunsetwere gone; the moon was rising, and she watched its course from thehorizon of long dark hills up to the bare boughs of the sycamores bythe banks of the little stream below. Again she sighed, and so heavilythat it seemed to be re-echoed from the walls of her chamber. Shealmost expected the grim panels to start aside as she looked round, half-wishing, half-afraid that she might discover the intruder. 

Disappointed, she turned again to the casement, through which themoonbeams, now partially intercepted by the branches, lay in chequeredlight and darkness on the floor. 

"I thought thou wert here. Alas! I am unhappy, and I know not why. "While she spoke a tear trembled on her dark eyelashes, and as themoonlight shone upon it, the reflection glanced back to the eye-ball, and a radiant form apparently glided through the chamber. But thespectre vanished as the eyelid passed over, and swept away theillusion. She leaned her glowing cheek upon a hand white andexquisitely formed as the purest statuary: an image of more perfectloveliness never glanced through a lady's lattice. She carelesslytook up her cithern. A few wild chords flew from her touch. She benther head towards the instrument, as if wooing its melody--thevibrations that crept to her heart. She hummed a low and plaintivedescant, mournful and tender as her own thoughts. The tone and feelingof the ballad we attempt to preserve in the following shape:--

 SONG. 

 I. 

 "It is the stream, Singing to the cold moon with babbling tongue; Yet, ah! not half so wildly as the song Of my heart's dream. Is not my love most beautiful, thou moon? Though pale as hope delayed; Methought, beneath his feet the wild-flowers played Like living hearts in tune. 

 2. 

 "We stood alone: Then, as he drew the dark curls from my sight, Through his transparent hand and arm of light, The far skies shone. List! 'twas the dove. It seemed the echo of his own fond tone; Sweet as the hymn of seraphs round the throne Of hope and love!"

But the moon was not the object of her love. Ladies are little apt tobecome enamoured of such a fit emblem of their own fickle andcapricious humours; and yet, somebody she loved, but he was invisible!Probably her wild and fervid imagination had created a form--picturedit to the mind, and endowed it with her own notions of excellence andperfection: precisely the same as love in the ordinary mode, with thisdifference only--to wit, the object is a living and breathingsubstance, around which these haloes of the imagination are thrown;whereas, in the case of which we are speaking, the lady's ideal imagewas transferred to a being she had never seen. 

It was but a short period before the commencement of our narrativethat Eleanor Byron was really in love, and for the first time; forthough her cousin Oliver, as she usually called him, had stormed, andperchance carried the outworks, yet the citadel was impregnable andunapproached. But she knew not that it was love. A soft and pleasingimpression stole insensibly upon her, then dejection and melancholy. Her heart was vacant, and she sighed for an object, and for itspossession. It was a silly wish, but so it was, gentle reader; andbeware thou fall not in love with thine own dreams, for sure enough itwas but a vision, bright, mysterious, and bewitching, that enthralledher. Love weaves his chains of the gossamer's web, as well as of theunyielding adamant; and both are alike binding and inextricable. Shesaw neither form nor face in her visions, and yet the impalpable andglowing impression stole upon her senses like an odour, or a strain ofsoft and soul-thrilling music. Her heart was wrapped in a delirium ofsuch voluptuous melody, that she chided the morning when she awoke, and longed for night and her own forgetfulness. Night after night thevision was repeated; and when her lover came, it was as though somechord of feeling had jarred, some tie were broken, some deliciousdream were interrupted, and she turned from him with vexation andregret. He chided her caprice, which he endured impatiently, and withlittle show of forbearance. This did not restore him to her favour, nor render him more winning and attractive; so that the invisiblegallant, a rival he little dreamt of, was silently occupying the heartonce destined for his own. 

One evening, Ralph, in pursuance of the commands he had received, arrayed in his best doublet, his brown hose, and a huge waist orundercoat, beneath which lay a heavy and foreboding heart, made hisappearance at the house of Sir Nicholas Byron, an irregular and uglystructure of lath and plaster, well ribbed with stout timber, situatedin a sheltered nook near the edge of the Beil, a brook running belowBelfield, once an establishment of the renowned knights of St John ofJerusalem, or Knights Templars. 

Ralph was ushered into the lady's chamber; and she, as if expectingsome more distinguished visitant, looked with an eye of disappointmentand impatience upon the intruder as he made his homely salutation. 

"Thine errand?" inquired she. 

"Verily, a fool's, lady, " replied Ralph, "and a thriftless one, I fearme, into the bargain. "

"Stay thy tongue. Yet I bethink me now, " said she, looking earnestlyat him, "thou art from my cousin: a messenger from him, I trow. "

"Nay, " said the ambiguous hind, "'tis from other guess folk, belike;but--who--I--Like enough that the Lady Eleanor will go afortune-hunting with such a simpleton as I am. "

"Go with thee?" said the lady in amazement. 

"Why, ay--I was bid to bring you to the Fairies' Chapel, beyond thewaterfall in the wood by Healey, and that ere to-morrow night. But Iam a doomed and a dying man, for how should the Lady Eleanor Byronobey this message?"

Here the unhappy miller began to weep; but the lady was dumb withastonishment. 

"Forgive me, lady, in this matter; but I was in a manner bound toaccomplish mine errand. "

"And what if I should accompany thee? Wouldest thou be my champion, myprotector from onslaught and evil?"

Here he opened his huge grey eyes to such an alarming extent thatEleanor had much ado to refrain from smiling. 

"If you will go, lady, I shall be a living man; and you"--a deadwoman, probably he would have said; but the denunciation did notescape his lips, and the joy and surprise of the wary miller werebeyond utterance. 

"But whence thy message, friend?" said the deluded maiden, eyeing himsuspiciously. 

"Why; the message was whispered in my ear. A stranger brought ittogether with a dismal threat should I not bring you at the timeappointed. "

Here the miller again became uneasy and alarmed. A cold shudder creptover him, and he looked imploringly upon her. 

"But they say, my trusty miller, that this chapel of the fairies maynot be visited, forbidden as it is to all catholic and devoutChristians, after nightfall. "

At this intimation the peccant miller displayed his broad thumbs, andlooked so dolorous and apprehensive, sprawling out his large ungainlyproportions, that Eleanor, though not prone to the indulgence ofmirth, was mightily moved thereto by the cowardly and dismal aspect hebetrayed. 

"Nay, lady, I beseech you, " he stammered out. "I am a dead dog--apiece of useless and unappropriated carrion, if you go not. Ha' pityon your poor knave, and deliver me from my tormentors!"

"Then to-morrow I will deliver thee, " said the maiden, "and breakthine enchantment. But the hour?"

"Ere the moonbeam touches the pillar in the Fairies' Hall. "

"Agreed, knave. So begone. Yet--and answer truly for thy life--was nopledge, no token, sent with this message?"

Ralph unwillingly drew forth the token from his belt. Fearful that itmight divulge more than he wished, the treacherous messenger had keptback the tablets entrusted to him. He suspected that should she beaware it was the good people who were a-wanting her, he would have buta slender chance of success. 

She glanced hastily, anxiously, over the page, though with greatsurprise. 

"How now?" said she, thoughtfully. "Here is a pretty love-billettruly. The page is fair and unspotted--fit emblem of a lover'sthoughts. "

"You are to write thereon, lady, your lover's wish, and throw it intothe brook here, hard by. The stream, a trusty messenger will carry itback to its owner. "

Ralph delivered his message with great reluctance, fearful lest shemight be alarmed and retract her promise. 

To his great joy, however, she placed the mystic token in her bosom, and bade him attend on the morrow. 

This he promised faithfully; and with a light heart he returned to hisabode. 

Eleanor watched his departure with impatience. She took the tabletsfrom her bosom. Horror seemed to fold his icy fingers round her heart. She remembered the injunction. Her mind misgave her, and as she drewtowards the lamp it shot forth a tremulous blaze and expired. Yet withdesperate haste, bent, it might seem, on her own destruction, shehastily approached the window. The moonbeam shone full upon the pageas she scrawled with great trepidation the word "THINE. " To herunspeakable horror the letters became a track of fire, but as shegazed a drop of dark blood fell on them and obliterated the writing. 

"Must the compact be in blood?" said she, evidently shrinking fromthis unhallowed pledge. "Nay then, farewell! Thou art not of yonbright heaven. My hopes are yet there, whatever be thy doom! If thouart aught within the pale of mercy I am thine, but not in blood. "

Again, but on another page, she wrote the word "THINE. " Again theblood-drop effaced the letters. 

"Never, though I love thee! Why urge this compact?" With a tremblinghand she retraced her pledge, and the omen was not repeated. She haddared much; but her hope of mercy was yet dearer than her heart's deepand overwhelming passion. With joy she saw the writing was unchanged. 

Throwing on her hood and kerchief, she stole forth to the brook, andin the rivulet, where it was yet dark and unfrozen, she threw themystic tablet. 

The following night she watched the moon, as it rose above the hugecrags, breaking the long undulating horizon of Blackstone Edge, called"Robin Hood's Bed, " or "Robin Hood's Chair. "[5]

One jagged peak, projected upon the moon's limb, looked like some hugespectre issuing from her bright pavilion. She rose, red and angry, from her dark couch. Afterwards a thin haze partially obscured herbrightness; her pale, wan beam seemed struggling through a wide andattenuated veil. The wind, too, began to impart that peculiar chill sowell understood as the forerunner of a change. A loud sough cameshuddering through the frozen bushes, moaning in the grass thatrustled by her path. Muffled and alone, she took her adventurousjourney to the mill, where she arrived in about an hour from herdeparture. Ralph was anxiously expecting her, together with his dame. 

"Good e'en, lady, " said the latter, with great alacrity, as Eleanorcrossed the threshold. She returned the salutation; but her featureswere lighted up with a wild and deceptive brightness, and her glowingeye betrayed the fierce and raging conflict within. 

"The shadow will soon point to the hour, and we must be gone, " saidthe impatient miller. 

"Lead on, " replied the courageous maiden; and he shrank from her gaze, conscious of his own treachery and her danger. 

The hard and ice-bound waters were dissolving, and might be heard togurgle in their deep recesses; drops began to trickle from the trees, the bushes to relax their hold, and shake off their icy trammels. Towards the south-west lay a dense range of clouds, their fleecy topstelling with what message they were charged. Still the moon cast asubdued and lingering light over the scene, from which she was shortlydestined to be shut out. 

Ralph led the way silently and with great caution through the slipperyravine. The moonlight flickered through the leafless branches on theheights above them, their path winding through the shadows by thestream. 

"We must hasten, " said her guide, "or we may miss the signal. We shallsoon take leave of the moonlight, and perhaps lose our labourthereby. "

They crept onwards until they saw the dark rocks in the Fairies'Chapel. The miller pointed to a long withered bough that flung out itsgiant arms far over the gulph from a great height. The moon threw downthe shadow quite across to the bank on the other side, marking itsrude outline on the crags. 

"The signal, " said Ralph; "and by your favour, lady, I must depart. Ihave redeemed my pledge. "

"Stay, I prithee, but within hearing, " said Eleanor. "I like not theaspect of this place. If I call, hasten instantly to my succour. "

The miller promised, but with a secret determination not to risk hiscarcase again for all the bright-eyed dames in Christendom. 

She listened to his departing footsteps, and her heart seemed to loseits support. An indescribable feeling crept upon her--a consciousnessthat another was present in this solitude. She was evidently under thecontrol of some invisible agent; the very freedom of her thoughtsoppressed and overruled by a power superior to her own. She strove toescape this thraldom, but in vain. She threw round an apprehensiveglance, but all was still--the dripping boughs alone breaking thealmost insupportable silence that surrounded her. Suddenly she heard asigh, and a rustling at her ear; and she felt an icy chillnessbreathing on her. Then a voice, musical but sad, whispered--

"Thou hast rejected my suit. Another holds thy pledge. "

"Another! Who art thou?" said the maiden, forgetting her fears in thefirst emotion of surprise. 

"Thou hast been conscious of my presence in thy dreams!" replied themysterious visitor. She felt her terrors dissipated, for the beingwhom she loved was the guardian of her safety. 

"I have loved thee, maiden, " said the voice; "I have hovered roundthee when thou slept, and thou hast answered my every thought. Wherefore hast thou not obeyed? Why not seal thy compact and ourhappiness together?"

"Because it was unhallowed, " replied she firmly, though her bosomtrembled like the leaf fluttering from its stem. 

"Another has taken thy pledge. Yet is it not too late. Renew thecontract, even with thy blood, and I am thine! Refuse, and thou arthis. If this hour pass, I am lost to thee for ever!"

"To whom, " inquired Eleanor, "has it been conveyed?"

"To thy first, thy betrothed lover. He found the pledge that I wouldnot receive. "

The maiden hesitated. Her eternal hopes might be compromised by thiscompliance. But she dreaded the loss of her insidious destroyer. 

"Who art thou? I fear me for the tempter!"

"And what boots it, lady? But, listen. These elves be my slaves; andyet I am not immortal. My term is nigh run out, though it may berenewed if, before the last hour be past, a maiden plight her hopes, her happiness to me! Ere that shadow creeps on the fairy pillar thouart irrevocably mine, or his whom thou dreadest. "

Eleanor groaned aloud. She felt a cold hand creeping on her brow. Shescreamed involuntarily. On a sudden the boughs bent with a loud crashabove her head, and a form, rushing down the height, stood before her. This unexpected deliverer was Oliver Chadwyck. Alarmed by the cries ofa female, as he was returning from the chase, he interposed at thevery moment when his mistress was ensnared by the wiles of herseducer. 

"Rash fool, thou hast earned thy doom. The blood be on thine own head. Thou art the sacrifice!"

This was said in a voice of terrible and fiendish malignity. A loudtramp, as of a mighty host, was heard passing away, and Oliver nowbeheld the form of his betrothed. 

"Eleanor! Here! In this unholy place!" cried her lover. But the maidenwas unable to answer. 

"There's blood upon my hand!" said he, holding it up in the now clearand unclouded moonlight. "Art thou wounded, lady?"

"I know not, " she replied; "I was alone. Yet I felt as though someliving thing were nigh--some unseen form, of terrible and appallingattributes! Was it not a dream?"

"Nay, " said Oliver, pensively; "methought another was beside thee!"

"I saw him not. "

"How camest thou hither?"

"Let us be gone, " said she, trembling; "I will tell thee all. "

She laid her head on his shoulder. It throbbed heavily. "I am nowfree. The accursed links are broken. I feel as though newly wakenedfrom some horrible dream! Thou hast saved me, Oliver. But if thine ownlife is the price!"

"Fear not; I defy their devilish subtilty--in their very den too: andthus, and thus, I renounce the devil and all his works!"

He spat thrice upon the ground, to show his loathing and contempt. 

"Oh! say not so, " cried Eleanor, looking round in great alarm. 

Oliver bore her in his arms from that fearful spot. He accompanied herhome; and it was near break of day when, exhausted and alone, sheagain retired to her chamber. By the way Oliver told her that he hadfound a mysterious tablet on the edge of the brook the same morning. He had luckily hidden it in his bosom, and he felt as though atalisman or charm had protected him from the spells in the "Fairies'Chapel. "

Springtide was past, and great was the stir and bustle for theapproaching nuptials between Oliver Chadwyck and the Lady Eleanor. Allthe yeomanry, inhabitants of the hamlets of Honorsfield, Butterworth, and Healey, were invited to the wedding. Dancers and mummers wereprovided; wrestlers and cudgel-players, with games and pastimes of allsorts, were appointed. The feasts were to be holden for three days, and masks, motions, and other rare devices, were expected to surpassand eclipse every preceding attempt of the like nature. 

Eleanor sat in her lonely bower. It was the night before the bridal. To-morrow would see her depart in pageantry and pomp--an envied bride!Yet was her heart heavy, and she could not refrain from weeping. 

She sought rest; but sleep was denied. The owl hooted at her window;the bat flapped his leathern wings; the taper burned red and heavily, and its rays were tinged as though with blood; the fire flung out itstiny coffin; the wind sobbed aloud at every cranny, and wailedpiteously about the dwelling. 

"Would that I might read my destiny, " thought she. Her naturalinclination to forbidden practices was too powerful to withstand. 

Now there was formerly an ancient superstition, that if, on the nightbefore marriage, a taper were burned, made from the fat of a youngsow, and anointed with the blood of the inquirer, after sundrydiabolical and cabalistical rites at midnight, a spirit would appear, and pronounce the good or evil destiny of the querent. 

Eleanor had prepared the incantation ere she laid her throbbing headon the pillow. Whether or not she slept, is more than we can divulge. Such, in all probability, was the case; dreams being the echo only ofour waking anticipations. 

She thought there came a rushing wind. The door flapped to and fro, the curtains shook, and the pictures glared horribly from the wall. Suddenly--starting from the panel, with eyes lighted up likebale-fires, and a malignant scowl on her visage--stalked down one ofthe family portraits. It was that of a female--a maiden aunt of thehouse of Byron, painted by one of the court artists, whom the king hadbrought from France, and patronised at a heavy cost. This venerabledame appeared to gaze at the spectator from whatsoever situation shewas beholden. The eyes even seemed to follow you when passing acrossthe chamber. A natural consequence though, and only marvelled at bythe ignorant and illiterate. 

This ancient personage now advanced from her hanging-place, andstanding at the foot of the bed, opened out a fiery scroll with theseominous words:--

 "Maid, wife, and widow, in one day, This shall be thy destiny. "

Eleanor struggled hard, but was unable to move. She laboured forutterance, but could not speak. At length, with one desperate effort, a loud cry escaped her, and the vision disappeared. She slept no more, but morning disclosed her haggard cheek and sunken eye, intimatingthat neither hope nor enjoyment could have been the companion of herslumbers. 

It was a bright morning in June. The sun rode high and clear in theblue heavens. The birds had "sung their matins blythe" ere thebridegroom arrived with his attendants. Merrily did the villagechoristers acquit themselves in their vocation, while those that wereappointed strewed flowers in the way. The bells of St Chad trolled outtheir merry notes when the ceremony was over, and the bride, on hersnow-white palfrey, passed on, escorted by her husband, at the head ofthe procession. Gay cavaliers on horseback, and maidens prancing bytheir side, made the welkin ring with loud and mirthful discourse. Theelder Byron rode on his charger by the side of Jordan Chadwyck and hiseldest son, with whom rode the vicar, Richard Salley, nothing loath tocontribute his folly to the festival. 

As the procession drew nigh to the hall, a messenger rode forward ingreat haste, whispering to Byron, who, with angry and disorderedlooks, shouted aloud to Oliver--

"Away--away! The cowardly Traffords are at our threshold. They haveskulked out, like traitors as they be, knowing our absence at thefeast. 'Tis an old feud, and a bloody one. Who is for Byron? Down withthe Traffords!"

The old man here put spurs to his horse, and galloped off with hisattendants. 

"A Byron--a Byron!" shouted Oliver, as he followed in full cry, firstleaving his wife under a suitable and safe escort. Soon they routedthe enemy, but the prediction was complete; for Eleanor became

 "Maid, wife, and widow, in one day!"

her husband being slain during the battle. 

The blood of man was held of little account in those days, if we mayjudge by the following award on the occasion:--

"In virtue of a writ of appeal of death, sued out against Sir JohnTrafford, Knight, his tenants and servants, the sum of sixty poundswas deemed to be paid by Trafford to Biroun, to be distributed amongstthe cousins and friends of the late Oliver C. , in the parish church ofManchester, on the award of Sir Thomas Stanley, Knight, _LordStanley_--viz. Ten marks at the nativity of John the Baptist, and tenmarks at St Martyn, yearly, until the whole was paid, and all partiesto be fully friends. Dated London, 24th March, 20 Edward IV. 4018. "

 [1] Whitaker's _Hist. Whalley_, p. 441. 

 [2] Corry's _Lancashire_. 

 [3] _Mag. Britan. _ York, p. 391. 

 [4] Here vulgarly called the Tearn Barn (tithe-barn) in Wales; distinctly seen in showery weather, but invisible in a settled season. 

 [5] On a bleak moor, called Monstone Edge, in this hamlet, is a huge moor-stone or outlier, which (though part of it was broken off and removed some years ago) still retains the name of Monstone. It is said to have been quoited thither by Robin Hood, from his bed on the top of Blackstone Edge, about six miles off. After striking the mote or mark aimed at, the stone bounced off a few hundred yards and settled there. These stones, however, in all probability, if not Druidical, were landmarks, the ancient boundary of the hamlet of Healey; and, as was once customary, the marvellous story of this ancient outlaw might be told to the urchins who accompanied the perambulators, with the addition, probably, of a few kicks and cuffs, to make them remember the spot. 

[Illustration: THE LUCK OF MUNCASTER. ]

THE LUCK OF MUNCASTER. 

 _K. Hen. _--"From Scotland am I stolen, even of pure love, To greet mine own land with my wishful sight. "

 _King Henry VI. _

 "It shall bless thy bed, it shall bless thy board, They shall prosper by this token; In Muncaster Castle good luck shall be, Till the charmed cup is broken. "

 Gamel de Pennington is the first ancestor of the family of whom there is any recorded account; he was a person of great note and property at the time of the Conquest, and the family, having quitted their original seat of Pennington in Lancashire (where the foundation of a square building called the Castle is still visible), he fixed his residence at Mealcastre, now called Muncaster. It is said that the family originally resided nearer the sea, at a place not far from the town of Ravenglass, where at present are the ruins of an old Roman castle, called Walls Castle. The old tower of the present mansion-house at Muncaster was built by the Romans, to guard the ford called St Michael's Ford, over the river Esk, when Agricola went to the north, and to watch also the great passes into the country over the fells, and over Hard Knot, where is the site of another fortress constructed by them, apparent from the traces existing to this day. 

 Muncaster and the manor of Muncaster have long been enjoyed by the Penningtons, who appear to have possessed it about forty years before the Conquest, and ever since, sometimes collaterally, but for the most part in lineal descent by their issue male, to this very time. 

 There is a room in Muncaster Castle which still goes by the name of Henry the Sixth's room, from the circumstance of his having been concealed in it at the time he was flying from his enemies in 1461, when Sir John Pennington, the then possessor of Muncaster, gave him a secret reception. 

 The posts of the bed in which he slept, which are of handsome carved oak, are also in the same room in good preservation. 

 When the period for the king's departure arrived, before he proceeded on his journey, he addressed Sir John with many kind and courteous acknowledgments for his loyal reception, lamenting, at the same time, that he had nothing of more value to present him with, as a testimony of his good-will, than the cup out of which he crossed himself. He then gave it into the hands of Sir John, accompanying the present with the following blessing:--"The family shall prosper as long as they preserve it unbroken;" which the superstition of those times imagined would carry good fortune to his descendants. Hence it is called "_The Luck of Muncaster_. " It is a curiously-wrought glass cup, studded with gold and white enamel spots. The benediction attached to its security being then uppermost in the recollection of the family, it was considered essential to the prosperity of the house at the time of the usurpation that the Luck of Muncaster should be deposited in a safe place; it was consequently buried till the cessation of hostilities had rendered all further care and concealment unnecessary. Unfortunately, however, the person commissioned to disinter this precious jewel let the box fall in which it was locked up, which so alarmed the then existing members of the family, that they could not muster courage enough to satisfy their apprehensions. It therefore (according to the traditionary story still preserved in the family) remained unopened for more than forty years, at the expiration of which period a Pennington, more hardy or more courageous than his predecessors, unlocked the casket, and exultingly proclaimed the safety of the Luck of Muncaster. 

 When John, Lord Muncaster (the first of the family who obtained a peerage), entered into possession of Muncaster Castle, after his elevation in 1793, he found it still surrounded with a moat, and defended by a strong portcullis. The family having of late years entirely resided upon their estate of Wartee in Yorkshire, the house was in so very dilapidated a state that Lord Muncaster was obliged to rebuild it almost entirely, with the exception of Agricola's Tower, the walls of which are nine feet thick. The elevation of the new part is in unison with that of the Roman tower, and forms altogether a handsome castellated building. The situation is eminently striking, and was well chosen for commanding the different passes over the mountains. It is surrounded with mountain scenery on the north, south, and east; while extensive plantations, a rich and cultivated country, with the sea in the distance, makes a combination of scenery than which it is scarcely possible to imagine anything more beautiful or more picturesque. 

 We are tempted to conclude this description with the words of John, Lord Muncaster, who himself so greatly contributed to its renovation. Upon being requested to give an outline of its beauties, he replied that it consisted of "wood, park, lawn, valley, river, sea, and mountain. "

 The reason or excuse we give for introducing within our Lancashire series this tradition, of which the occurrences took place in a neighbouring county, is, that the family was originally native to our own. By the village of Pennington, situated about midway between Dalton and Ulverstone, is the Castle Hill, the residence of this family before the Conquest. The area of the castle-yard appears to have been an octagon or a square, with obtuse angles, about forty-five yards in diameter. The south and east sides have been defended by a ditch about ten yards wide, and by a vallum of earth, still visible. There are no vestiges of the ancient building. It stood apparently on the verge of a precipice, at the foot of which flows a brook with great rapidity. The side commands an extensive view of the sea-coast and beacons, and was excellently situated for assembling the dependants in cases of emergency. The name is diversely written in ancient writings, as Penyngton, Penington, Pennington, and in Doomsday Book _Pennegetun_, perhaps from _Pennaig_, in British "a prince or great personage, " to which the Saxon termination _tun_ being added, forms Pennegetun, since smoothed into Pennington. 

PART FIRST. 

 "Come hither, Sir John de Pennington, Come hither, and hearken to me; Nor silver, nor gold, nor ladye-love, Nor broad lands I give unto thee. "

 "I care not for silver, I care not for gold, Nor for broad lands, nor fair ladye; But my honour and troth, and my good broadsword, Are the king's eternally. "

 "Come hither, Sir John, thou art loyal and brave, " Again the monarch spake; "In my trouble and thrall, in the hour of pain, Thou pity didst on me take. 

 "The white rose withers on every bough, And the red rose rears its thorn; But many a maid our strife shall rue, And the babe that is yet unborn. 

 "I've charged in the battle with horse and lance, But I've doffed the warrior now; And never again may helmet of steel Bind this burning, aching brow!

 "Oh, had I been born of a simple churl, And a serving-wench for my mate, I had whistled as blithe as yon knave that sits By Muncaster's Castle gate!

 "Would that my crown were a bonnet of blue, And my sceptre yon shepherd's crook, I would honour, dominion, and power eschew, In this holy and quiet nook. 

 "For England's crown is a girdle of blood, A traitor is every gem; And a murderer's eye each jewel that lurks In that kingly diadem!

 "Hunt on! hunt on, thou blood-hound keen; I'd rather an outcast be, Than wade through all that thou hast done, To pluck that crown from thee!"

 "Then tarry, my liege, " Sir John replied, "In Muncaster's Castle gate; No foeman shall enter, while sheltered here From Edward's pride and hate. "

 "I may not tarry, thou trusty knight, Nor longer with thee abide; Ere to-morrow shall rise on these lordly towers, From that gate shall a monarch ride. 

 "For a vision came to my lonely bed, And that vision bade me flee; And I must away, ere break of day, O'er the hills to the south countrie. 

 "But take this cup, --'tis a hallowed thing, Which holy men have blessed; In the church of the Holy Sepulchre This crystal once did rest;

 "And many a martyr, and many a saint, Around its brim have sate; No water that e'er its lips have touched But is hallowed and consecrate. 

 "'Tis thine, Sir John; not an empire's worth, Nor wealth of Ind could buy The like, for never was jewel seen Of such wondrous potency. 

 "It shall bless thy bed, it shall bless thy board, They shall prosper by this token; In Muncaster Castle good luck shall be, Till the charmed cup is broken!"

 Sir John he bent him on his knee, And the king's word ne'er did err, For the cup is called, to this blessed hour, "THE LUCK OF MUNCASTER. "

PART SECOND. 

 "Oh haste, Sir William of Liddislee My kinsman good at need, Ere the Esk's dark ford thou hast passed by, In Muncaster rest thy steed;

 "And say to my love and my lady bright, In Carlisle I must stay, For the foe is come forth from the misty north, And I cannot hence away;

 "But I must keep watch on Carlisle's towers With the banner of Cumberland; Then bid her beware of the rebel host, Lest they come with sword and brand. 

 "But bid her, rather than house or land, Take heed of that cup of grace, Which King Henry gave to our ancestor, The 'LUCK' of our noble race. 

 "Bid her bury it deep at dead of night, That no eye its hiding see. Now do mine errand, Sir William, As thou wouldst prosperous be!"

 Sir William stayed nor for cloud nor shrine, He stayed not for rest nor bait, Till he saw the far gleam on Esk's broad stream, And Muncaster's Castle gate. 

 "From whence art thou in such fearful haste?" The warder wondering said; "Hast thou 'scaped alone from the bloody fight, And the field of the gory dead?"

 "I am not from the bloody fight, Nor a craven flight I flee; But I am come to my lady's bower, Sir William of Liddislee. "

 The knight to the lady's bower is gone: "A boon I crave from thee, Deny me not, thou lady bright, " And he bent him on his knee. 

 "I grant thee a boon, " the lady said, "If it from my husband be;" "There's a cup of grace, " cried the suppliant knight, "Which thou must give to me. "

 "Now foul befa' thee, fause traitor, That with guile would our treasure win; For ne'er from Sir John of Pennington Had such traitrous message been. "

 "I crave your guerdon, fair lady, 'Twas but your faith to try, That we might know if the 'Luck' of this house Were safe in such custody. 

 "The message was thus, thy husband sent; He hath looked out from Carlisle wa', And he is aware of John Highlandman Come trooping down the snaw;

 "And should this kilted papistry Spread hither upon their way, They'll carry hence that cup of grace, Though thou shouldst say them nay. 

 "And thy lord must wait for the traitor foe By the walls of merry Carlisle; Else he would hie to his lady's help, And his lady's fears beguile. 

 "Thy lord would rather his house were brent, His goods and his cattle harried, Than the cup should be broken, --that cup of grace, Or from Muncaster's house be carried. "

 The kinsman smiled on that fond lady, And his traitor suit he plied: "Give me the cup, " the false knight said, "From these foemen fierce to hide. "

 The lady of Muncaster oped the box Where lay this wondrous thing; Sir William saw its beauteous form, All bright and glistering. 

 The kinsman smiled on that fond lady, And he viewed it o'er and o'er. "'Tis a jewel of price, " said that traitor then, "And worthy a prince's dower. 

 "We'll bury the treasure where ne'er from the sun One ray of gladness shone, Where darkness and light, and day and night, And summer and spring are one:

 "Beneath the moat we'll bury it straight, In its box of the good oak-tree; And the cankered carle, John Highlandman, Shall never that jewel see. "

 The kinsman took the casket up, And the lady looked over the wall: "If thou break that cup of grace, beware, The pride of our house shall fall!"

 The kinsman smiled as he looked above, And to the lady cried, "I'll show thee where thy luck shall be, And the lord of Muncaster's pride. "

 The lady watched this kinsman false, And he lifted the casket high: "Oh! look not so, Sir William, " And bitterly she did cry. 

 But the traitor knight dashed the casket down To the ground, that blessèd token; "Lie there, " then said that false one now, "Proud Muncaster's charm is broken!"

 The lady shrieked, the lady wailed, While the false knight fled amain: But never durst Muncaster's lord, I trow, Ope that blessed shrine again!

PART THIRD. 

 The knight of Muncaster went to woo, And he rode with the whirlwind's speed, For the lady was coy, and the lover was proud, And he hotly spurred his steed. 

 He stayed not for bog, he stayed not for briar, Nor stayed he for flood or fell; Nor ever he slackened his courser's rein, Till he stood by the Lowthers' well. 

 Beside that well was a castle fair, In that castle a fair lady; In that lady's breast was a heart of stone, Nor might it softened be. 

 "Now smooth that brow of scorn, fair maid, And to my suit give ear; There's never a dame in Cumberland, Such a look of scorn doth wear. "

 "Haste, haste thee back, " the lady cried, "For a doomed man art thou; I wed not the heir of Muncaster, Thy '_Luck_' is broken now!"

 "Oh say not so, for on my sire Th' unerring doom was spent; I heir not his ill-luck, I trow, Nor with his dool am shent. "

 "The doom is thine, as thou art his, And to his curse, the heir; But never a luckless babe of mine That fearful curse shall bear!"

 A moody man was the lover then; But homeward as he hied, Beside the well at Lord Lowther's gate, An ugly dwarf he spied. 

 "Out of my sight, thou fearsome thing; Out of my sight, I say: Or I will fling thine ugly bones To the crows this blessèd day. "

 But the elfin dwarf he skipped and ran Beside the lover's steed, And ever as Muncaster's lord spurred on, The dwarf held equal speed. 

 The lover he slackened his pace again, And to the goblin cried: "What ho, Sir Page, what luckless chance Hath buckled thee to my side?"

 Up spake then first that shrivelled thing, And he shook his locks of grey: "Why lowers the cloud on Muncaster's brow, And the foam tracks his troubled way?"

 "There's a lady, the fairest in all this land, " The haughty chief replied; "But that lady's love in vain I've sought, And I'll woo none other bride. "

 "And is there not beauty in other lands, And locks of raven hue, That thou must pine for a maiden cold, Whose bosom love ne'er knew?"

 "Oh, there is beauty in every land, " The sorrowing knight replied; "But I'd rather Margaret of Lonsdale wed, Than the fairest dame beside. "

 "And thou shalt the Lady Margaret wed, " Said that loathly dwarf again; "There's a key in Muncaster Castle can break That maiden's heart in twain!"

 "Oh never, oh never, thou lying elf, That maiden's word is spoken: The cup of grace left a traitor's hand, Proud Muncaster's '_Luck_' is broken. "

 Then scornfully grinned that elfin dwarf, And aloud he laughed again: "There's a key in thy castle, Sir Knight, can break That maiden's heart in twain!"

 The knight he turned him on his steed, And he looked over hill and stream; But he saw not that elfin dwarf again, He had vanished as a dream!

 The knight came back to his castle hall, And stabled his good grey steed; And he is to his chamber gone, With wild and angry speed. 

 And he saw the oaken casket, where Lay hid that cup of grace, Since that fearful day, when the traitor foe Wrought ruin on his race. 

 "Thou cursed thing, " he cried in scorn, "That ever such 'Luck' should be; From Muncaster's house, ill-boding fiend, Thou shalt vanish eternally. "

 He kicked the casket o'er and o'er With rage and contumely; When, lo! a tinkling sound was heard-- Down dropped a glittering key!

 He remembered well the wondrous speech Of the spectre dwarf again, "There's a key in Muncaster Castle can break A maiden's heart in twain!"

 He took the key, and he turned the lock, And he opened the casket wide; When the cause of all his agony The lover now espied. 

 The holy cup lay glistering there, And he kissed that blessèd token, For its matchless form unharmèd lay, The "Luck" had ne'er been broken!

 The loud halls rung, and the minstrels sung, And glad rolled the Esk's bonny tide, When Lonsdale's Lady Margaret Was Muncaster's winsome bride!

 Now prosper long that baron bold, And that bright and blessèd token: For Muncaster's Luck is constant yet, And the crystal charm unbroken!

[Illustration: THE PILE OF FOULDREY[i]_Drawn by G. Pickering. __Engraved by Edw^d. Finden. _]

THE PEEL OF FOULDREY. 

 "True, treason never prospers; what's the reason? When treason prospers, 'tis no longer treason!"

The ancient castle of Peel of Fouldrey, the island of fowls, stands alittle beyond the southern extremity of the isle of Walney. The castleand its site belong to the ladies of the liberty of Furness. 

The ruins, seen from the heights above Rampside, are beautifullypicturesque. Though the sea has wasted part of the outworks, yet theremains exhibit a complete specimen of the principles and plan uponwhich these ancient defences were usually constructed. It may not bethought out of place to give the reader some account of its presentappearance. West, in his _Antiquities of Furness_, inserts thefollowing account of his visit to this delightful spot; and as it isdetailed with a good deal of graphic simplicity, if not elegance ofstyle, we prefer it to our own record of an expedition to this place. 

"Choosing a proper time of the tide, " says he, "for our excursion, weset out from Dalton, early on a pleasant summer's morning, and havingcrossed the sands in Walney channel, we followed the eastern shore ofthe isle of Walney from the small village of Northscale, by thechapel, to Bigger. Leaving this hamlet, and crossing over a small neckof land by a narrow lane winding amongst well-cultivated fields, smiling with the prospect of a plenteous harvest of excellent grain, but principally of wheat, which the land in Walney generally producesof a superior quality, we again came to the shore, and having a prettydistinct view of several parts of the ruinous fabric which was theobject of our excursion, we took the distant castle for our guide, andentered upon a trackless sand, which, by the route we pursued, isabout two miles and a half over. It is soft and disagreeabletravelling in many places; but there is no quicksand. Those, however, who are unacquainted with the road to the Peel of Fouldrey should takea guide from Bigger. 

"About half-way over the sand, the mouldering castle, with itsextensive shattered walls and ruinated towers, makes a solemn, majestic appearance. Having arrived on the island, which is destituteof tree or shrub, except a few blasted thorns and briers, we left ourhorses at a lonely public-house, situated close by the side of theeastern shore, and proceeded to inspect the ruins of the castle. Themain tower has been defended by two moats, two walls, and severalsmall towers. We crossed the exterior fosse or ditch, and entered theouter bayle or yard, through a ruinous guard-tower, overleaning asteep precipice formed by the surges of the sea. The ancient pass, where the drawbridge over the outer ditch was fixed, has been longwashed away. The greater part of the outer wall is also demolished, for in those places which are out of the reach of the tide the stoneshave been removed for various purposes. 

"The drawbridge over the exterior ditch of these castles used commonlyto be defended by a fortification consisting of a strong high wallwith turrets, called the barbacan or antemural; the great gate orentrance into the outer bayle or yard was often fortified by a toweron each side, and by a room over the intermediate passage; and thethick folding-doors of oak, by which the entrance was closed, wereoften strengthened with iron, and faced by an iron portcullis orgrate, sliding down a groove from the higher part of the building. 

"A chapel commonly stood in the outer bayle: accordingly, just at ourentrance into that part we saw the ruins of a building which is saidto have been the chapel belonging to this castle. 

"At the inside of the yard we came to the inner fosse, moat, or ditch, and arriving at the place where the drawbridge had been fixed, weentered the inner bayle or court by the ancient passage through theinterior wall, the entrance whereof had evidently been secured by aportcullis, and defended by a room over the passage. 

"We now proceeded to the entrance into the main tower or keep; but thedoorway into the porch, which precedes it, being walled up, we wereobliged to creep into the edifice by a narrow aperture. The entrancehas been secured by a portcullis. The main tower has consisted ofthree storeys, each divided into three oblong apartments by twointerior side walls being carried from bottom to top. 

"The rooms on the ground-floor have been very low, and lighted by longapertures, extremely narrow, at the outside of the walls, but aconsiderable width in the inside, perhaps so constructed for the useof the bow. The apartments have communicated with each other; andthere has been a winding staircase leading from one of them to therooms above, and to the top of the castle. Under the ground-floor ofthese ancient castles used commonly to be dark and dismal apartments, or dungeons, for the reception of prisoners, but nothing of the kindis known to be here. The porch is called the dungeon. 

"The second floor has been on a level with the first landing at theprincipal entrance. The rooms have been lofty, and lighted by smallpointed windows, and many of them have had fireplaces. The apartmentson the third floor have been apparently similar to those on thesecond. The side apartments have been lighted by several small pointedwindows, but those in the middle have been very dark and gloomy. 

"The great door of the castle opens into one of these intermediateapartments. On the left-hand side of the entrance has been a spiralstaircase, leading to the rooms above and to the top of the castle, which has had a flat roof, surrounded by a parapet and severalturrets. The walls of this tower are very strong and firm; a deepbuttress is placed at each corner, and one against the middle of eachside wall. A small square tower has stood at the southern corner, butthe greater part of it has been thrown down by the sea. The foundationof one side wall is also undermined the whole of its length, and as itin some places overhangs the precipice formed by the waste of the sea, and as the castle is not situated upon a rock, but upon hard loamysoil, this side must inevitably fall in a few years. 

"Many huge fragments of the wasted walls are scattered upon the shore, under the cliff from whence they have fallen; and notwithstanding theconcussion they have received in falling from a great height, and thefrequent surges of the sea, they are as firm as ever, and in manyplaces exhibit the shape of the edifice. 

"The corners and doorcases of the guard-towers, the buttresses, window-frames, and several parts of the main tower, are constructedwith red freestone; but all the other parts of the walls which ingeneral are about six or seven feet in thickness, are formed of roundstones collected from the adjacent shores. The inside of the walls hasbeen constructed with small stones, and plenty of fluid mortar to fillthe interstices. 

"To this mode of construction, to the excellent binding quality of thestones, and to the slow drying of the grout-work in the inside, may beattributed the great tenacity of the walls of this fabric, more thanto any uncommon or unknown method of composing the mortar. 

"The roofs of the numerous guard-houses in the surrounding walls ofthis castle have apparently been flat. Upon these, and along thewalls, which in most castles were topped by a parapet and a kind ofembrasure called crennels, the defenders of the castle were stationedduring a siege, and from thence discharged arrows, darts, stones, andevery kind of annoyance they could procure, upon their enemies. 

"There were often subterraneous passages leading from the lowest partof the main tower to a great distance; and by these the besieged couldmake their escape in time of imminent danger, when the outworks werecarried by storm. 

"On the north-east side of the outworks of this castle has been alarge pond or reservoir for supplying the ditches with water in casesof sudden emergency. There has also been a fish-pond on the north-westside. 

"Though many variations were made in the structure of castles, as theplan was often modified by the architect according to the siteoccupied by the edifice, yet the most perfect and magnificent weregenerally constructed with all the different parts we have mentioned. 

"The walls contain no decorations of art, and are equally destituteof all natural embellishments; the rugged outlines of dilapidation, associating with the appearance of past magnificence, are thequalities which chiefly interest the imagination, while comparing thesettled tranquillity of the present with the turbulent ages that arepast, and contemplating the view of this mouldering fabric. 

"The island of Fouldrey has certainly been much larger at the erectionof the castle than it is at present; but the sea, having reduced it toits present small compass, has abated the rapid career of itsdestruction. It now wastes the western shore of Walney, and forms anew tract out of the ruins, which proves a barrier to its progressupon the Peel of Fouldrey, and at some future period may be anaccession to this island, in place of the land which it has lost. "

The period when it was reduced to ruins is not well ascertained, butit is probable that this was one of the fortresses which fell underthe dismantling orders of the Commonwealth. 

The port is very large and commodious, and would float a first-rateship of war at low water. 

In 1789 a body of commissioners and trustees, appointed to improve thenavigation of the river Lune, built a lighthouse on the south-east endof the isle of Walney. It is an octagonal column, placed upon acircular foundation of a little more than twenty feet in diameter. Atthe plinth, its diameter is eighteen feet, and diminishes graduallywith the elevation through fifty-seven feet to fourteen. The ascentfrom the bottom to the lantern is by a staircase, consisting ofninety-one steps, winding up the inside of the pillar. The wholeheight is about sixty-eight feet. At the base of the column there is asmall dwelling for the keeper and his family. 

 * * * * *

It was in the "merry month of May, " in the year 1487, scarcely twoyears after Richard's overthrow at Bosworth, and Earl Richmond'susurpation of the English crown by the title of King Henry theSeventh, that a great armament, landing on the barren island ofFouldrey, took possession of the castle, a fortress of great strengthcommanding the entrance to the bay of Morecambe, and a position ofconsiderable importance to the invaders. It occupied, with theoutworks and defences, nearly the whole area of the island (a fewacres only), two or three fishermen's huts at that time beingirregularly scattered on the beach below. Built by the monks ofFurness in the first year of Edward III. , as a retreat from theravages of the Scots, and a formidable barrier against theirapproaches by sea, it was now unexpectedly wrested from its owners, becoming a point of resistance from whence the formidable power ofHenry might be withstood, and in the end successfully opposed. 

A royal banner floated from the battlements: the fortress had beenformally taken into possession by the invaders in the name of theirking, previously proclaimed at Dublin by the title of Edward theSixth. The youth was crowned there with a diadem taken from an imageof the Virgin, priests and nobles espousing his cause with more thanordinary enthusiasm; and Henry, in the second year of his reign, wasthreatened, from a source as unexpected as it was deemed contemptible, with the loss of his ill-gotten sovereignty. 

Lambert Simnel, according to some historians, was the real name ofthis "pretender;" but there be others who scruple not to assert, thathe was in reality the unfortunate Earl of Warwick, son to Clarence, elder brother of Richard III. , and that he had made his escape fromthe Tower, where he long suffered an ignominious confinement by thecruel policy of Henry. The prior claims of this young prince to theEnglish crown could not be doubted, and Margaret, the "bold" Duchessof Burgundy, sister to Edward IV. , had furnished the invaders with abody of two thousand chosen Flemish troops, commanded by MartinSwartz, a brave and experienced officer. With them came the Earl ofLincoln, related to Edward IV. By intermarriage with Elizabeth, theking's eldest sister. 

This nobleman had long entertained ambitious views towards the crown;his uncle Richard, it is said, in default of issue to himself, havingexpressed the intention of declaring Lincoln his successor. The LordLovel, too, a bitter enemy of the reigning prince, who had fled to thecourt of Burgundy beforetime for protection, was entrusted with acommand in the expedition. To these were joined the Earl of Kildare, the king's deputy for Ireland, with several others of the nobilityfrom the sister kingdom. The countenance thus unexpectedly given tothe rebellion by persons of the highest rank, and the great accessionof military force from abroad, raised the courage and exultation ofthe Irish to such a pitch that they threatened to overrun England, nothing doubting but their restless and disaffected spirit would befully met by a similar disposition on the part of those whom theyinvaded. In supposing that the inhabitants in the north of England, and especially in Lancashire, would immediately join their standard, they had not calculated wisely. The king, in crushing the hopes of theYorkists, had made himself, at that period, too popular in thecounty; the reluctance, too, which it may be supposed that Englishmenwould feel in identifying themselves with a troop of foreignadventurers, as well as their general animosity against the Irish, towhom the "northerns" never bore any good-will, being too nearneighbours to agree, --these circumstances taken into account, theultimate failure of the expedition might have been easilyprognosticated. Sir Thomas Broughton, a gentleman of some note inFurness, was the only person of weight and influence in the county whojoined their standard, and he soon found himself a loser by hisdefection. 

This brief preliminary statement we have thought essential to theright understanding and development of our plot. 

The evening was dark and lowering, the sky broken into wild irregularmasses of red and angry clouds. The sun, after throwing one fiercelook over the broad and troubled sea, had sunk behind a hard, hugebattlement of cloud, on the round waving edges of which ran a brightburning rim, that looked like a train of fire ignited by the glowingluminary behind. 

The beach round the little island of Fouldrey is mostly covered withpebbles thrown up by the tide, occasionally intermingled with rock andpatches of dark verdure. A few boats may be seen with theirequipments, and two or three straggling nets upon the shore. A distantsail occasionally glides across the horizon; but the usual aspect isthat of solitude, still and uninterrupted, the abode of sterility andsadness. Now, the narrow bay by the island was glittering with gallantstreamers. Ships of war, in all their pride and panoply, majesticallyreposed upon its bosom. All was bustle and impatience. Thetrumpet-note of war brayed fiercely from the battlements. Incessantwas the march of troops in various directions. Tents were pitchedbefore the castle. Guards were appointed; and this hitherto peacefuland solitary spot resounded with the din of arms, and the hoarse clangof preparation for the approaching strife. 

Messengers were constantly passing to and from the mainland. Theinsignia of royalty were ostentatiously displayed, and the captainsand leaders within the fortress fulfilled the duties of this mimic andmotley court in honour of their anticipated sovereign. 

Under a steep cliff, washed by the sea at high water, but of no greatheight, and above which the higher walls of the castle or keep mightbe discovered, sat two fishermen, the owners, or rather occupiers, ofone of the cottages built under the very walls of the fortress, wherethese peaceful inhabitants had placed their little nests, protectedand covered by the wing of their loftier but more exposed anddangerous neighbour. 

The place they had chosen for their conference was secluded fromgeneral observation, and their low and heavy speech was concealed fromthe prying sentinels above by the hoarse and impetuous voice of theretiring waves. Not many paces distant was the inlet to asubterraneous passage, supposed to lead under the deepest foundationsof the castle; but its termination was now a mystery, at any rate, tothe present occupiers and inhabitants of the place. Many strange andhorrible stories were told and believed, of its uses and destinationin times past. Being burdened with a bad name--"some uncleansed murderstuck to it"--the place ran little risk of disturbance or intruders. When the tides ran high this outlet was inaccessible, being partlyflooded by the sea. From neglect and disuse an accumulation of sandand pebbles, washed by the violence of the waves into the cavity, wasdeposited there, so that the entrance, which, according to traditionwas once wide and sufficiently lofty for a person to walk upright, wasnow dwindled into a narrow and insignificant-looking hole, scarcelybig enough to admit an urchin. 

"Thee hasna seen it thysel', then?" said one of the fishermen to hiscompanion. 

"Nea; I waur it' hoose man when it cam'; but"--the speaker lookedwistfully towards the dark entrance we have named, --"but I'se sureDick wouldna seay sae if"----

"Dick's a starin' gowk, and a coward too. I'se warrant there waurplenty o' room 'twixt his carcase and the wa'. That I'd bin therei'stead! There shouldn't ha' bin room to cram a herrin' tail atween mean' the ghost's substance. I would ha' hedged him up thus, an' thenmaster ghost, taken aback, says, 'Friend, by yere sweet leave I wouldpass;' but I make out elbows, and arms this'n, facing till him so. Help! murder!"

This sudden change in the voice and attitude of the speaker, thissudden exhalation of his courage, unfortunately arose from the partieshaving, in the heat and interest of the discourse, turned their backsto the haunted entrance, and, so intent was Davy in accommodating theaction to the valiant tenor of his speech, that it was only onturning round, for the purpose of showing to his companion the way inwhich he would have disputed a passage with the ghost, that he wasaware for the first time of the presence of that terrible thing, andwithin a very few inches too of his own person. They stayed not forany further exemplification of this theory of ghost-laying, but in aninstant were beyond observation, bounding over the beach, nor oncelooking behind them until safe in their little hut, and the doorfastened against the fearful intruder. Davy, being foremost in therace, sat down, followed by his companion George, who, maugre hisgreat apprehensions, could not forbear laughing heartily at the suddenmelting away of the big-mouthed valour of this cowardly boaster. 

"Praised be our lady of Furness, " said the merry taunter, with manyinterruptions from laughter and want of breath; "thy heels are as glibas thy tongue: for which--oh, oh! I am breathed--blown--dispossessedof my birthright, free quaffing o' the air. Ha, ha! I cannot laugh. Oh! what a mouth didst thou make at old blacksleeves. Gaping so, Iwonder he mistook not thy muzzle for one of the vents into his oldquarters. A pretty gull thee be'st, to swallow yon black porpoise. "

"I tell thee, messmate, " returned the other, gravely, "thou hastmiss'd thy tack. It waur but a slip, maybe a kin' of a sudden startwhich took me, as they say, by the nape. I jumped back, I own--a foulaccident, by which he took advantage. He comes behind me, thou sees, and with a skip 'at would have seated him upo' the topmost perch o'the castle, he lights whack, thump, fair upo' my shoulders. I ran butto shake the whoreson black slug fro' my carcase. Saints ha' mercy, but his legs waur colder than a wet sheet. I soon unshipp'd my cargo, though--I tumbled him into the sea, made a present of old blacksleevesto the fishes!"

"Thou lying chub, " said George, angrily, "did not I watch thee? Why, thou cub, thou cormorant, thou maker of long lies and quick legs, didst not o'ershoot me, ay, by some fathoms? I followed hard i' thywake, but I see'd nought of all this bull-scuddering of thine. Faith, but thou didst ply thy courses with a wet sail!"

"Go to, Geordie--go to; a juggle, I tell thee; sheer malice of theenemy, fow' an' fause as he be. " Here he spat on the floor to show hisdetestation and contempt; but George, either too ignorant or too idleto reply, took down a dried fluke from the chimney, and warming it onthe glowing turf for a few minutes, was soon occupied in disposing ofthis dainty and favourite repast. Their hut was of the rudestconstruction. The walls were of boulder stones from the beach, looselyset up with mud and slime, and in several places decidedly deviatingfrom the perpendicular. The roof was thatched with rushes, and shapedlike unto a fish's back, having a marvellous big hump in the middle, upon which grew a fair tuft of long lank herbage, while bunches of thebiting yellow stone-crop clung in irregular patches of bright greenverdure about the extremities. The interior was lighted by a singlecasement, showing an assemblage of forms the most homely and primitivein their construction. The floor, paved with blue pebbles; thefireplace, a huge hearth-flag merely, on which lay a heap of glowingturf, an iron pot depending from a crook above. The smoke, curlinglazily through a raft of fish drying a few feet above the flame, andacquiring the requisite flavour, with considerable difficulty reacheda hole in the roof, where the adverse and refractory wind notunfrequently disputed its passage, and drove it down again, to assistthe colds and rheums by its stimulating propensities. A broken chair, a three-legged stool, and a table with no greater number ofsupporters, a truckle-bed, and an accumulation of nets, oars, andbroken implements of the like nature, were the usual deposits aboutthe chamber. The two fishermen were partners in their gainful trade, and not having tasted the bliss of conjugal comforts, enjoyed a sortof negative good from the absence of evil, and lived a tolerably quietand harmonious life in these outskirts of creation. 

The few simple and primitive inhabitants of the island had been sobewildered and confounded by the turmoil and disorder consequent uponthe invasion of their hitherto peaceful and quiet resting-place, thatsome half-dozen of them, for the first time in their lives, hadquitted their homes; others, secure from their poverty andinsignificance, still remained, though much disturbed with wonder andsilly surmises, and ready to catch at any stray marvels that fell intheir way. The subterraneous and half-concealed passage in the rock, or rather shale, on which the castle stands, always under the ban ofsome vague and silly apprehension, had been reported of late asmanifesting more than equivocal symptoms of supernatural possession. Dick Empson, or long-nebbed Dick, a sort of shrewd, half-wittedincarnation, it might be, of the goblin or elfin species, a runner oferrands from the abbey of Furness to the castle, and a being whosepranks and propensities to mischief were well known in theneighbourhood, had affirmed, but a few hours before, that he saw ablack figure on the previous night issuing from the hole; and thatthere was no connection or understanding between this ghostlyappearance and the present occupiers of the castle, was evident fromthe mystery and secrecy that attended its movements. This wasdoubtless the phantom or goblin that, from time immemorial, had beenthe cause of such sinister dispositions towards the "haunted passage. "Davy and his friend had unexpectedly stumbled upon its track, for theyhad not calculated on its appearance, at any rate before midnight. 

In the Castle, Peel, or Pile of Fouldrey, on that night too, there wasa mighty disturbance, not unaccompanied with vexation and alarm. Itwas soon after the first watch. The new-made monarch was asleep in hischamber--an ill-furnished apartment on the second floor of the maintower or keep, looking out by a narrow window towards the sea. Thenext, or middle chamber, was on a level, and communicating with thefirst landing, or principal entrance. The latter apartment, in whichwere the guards and others immediately about the king's person, servedthe purposes of an ante-room to the presence-chamber. 

The room opposite--for there were three divisions on each floor--wassubdivided into several parts, and occupied by the Earl of Lincoln andhis attendants; the rooms above being devoted to Swartz, Lovel, andFitzgerald, with their trains. Below were the guard-rooms and officesassigned to the staff, with the war stores and munitions belonging tothe expedition. 

In the same chamber with the king lay his confessor and chief adviser, one Simon, a wily and ambitious priest, who was the prime agent, ifnot mover, in this attempt to overturn the reigning power. No otherindividual was suffered to remain through the night in the king'sapartment. 

It was about the first watch, as before mentioned, when the guards andattendants were alarmed by loud cries from the royal chamber. Theyhastened to the door, but it was bolted, and their apprehensions forthat time were allayed by the voice of the priest assuring them thatthe king was safe, but that an ugly dream had awakened him. Lincoln, whom this tumult had quickly brought to the spot, retired grumbling atso unseasonable a disturbance. Scarcely had an hour elapsed ere thecries were repeated. Unsheathing his sword, the proud Earl of Lincolnmarched angrily to the door, and swore a loud broad oath that he wouldsee the king or burst open the barrier. With him came others from therooms overhead, so that the priest was forced, however unwillingly, toopen the door, and Lincoln, accompanied by his friends, beheld theyoung pretender in bed, pale, and with a rueful countenance, stillretaining the traces of some deadly horror. 

"What hath disturbed your highness? We would fain know the cause ofthis alarm, and punish, ay punish home, the traitor!" said Lincoln, darting a furious look at the confessor, to whom he bore no good-will. 

"Nay, friends, I shall--I shall be well presently. I beseech you benot disturbed. 'Tis a dream, --a vision that hath troubled me. Ithought I was in the Tower--in my prison chamber--and the tyrant cameand grasped me by the throat. With that I jumped up, and as Heaven ismy witness, I saw a dark figure slip through the floor by yon grimbuttress, behind which is the private staircase to the summit. "

Every eye was turned towards the corner of the chamber near the bed, on the outside of which a winding staircase ran up from below, butthey were ignorant of any communication from these stairs into theking's chamber. Lincoln examined the buttress with his sword, andSwartz, the Fleming, with his fingers, but there was no apparentopening or crevice that could betoken any outlet or concealment. Thefloor was examined, and with the same result; so that they were fainto depart, little doubting that the whole was the effect of somemental disturbance. 

With the morning dawn came Sir Thomas Broughton. A grand council wasappointed for that day, in which the final arrangement of their planswas to be discussed. A royal banquet was prepared, and the Flemishgunners were to give a specimen of their craft from the battlements. 

The forenoon came on chill and squally, with a low scud drivingrapidly from the west. A drizzling rain was the result, whichincreased with the coming tide. 

The little island was covered with tents, forming an encampment of nomean extent and appearance. 

Sir Thomas, with a few attendants, after being ferried over thechannel which separates the island of Fouldrey from the mainland, wasconducted through avenues of tents and armed men. The Flemishsoldiers, fierce and almost motionless, looked like an array of grimstatues. The Irish levies, in a state of more lax discipline, werecollected in merry groups, whiling away the time in thriftless andnoisy discourse. 

Sir Thomas Broughton, descended from an Anglo-Saxon family of greatantiquity, was by virtue of this hereditary and aboriginal descent, ofa proud and pompous bearing. Being allied to most of the principalfamilies in these parts, he was won over by solicitation from theDuchess of Burgundy, as one of the confederates in her attempt torestore the line of York to the English crown. Fond of show, andcareful as to his own personal appearance, he was clad in a steel coatof great beauty; this ponderous form of defence having been brought togreat perfection in the preceding reign. His sword-belt was sodisposed that the weapon remained in front, while a dagger wasattached to the right hip. Over his armour he wore a scarlet cloak, and as he strode proudly up the avenues to the gate, he looked asthough he felt that on his fiat alone depended the very existence ofthose he beheld. After he had passed the first drawbridge into theouter court or bayle, a band of archers, drawn up in full array, opened their ranks to receive this puissant chieftain. These were themost efficient of the troops, and partly English, having been broughtfrom Ireland by the deputy. They were clad in shirts of chain mail, with wide sleeves, over which was a small vest of red cloth, laced infront. They had tight hose on their legs, and braces on their leftarms. Behind them, and on each side, were part of the infantry, consisting of billmen and halberdiers; but the most formidable-lookingsoldiers were the Flemish gunners, or harquebusiers, so named from thebarbarous Latin word _arcusbusus_, evidently derived from the Italian_arcabouza_--_i. E. _, a bow with a tube or hole. It was made with astock and trigger, in imitation of the crossbow. The match, no longerapplied by the hand to the touchhole, was fixed into a cock, which wasbrought down to the pan by the motion of the trigger. This being atthe time a recent invention, excited no little curiosity andadmiration. 

At the inner court, and near the main entrance to the keep, Sir Thomaswas received in great state by the Earl of Lincoln, whose high, buteasy and pleasant bearing, bespoke him to have been long the inmateand follower of courts, while the stiff attitudes and formal demeanourof Sir Thomas were rendered more apparent by the contrast. 

"Welcome, Sir Thomas, to our court in this fair haven. Your presence, like your fidelity, hath a goodly savour in it, being always beforeand better than our expectation or our fears. How faireth our cousin, and our pretty dames in Furness?"

"My lord, I thank you for your good word. My poor services are repaidtenfold in their acceptance by the king, " said Sir Thomas, bending, but with an ill grace, by reason of little use in that excellent art. 

"Into our council-chamber, Sir Thomas, where you shall render homageto the king in person. "

This council-chamber was none other than the king's bedroom, whither, with great ceremony, Sir Thomas was conducted. In this mimic courtthere was a marvellous show of ceremony, and a great observance of, and attention to, forms and royal usages--ridiculous enough where afew acres formed the whole of the monarch's territory, and an uglyill-contrived castle his palace. But his followers behaved as thoughEngland's sovereignty were theirs, being well inclined to contentthemselves with the shadow, having little hold or enjoyment of thesubstance. 

Before a long narrow table, near the bed, and on a high-backed oakenchair, sat the young pretender. He was dressed in a richly-embroideredgown, the sleeves wide, and hanging down from the wrists like lappets. On his head was a low cap surmounted by long waving feathers, and hismanners and appearance were not devoid of grace and gentility. Hedisplayed considerable self-possession, and wore his kingly honourswith great assurance. He was of a fair and sanguine complexion, palerather than clear, and his hair clustered in heavy ringlets on hisshoulders. A rapid and somewhat uncertain motion of the eye, and hismouth not well closed, showed that although he might have beenschooled to the exhibition, and could wear the outward show offirmness and decision, yet in the hour of emergency, and in the day oftrial, his fortitude would in all likelihood forsake him. 

At his right hand sat the priest in a white cassock and scapulary. Ablack hood, thrown back upon his shoulders, exhibited the form anddisposition of his head to great advantage. His features were large, expressive, and commanding. The fire of a brilliant grey eye wasscarcely tempered by his overhanging brows, though at times the spiritseemed to retire behind their grim shadows, to survey more securelyand unobservedly the aspect and appearances without. 

Swartz, the Flemish general, a blunt military chieftain, was at hisside. A black bushy beard, some inches in advance of his honestgood-humoured face, was placed in strong contrast with the wary, pale, and somewhat dubious aspect of the priest. 

Kildare, the Irish deputy, and Lovel, with several of the seniorofficers and captains, were assembled round the table. 

The room was lofty, lighted by a small pointed window, and containedthe luxury of a fireplace, in which lay some blazing embers; agrateful and refreshing sight in that chill and ungenial atmosphere. 

The needful ceremonies being gone through, Sir Thomas was honouredwith a place at the board near to where it rested against the buttressbefore mentioned, the priest addressing him as follows:--

"My Lord Abbot of Furness, Sir Thomas, what news of him? Hath he yetsignified his adherence to our cause? We hope you bring tidings ofsuch auspicious import. "

"He doth yet procrastinate, I hear, until he have news from thecourt, " replied Sir Thomas; "yet I trust his want of zeal andobedience will not hinder our march. "

"And the proud nobles of Lancashire, how stand they affected towardsour good prospering?"

"Truly, they are, as one may say, neither cold nor hot; but of amoderate temperature, midway, it would seem"----

"Which is an indication of neither zeal nor obedience, " said Swartz, suddenly cutting short the tedious verbosity of Sir Thomas's intendedharangue. "Open enemies before lukewarm friends!"

"Prithee, general, " said the priest, with a placid smile, during whichhis eyes seemed to shrink within their dim sockets, "be notover-hasty. We cannot reasonably hope that they should flock to ourstandard almost ere we unfurl it for their gathering. "

"Your speech hath a reasonable property in it, " replied Sir Thomas, "and, as we may say, savoureth of great judgment, which, being of anexcellent nature in itself, doth thereby control and exercise, in itsown capacity, the nature and excellence of all others. "

This formidable issue of words was delivered with much earnestness ofenunciation; but of its use or meaning, probably, the speaker wasfully as ignorant as his hearers. Even at the fountain-head his ideaswere sufficiently obscure, but when fairly rolling forth from thespring, they sometimes begat such a froth and turbidity in theircourse, that no reasonable discernment could fathom their depth orbearing. 

A short silence was the result, which none, for a while, cared todisturb, lest he should betray his lack of understanding in darksentences. 

"We know your loyalty, " said the king, "which hath a sufficientimpress on it to pass current without scrutiny. Your example, SirThomas, will be of competent weight, without the casting or impositionof vain words into the scale. We acknowledge your ready zeal in ourjust cause. "

"Your highness' grace, my liege, " said Lincoln, ere Sir Thomas couldgather words for a fitting reply, "doth honey your confections well. Men swallow them without wincing or wry faces. "

Sir Thomas would not thus be deprived of his right to a reply; and wasjust commencing with a suitable attitude for the purpose, when lo! thetrenchant knight, who sat on a small stool beside the corner buttress, with a loud cry, suddenly disappeared, and a gaping cavity in thefloor sufficiently accounted for the precipitate mode of hisdeparture. Uprising on the ruins of Sir Thomas, started forth agrotesque figure from the chasm, clad in coarse attire, a ludicroussolemnity on his strange and uncouth visage, as, with a shrill andsqueaking tone, he cried--

"Ay, ay, masters; but my master will gi'e me a blessing for thefinding o' this mouse-nest; and a priest's blessin' is worth a king'scurse any time; and so good-morrow, knaves. "

"Stay, " said Lincoln, seizing the intruder, none other than ourlight-witted acquaintance, "lang-nebbit Dick, " whose pryingpropensities were notorious, and who had taken upon himself, thatmorning, the arduous task of exploring the subterraneous passage intowhich he had seen the mysterious figure insinuate itself. After manyperils and impediments, he had come to a flight of steps, ascendingwhich, his progress was interrupted by a trap-door overhead. He soondiscovered a wooden bolt, the unloosing of which led to theprecipitation of Sir Thomas through the aperture. Dick's light wasstruck from his hand; escaping himself, however, he left Sir Thomas tohis fate, and emerged, as we have seen, into the council-chamber. Theywere much alarmed by this unexpected disturbance, and, looking down, they beheld a narrow flight of steps, at the bottom of which lay theunfortunate knight, sore bruised by his fall. 

"If the abbot catch ye here, " said Dick, with a vacant grin, "he'llgi'e every one o' ye a taste o' the gyves, and so pray ye gang awa', and let me gang too. As for that calf beastie, that baas so at thebottom, gi'e me a groat, and I'll gather him up again sune. "

Here Dick held out a paw that would not have disgraced the extremitiesof a bruin for size and colour. 

"Holloa, guards, " cried Lincoln, "take this knave to the dungeon bythe porch, and keep him safe until we have need of him. "

The prying vagabond was removed without ceremony, kicking all the way, and bellowing out threats and vengeance against his enemies, while SirThomas and his bruises were brought to light. 

"'Tis the good hand of Providence that hath revealed to us, throughthe means of this crack-brained intruder, so dangerous an outlet bywhich our sovereign's life might have been brought into jeopardy. Toshow unto us that He works not by might nor by strength, does Heavenemploy the feeblest instruments for our ruin or our deliverance. " Thepriest, after this profane speech, resumed his station at the board, whence the king, with a proper and becoming dignity, had not arisen. But the council did not proceed in their deliberations after thisinterruption. Contenting themselves with devising precautions againstanother surprise, they separated, hoping that to-morrow would bringthem despatches from abroad, for which they began to feel somewhatanxious and impatient. 

The sun was now some hours past meridian. The broad sea and thebreakers were foaming on. A wide and impetuous phalanx of wavesappeared upon the horizon. Gouts of muddy foam were beginning tofroth among the blue pebbles on the beach. The tide was rapidlyfilling the channels, and patches of dark sand were vanishing beneaththe waves, when the two fishermen, launching their little boat into anarrow bay between the rocks, prepared for their daily toil. 

"Lords o' the court they be, " said David, to some inquiry from hismore ignorant companion, as he generally affected to consider him. Indeed, with but little wit and less valour, he wished to foisthimself upon one possessing both, as a being of extraordinary wisdomand fortitude. And truly, if loud words and big lies could have donethis, he would have had no lack either of courage or discretion. 

"Didst never see a lord to his shirt?" continued this indomitableboaster. 

"Nea, marry, but I've seen 'em to their shifts, for one of 'em couldnaloup owre t' stones here without help. "

"Help thy silly face, thou be'st hardly company fit for they 'at haveseen knowledge, as 't waur, to its verra nakedness. I tell thee I'velooked on lords' flesh; an' no more like thine than thee be'st likefish. "

"Some of 'em will cudgel thy leesing out o' thee, I hope. Thoucould'stna speak truth to save thy neck fro' the rope. Didst get anyo' the crumbs at the dinner to-day? for I ken thou throw'd up thygreasy cap, and cried out 'Hurrah for the king. ' Thy tongue would everwag faster at a feast than thy fist at a fray. "

"I tell thee, George, 'ware thy gibes an' gallimaufreys. A man can butbear what he can, thee knows; an' so stop thy din. Let me see, I heardas I cam' doon that this same ghost 'at frightened thee sae appearedto the king an' the lords at the feast; an' they waur fain to run forit, as thee did last night, thee knows, for verra fearsomeness, an'"----

Here he looked round, as though fearing a visit of the like nature. 

"They say he came an' gobbled up more nor his share; an' he sent theguests a-packing like a bream of short-sized kippers from a creel. Welooked for our share of the victuals, but they told me oldbl--bl"----Again he hesitated, evidently afraid that some "unsonsy"thing was behind him. His voice sunk down to a tremulous whisper. "They said that old split-feet brought a whole bevy of littledevilkins with him that cleared decks in the twinkling of abowsprit. "

"And yet thou durst not say him nay, though thy craw were as empty asmy basket. Come, bear a hand, or we shall lose the tide; it is alreadyon the rocks. "

The invading fleet were still moored in the harbour, yet the fishermenshot past unheeded by these leviathans of the deep. As they camenearer to the opposite shore, they saw an individual making signals, as though he would be taken across. His monkish garb was a passport totheir obedience; and the friar was received on board with greatreverence and respect. With a sullen air he demanded, rather thanrequested, to be conveyed to the castle, which the simple fishermenundertook with great alacrity and good humour. Left to the care of theguards below the ramparts, he was speedily forwarded through ranks ofiron men, and the barriers flew open at his presence; an embassagefrom the abbot of Furness was not to be lightly entreated. 

Again was there a summons that the council should assemble, and thechiefs, already risen from the banquet, prepared to give him audience. With a proud and firm step he approached the table; and though, fromhabit, he repressed the natural feelings and bias of the temper, yetthere was an evident expression of hostility against the intruders, accompanied with a glance of unequivocal meaning towards theirsovereign. 

Simon, rising to receive this ambassador from the abbot, watched hisdemeanour with a cautious and keen observance, though betraying littleof that really intense interest with which his presence was regarded. 

"Thrice welcome!" he cried; "we hail your presence as an omen of goodimport. How fareth my lord abbot, whom we hope to number with ourfriends in this glorious cause?"

"The abbot of Furness hath no message of that similitude. He doth askby what right, privity, or pretence, ye appear within his castle orstronghold upon this island? upon whose advice or incitement ye havethus taken possession? and furthermore, under whose authority ye dothese things?"

This short address, uttered in a firm voice, and in a tone of menacerather than inquiry, daunted the hearers, who had hoped for a morepropitious message from the abbey of Furness. Simon, however, withoutbetraying his chagrin, unhesitatingly replied--

"The right by which we hold this fortress is the will of our king, andour authority is from him. "

"I crave your honest regards, " returned the monk, looking round with aglance of conscious power and superiority; "this good inheritance isours, and whosoever disporteth himself here must answer for it to thelord of Furness, whose delegate and representative I am. "

Choler was rising in the assembly; but Simon, with that intuitive andinexplicable control which superior minds possess, almost unknowingly, over their associates, quelled the outburst of the flame by a singleglance. Another look was directed to the royal pupil at his side, whenthe latter spoke as follows:--

"Our presence here, it should seem, is a sufficient answer to thequestions of our lord abbot. Being lawful heir to the English crown, we might command the allegiance, if not the homage, of your head; butwe would rather win with fair entreaty than command our unwillingsubjects, and to this end have we sent messengers to the superior ofyour house, urging his help and submission. "

This reply was given with a dignity and an assurance denoting thateither he was the individual he personated, or that he had been wellschooled in his craft. 

A murmur of applause was heard through the assembly, but the monk wasunmoved to any show of recognition or even respect. Waiting until hecould be heard, the envoy again inquired--

"And who art thou? and by what pretence claimest thou this right?"

"By hereditary descent. Knowest thou Edward, Earl of Warwick, now thyking?"

"I have heard of him, " continued the monk in the same dubious andinflexible tone; "but his bodily appearance hath not been vouchsafedunto me. "

"See him here!" said the royal claimant, rising with great majesty andcondescension. But the churchman neither did homage, nor in any waytestified his loyalty to, or apprehension of, so exalted a personage. 

"Truly it is a marvellous thing, " replied he, "that the Earl ofWarwick should so order his appearance, at one and the same time, bothin London and at our good fortress here in Fouldrey!" A slight curl ofthe lip was visible as he spoke. 

"The Earl of Warwick, " said Simon, "cannot now be abiding where thousayest, insomuch as the bodily tabernacle, his dwelling in the flesh, is before thee. "

"But we have a messenger from thence, even with a writing from thehands of the holy prior of St Alban's, who sendeth us the news, lestwe should be beguiled. Father Anselm hath seen the earl, who wasbrought forth from the Tower by command of the king, being conductedpublicly through the principal thoroughfares of the city, that thepeople should behold, and not in any wise be led astray through theevil reports and machinations of the king's enemies. "

Here he paused, folding his arms with a haughty and reserved look; butSimon, no wise disconcerted by this terrible, unexpected, andapparently fatal exposure of their plot, replied with a smile of themost intrepid assurance----

"We knew of this, and were prepared for the wiles of the usurper. Knowthen, that, through the agency and good offices of that renownedprincess, Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, the king's escape from theTower was accomplished; but not by might, nor by human power nordevice, but by faith and prayer, was the work wrought out, which holycommunion her enemies do maliciously report as the practice of sorceryand the forbidden art. Howbeit the king hath escaped, as thou seest, the fangs of the executioner. Stay, I perceive what thou wouldest urgein reply, but listen for a short space. In order to deter them frompursuit on finding his escape, and with a view likewise to lull theminto vain confidence and carnal security, another was left in hisplace, whom they, of necessity, imagine to be their captive; but it isnot a real thing of flesh and blood, though to them it may so appear. When his time shall be accomplished, the form will vanish, to thedownfall and confusion of the usurper and the utter overthrow of ourenemies. "

Here the assembly gave a loud and unanimous token of their exultationby shouts and exclamations of loyalty and obedience. 

After a short reverie, the monk replied--

"We know of a surety that the Princess Margaret, as well as her royalbrother, Edward the Fourth, did use to practise in forbidden arts; butwe must have testimony indisputable to the truth of your claim, ere itbe that we render our belief. Surely the power that wrought thydeliverance would not, if need were, leave thee without the means ofproving thine identity. How know we that thou art he whom thou hastrepresented, and not the impostor Simnel, as thine enemies do notscruple openly to affirm?"

"We are not without either the means or the power to prove and toassert our right, " said the priest, rising. He drew a phial from hisbosom. 

"One drop of this precious elixir, " continued he, "if it touch theform of yon changeling, will dissolve the charm: on the real person ofthe king it becomes harmless. "

"Truly, 'tis a proof not to be gainsaid; but over-long i' the making, and too far for the fetching, " replied the monk scornfully. 

"'Tis bootless to attempt the salvation of those who will not believe:nevertheless, they shall perish through their own devices, and becaught in their own snares. "

Simon threw a threatening glance at the monk, which he received with acool and undaunted aspect. 

"Verily, your blood be on your own heads, " cried Simon, with a loudvoice, "and your reward in your right hand. Behold, thou scourner, andtremble; for your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, and he in whomyou trust shall be as the stubble which the fire devoureth. "

The enthusiast, as he spoke, struck a heavy blow on the floor with hisfoot, when there came a low rumbling sound like the roar of the windthrough some subterraneous abyss, or the distant moan of the sea, driven on by the rushing tempest. The whole assembly stood aghast, save the king and the two disputants. 

"Shall I strike once more?"

"Do as seemeth to thee good, " said the monk deliberately; "but thinknot to intimidate me with thy fooleries. "

"Then beware. I obey, but it is with awe and reluctance. "

It is said that Simon's heart failed him as he gave the blow, or theeffects would have been more terrific. But the castle shook as with anearthquake; even the incredulous monk looked amazed and confounded. 

"Shall I repeat the stroke?" said Simon, when the disturbance had insome measure subsided. "But remember, I will not answer for theresult. Only in cases of the greatest difficulty and trial it wasthat the duchess made me resort to so dangerous a resource. "

Most of his hearers besought him to desist. Simon yielded at once totheir entreaties, and the uplifted foot fell softly on the floor. Softand noiseless though it was, yet they saw a lurid mist roll upward;and a form, apparently of gigantic size, was faintly visible in thedark vapour, as it swept slowly through the apartment. Even Simon andhis royal pupil showed symptoms of agitation and alarm. 

The assembly was suddenly dissolved. The proud ambassador of a prouderprelate was astonished and bewildered, and hastily took his leave toreport these occurrences to his master. 

The whole of these proceedings, in all probability, were but theartful contrivance of an ambitious priest; and yet, connected as theywere with a female whose well-known predilection for the occultsciences, and herself no mean adept therein, they assumed in thoseages of credulity and superstition more the character of miraculousevents than as happening in the common course and established order ofnature. The alarm of the king, too, evidently at the appearance of thefigure, caused some to say that it was the arch-enemy himself to whomthese conspirators had sold themselves. 

In the meantime, Dick, having been delivered over to the tormentors, was transferred to the prison or dungeon by the porch. He bore hismishap with wondrous fortitude and equanimity. Many a strange inquiryand silly speech did he make as he heard the sound of footsteps passthe door, through which a few chinks admitted a doubtful glimmer intohis cell. 

"I seay--hears to me, lad?" shouted he to a gruff Fleming, as hepassed to and fro before the entrance to his prison-house; but theguard heeded him not. Dick listened; then, repeating his demand, muttered certain conventional expressions, not over-nice either intheir form or application. He then began to sing, performing a seriesof _cantabile_ movements in the most ludicrous manner possible;sometimes chanting a _Miserere_ or an _Ave_, then breaking into somewild northern ballad or roundelay of unintelligible import. It was inthe midst of a cadence which he was terminating with great earnestnessand effect that the first deep rumble, the result of Simon's appeal tothe truth and justice of their cause, interrupted Dick's vocaldispositions for a while; but when the second concussion took place, shaking the very stones in their sockets and the hard floor under hisfeet, Dick ran whooping and bellowing round his den as though he hadbeen possessed, laughing, amid the wild uproar, like some demonsporting fearlessly in the fierce turmoil of the troubled elements. The sentinel ran, terrified, from the door, and the whole camp andgarrison were flying to arms, in fear and consternation. Dick, drumming with his fist, found the door yield to his efforts, and hemarched forth without let or molestation. His besetting sin wascuriosity, which oftentimes led him into difficulties and mishaps. Though just now a prisoner, and escaping by means little less thanmiraculous, yet, instead of making the best use of this opportunityfor escape, he commenced a sort of prying adventure on his ownaccount--a temptation he could not resist--by walking, or rathershuffling, into the guard-room, where his own peculiar crab-likesinuosities were particularly available. A number of soldiers werejabbering some unintelligible jargon, too much occupied with their ownclamour to notice Dick's proceedings. 

Through a confused jumble of warlike implements, intermingled withcamp-kettles and cooking utensils, some steaming with savourypreparations for the evening's repast, and others nearly ready for theservice, Dick insinuated himself, until he came to a little door inthe corner, the entrance to a staircase communicating with the leadsabove. Through this door marched the incorrigible intruder--the sentryfrom the summit having just issued therefrom, fearful lest the castleshould tumble about his ears. Dick's course was therefore unimpeded;and after sundry gyrations and stoppages, now and then, to peepthrough the loopholes, he emerged into broad daylight on the roof ofthe tower. Here he paused for some time, entranced with the suddenchange he beheld. The bustle and animation around and below him; thevessels, with their brave and gallant equipments, anchored in thebay;--all this amused Dick vastly for a while. But the mostheart-ravishing delights end ultimately in satiety and disgust, greater, and probably more keenly felt, the more they have beenrelished and enjoyed. Dick began to feel listless and tired with hisday's work. He laid his head upon a groove or niche in thebattlements, and fell fast asleep. It seems the sentinel did notreturn; for Dick remained undisturbed, and when he awoke it wascompletely dark, save that there was a wan gleam from a dull waterymoon, just dipping into a stratum of dark clouds over the sea. Hisideas, not over-lucid in broad daylight, would necessarily be stillmore hazy and obscure in his present situation. Unable to extricatethem, he rubbed his eyes and made faces; yawned and groped about forhis usual dormitory, in a little cell behind the kitchen at the abbey. But the vision of the moon--which, by reason of the confined glenwherein the abbey was built, rarely blessed the sight of anight-watcher--was a wondrous and puzzling appearance. He had someconfused recollection that he had mounted a flight of steps, and that, by contrary motion, descending would be the next consequent movement. To this end he diligently sought an opening, and, naturally enough, took the first that presented itself. Creeping round the angle of aturret, he came to a flight of steps, which he descended. It was notlong ere he perceived a faint light through an aperture or chink inthe wall. He pressed against the side cautiously, when the wall itselfappeared to give way, and he entered, through a narrow door, into alarge room, lighted by a few turf embers, that flickered dimly on thehearth. A tester bed was near him, whose grim shadow concealed theobjects under its huge canopy. It was the king's chamber; but sosoftly and cautiously was the entrance effected that Dick's footstepsdid not awake him. He was heard, nevertheless, by the priest Simon, who, being concealed by the curtains on the other side, was not seenby the intruder. Dick stood still, on being addressed in a low andsuppressed voice as follows:--

"Thou art early, Maurice; but thy despatches are ready. They are onthe chair at thy right hand. Thou hast had thy instructions. Be speedyand discreet. On the third day, ere sunset, we look for thy return. "

Dick put out his hand and laid hold of a sealed packet, which he tookwith becoming gravity, and luckily in silence. 

"The same password, 'Warwick, ' will convey thee hence; a boat is inwaiting, and so God speed, " said the priest. 

Dick returned by the way he came, and descending the turret staircase, found a sentry standing at the outlet into the guard-chamber. It wasdark, and Dick's person was not recognised. With a sort of blunderinginstinct he gave the word and passed on. This magic sound conveyed himsafely through bars, bolts, and all other impediments. The drawbridgewas lowered, and Dick, in a little time, found himself again upon thebeach, where a boat was waiting to carry him to the opposite shore. 

"Who goes there?" inquired a gruff voice from the skiff. 

"Why Dick--Warwick, " cried the blundering knave, nigh mistaking hiscue. 

"Hang thee, " said the ferryman, "what art' ganging o' this gait for?If I'd ken'd it waur thee 'at I'd orders to lie by in shore for, thoumight ha' waited a wee for aught 'at I'd ha' brought. "

"Hush!" said Dick, full of importance from his newly-acquireddiplomatic functions; "I'm message to the king yonder. "

"Ill betides him that has need o' thee, " said the boatman, surlily;--"come, jump in. They'd need of a hawk, marry, to catch abuzzard. "

Just as Dick was preparing to step in, a low, slight-made figurepassed by whom the boatman immediately challenged. 

"Warwick!" said he, and would have passed on. 

"Nay, nay, " said Dick; "I'm Warwick, ma lad; there's no twa on us;they gied me that name i' the castle yon, just now. I'se butter'd ifthou shall ha't too. " Dick was a powerful fellow, and he collared theother in a twinkling. "Thou'rt a rogue, I tell thee, an' about nogood; an' I've orders from the governor yonder to tak' thee. Bear ahand, boatie, and in wi' him. There--there. "

Spite of his struggles and imprecations, the stranger was impounded inthe boat, and Dick soon forced him to be quiet. They pushed off, andin a short time gained the other shore. Here Dick, with that almostinstinctive sagacity which sometimes accompanies a disturbed state ofthe intellects, would not allow his prisoner either to go back to theisland or remain in the boatman's custody, but secured him to his ownperson, setting off at a brisk pace towards the abbey. In vain thestranger told him that he had business of great moment at the castle;that he was a page of the court, and on the eve of a secret missionfrom the priest, who was now waiting for him with the despatches. Dickresolved, with his usual cunning it seems, to conceal his possessionof these documents, and, at the same time, to prevent the realmessenger from revealing the deception by his appearance at thecastle. 

It was past midnight; yet the abbot and several of the brethren werestill assembled in close council. The importance of the events thatwere unfolding, and in which their own line of conduct was to befirmly marked out and adhered to, necessarily involving muchdeliberation and discussion, had kept them beyond their usual hour ofretirement. 

A bell rung at the outer gate, and shortly afterwards one of thebrotherhood in waiting announced that two men were without, cravingaudience, and that one of them, when asked his name, answered"Warwick. "

"Ah!" said the bewildered abbot, with a sudden gleam of wonder andgladness on his countenance--"does he come hither? then is ourdeliverance nearer than we hoped for, even from the special favour andinterference of Heaven. Admit them instantly. "

But in a little while the messenger came back in great dudgeon to saythat the knave who had demanded admittance with such a peremptorymessage was none other than Dick Empson, the errand boy to the abbey. "What can possess him, " continued the monk, "I greatly marvel; for hestill persists in demanding audience, saying that he is 'Warwick. ' Herefers to some message from the castle with which he is charged, buthe refuses to deliver it save into the hands of the reverend abbothimself. Furthermore, he has brought a prisoner, he sayeth, and willhave him taken into safe custody. "

"Why, bring him hither, " said the abbot; "there's little harm can comeby it. He has a shrewd and quick apprehension at times, under thatsilly mask, which I have thought he wears but for purposes of knaveryand concealment. "

The monk folded his hands and retired. Returning, he was followed byDick, who assumed a very grave and solemn demeanour before this augustand reverend assembly. 

"Why art thou abroad in these evil times, and at such improper hourstoo? To the meanest of our servants it is not permitted. Speak. Thineerrand?"

The abbot looked towards the offender with an air of displeasure; butDick, hitching up his hosen with prodigious fervour, gave a loud andexpressive grunt. 

"Dick is a fool, " said he; "but he ne'er begged benison of an abbot, abone from a starved dog, or a tithe-pig from a parson. "

"What is the message wherewith thou hast presumed upon our audience?"

"If ye rear your back to a door, see to it that it be greatly tyned, or ye may get a broken head for trust. "

"And is this thy message, sirrah? Hark ye, let this fool be put i' thestocks, and well whipped. "

"And who'll be the fule body then?" said Dick, leering. "I ken ye bereadier wi' a taste o' the gyves than oatmeal bannocks; an' sae I'segang awa' to my mither. "

"Thou shalt go to the whipping-post first. "

"Haud off, " shouted Dick, who flung aside the person that would haveseized him with the most consummate ease, at the same time placinghimself in the attitude of defence; "haud off, as ye are true men, "said he; "I'm cousin to the king, and I charge ye with high treason!"

"Enough, " said the abbot; "we may pity his infirmity; but let him besent to the mill for punishment. Now to business, which I fear me hathsuffered by this untimely interruption. "

"Happen you'll let me be one of the guests, " said the incorrigibleDick, thrusting himself forward, even to the abbot's chair, which sodiscomposed his reverence that he cried in a loud and authoritativetone--

"Will none of ye rid me of this pestilence? By the beard of StCuthbert, I will dispose of him, and that presently!"

Seizing him by the shoulder, the abbot would have thrust him forth, but Dick slipped dexterously aside. Taking out the packet, he brokeopen the seals, and immediately began to tumble about the contents, seating himself at the same time in the vacant chair of the abbot, with great solemnity, and an air of marvellous profundity in hisdemeanour. It was the work of a few moments only; a pause of silentastonishment ensued, when the abbot's eye, catching, from theirappearance, something of the nature of the documents, he startedforward with great eagerness and surprise. He snatched them from thehands of their crack-brained possessor, and soon all other matterswere forgotten. The abbot in breathless haste ran through thecontents. The assembly was all eye and ear, and some were absolutelyparalysed with wonder. There was not an indifferent observer but Dick, who, with a chuckling laugh, rubbed his hands, and fidgeted about inthe chair with a look of almost infantile delight. 

"I've done it brawly, ha'n't I? Dick wi' the lang neb! an' I'll haetwo messes o' parritch an' sour milk, an' a barley-cake; I'm waesomehungry i' the waum here. "

The abbot was too deeply involved in the subject before him to heed acraving appetite. Dick's stomach, however, was not to be silenced bydiplomatic food; not having tasted anything for a considerable time, his wants immediately assumed the language of inquiry. 

"Old dad, ha' ye any bones to pick? I'd like to have a lick at thetrencher. "

The abbot made signals that he should not be disturbed; but Dick wasnot to be put off or convinced by such unsubstantial arguments, andthey were fain to rid themselves from further annoyance by orderinghim into the kitchen, where he was speedily absorbed in devouring apan of browis, left there for morning use--the breakfast of thelabourers about the abbey. 

During this interval matters of the deepest importance were discussed, the contents of the packet having furnished abundant materials fordeliberation. When the bearer was effectually replenished, he was ledinto the council-chamber again, where the abbot, in a tone of deep andserious thought, thus addressed him:--

"Who gave thee these despatches? It is plain they were not meant forour eyes; but Heaven, by the weakest instrument, often works themightiest and most important events. Where and how came they into thykeeping?"

Dick looked cunningly round the apartment ere he replied, surveyingthe floor, the walls, and the ceiling; even the groinings of the roofdid not escape a minute and accurate examination; whether to give timefor the contriving of a suitable reply, or merely to gratify his ownpeevish humour, is of little consequence that we should inquire. Aftera long and anxious silence on the part of his auditors, he replied--

"I told ye when ye spiered afore. " Another pause. The abbot wasfearful that Dick's ideas, if not carefully handled, might get soentangled and confused that he would be unable to give anyintelligible account of the matter. He therefore addressed himcoaxingly as follows--

"Nay, nay, Dickon, thou hast not; answer me now, and thou shalt havethe fat from the roast to-morrow, and a sop to season it withal. "

Dick leered again at this prospective dainty, as he replied--

"I tou'd ye, and ye heeded not, belike; and who's the fool now? Come, I'll set you my riddle again. If ye set your back to a door, see thatit be tyned, or ye may get a broken head, and then"----

Here he paused, and looked round with a vacant eye; but they wiselyforbore to interrupt the current of his ideas, hoping that ere longthey might trickle into the right channel. 

"There was a big room, and a bed in it, " he continued, "and a priest, which the fule body has cheated. A fule's wit is worth more nor a wiseman's folly. "

A vague apprehension of the truth crossed the abbot's mind. Being nowon the right scent, he no longer forbore to follow up the chase, butendeavoured to hasten the development by a gentle stimulating of hispace in the required direction. 

"The priest yonder at the castle gave it thee?" said the abbotcarelessly. 

"Well, and if he did, " replied Dick sharply, "he didna ken I wasa-peeping into his chamber, as I've done many an unlucky time here inthe abbey, and gotten a good licking for my pains. "

"To whom was it sent?"

"Ask the bairn yon', that I ha' brought by th' scut o' th' neck. Hewoudna come bout tugging for. "

"Was he the messenger?" asked Roger, the abbot's secretary and primeagent. 

"Help thine ignorant face, father!--I was peeping about, you see, inthe dark. The priest thought it waur the laddy yonder, a-comin' forhis bag; so he gied it me, and tou'd me to carry it safe, but forgotto grease my pate forbye wi' the direction. I ken'd ye could readaught at the abbey here, and so ye may e'en run wi' it to the rightowner for yere pains. "

The cunning knave glossed over his treachery with this excuse; for heevidently knew better, and had a notion that he should serve hismasters by this piece of diplomatic craft. 

"Thou mayest depart, and ere morrow we will give thee a largess forthy dexterity. "

Dick did not care to be long a-snuffing the chill air of the vaultsand passages after his dismissal, but in a warm cell near the kitchenfire he was soon wrapped in the delights of oblivion. Such, however, was the importance of the documents he had so strangely intercepted, that a messenger was immediately despatched to London with a packetfor the Privy Council. 

The same morning, with the early dawn, the abbot and his secretarywere together in the cloisters. It was a fitting place and opportunityeither for intrigue or devotion, and many a masterstroke of churchpolicy has issued from those dim and sepulchral arches in "the Glen ofthe deadly Nightshade. "

"Craft is needful, yea laudable, " said the abbot, "when we would copewith worldly adversaries, unless we could work miracles for ourdeliverance. But since in these degenerate ages of the church theyhave, I fear me, ceased, we must e'en employ the means that Heaven hasput into our hands: and if I mistake not, this envoy of ours will be askilful craftsman for the purpose. Under that garb of silly speechthere's a cunning and a wary spirit. Thou didst note well hisready-witted contrivance last night. "

"Yea, and the skill too with which he compassed his expedients, andthe ingenuity that prevented the disclosure of his treachery, inarresting the real messenger, and thus keeping them in the dark at thecastle yonder until we have had time to countervail their plots. Couldhe be made to play his part according to our instructions, an agentlike him were worth having. Besides he knows every chink and crannyabout the castle, so that he could jump on them unawares. "

"I am not much given to implicit credence in supernatural devices, "said the abbot, "or visible manifestations of the arch-enemy; yet haveour chronicles not scrupled to give their testimony to the truth ofsuch appearances; and it is, moreover, plain, from the papers we haveread, that the conspirators themselves believe in the existence ofsome supernatural presence amongst them, by which they are holpen. "

He drew a billet from his bosom:--"I have kept this writing alone, asthou knowest, " continued the abbot, "for our guidance. Listen again tothe confessions of yonder rebellious and it may be credulous priest:--

"We are sure of success. The noble Margaret hath, by her wondrous art, together with the exercise of prayer and fasting, fenced us about aswith a triple barrier, that no earthly might shall overcome. A powerattends us that will magnify our cause, and lay our foes prostrate. 'Tis a mystery even to us, but a being appears unexpectedly at times, and by his counsels we are guided. We know not whence he comes, norwhither he goes; but his path is with us, and his presence, thoughgenerally invisible, not without terror, even to ourselves. "

"'Tis a strange delusion this, if it be one; for it is plain they havebeen ably counselled. Whilst they retain the castle their position maybe reckoned as impregnable. It is a powerful support, on which theyhave placed the lever of their rebellion. "

"And in what way purpose you to entice them from it? Methinks it werein vain to make the attempt, if guarded and counselled by supernaturaladvisers. "

"I believe in no such improbabilities. Listen. We have heard, as thouknowest, that a strange figure, muffled in close garments, stealsforth, at times, by the southern cliff into the passage there, underthe foundations. This, doubtless, will be the emissary referred to inthe despatch. 'Tis of a surety some person about the camp, concealed, in all likelihood, even from the leaders themselves; but employed byyonder ambitious restless woman, to control and direct theiroperations by a pretendedly miraculous and supernatural influence. Itis the way in which the vulgar and the superstitious are most easilyled. Fanaticism is a powerful engine wherewith to combine and wieldthe scattered energies of the multitude. Besides, their plans are welllaid, as we have seen by the despatches, and many and powerful are thehelps by which they hope to accomplish their designs. Should theysucceed, our destruction is certain. Yet could we draw them forth fromour fortress, we might look to the issue undisturbed. The king willthen dispose of them, and few will dare to interrupt us in the quietpossession of our privileges. "

"How purpose you to entice them forth?" again inquired the secretary. 

"If properly tutored, our messenger from the kitchen, Dick Empson, will doubtless be a fitting agent for this deed. He must be wellfurnished with means and appliances against discovery. "

"Leave him to my care. I can work with untoward tools, and make themuseful too upon occasion. "

"The prisoner, whom he so craftily seized and brought hither, is yetsafe in the dungeon?"

"He is, my lord. "

"There he must lie, at any rate, until our plans be accomplished. "

"We know not yet unto whom these communications were to have beenconveyed. "

"No; but doubtless, from their tenor, to some person of great note. Itmay have been to one even about the person of royalty itself, for thistreason hath deep root, and its branches are widely spread throughoutthe land. "

"Shall we put him to the question?"

"Nay, let present difficulties be brought to issue first; afterwardswe shall be able to inquire, and with more certainty, as to the lineof examination we should pursue. "

The speakers separated, one to communicate with Dick Empson, andprepare him for the important functions he would have to perform; theother to his lodgings, where he might ruminate undisturbed on theevents then about to transpire, and of which he hoped, finally, toreap the advantage. 

It was past midnight, and the flickering embers threw a doubtful anduncertain gleam, at intervals, through the royal chamber, as it wasthen called, in the Castle of Fouldrey. All around was so still thatthe tramp of the sentry sounded like the tread of an armed host;sounds being magnified to a degree almost terrific, in the absence ofothers by which their intensity may be compared. Even the dash of thewaves below the walls was heard in the deep and awful stillness ofthat portentous night. 

Simon started from the pallet whereon he lay, beside the couch of hismaster, at times looking wildly round, as though just rousing fromsome unquiet slumber, expecting, yet fearful of alarm. He lay downagain with a deep sigh, muttering an Ave or a Paternoster as he closedhis eyes. Again he raised his head, and a dark figure stood beforehim. 

"What wouldest thou?" inquired he, with great awe and reverence. 

"Ye must depart!" said a voice, deep and sepulchral. 

"Depart!" repeated the priest, with an expression of doubt and alarm. 

"Yes, " said the mysterious figure; "wherefore dost thou inquire?"

"Our only resting-place, our point of support, our sustenance and ourrefuge! Are we to leave this, and buffet with the winds and waves ofmisfortune, without a haven or a hiding-place? Surely"----

"I have said it, and to-morrow ye must depart!"

"Whither?" inquired the priest; his opinion evidently controlled bythe belief that a being of a superior nature was before him. 

"Beyond the Abbey of Furness. Choose a fitting place for yourencampment, and there abide until I come. "

"It doth appear to my weak and unassisted sense, " said the priest, ingreat agony of spirit, arising from his doubt and unbelief, "that itwere the very utmost of madness and folly to give up this strong andalmost impregnable position for one where our little army may beoutflanked, and even surrounded by superior strength and numbers. "

"Disobey, and thy life, and all that are with thee, shall be cut off!"

"And to-morrow! Ere we have news from our partisans in the south?Maurice will be here the third day at the latest. "

"I have said it, " replied the figure, peremptorily; when suddenly, and, as it were, formed immediately at his side, appeared anotherfigure, similar to the first, assuming nearly the same attitude andmanner, save that the latter looked something taller and moremajestic. 

"St Mary's grace and the abbot's, there 's twa of us!" cried the firstfigure, no less a personage than Dick Empson, who had been daringenough to adopt this disguise, according to the instructions he hadreceived at the abbey. He uttered the words in a tone of thrilling andhorrible apprehension, like the last shriek of the victim writhing inthe fangs of his destroyer. 

The terrible apparition cried out to his surreptitiousrepresentative--"Nay, miscreant; but one. This thou shalt know, andfeel too. Fool and impostor, thy last hour is come!"

As he spake he seized on the miserable wretch in their presence, swinging him round by the waist like an infant, and bore him off, upthe turret stairs, to the summit. Ere he disappeared he uttered thisterrible denunciation--

"Your ruin is at hand. Flee! This fool hath betrayed ye, and I returnno more!"

Darting up the staircase, the shrieks of Dick Empson were heard, as ifrapidly ascending to the summit. A wilder and more desperatestruggle--then a heavy plunge, and the waters closed over their prey!

Dick's body was cast up by the waves, but the terrible unknown did notreturn; nor was he ever seen or heard of again, save, it is said, thatwhen the priest received his death-wound, soon afterwards, on thefield of battle, this awful form appeared to rise up before him, andwith scoff and taunt upbraided him as the cause of his own ruin, andthe downfall of his hopes. 

The next day, from whatever cause, the troops began to move from theirpost. Ere the second evening, they had completely evacuated the castleand the island, which the wary Abbot of Furness soon turned to his ownadvantage, occupying the place with some of his armed vassals. Therebels, proved to be such by their ill success, took up a tolerablyadvantageous position upon Swartz Moor, in the neighbourhood ofUlverstone, where, waiting in vain for the expected reinforcements, they found themselves obliged to move forward, or be utterly withoutthe means either of subsistence or defence. Sir Thomas Broughton, anda few more of little note, accompanied them to Stokeford, near Newark, where, engaging the king's forces on the 6th of June 1487, theymaintained an obstinate and bloody engagement, disputed with morebravery than could have been expected from the inequality of theirforces. The leaders were resolved to conquer or to perish, and theirtroops were animated with the same resolution. The Flemings, too, being veteran and experienced soldiers, kept the event long doubtful;and even the Irish, though ill-armed and almost defenceless, showedthemselves not deficient in spirit and bravery. The king's victory waspurchased with great loss, but was entirely decisive. Lincoln, Swartz, and, according to some accounts, Sir Thomas Broughton, perished on thefield of battle, with four thousand of their followers. As Lovel wasnever more heard of, he was supposed to have undergone the same fate. Simnel, apart from his followers, was too contemptible to be an objecteither of apprehension or resentment on the part of the king. He waspardoned, and, it is said, made a scullion in the royal kitchen, fromwhich menial office he was afterwards advanced to the rank offalconer. 

Thus ended this strange rebellion, which only served to seat Henrymore securely on his throne, extinguishing, finally, the intrigues andanticipations of the house of York. 

[Illustration: BEWSEY, NEAR WARRINGTON. _Drawn by G. Pickering. __Engraved by Edw'd. Finden. _]

A LEGEND OF BEWSEY. 

 "Yestreen I dreamed a doleful dream, I fear there will be sorrow! I dreamed I pu'd the heather green With my true love on Yarrow. 

 "She kissed his cheek, she kaimed his hair, She searched his wounds all thorough, She kissed them till her lips grew red, On the dowie howms of Yarrow. "

Warrington is described by Camden as remarkable for its lords, surnamed Butler, or Boteler, of Bewsey. This name was derived fromtheir office, Robert le Pincerna having discharged the duties of thatstation under Ranulph, Earl of Chester, in 1158, hence taking thesurname. Almeric Butler, his descendant, having married Beatrice, daughter and co-heir of Matthew Villiers, Lord of Warrington, becamepossessed of the barony. 

A MS. In the Bodleian Library gives the following statement, which, though manifestly incorrect in respect of names and particulars, mayyet be relied on with regard to the main facts, corroborated bytradition, which still preserves the memory of this horrible event. 

"Sir John Butler, Knt. , was slaine in his bedde by the procurement ofthe Lord Standley, Sir Piers Leigh and Mister William Savage joiningwith him in that action (corrupting his servants), his porter settinga light in a window to give knowledge upon the water that was abouthis house at Bewsey (where your way to ... Comes). They came over themoate in lether boats, and so to his chamber, where one of hisservants, named Houlcrofte, was slaine, being his chamberlaine; theother basely betrayed his master;--they payed him a great reward, andso coming away with him, they hanged him at a tree in BewseyParke;--after this Sir John Butler's lady prosecuted those that slewher husband, and ... £20 for that suite, but, being married to LordGrey, he made her suite voyd, for which reason she parted from herhusband and came into Lancashire, saying, If my lord will not let mehave my will of my husband's enemies, yet shall my body be buried byhim; and she caused a tomb of alabaster to be made, where she lyeth onthe ... Hand of her husband, Sir John Butler. 

It is further stated in the MS. That the occasion of this murder wasbecause of a request from Earl Derby that Sir John would make one ofthe train which followed him on his going to meet King Henry VII. , andwhich request was discourteously refused. 

The following extract from Froissart may not be deemed uninteresting, as a record of one of our Lancashire worthies, Sir John Butler ofBewsey, relating how he was rescued from the hands of those who soughthis life at the siege of Hennebon:--

"The Lord Lewis of Spain came one day into the tent of Lord Charles ofBlois, where were numbers of the French nobility, and requested of hima boon for all the services done to him, and as a recompense for themthe Lord Charles promised to grant whatever he should ask, as he heldhimself under many obligations to him. Upon which the Lord Lewisdesired that the two prisoners, Sir John Boteler and Sir Mw. Trelawney, who were in prison of the Castle of Faouet, might be sentfor, and delivered up to him, to do with them as should please himbest. 

"'This is the boon I ask, for they have discomfited, pursued, andwounded me; have also slain the Lord Alphonso, my nephew, and I haveno other way to be revenged on them than to have them beheaded insight of their friends who are shut up in Hennebon. '

"The Lord Charles was much amazed at this request, and replied, 'Iwill certainly give you the prisoners since you have asked for them;but you will be very cruel, and much to blame, if you put to death twosuch valiant men; and our enemies will have an equal right to do thesame to any of our friends whom they may capture, for we are not clearwhat may happen to any one of us every day. I therefore entreat, dearsir and sweet cousin, that you would be better advised. '

"Lord Lewis said that if he did not keep his promise he would quit thearmy, and never serve or love him as long as he lived. 

"When the Lord Charles saw that he must comply, he sent off messengersto the Castle of Faouet, who returned with the two prisoners, andcarried them to the tent of Lord Charles. 

"Neither tears nor entreaties could prevail on Lord Lewis to desistfrom his purpose of having them beheaded after dinner, so much was heenraged against them. 

"All the conversation, and everything that passed between the LordCharles and Lord Lewis, relative to these two prisoners, was told toSir Walter Manny and Sir Amauri de Clisson, by friends and spies, whorepresented the danger in which the two knights were. They bethoughtthemselves what was best to be done, but after considering schemes, could fix on none. At last Sir Walter said, 'Gentlemen, it would do usgreat honour if we could rescue these two knights. If we shouldadventure it and should fail, King Edward would himself be obliged tous, and all wise men who may hear of it in times to come will thankus, and say we had done our duty. I will tell you my plan, and you areable to undertake it, for I think we are bound to risk our lives inendeavouring to save those of two such gallant knights. I propose, therefore, if it be agreeable to you, that we arm immediately, andform ourselves into two divisions, --one shall set off, as soon afterdinner as possible, by this gate, and draw up near the ditch, toskirmish with and alarm the enemy, who, you may believe, will soonmuster to that part, and, if you please, you, Sir Amauri de Clisson, shall have the command of it, and shall take with you 1000 goodarchers to make those that may come to you retreat back again, and 300men-at-arms. I will have with me 100 of my companions, and 500archers, and will sally out at the postern on the opposite side, privately, and coming behind them will fall upon their camp, which weshall find unguarded. I will take with me those who are acquaintedwith the road to Lord Charles's tent, where the two prisoners are, andwill make for that part of the camp. I can assure you that I and mycompanions will do everything in our power to bring back in safetythese two knights, if it please God. '

"This proposal was agreeable to all, and they directly separated toarm and prepare themselves. About an hour after dinner Sir Amauri andhis party set off; and having had the principal gate of Hennebonopened for them, which led to the road that went straight to the armyof Lord Charles, they rushed forward, making great cries and noise, tothe tents and huts, which they cut down, and killed all that came intheir way. The enemy was much alarmed, and putting themselves inmotion, got armed as quickly as possible, and advanced towards theEnglish and Bretons, who received them very warmly. The skirmish wassharp, and many on each side were slain. 

"When Sir Amauri perceived that almost the whole of the army was inmotion and drawn out, he retreated very handsomely, fighting all thetime, to the barriers of the town, when he suddenly halted: then thearchers, who had been posted on each side of the ditch beforehand, made such good use of their bows that the engagement was very hot, andall the army of the enemy ran thither except the servants. 

"During this time Sir Walter Manny, with his company, issued outprivily by the postern, and, making a circuit, came upon the rear ofthe enemy's camp. They were not perceived by any one, for all weregone to the skirmish upon the ditch. Sir Walter made straight for thetent of Lord Charles, where he found the two knights, Sir John Botelerand Sir Mw. Trelawney, whom he immediately mounted on two courserswhich he had ordered to be brought for them, and retiring as fast aspossible, entered Hennebon by the same way as he sallied forth. TheCountess of Montfort came to see them, and received them with greatjoy. "--_Froissart_, by Col. Johnes, vol. Ii. P. 9. 

The Butlers continued to occupy Bewsey till the year 1603, when EdwardButler sold this estate to the Irelands of Hale. It then passed fromthe Irelands to the Athertons, and is now enjoyed by Thomas Powis, Lord Lilford, of Lilford, Northamptonshire, in virtue of the marriageof his father, in the year 1797, with Henrietta Maria, daughter andheiress of Robert Vernon Atherton, of Atherton Hall, Esq. --_Vide_Baines's _Lancashire_. 

 Oh listen to my roundelay, Oh listen a while to me, And I'll tell ye of a deadly feud That fell out in the north countrie. 

 The summer leaves were fresh and green When Earl Derby forth would ride; For King Henry and his company To Lathom briskly hied. 

 A bridge he had builded fair and strong, With wondrous cost and pain, O'er Mersey's stream, by Warrington, For to meet that royal train. [6]

 And lord, and knight, and baron bold, That dwelt in this fair countrie, With the Derby train a-riding were, Save Sir John of proud Bewsey. 

 "Now foul befa' that scornfu' knight, " Cried Stanley in his pride; "For he hath my just and honest suit Discourteously denied:

 "Such hatred of our high estate, This traitor sore shall rue; I'll be avenged, or this good sword Shall rot the scabbard through!"

 He swore a furious oath, I trow, And clenched his iron hand, As he rode forth to meet his son, The monarch of merry England. 

 * * * * *

 The summer leaves were over and gone, But the ivy and yew were green, When to Bewsey hall came a jovial crew On the merry Christmas e'en. 

 It was mirth and feasting in hall and bower On that blessed and holy tide, But ere the morning light arose, There was darkness on all their pride!

 Dark wonne the night, and the revellers gay From the laughing halls are gone; The clock from the turret, old and grey, With solemn tongue tolled one. 

 The blast was moaning down the glen, Through the pitch-like gloom it came, Like a spirit borne upon demon wings To the pit of gnawing flame!

 But Sir John was at rest, with his lady love, In a pleasant sleep they lay; Nor felt the sooning, shuddering wind Round the grim, wide welkin play. 

 Their little babe, unconscious now, Lay slumbering hard by; And he smiled as the loud, loud tempest rocked His cradle wondrously. 

 There comes a gleam on the billowy moat Like a death-light on its wave, It streams from the ivied lattice, where Sits a grim false-hearted knave. 

 He saw it on the soft white snow, And across the moat it passed: "'Tis well, " said that false and grim porter, And a fearsome look he cast. 

 A look he cast so wild and grim, And he uttered a deadly vow; "For thy dool and thy doom this light shall be, Thy foes are hastening now!

 "Sleep on, sleep on, thou art weary, Sir John; Thy last sleep shall it be: Sleep on, sleep on, with thy next good sleep Thou shalt rest eternally!"

 The traitor watched the waters dance, In the taper's treacherous gleam; And they hissed, and they rose, by the tempest tossed Through that pale and lonely beam. 

 What hideous thing comes swift and dark Athwart that flickering wave? A spectre boat there seems to glide, With many an uplift glaive. 

 The bolts are unslid by that grim porter, And a gladsome man was he, When three foemen fierce strode up the stair, All trim and cautiously. 

 "Now who be ye, " cried the chamberlain, "That come with stealth and staur?" "We come to bid thy lord good den, So open to us the door. "

 "Ere I will open to thieves like ye, My limbs ye shall hew and hack. Awake, Sir John! awake and flee; These blood-hounds are on thy track!"

 "We'll stop thy crowing, pretty bird! Now flutter thy wings again:" With that they laid him a ghastly corpse, And the red blood ran amain. 

 "Oh help!" the lady shrieked aloud; "Arise, Sir John, and flee; Oh heard you not yon cry of pain Like some mortal agony?"

 "I hear it not, " Sir John replied, For his sleep was wondrous strong; "But see yon flashing weapons, sure To foemen they belong!"

 The knight from his bed leaped forth to flee, But they've pierced his body through; And with wicked hands, and weapons keen, Him piteously they slew!

 But that porter grim, strict watch he kept, Beside the stair sate he; When lo! comes tripping down a page, With a basket defterly. 

 "Now whither away, thou little page, Now whither away so fast?" "They have slain Sir John, " said the little page, "And his head in this wicker cast. "

 "And whither goest thou with that grisly head?" Cried the grim porter again, "To Warrington Bridge they bade me run, And set it up amain. "

 "There may it hang, " cried that loathly knave, "And grin till its teeth be dry; While every day with jeer and taunt Will I mock it till I die!"

 The porter opened the wicket straight, And the messenger went his way, For he little guessed of the head that now In that basket of wicker lay. 

 "We've killed the bird, but where's the egg?" Then cried those ruffians three. "Where is thy child?" The lady moaned, But never a word spake she. 

 But, swift as an arrow, to his bed The lady in terror sprung; When, oh! a sorrowful dame was she, And her hands she madly wrung. 

 "The babe is gone! Oh, spare my child, And strike my heart in twain!" To those ruthless men the lady knelt, But her piteous suit was vain. 

 "Traitor!" they cried to that grim porter, "Whom hast thou suffered forth? If thou to us art false, good lack, Thy life is little worth!"

 "There's nought gone forth from this wicket yet, " Said that grim and grisly knave, "But a little foot-page, with his master's head, That ye to his charges gave. "

 "Thou liest, thou grim and fause traitor!" Cried out those murderers three; "The head is on his carcase yet, As thou mayest plainly see!"

 When the lady heard this angry speech, Her heart waxed wondrous fain; For she knew the page was a trusty child, And her babe in his arms had lain. 

 "Where is the gowd?" said that grim porter, "The gowd ye sware unto me?" "We'll give thee all thine hire, " said they; "We play not false like thee!"

 They counted down the red, red gold, And the porter laughed outright: "Now we have paid thy service well, For thy master's blood this night;

 "For thy master's blood thou hast betrayed, We've paid thee thy desire; But for thy treachery unto us, Thou hast not had thine hire. "

 They've ta'en a cord, both stiff and strong, And they sought a goodly tree; And from its boughs the traitor swung;-- So hang all knaves like he!

 But the lady found her pretty babe;-- Ere the morning light was nigh, To the hermit's cell[7] that little page Had borne him craftily. 

 And the mass was said, and the requiem sung, And the priests, with book and stole, The body bore to its cold still bed, "Gramercy on his soul!"

 [6] "Thomas, first Earl of Derby, as a compliment to his royal relative, Henry VII. , on his visit to Lathom and Knowsley in 1496, built the bridge at Warrington; and by this munificent act conferred a benefit upon the two palatine counties, the value of which it is not easy to estimate. "--Baines's _Lancashire_. 

 [7] The Butlers, it is conjectured, were patrons of the priory of the hermit friars of St Augustine, founded before 1379, near the bridge. In 32 Henry VIII. , this institution was dissolved, and its possessions were granted to the great monastic grantee, Thomas Holcroft. --_Vide_ Tanner's _Not. Mon. _ About forty years ago the remains of a gateway of the priory stood on Friar's Green, and some years after that period a stone coffin was dug up near the same place. 

[Illustration: THE BLESSING]

THE BLESSING. 

 "I had most need of blessing, and amen Stuck in my throat. "

 --_Macbeth. _

We have been unable to identify the spot where the occurrence tookplace, the subject of the following ballad. It is in all likelihoodone of those wild and monkish legends that may be fitted or applied toany situation, according to the whim of the narrator. Many suchlegends, though the number is lessening daily, are still preserved, and an amusing volume might be made of these unappropriated wanderersthat possess neither a local habitation nor a name. 

 The chase was done--the feast was begun, When the baron sat proudly by; And the revelry rode on the clamouring wind, That swept through the hurtling sky. 

 No lordly guest that feast had blessed, No solemn prayer was said; But with ravenous hands, unthankfully, They brake their daily bread. 

 The chase was done--the feast was begun, When a palmer sat in that hall; Yet his pale dim eye from its rest ne'er rose, To gaze on that festival!

 The crackling blaze on his wan cheek plays, And athwart his gloomy brow; While his hands are spread to the rising flame, And his feet to the embers' glow. 

 For the blast was chill, o'er the mist-covered hill, And the palmer's limbs were old; And weary the way his feet had trod, Since the matin-bell had tolled. 

 The baron spake--"This morsel take, And yon pilgrim greet from me; Tell him we may not forget to share The joys of our revelry!"

 Then thus began that holy man, As he lowly bent his knee-- "I may not taste of the meat unblessed; I would 'twere so with thee. "

 "Then mumble thy charm o'er the embers warm, " That baron proud replied; "No boon from my hand shalt thou receive, Nor foaming cup from my side. "

 The palmer bowed, the giddy crowd, With mirth and unseemly jest, His meekness taunt, when he answered not, The gibe of each courtly guest. 

 The minstrel sang, the clarions rang, And the baron sat proudly there, And louder the revelry rode on the wind, That swept through the hurtling air. 

 "What tidings for me from the east countrie? What news from the Paynim land?" As the baron spake, his goblet bright He raised in his outstretched hand. 

 "There's tidings for thee from the east countrie, " The pilgrim straight replied; "A mighty chief, at a mighty feast, There sat in all his pride. "

 "'Twas wondrous well;--and what befell This chief at his lordly feast?" "A goblet was filled with the red grape's blood, And he pledged each rising guest. "

 "'Tis gladsome news;--but did they refuse The pledge they loved so well?" "Oh no; for each cup mantling forth to the brim, Did the harp and the clarion tell. "

 "And where didst thou such tidings know?" "A pilgrim told it me: And he sat on the hearth at this unblessed feast, Where he shared not the revelry, "For ere was quaffed each sparkling draught, Or the foam from the ruby wine, He dashed the cup from that baron's lip, As now I do from thine!"

 And the palmer passed by, as each goblet on high Was waved at their chief's command, But ere the cup had touched his lip, It was dashed from his lifted hand!

 "A boon from thee, on my bended knee, " The palmer boldly cried; "Seize first with speed yon traitor page Who bore the cup to thy side. "

 And the page they have bound on the cold, cold ground, And his treason he hath confessed; He had poisoned the cup with one subtle drop, Which he drew from his crimson vest. 

 And the palmer grey his treachery Had watched, when all beside In the feast were gaily revelling, Nor danger there espied. 

 "Say where didst thou the treason know?" The troubled chieftain cried; "I had blessed thy bread, I had blessed thy bowl, " The hoary man replied. 

 "And the blessing was given--the boon from heaven; Or this night from thy lordly bed Thy spirit had passed with the shuddering blast, With the loud, shrill shriek of the dead!

 "Oh! never taste the meat unblessed; Remember the palmer grey; Though he wander afar from thy castle gate, Yet forget not thy feast to-day. "

 And the pilgrim is gone from that gate alone, When prayer and vow were said; And the blessing thenceforth from that house was heard Ere they broke their daily bread. 

[Illustration: THE DULE UPO' DUN]

THE DULE UPO' DUN. 

 "Wae, wae is me, on soul an' body, Old Hornie has lifted his paw, man; An' the carle will come, an' gallop me hame, An' I maun gae pipe in his ha', man!"

 --_Old Ballad. _

For the tradition upon which the following tale is founded, the authoris indebted to _The Kaleidoscope_, an interesting weekly miscellany, published by Messrs Smith and Son at Liverpool. 

Barely three miles from Clitheroe, as you enter a small village on theright of the high road to Gisburne, stands a public-house, having forits sign the title of our story. On it is depicted his Satanicmajesty, curiously mounted upon a scraggy dun horse, without saddle, bridle, of any sort of equipments whatsoever--the terrified steedbeing off and away at full gallop from the door, where a smallhilarious tailor, with shears and measures, appears to view thedeparture of him of the cloven foot with anything but grief ordisapprobation. 

The house itself is one of those ancient, gabled, black and whiteedifices, now fast disappearing under the giant march of improvement, which tramples down alike the palace and the cottage, the peasant'shut and the patrician's dwelling. Many windows, of littlelozenge-shaped panes set in lead, might be seen here in all thevarious stages of renovation and decay: some stuffed with clouts, parti-coloured and various; others, where the work of devastation hadbeen more complete, were wholly darkened by brick-bats, coble-stones, and many other ingenious substitutes and expedients to keep out theweather. 

But our tale hath a particular bearing to other and more terrificdays--"the olden time, " so fruitful in marvels and extravagances--thevery poetry of the black art; when Satan communed visibly and audiblywith the children of men--thanks to the invokers of relics and thetellers of beads--and was so familiar and reasonable withal, as toargue and persuade men touching the propriety of submitting themselvesto him, as rational and intelligent creatures; and even was sillyenough, at times, to suffer himself to be outwitted by the greatersagacity and address of his intended victims. For proof, we cite thefollowing veracious narrative, which bears within it every internalmark of truth, and matter for grave and serious reflection. 

"Little Mike, " or more properly Michael Waddington, was a merry tailorof some note in his day, who formerly, that is to say, some eight ornine score years ago--dwelt in this very tenement, where he followedhis profession, except when enticed by the smell of good liquor to thevillage alehouse--the detriment, and even ruin, of many a goodlypiece of raiment, which at times he clipped and shaped in such wise asredounded but little to the credit of either wearer or artificer. Mikewas more alive to a merry troll and graceless story, in the kitchen ofmine host "at the inn, " than to the detail of his own shopboard, withthe implements of his craft about him, making and mending the oddlyassorted adjuncts of the village churls. Such was his liking forpastime and good company that the greater part of his earnings wentthrough the tapster's melting pot; and grieved are we, as veritablechroniclers, to state that it was not until even credit failed him, that he settled to work for another supply of the elixir vitæ--thepabulum of his being. It may be supposed that matters went on butindifferently at home, where want and poverty had left indelibletraces of their presence. Matty Waddington, his spouse, would have hadhard work to make both ends meet had she not been able to scrapetogether a few pence and broken victuals by selling firewood, andhelping her neighbours with any extra work that was going forward. Yet, in general, she bore all her troubles and privations with greatpatience and good humour--at any rate in the presence of her husband, who, though an idler and a spendthrift, was, to say the truth, notviciously disposed towards her, like many beastly sots, but, on thecontrary, he usually behaved with great deference and kindness to hisunfortunate helpmate in all things but that of yielding to hisbesetting sin; having an unquenchable thirst for good liquor, whichall his resolutions and vows of amendment could not withstand. 

One evening the little hero of our story was at his usual pastime inthe public-house, but his "cup was run low, " and his credit stilllower. In fact, both cash and credit were finished; his liquor waswithin a short pull from the bottom; and he sat ruminating on thedoleful emergencies to which he was subject, and the horrible spectresthat would assail him on the morrow, in the shape of sundry rivendoublets and hose, beside rents and repairs innumerable, which hadbeen accumulating for some weeks, to the no small inconvenience andexposure of their owners and former occupiers. 

"I wish I were the squire's footman, or e'en his errand-boy, and couldget a sup of good liquor without riving and tuggin' for't, " thought healoud. Scarce were the words uttered, when there came a mighty civilstranger into the company, consisting of village professors of thearts, such as the barber, the blacksmith, and the bell-ringer, together with our knight of the iron thimble. The new-comer wasdressed in a respectable suit of black; a wig of the same colouradorned his wide and ample head, which was again surmounted by apeaked hat, having a band and buckle above its brim, and a black rosein front. He looked an elderly and well-ordered gentleman, mightyspruce, and full of courtesy; and his cane was black as ebony, with ayellow knob that glittered like gold. He had a huge beaked nose, and alittle black ferrety eye, which almost pierced what it gazed upon. Every one made way for the stranger, who sat down, not in the fullglare of the fire to be sure, but rather on one side, so that he mighthave a distinct view of the company, without being himself subject toany scrutinising observances. 

"Pleasant night abroad, " said the new-comer. 

"Pleasanter within though, " responded every thought. 

"It's moonlight, I reckon, " said Mike, who was just meditating overhis last draught, and his consequent departure from this bibaciousparadise. 

"Nay, friend, " said the black gentleman, "but the stars shine outrarely; and the snow lies so bright and crisp like, ye may seeeverything afore ye as plain as Pendle. Landlord, bring me a cup ofthe best; and put a little on the fire to warm, with some sugar, forit's as cold as a raw turnip to one's stomach. "

"Humph!" said mine host, testily; "it's a good-for-nothin' bellythat'll not warm cold ale. "

"It's good-for-nothin' ale, Giles, thee means, that'll not warm a cowdbelly, " said one of the wits of the party, a jolly young blacksmith, an especial favourite amongst the lasses and good fellows of theneighbourhood. 

"Nay, the dickens!" said another; "Giles Chatburn's ale would warm theseat of old cloven-foot himsel';" and with that there were roars oflaughing, in which, however, the stranger did not participate. Mikewondered that so good a joke should not have its due effect upon him;and many other notable things were said and done which we have neitherspace nor inclination to record, but the stranger still maintained hisgrave and unaccountable demeanour. Mike ever and anon cast a glancetowards him, and he always observed that the stranger's eye was fixedupon his own. A dark, bright, burning eye, such as made the recreanttailor immediately look aside, for he could not endure its brightness. 

Mike began to grow restless and uncomfortable. He changed his place, but the glance of the stranger followed him. It was like the gaze of aportrait, which, in whatever situation the beholder may be placed, isalways turned towards him. It may readily be supposed that MichaelWaddington, though not averse to being looked at in the ordinary way, did not relish this continued and searching sort of disposition on thepart of the gentleman in black. Several times he was on the point ofspeaking, but his heart always failed him as the word reached his lip. 

His liquor was now done, but he was not loth to depart as beforetime;for at any rate, he should be quit of the annoyance he had so longendured. He arose with less regret assuredly than usual; and just ashe was passing the doorway he cast a look round over his shoulder, andbeheld the same fixed, unflinching eye gazing on him. He jumpedhastily over the threshold, and was immediately on his road home. Hehad not been gone more than a few minutes when he heard a sharpfootstep on the crisp snow behind him. Turning round, he saw the darktall peak of the stranger's hat, looking tenfold darker, almostpreternaturally black, on the white background, as he approached. Mikefelt his hair bristling through terror. His knees, usually bentsomewhat inwards, now fairly smote together, so that he could notaccelerate his pace, and the stranger was quickly at his side. 

"Thou art travelling homewards, I trow, " said he of the black peak. Mike made some barely intelligible reply. "I know it, " returned theother. "But why art thou leaving so soon?"

"My money's done, an' credit too, for that matter, " tardily repliedthe tailor. 

"And whose fault's that?" returned his companion. "Thou mayest haveriches, and everything else, if thou wilt be advised by me. "

Mike stared, as well he might, at the dark figure by his side. Theidea of wealth without labour was perfectly new to him, and heventured to ask how this very desirable object might be accomplished. 

"Listen. Thou art a poor miserable wretch, and canst hardly earn alivelihood with all thy toil. Is't not a pleasant thing and adesirable, however procured, to obtain wealth at will, and everyhappiness and delight that man can enjoy?"

Michael's thirsty lips watered at the prospect, notwithstanding hisdread of the black gentleman at his elbow. 

"I was once poor and wretched as thou. But I grew wiser, and--unlimited wealth is now at my command. "

There was an awful pause; the stranger apparently wishful to know theeffect of this mysterious communication. The liquorish tailor listenedgreedily, expecting to hear of the means whereby his condition wouldbe so wonderfully amended. 

"Hast thou never heard of those who have been helped by the powers ofdarkness to"----

"Save us, merci"----

"Hold!" said the peremptory stranger, seizing Mike rudely by thewrist. "Another such outcry, and I will leave thee to thy seams andpatches; to starve, or linger on, as best thou mayst. "

Michael promised obedience, and his companion continued--

"There is no such great harm or wickedness in it as people suppose. Quite an ordinary sort of proceeding, I assure thee; and such an oneas thou mayst accomplish in a few minutes, with little trouble orinconvenience. "

"Tell me the wondrous secret, " said Michael eagerly, who, in theglowing prospect thus opened out to him, felt all fear of hiscompanion giving way. 

"Well, then; thou mayst say two aves, the creed, and thy paternosterbackwards thrice, and call upon the invisible demon to appear, when hewill tell thee what thou shalt do. "

Michael felt a strange thrill come over him at these fearful words. Helooked at his companion, but saw not anything more notable than thehigh-peaked hat, and the huge beaked nose, as before. By this timethey were close upon his own threshold, and Michael was just debatingwithin himself upon the propriety of asking his companion to enter, when his deliberations were cut short by the other saying he hadbusiness of importance a little farther; and with that he bade himgood night. 

Michael spent the remaining hours of darkness in tossing andrumination; but in the end the gratifying alternative between wealthand poverty brought his deliberations to a close. He determined tofollow the advice and directions of the stranger. There could be noharm in it. He only intended to inquire how such wealth might bepossessed; but if in any way diabolical or wicked, he would not needto have anything further to do in the matter. Thus reasoning, and thuspredetermined how to act, our self-deluded stitcher of seams bent hisway, on the following forenoon, to a solitary place near the river, where he intended to perform the mighty incantation. Yet, when hetried to begin, his stomach felt wondrous heavy and oppressed. Hetrembled from head to foot, and sat down for some time to recruit hiscourage. The words of the stranger emboldened him. 

"'Quite an ordinary business, '" said he; and Mike went to work withhis lesson, which he had been conning as he went. Scarcely was thelast word of this impious incantation uttered, when a roaring clap ofthunder burst above him, and the arch enemy of mankind stood beforethe panic-stricken tailor. 

"Why hast thou summoned me hither?" said the infernal monarch, in avoice like the rushing wind or the roar of the coming tempest. ButMichael could not speak before the fiend. 

"Answer me--and truly, " said the demon. This miserable fraction of aman now fell on his knees, and in a most piteous accent exclaimed--

"Oh! oh! mercy. I did not--I--want--nothing!"

"Base, audacious slave! Thou art telling me an untruth, and thouknowest it. Show me thy business instantly, or I will carry thee offto my dominions without further ado. "

At this threat the miserable mortal prostrated himself, a tardyconfession being wrung from him. 

"Oh! pardon. Thou knowest my poverty and my distress. I want riches, and--and"----

"Good!" said the demon, with a horrible smile. "'Tis what ye are everhankering after. Every child of Adam doth cry with insatiate thirst, 'Give--give!' But hark thee! 'tis thine own fault if thou art notrich, and that speedily. I will grant thee _three_ wishes: use them asthou wilt. "

Now the rogue was glad when he heard this gracious speech, and in thefulness of his joy exclaimed--

"Bodikins! but I know what my first wish will be; and I'se not wantother two. "

"How knowest thou that?" said the demon, with a look of contumely andscorn so wild and withering that Michael started back in great terror. 

"Before this favour is granted though, " continued the fiend, "there isa small matter by way of preliminary to be settled. "

"What is that?" inquired the trembling novice with increasingdisquietude and alarm. 

"A contract must be signed, and delivered too. "

"A contract! Dear me; and for what?"

"For form's sake merely; no more, I do assure thee--a slightacknowledgment for the vast benefits I am bound to confer. To wit, that at the end of seven years thou wilt bear me company. "

"Me!" cried the terrified wretch; "nay, then, keep thy gifts tothyself; I'll none o' them on this condition. "

"Wretched fool!" roared the infuriate fiend; at the sound of which theculprit fairly tumbled backward. "Sign this contract, or thou shaltaccompany me instantly. Ay, this very minute: for know, that every onewho calls on me is delivered into my power; and think thyself welldealt with when I offer thee an alternative. Thou hast the chance ofwealth, honour, and prosperity if thou sign this bond. If thou do not, I will have thee whether or no--that's all. What sayest thou?" and theapostate angel spread forth his dark wings, and seemed as though readyto pounce upon his unresisting victim. 

In a twinkling, Michael decided that it would be much better to signthe bond and have the possession of riches, with seven years to enjoythem in, than be dragged off to the burning pit immediately, withoutany previous enjoyment whatsoever. Besides, in that seven years whoknew what might turn up in his favour. 

"I consent, " said he; and the arch-enemy produced his bond. A drop ofblood, squeezed from the hand of his victim, was the medium of thisfearful transfer; and instantly on its execution another clap ofthunder announced the departure of Satan with the price of anothersoul in his grasp. 

Michael was now alone. He could hardly persuade himself that he hadnot been dreaming. He looked at his finger, where a slight wound wasstill visible, from which a drop of blood still hung--a terribleconfirmation of his fears. 

Returning home, sad and solitary, he attempted to mount to his usualplace, but even this exertion was more than he could accomplish. Oneblack and burning thought tormented him, and he sat down by his owncheerless hearth, more cheerless than he had ever felt before. Mattywas preparing dinner; but it was a meagre and homely fare--a littleoaten bread, and one spare collop which had been given her by aneighbour. Scanty as was the meal, it was better than the humbleviands which sometimes supplied their board. Matty knew not the realcause of her husband's dumps, supposing it to be the usual workings ofremorse, if not repentance, to which Mike was subject whenever hispocket was empty and the burning spark in his throat unquenched. Sheinvited him to partake, but he could not eat. He sat with eyeshalf-shut, fixed on the perishing embers, and replied not to theremonstrances of his dame. 

"Why, Mike, I say, " cried the kind-hearted woman, "what ails thee?Cheer up, man, and finish thy collop. Thou mayest fret about it asthou likes, but thou cannot undo a bad stitch by wishing. If it willmake thee better for time to come, though, I'll not grumble. Come, come, goodman, if one collop winna content thee, I wish we'd two, that's all. "

Scarce was the last word from her lips, when lo! a savoury and smokingrasher was laid on the table by some invisible hand. Michael wasroused from his lethargy by this unlucky wish. Darting a terrifiedlook on the morsel, he cried out--

"Woman, woman! what hast thou done? I wish thou wert far enough forthy pains. "

Immediately she disappeared--whisked off by the same invisible hands;but whither he could not tell. 

"Oh me--oh me!" cried the afflicted tailor at this double mishap;"what shall I do now? I shall assuredly starve; and yet I've one wishleft. Humph, I'd better be wary in making it though. Best take time toconsider, lest I throw this needlessly after the rest. "

Mike could not make up his mind as to what he would have, nor indeedcould he bend down his thoughts steadfastly to any subject. He was ina continual flutter. His brain was in a whirl. He looked round forsome relief. The house was in sad disorder, and he thought on hisabsent wife. 

"Dear me, " thought he, as he fetched a scrap of wood to the fire, "Iwish Matty were here;" and his wife was immediately at his side. 

Mike, now grown desperate, revealed to her the fearful cause of thesedisasters, and the utter failure of any beneficial results from thethree wishes. 

"We be just as we were, " said he, "save that I've sold mysel', bodyand soul, to the Evil One!"

Here he began to weep and lament very sore; and his wife was so muchovercome at the recital that she was nigh speechless through theanguish she endured. 

At length her tears began to lose their bitterness. 

"It's no use greetin' at this gait, " said she; "hie thee to theparson, Michael, an' see if he canna quit thee o' this bond. "

"Verily, " said the poor tailor, with a piteous sigh, "that would beleapin' out o' t' gutter into t' ditch. I should be burnt for ahe-witch an' a limb o' the de'il. I've yet seven years' respite fromtorment, an' that would be to throw even these precious morsels away. E'en let's tarry as we are, an' make the best on't. This comes ofidleness and drink; but if ever I put foot across Giles's doorstoneagain, I wish--nay, it's no use wishing now, I've had enough o' sichthriftless work for a bit. But I'll be sober an' mind my work, andspend nothing idly, an' who knows but some plan or another may be hiton to escape. "

Now his disconsolate wife was much rejoiced at this determination, andcould not help saying--

"Who knows? perhaps it was for good, Mike, that this distress happenedthee. "

He shook his head; but his resolution was made, and he adhered to itin spite of the sneers and temptations of his former associates, whooften tried to lead him on to the same vicious courses again. He hadreceived a warning that he never forgot. The memory of it stuck to himnight and day; and he would as soon have thought of thrusting his handinto the glowing coals as have entered Giles Chatburn's hovel again. He was truly an altered man, but his wife was the first to feelbenefited by the change. He had plenty of work, and money came inapace. The house was cleaned and garnished. There was abundance ofvictuals, and a jug of their own brewing. He rarely stirred out but towait upon his customers, and then he came home as soon as the job wascompleted. But there was an appearance of melancholy and dejectioncontinually about him. He looked wan and dispirited. Time was rapidlypassing by, and the last of the seven years was now ebbing away. 

One night, as they were sitting a while after supper, he fetched aheavy sigh. 

"It is but a short time I have to live, " said he. 

"Nay, " said the dame, let's hope that Heaven will not let thee fall aprey to His enemy and ours. Besides thou hast gotten nothing from himfor thy bargain. It cannot be expected, therefore, that the olddeceiver can claim any recompense. "

Mike shook his head, and looked incredulous. 

"Sure as there's wind i' Meg's entry he'll come for his own. I've beenconsidering that I'd best go to the old man that lives in the cave bySally. He'll maybe give me some advice how to act when the timecomes. "

This suggestion met with his wife's approval; and the next morningour disconsolate hero was on his way to the "hermit" of the cave. Theholy recluse had been long famed through that region for his kindnessand attention to the wants of those who sought help and counsel; andMichael thought no harm could come of it, even though he might beunable to circumvent the designs of the arch-enemy. 

His dwelling was by the river-side, in a little hut, the back ofwhich, the goodman's oratory, was scooped out in a circular form fromthe bank. 

"Holy father, " said the tailor, on entering the cell, "I crave thybenison. "

The anchorite, who was on his knees before a crucifix, did not speakuntil he had finished his devotions. He then rose and pronounced theusual benedictory welcome. 

"So far all is well, " thought Mike; "I've got one blow at the devilanyhow. "

The holy father was very old, but he was hale and active. His whitesilky beard almost touched his girdle, and his sharp though rheumyeyes peered inquisitively on the person of his guest. 

"What is thine errand, my son?" inquired the recluse. 

"I have fallen into a grievous temptation, and would crave yoursuccour and advice. "

"Heaven wills it oft, my son, that we fall into divers extremities tohumble us, and to show the folly and weakness of our hearts. What isthy trouble and thy petition?"

"Alas!" said the other, weeping, "I have been face to face with thefather of lies, and I have suffered much damage therefrom. "

"Thou hast not been tampering with forbidden arts, I hope?"

"Truly, that have I, and to my soul's cost, I fear, " said the tailor, with a groan of heartrending despair. 

"Thy sin is great, my son; but so likewise is the remedy. Heavenwilleth not a sinner's death, if he turn again to Him with repentanceand contrition of spirit. I trust thou hast not trifled with thysoul's welfare by taking and using any of the gifts whereby the oldserpent layeth hold on the souls of men?"

"Verily, nay; but he frightened me into the signing of a terriblebond, wherein I promised, that after seven years were past and gone Iwould be his!"

"Thy danger is terrible indeed. But he gave thee some equivalent forthe bargain? thou didst not sell thyself for nought?" said the hermit, fixing his eye sternly on the trembling penitent; "and now, when thouhast wasted the price of thy condemnation, thou comest for help; andthou wouldest even play at cheatery with the devil!"

"Nay, most reverend father, " said Michael, wiping his eyes; "never agift have I had from the foul fiend, save a bacon collop, and that wascast out untouched. " And with that he told of the manner in which hewas inveigled, and the scurvy trick which the deceiver had played him. 

"Verily, there is hope, " said the holy man, after musing a while; "yetis it a perilous case, and only to be overcome by prayer and fasting. If thou seek help sincerely, I doubt not that a way will be made forthine escape. Listen;--it is never permitted that the enemy of ourrace should reap the full benefit of the advantage which otherwise hissuperior duplicity and intelligence would enable him to obtain. Therewas never yet bond or bargain made by him, but, in one way or another, it might be set aside, and the foul fiend discomfited. It may bedifficult, I own; and advice is not easily rendered in this matter:but trust in the power of the All-powerful, and thou shalt not beovercome. Wisdom, I doubt not, shall be vouchsafed in this extremity, if thou apply anxiously and earnestly for it, seeking deliverance, andrepenting of thy great wickedness which thou hast committed. "

With these and many other gracious words did the benevolent enthusiastencourage this doomed mortal; and though heavy and disconsolateenough, he returned more light-hearted than he came. 

The time now drew near. The very week--the day--the hour, was come;and when the sun should have climbed to the meridian Michael knew thathe would have to face the cunning foe who had beguiled him. His wifewould have tarried; but he peremptorily forbade. He would not bedisturbed in his intercessions. All that morning, withoutintermission, he supplicated for wisdom and strength in the ensuingconflict. He had retired to a little chamber at one end of the house, and here he secured himself to prevent intrusion. 

Noon was scarcely come when, true to the engagement, a loudthunder-clap announced the approach and presence of this terrificbeing. 

"I am glad to find, " said he, "that thou art ready. "

"I am not ready, " replied the trembling victim. 

"How!" roared the sable chief, with a voice that shook the wholehouse, like the passage of an earthquake; "dost thou deny the pledge?darest thou gainsay this bond?"

"True enough, " replied the debtor, "I signed that contract; but it waswon from me by fraud and dishonest pretences. "

"Base, equivocating slave! how darest thou mock me thus? Thou hadstthy wishes; the conditions have been fulfilled, ay, to the letter. "

"I fear me, " again said the victim, who felt his courage wonderfullysupported, "that thou knewest I should never be a pin the richer orbetter for thy gifts; and thine aim was but to flatter and to cheat. It is not in thy power, I do verily believe, to grant me riches or anygreat thing that I might wish; so thou didst prompt, and, in a manner, force me to those vain wishes, unthinkingly, by which I have beenbeguiled. "

"Dost thou doubt, then, my ability in this matter? Know that thy mostunbounded wishes would have been accomplished, else I release theefrom this bond. "

"I say, and will vouch for 't, that all thy promises are lying cheats, and that thou couldst not give me a beggarly bodle, if thou wert tolay down thy two horns for it; so I demand my bond, according to thypledge. "

"To show thee that I can keep this bond, even conformably to the termsof my own offer just now, and thy pitiful carcase to boot, I'll e'engrant thee another wish, that thou mayest be satisfied thou art pastall hope of redemption. Said I not, that if I could not fulfil anywish of thine, even to the compass of all possible things, and theriches of this great globe itself, I would release thee from thisbond?"

"Yea, " said Michael, with an eager assent. 

"Then wish once more; and mind that it be no beggarly desire. Wish tothe very summit of wealth, or the topmost pinnacle of thy ambition, for it shall be given thee. "

"Then, " said the tailor hastily, as though fearful the word would notcome forth quick enough from his lips, "I wish thou wert riding backagain to thy quarters on yonder dun horse, and never be able toplague me again, or any other poor wretch whom thou hast gotten intothy clutches. "

The demon gave a roar loud enough to be heard to the very antipodes, and away went he, riveted to the back of this very dun horse, whichMichael had seen through the window grazing quietly in the lane, little suspecting the sort of jockey that was destined to bestridehim. The tailor ran to the door to watch his departure, almost besidehimself for joy at this happy riddance. Dancing and capering into thekitchen, where his wife was almost dying through terror, he related, as soon as he was able, the marvellous story of his deliverance. 

He relapsed not into his former courses, but lived happily to a goodold age, leaving behind him at his death good store of this world'sgear, which, as he had no children, was divided amongst his poorerrelatives. One of them having purchased the house where the tailordwelt, set up the trade of a tapster therein, having for his sign"_The Dule upo' Dun_;" which to this day attests the truth of ourtradition, and the excellence of "mine host's" cheer. 

WINDLESHAW ABBEY. 

 "Adieu, fond love; farewell, you wanton powers; I'm free again. Thou dull disease of bloud and idle hours, Bewitching pain, Fly to fools that sigh away their time: My nobler love to heaven doth climb; And there behold beauty still young, That time can ne'er corrupt, nor death destroy; Immortal sweetness by fair angels sung, And honoured by eternity and joy: There lies my love, thither my hopes aspire; Fond loves decline, this heavenly love grows higher. "

 --BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER. 

This ruined chapel--"abbey" it is generally styled--is about a miledistant from St Helen's. Little remains now but the belfry, with itsluxuriant covering of dark ivy, still preserving it from destruction. More than half a century ago, some ruffian hand nearly severed thestem from the root, but happily without material injury, the incisionbeing incomplete. The burial-ground, formerly open, is now enclosed bya stone wall; and on the south side is a stone cross with three steps. The whole area has a reputation of great sanctity; many of those whodie in the Romish faith, even beyond the immediate neighbourhood, being brought hither for interment. 

There are no records, that we can find, of its foundation; but it maybe suspected that the place was dedicated to St Thomas; for close byis a well of that name, unto which extraordinary virtues are ascribed. 

The chapel was but small; not more than twelve yards in length, andabout three in width; the tower scarcely eight yards high. Itsinsignificance probably may account for the obscurity in which itsorigin is involved. 

It fell into disuse after the Dissolution; and its final ruin tookplace during the civil wars of Charles I. 

Autumn was lingering over the yellow woods. The leaves, fluttering ontheir shrivelled stems, seemed ready to fall with every breath. Darkand heavy was the dull atmosphere--a melancholy stillness that seemedto pervade and surround every object--a deceitful calm, forerunner ofthe wild and wintry storms about to desolate and to destroy eventhese flickering emblems of decay. At times a low murmur would breakforth, dying away through the deep woods, like some spirit of pastages wakening from her slumber, or the breath of hoary Time sighingthrough the ruin he had created. 

[Illustration: WINDLESHAW ABBEY. _Drawn by G. Pickering. __Engraved by Edw^d Finden. _]

There is something indescribably solemn and affecting in the firsttouches and emblems of the year that has "fallen into the sear andyellow leaf. " Like the eventide of life, it is a season when the gayand glittering promises of another spring are past; when the fervourand the maturity of summer are ended; when cold and monotonous dayscreep on; and we look with another eye, and other perceptions, on allthat surrounds us. Yet there is a feeling of gladness and of hopemingling with our regrets in the one case, which cannot exist in theother. Autumn, though succeeded by the darkness and dreariness ofwinter, is but the womb of another spring. That bright season will berenewed; our own, never!

Perhaps it might be feelings akin to these which arrested thefootsteps of an individual, who, though little past the spring-tideand youthful ardour of his existence, was yet not disinclined toanticipate another period characterised by the autumnal tokens ofdecay visible on every object around him. 

He stood by the deserted chapel of Windleshaw. Time had then but justbegun to show the first traces of his power. The building was yetuninjured, save the interior, which was completely despoiled, thewalls grey with lichen, and hoary with the damps of age. The ivy wastwining round the belfry, but its thin arms then embraced only a smallportion of the exterior. A single yew-tree threw its dark and gloomyshade over the adjacent tombs; the long rank herbage bending overthem, and dripping heavily with the moist atmosphere. An ancient crossstood in the graveyard, of a date probably anterior to that of themain building. A relic or commemoration, it might be, of some holy manwho had there ministered to the semi-barbarous hordes, aboriginalconverts to the Catholic faith. 

It was in the autumn of the year 1644. Wars and tumults were abroad, and Lancashire drained the cup of bitterness even to the dregs. Theinfatuated king was tottering on his throne; even the throne itselfwas nigh overturned in the general conflict. A short time before thedate of our story, the Earl of Derby and Prince Rupert, having broughtthe siege of Bolton and Liverpool to a satisfactory issue--shortlyafter the gallant defence of the Countess at Lathom House--were thenreposing from their toils at that fortress. The prince, remotelyallied to the noble dame, lay there with his train; and was treatednot only with the respect and consideration due to his rank, butlikewise with a feeling of gratitude for his timely succour to thedistressed lady and her brave defenders. After a short stay, theprince marched to York, which was closely besieged by the Earl ofManchester and Sir Thomas Fairfax, and as vigorously and obstinatelydefended by the Marquis of Newcastle. On the approach of PrinceRupert, the Parliamentary generals raised the siege, and, drawing offtheir forces to Marston Moor, offered battle to the Royalists. Herethe prince, whose martial disposition was not sufficiently temperedwith prudence, unfortunately accepted the enemy's challenge, andobscured the lustre of his former victories by sustaining a totaloverthrow, thereby putting the king's cause into great jeopardy. Thefollowing extract from the "Perfect Diurnall" of the 9th of July 1644, will show the estimation in which this great victory was held by theParliament, and the extent and importance of the results:--

"This day Captain Stewart came from the Leaguer at York with a letterof the whole state of the late fight and routing of Prince Rupert, sent by the three generals to the Parliament. The effect whereof wasthis:--'That, understanding Prince Rupert was marching against themwith 20, 000 men, horse and foot, the whole army arose from the siege, and marched to Long Marston Moor, four or five miles from York; andthe prince, having notice of it, passed with his army the byway ofBurrow Bridge; that they could not hinder his passage to York, whereupon our army marched to Todcaster, to prevent his goingsouthward; but before the van was within a mile of Todcaster, it wasadvertised that the prince was in the rear in Marston Moor, with anaddition of 6000 of the Earl of Newcastle's forces, and was possessedof the best places of advantage both for ground and wind. The rightwing of our horse was commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax, which consistedof his whole cavalry and three regiments of the Scots horse; next untothem was drawn up the right wing of the foot, consisting of the LordFairfax and his foot and two brigades of the Scots foot for a reserve:and so the whole armies put into a battalia. The battle being begun, at the first some of our horse were put into disorder; but, rallyingagain, we fell on with our whole body, killed and took their chiefofficers, and took most part of their standards and colours, 25 piecesof ordnance, near 130 barrels of powder, 10, 000 arms, two waggons ofcarbines and pistols, killed 3000, and 1500 prisoners taken. '"

Prince Rupert with great precipitation drew off the remains of hisarmy, and retired into Lancashire. In a few days York was surrenderedto the Parliamentary forces, and the garrison marched out with all thehonours of war. Fairfax, occupying the city, established hisgovernment through the county, and sent 1000 horse into Lancashire tojoin with the Parliamentary forces in that quarter, and attend themotions of Prince Rupert. The Scottish army marched northwards aftertheir victory, in order to join the Earl of Calendar, who wasadvancing with 10, 000 additional forces; and likewise to reduce thetown of Newcastle, which they took by storm. The Earl of Manchester, with Cromwell, --to whom the fame of this great victory was chieflyascribed, and who was wounded in the action, --returned to the easternassociation in order to recruit his army. [8]

Such were some of the fruits of this important victory, and such theaspect of affairs at the time when our narrative commences;--thefortunes and persons of the Royalists, or _malignants_ as they werecalled by the opposite party, being in great jeopardy, especially inthe northern counties. 

The individual before-named was loitering about in the cemetery of thechapel, where the bodies of many of the faithful who die in the armsof the mother church are still deposited, under the impression orexpectancy that their clay shall imbibe the odour of sanctity thereby. The stranger, for such he appeared, was muscular and well-formed. Hisheight was not above, but rather below, the middle size. A bright fulleye gave an ardour to his look not at all diminished by the generalcast and expression of his features, which betokened a brave and manlyspirit, scorning subterfuge and disguise, and almost disdaining thetemporary concealment he was forced to adopt. A wide cloak was wrappedabout his person, surmounted by a slouched high-crowned hat, with arose in front, by way of decoration. His boots, ornamented with hugeprojecting tops, were turned down just below the calf of the leg, above which his breeches terminated in stuffed rolls, or fringes, after the fashion of the time. A light sword hung loosely from hisbelt; and a pair of pistols, beautifully inlaid, were exhibited infront. Despite of his somewhat grotesque habiliments, there was an airof dignity, perhaps haughtiness, in his manner, which belied thecharacter of his present disguise. He walked slowly on, apparently indeep meditation, till, on turning round the angle of the tower, he wassomewhat startled from his reverie on beholding an open grave, at ashort distance, just about to be completed. Clods of heavy clay wereat short intervals thrown out by the workman, concealed fromobservation by the depth to which he had laboured. After a moment'spause, the cavalier cautiously approached the brink, and beheld astrange-looking being, with sleeves tucked up to the shoulders, busilyengaged in this interesting and useful avocation. 

"Good speed, friend!" said the stranger, addressing the emissary ofdeath within. The grim official raised his head for a moment, toobserve who it was that accosted him; but without vouchsafing a reply, he again resumed his work, throwing out the clods with redoubledenergy, to the great annoyance of the inquirer. 

"Whose grave is this?" he asked again, perseveringly, determined toprovoke him to an answer. 

"The first fool's that asks!" shouted the man from below, withoutceasing from his repulsive toil. 

"Nay, friend; ye do not dig for a man ere he be dead in this pitifulcountry of thine?"

"And why not? there's many a head on a man's nape to-day that will beon his knees to-morrow!"

"Then do ye rig folks out with graves here upon trust?"

"Nay, " said the malicious-looking replicant, holding up a long leanphalanx of bony fingers; "pay to-day, trust to-morrow, as t' old ladat the tavern says. "

"What! is thy trade so dainty of subjects? Are men become weary o'dying of late, that ye must need make tombs for the living? I'll havethee to the justice, sirrah, for wicked malice aforethought, andmisprision. "

Here this hideous ghoul burst forth with a laugh so fearful andportentous that even the cavalier was startled by its peculiarlyfierce and almost unearthly expression. The mouth drawn to one side, the wide flat forehead, projecting cheek-bones, and pointed chin, sufficiently characterised him as labouring under that sort ofimbecility not seldom unmixed with a tact and shrewdness that seem tobe characteristic of this species of disease and deformity. He set onefoot on the mattock, ceasing from his labours whilst he cried out, winking significantly with half-shut eyes--

 "When the owl hoots, and the crow cries caw, I can tell a maiden from a jackdaw. "

Here he began whistling and humming by turns, with the most consummateand provoking indifference. The stranger was evidently disconcerted bythis unexpected mode of address, apparently meditating a retreat, fromwhere even victory would have been a poor triumph. He was turningaway, when a drop of blood fell on his hand! This disastrous omen, with the grave yawning before him--the narrow dwelling, which, according to the prediction of the artificer, was preparing for hisreception--discomposed the cavalier exceedingly, and, in alllikelihood, rendered him the more easily susceptible to subsequentimpressions. 

"Art boun' for Knowsley?" inquired the hunchbacked sexton. 

"Peradventure I may have an errand thither; but I am a wayfaring man, and have business with the commissioners in these parts. " There was atone of conscious evasion in this reply which did not pass unheeded bythe inquirer. 

"If thou goest in at the door, " said he, "mind thee doesn't come outfeet foremost, good master wayfarer!" He quickly changed his tone tomore of seriousness than before. "Thou art not safe. Hie thee toLathom. "

"'Tis beleaguered again. The earl being away at his kingdom of Man, the hornets are buzzing about his nest. There seems now noresting-place, as aforetime, for unlucky travellers. "

"For who?" shouted the sexton, climbing out of his grave withsurprising agility. He fixed his eyes on the cavalier, as though itwere the aspect of recognition. He then hummed the following distich, a favourite troll amongst the republican party at that period:--

 "The battle was foughten; the prince ran away. Did ever ye see sic' a race, well-a-day?"

The stranger, turning from his tormentor, was about to depart; but hewas not destined to rid himself so readily from the intruder. 

"And so being shut out from Lathom, thou be'st a cockhorse forKnowsley. Tush! a blind pedlar, ambling on a nag, might know theewhile he was a-winking. "

"Know me!" said the cavalier;--"why--whom thinkest thou that I be?Truly there be more gowks in our good dukedom of Lancaster than eithergoshawks or hen-sparrows. I am one of little note, and my name notworth the spelling. " He assumed an air of great carelessness andindifference, not unmingled with a haughty glance or two, whilst hespoke; but the persevering impertinent would not be withstood. Anotherlaugh escaped him, shrill and portentous as before, and he approachednearer, inquiring in a half-whisper--

"Where's thine uncle?"

"Whom meanest thou?"

"He waits for thee at Oxford, man; but he may wait while his porridgecools, I trow: and so good den. "

The cunning knave was marching off with his mattock, when thecavalier, recovering from his surprise, quickly seized him by thehigher shoulder. 

"Stay, knave; thou shalt tarry here a while, until thou and I arebetter acquainted. Another step, and this muzzle shall help thee onthine errand. "

"And who'll pay the messenger?" said the undaunted and ready-wittedrogue, not in the least intimidated by the threat, and the mouth of ahuge pistol at his breast. "Put it by--put it by, friend, and I'llanswer thee; but while that bull-dog is unmuzzled thou shalt get nevera word from Steenie Ellison. "

"Thou knowest of some plot a-hatching, " said the stranger, puttingaside the weapon. Another drop fell on his hand. 

"I know not, " said the sexton, doggedly. 

"Thy meaning, then?" returned the stranger, with great vehemence;"for, o' my life, thou stirrest not until thou hast explained thenature of these allusions. "

With a shrill cry and a fleet footstep the other bounded away from hisinterrogator like some swift hound, and was out of sight instantly. Retreating with some precipitation, the cavalier bent his steps fromthe graveyard towards a little hostelrie close by, where it appears hehad taken up his abode for a few days along with a companion, whosesole use and business on their journey seemed to be that of protectinga huge pair of saddle-bags and other equipments for their travel, under a mulberry-coloured cloak of more than ordinary dimensions. They had journeyed from Preston thitherwards; their intended routebeing for Knowsley, and so forward to the coast. Whether their motivefor so long a stay at this obscure and homely tavern could be tracedto the bright eyes and beautiful image of mine host's daughter--aluminary round which they were fluttering to their own destruction--orthat they merely sought concealment, it were difficult to guess. Theostensible object of their journey was to take shipping for Ireland, being bound thither on some commercial enterprise, for the furtheranceof which they expected to pass unmolested, being men of peaceablepursuits, who left the trade of fighting to those that hoped to thrivethereby. Such was the general tenor of their converse; but there weresome who suspected that the widely-extolled beauty of Marian mighthave some remote connection with the continuance of these guests; andtheir long stay at the inn was regarded with a jealous eye. So wellknown was the beauteous Marian, "the fair maid of Windleshaw, " thatthe present residence of the cavaliers, if such they were, was theworst that could have been chosen for concealment; inasmuch as herfame drew many customers to the tap who otherwise would have eschewedso humble a halting-place as that of Nathan Sumner. 

Thoughtful, and with a show of vexation upon his features, thestranger entered the house, where breakfast was already prepared, andawaiting his return. In the same chamber were the tapster and hisdame; for privacy was not compatible either with "mine host's" meansor inclination. 

"We have been watching for thee, Egerton, " said his companion. "Didstthou meet with a bundle of provender in the graveyard that thy stomachdid not warn thee to breakfast?"

"Prithee heed it not, " was the reply; "I care little thus early forthy confections. Besides, I have been beset by a knave, whose vocationverily remindeth man of his latter end. I've been bandying discoursewith the sexton yonder, as I believe. "

"Heh! mercy on us! Ye have seen Steenie, belike, " said the dame, lifting up one hand from her knee, which had been reposing there as aprotection from the fervid advances of a glowing fire before which shesat. 

"Truly, I do suspect this trafficker in ready-made tombs to be noneother, " said Egerton. 

"An' howkin' at a grave?"

"Ay! and with right good will, too. "

"Then look well to your steps, Sir Stranger, that ye fall not into't;for Stephen never yet made grave that lacked a tenant ere long. "

"'Tis strange!" said the cavalier, anxiously. "Do ye dig graves hereby anticipation? or"----

"He scents death like a carrion crow, I tell ye; an' if he but digs agrave, somebody or other always contrives to tumble in; an' mostlythey 'at first see him busy with the job. He's ca'd here 'the liveman's sexton. '"

The cavalier sat down before a well-covered stool, on which was spreada homely but plentiful breakfast of eggs, cheese, rashers of bacon, aflagon of ale, and a huge pile of oat-cake; but he did not fall towith the appetite or relish of a hungry man. 

"Let me reckon, " said the host, beginning to muster up his arithmetic. "There was"----

"Nathan Sumner, I say; thou'rt al'ays out wi' thy motty if a bodyspeaks. Doesn't the beer want tunning, and thou'rt leesing there o'thy haunches; at thy whys and thy wise speeches. Let me alone wi' thegentles, and get thee to the galkeer. Besides, you see that he knowethnot how to disport himsel' afore people of condition--saving yourpresence, masters, " said the power predominant, as her husband meeklyretreated from the despotic and iron rule of his helpmate. 

"Peradventure he doth himself provide tenants for his own graves, "said the cavalier, thoughtfully; "but I'll split the knave's chowl, ifhe dare"----

"You know not him whom you thus accuse, " said a soft musical voicefrom an inner chamber. "I know those who would not see him with hisfoot in a new-made grave for the best rent-roll in Christendom!"

The speaker, as she came forward, bent a glance of reproof towards thestranger. 

"And wherefore, my bonny maiden?" inquired he. 

"Does he not scent the dying like a raven? When once his eye is uponthem they shall not escape. There be some that have seen their last o'this green earth, and the sky, and yonder bright hills. I trust thedestroying angel will pass by this house!"

"By'r lady, " replied the other hastily, "the varlet, when I askedwhose lodging it should be, answered, mine! holding forth his longskinny paw that I might pay him for the job. "

The maiden listened with a look of terror. She grew pale and almostghastly; wiping her brow with the corner of her apron, as though ingreat agitation and perplexity. 

There was usually a warm and healthy blush upon her cheek, but itwaned suddenly into the dim hue of apprehension, as she replied in alow whisper--

"Ye must not go hence; and yet"----She hesitated, and appeared asthough deeply revolving some secret source of both anxiety and alarm. 

The cavalier was silent too, but the result of his deliberations wasof a nature precisely opposite to that of his fair opponent. 

"Our beasts being ready, Chisenhall, " said he to his companion, "wewill depart while the day holds on favourable. We may have worseweather, and still worse quarters, should we tarry here till noontide, as we purposed. But"--and here he looked earnestly at the maiden--"weshall come again, I trust, when they that seek our lives be laid low. "

She put one hand on his arm, speaking not aloud, but with greatearnestness--

"Go not; and your lives peradventure shall be given you for a prey. There is a godly man hereabout, unto whom I will have recourse; and heshall guide you in this perplexity. "

"We be men having little time to spare, and less inclination--higlerstoo, into the bargain, " replied he, with a dubious glance toward hisfriend Chisenhall, who was just despatching the last visible relics ofa repast in which he had taken a more than equal share of the duty;"we are not careful to tarry, or to resort unto such ghostly counsel. We would rather listen to the lips of those whose least word we covetmore than the preaching of either priest or Puritan; but the time isnow come when we must eschew even such blessed and holy"----

"There's a time for all things, " said Chisenhall hastily, and as soonas his mouth was at rest from the solid contents with which he hadbeen successfully, and almost uninterruptedly, occupied for the lasthalf-hour; wishful, also, to abate the impression which hiscompanion's indiscreet intimation of dislike to psalm-singers andPuritans might have produced. "There is a time to buy and to sell, andto get gain; a time to marry, and a time to be merry and be glad:"here he used a sort of whining snuffle, which frustrated his attemptsat neutralising the sarcasms of his friend. "Being in haste, " hecontinued, "we may not profit by thy discourse; but commend ourselvesto his prayers until our return, which, God willing, we may safelyaccomplish in a se'nnight at the farthest. "

"If ye depart, I will not answer for your safe keeping. "

"And if we stay, my pretty maiden, I am fearful we _shall_ be in safekeeping. " An ambiguous smile curled his lip, which she fullyunderstood. Indeed, her manner and appearance were so much superior toher station, that no lady of the best and gentlest blood might havecomported herself more excellently before these gay, though disguisedcavaliers. There was a natural expression of dignity and high feelingin her demeanour, as if rank and noble breeding were enclosed in sohumble a shrine, visible indeed, but still through the medium of ahomely but bewitching grace and simplicity. This, in part, might bethe consequence of an early residence at Lathom, where, in a fewyears, she had risen, from a station among the lower domestics to aconfidential place about the person of the countess. Here she excitedno small share of admiration; and it was partly to avoid the fervidadvances of some vivacious gallants that she resolved on quitting soexposed and dangerous a position; the more especially as the loweringaspect of the times, and the uncertain termination of the comingstruggle, might have left her without a protector, and at the mercy ofthe lawless ruffians who were not wanting on either side. Retiringhome without regret, she had imbibed, from the ministrations of azealous and conscientious advocate of the republican party, a relishfor the doctrines and self-denying exercises of the Puritans, withwhom she usually associated in their religious assemblies. 

"Do ye purpose, then, for Knowsley to-day?" she inquired, after ashort silence. 

"Yea; unless our present dilemma, and the obstruction thereby, turnaside the current of our intent. "

"Pray Heaven it may!" said the maiden, with great fervour; "for I dofear me that some who are not of a godly sort are abiding there--eventhey with whom righteous and well-ordered men should not consortwithal. "

"Heed not. Being of them who are not righteous overmuch, we can bearunharmed the scoffs of prelatists and self-seekers. "

"There be others, " replied she; but the appearance of the dame, whohad been overlooking the operations of her helpmate, interrupted thecommunication. The horses, too, were at the door, led forth by alubberly serving-lad; and they seemed eager to depart, pawing, asthough scarcely enduring a momentary restraint. The cavalier, aftergiving some order about the beasts, would have bidden farewell to themaiden in private; but she had departed unperceived. He was evidentlychagrined, lingering long in the house, in hopes of her reappearance, but in vain. He was forced to depart without the anticipatedinterview. 

Out of sight and hearing, the cavaliers began to converse more freely. 

"Right fain I am, " said Egerton, "of our escape from yonder house; forI began to fear me we were known, or, at any rate, suspected by one, if not more, of our good friends behind. "

"By one fair friend, peradventure, " said Chisenhall drily; "but, onthe word of a soldier, I may be known, and little care I, save that itmay be dangerous to be found in my company. In the last siege yonder, at Lathom, I have beaten off more rogues than flies from my trencher;and I would we had but had room and fair play at York; we would havegiven your"----

"Hold; no names; remember that I am plain Master Egerton: there may belurkers in these tall hedges; so, both in-doors and out, I am--whatmine appearance doth betoken. "

"Well, Master Egerton, good wot, though a better man than myself, which few be now-a-days, for these strait-haired Roundheads do thin uslike coppice-trees, and leave but here and there one to shoot at. Iwould the noble lord had been within his good fortress yonder, I thinkit would have been too hot to handle, with cold fingers, by the hostof Old Nick, or Parliament, I care not which. "

"It was partly at my suggesting that he retired to his island of Man. There were heart-burnings and jealousies amongst the courtiers on hisaccount, which were but too readily given ear unto by the king. "

"Grant it may not be for our hurt as well as his own. I had no notionthat these wasps would have been so soon again at the honeycomb. Couldwe and our bands have made entry, we would have shown them some of theold match-work, and given them a psalm to sing that they would notreadily have forgotten. As it is, we are just wanderers and vagabonds, without e'er a house or a homestead to hide us in, should our friendsbe driven from Knowsley, and our way be blocked up to the coast. Whatis worse, too, our supplies are nigh exhausted, and our exchequer asempty as the king's. I would we had not tarried here so long, waitingfor advices, as thou didst say, Master Egerton; but which advices, Ido verily think, were from a lady's lip; and the next tall fellow, with a long face and a fusee, may tuck us under his sleeve, and carryus to his quarters, like a brace of springed woodcocks. "

"Fear not, Chisenhall. We will make directly for the coast, andto-morrow, if we have luck, be under weigh for Ireland. If, as I dotrust, we get our levies thence, down with the Rump and theRoundheads, say I, and so"----

"We are not bound for Knowsley, then?"

"No, believe me, I have a better nose than to thrust it into the trap, after the foretokenings we have had. The knave who elbowed me i' thegraveyard, as well as the maiden yonder, warned us of some danger atKnowsley, where, I do verily suspect, the rogues are in ambush, waiting for us; but we will give them the slip, and away for bonnyWaterford. "

The morning was yet raw and misty. A dense fog was coming on, whichevery minute became more heavy and impervious to the sight. Objectsmight be heard, long ere they were seen. The rime hung like afrost-work from branch and spray, showing many a fantastic festoon, wreathed by powers and contrivances more wonderful than those by whichour vain and presumptuous race are endowed. The little birds lookedout from their covers, and chirped merrily on, to while away the hourstill bedtime. The rooks cawed from their citadel--to venture abroadwas out of the question, lest the rogues should be surprised in someact of depredation, and suffer damage thereby. So chill and searchingwas the atmosphere that the travellers wrapped their cloaks closelyabout their haunches, to defend themselves from its attacks. They werescarcely a mile or two on their road when, passing slowly between thehigh coppice on either hand, Egerton stayed his horse, listening;whilst thus engaged, another blood-drop fell on his hand. 

"There be foes behind us, " said he, softly. His practised andever-watchful ear had detected the coming footsteps before his friend. 

"'Tis a fortunate screen this same quiet mist, and so let us away tocover. " Without more ado he leaped through a gap in the fence, followed by his companion; and they lay concealed effectually from theview of any one who might be passing on the road. They were not so farfrom the main path but that the footsteps of their pursuers could beheard, and voices too, in loud and earnest discourse. The latter kepttheir horses at a very deliberate pace, as if passing forward at someuncertainty. 

"I say again, heed it as we may, this mist will be the salvation ofour runaways. After having dogged them to such good purpose fromLathom, it will be a sorry deed should they escape under this unluckyenvelope. "

"Tush, faint heart--thinkest thou these enemies of the faith shalltriumph, and our own devices come to nought? Nay, verily, for thewicked are as stubble, and the ungodly as they whom the firedevoureth. "

"But I would rather have a brisk wind than all thy vapours, thyquiddities, and quotations. Yet am I glad they have not ta'en the turnto Knowsley. "

"Which way soever they turn, either to the right hand or to the left, we have them in the net, and snares and pitfalls shall devour them. "

The remainder of this comfortable assurance was inaudible, and thecavaliers congratulated themselves on their providential escape. 

"How stand ye for Knowsley now, Sir Captain?" said Chisenhall. 

"Why, of a surety, friend, there be many reasons why we may pray for asafe passport from this unhappy land; but it seemeth as though ourpurposes were to be for ever crossed. Towards Knowsley, now, it dothappear that we must proceed, our haven and hiding-place; these rogueshaving got wind that we did not intend to pass by thither, we mustcountermine the enemy, or rather double upon their route. "

"But how shall we be enabled to proceed?"

"Forward to the right, " said Egerton, "and we shall be sure to hit ourmark, if I mistake not the bearing. 'Tis, I believe, scarcely twomiles hence; and under this friendly cover we cannot be observed, though we should mistake our way. "

Changing their course, they now attempted, at all hazards, a runningchase along and across hedges and enclosures, in the supposeddirection of their retreat. After a somewhat perilous journey for atleast an hour in this thick mist, without discovering any object bywhich they could ascertain their relative situation, Chisenhall atlength espied something like a dark square tower before them. 

"Plague, pestilence, and all the saints! why if yonder be not thatsame old ugly grim tower dodging us!" He rubbed his eyes, hardlysatisfied that his morning indulgences were ended. 

"We are fairly on our way for the grave again, sure enough, " saidEgerton; "or it may be as thou sayest, the graveyard itself isfollowing us. " He tried to rally into a smile, but was unable todisport himself in this wise, and it became needful that some wayshould be hit upon for their extrication, and that speedily. Occupiedin earnest discourse, they were not aware of the presence of a thirdperson until a thin squeaking voice accosted them from behind. 

"Back again so soon?--wi' the de'il at your crupper too!"

"Foul fa' thee, thou screech-owl, " said Egerton, starting back at thatill-omened sound; "we shall ne'er be rid o' this pestilence!" Heattempted to spring aside from the object of his abhorrence; but in amoment his horse was holden by the bridle with almost more than humanstrength; and the malicious creature set up an exulting and triumphantlaugh that was anything but agreeable in their present evil condition. 

"Let go--or, by thy master's hoofs, I will send thee to him in thetwinkling of a trigger!" said Egerton, drawing forth his pistol. 

"Hoo, hoo!" shouted his tormentor, mocking and making faces, with anexpression of fiendish delight--"thee 'ill be first though, nunky. "

Egerton pointed the weapon; but his horse, goaded in all probabilityby the strange being beside him, made a sudden spring, and, asill-luck would have it, stumbled and fell, both horse and ridersprawling in the dust. The cause of this foul accident scampered offwith great activity: Chisenhall dismounted, extricating his friendfrom the trappings. He was bleeding profusely from the nostrils, andappeared insensible. Judging it the wisest plan, though at the risk oftheir captivity, to procure help, he galloped away to the tavern forassistance. 

Much to the surprise of the family was Chisenhall's reappearance, butno time was lost in useless explanations; the host and his daughterimmediately proceeded to the spot, with means and appliances forEgerton's removal and recovery; but to their astonishment and dismaythe body was removed. His horse was grazing quietly on the herbage, yet there was no trace of Egerton's disappearance. Chisenhall wasalmost beside himself with distress and consternation; but Marian, though much concerned, seemed to possess some clue to this enigma. 

"Steenie, thou sayest, was the cause of this untoward disaster?"

"Ay; that cursed fiend. I wish all his"----

"Nay, nay, friend, thou speakest like to the foolish ones, vain andimpious men, whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. We hadbest return; I will think on this matter, and ere the morrow we mayhave tidings of thy friend; but"----Here she looked significantlyaside as she spoke, but not in her father's hearing. "Keep snug herein thy quarters, friend; for since ye left there came divers of thepeople to inquire, and as He would have it, from me only. Ye be sonsof Belial, they said, and cavaliers withal. But ye have eaten anddrunken in our dwelling, and though red with the blood of the saints, I cannot deliver you into the hand of your pursuers. "

Chisenhall reluctantly complied, having no other resource, and judgingit best not to stir abroad, as it might be compromising the safety ofboth parties, without leading to any beneficial result. 

The horses were unharnessed and turned out to graze, whilst Chisenhallwas disposed of in an upper chamber above one of the outhouses. Hisanxiety for his friend allowed him but little rest, and often he wason the point of issuing forth in quest of intelligence; but happilyprudence prevented him from sacrificing his own and another's life toa vain and fruitless impatience. 

During Chisenhall's concealment Marian was by no means in the samestate of idleness and inactivity. She threw on her hood and kerchief;and a clean white apron, girt about her waist, fully displayed thesymmetry of her form. Her cloak was adjusted but with little regard tooutward show; and an hour was scarcely past ere she sallied forth, asshe was often wont, to the dwelling of Gilgal Snape, a person of greatnote as a preacher and leader of the faithful in these parts. He was, in truth, a worthy and zealous man, sincerely devoted to the cause heespoused, and the service of his Maker--one widely distinguished fromthe hypocrites and fanatics of that turbulent era, which, like ourown, produced, though in a more exaggerated form, from the stimulusthen abroad, the same rank and noxious weeds of hypocrisy andsuperstition; for man, like a mathematical problem, circumstances andconditions being the same, brings out, invariably, the same results. No form of worship, however ludicrous or revolting, but hath itsadvocates and supporters; and there is nothing which the proud mindand unsubdued heart of man will not put forth, when that heart is madethe hot-bed of unholy and unsanctified feelings--all monstrous andpolluted things ripening, even beneath the warm and blessed sun thatrevives and beautifies all else by its splendour. 

Gilgal had, however, his figments and his fancies, inseparableperchance from the times and dispositions by which they wereengendered. When men, awaking as from a dream, shaking off the deepslumber of bigotry, but not intolerance, through the medium of theiryet unpractised sense saw "men as trees walking, " regarding trivialand unimportant objects as paramount and essential, while others, whose nature was vital and supreme, were hardly discerned, or at bestbut slightly noticed or understood;--when minds long tinctured bysuperstition brought the whole of their previous habits and instinctsto bear upon the newly-awakened energies that were heaving andconvulsing the moral fabric of society, and the ground of preconceivednotions and opinions on which they stood, they could hardly bepersuaded that the kingdom of heaven "cometh not by observation;" thatspecial miracles, and visible manifestations of divine favour, werenot again to be vouchsafed to the "elect;" and that their faith andprayers were not sufficient to remove mountains, and to conquer andsubdue every obstacle. There was more pride in these expectations thanthey were willing to allow, or even to suspect; and in many it wasthe very pride and "naughtiness of their hearts;" whilst in others itwas but the operation of remaining ignorance, unsubdued lusts, andunsanctified affections. 

Gilgal was famous in his day for dealing with "spiritual wickedness inhigh places. " The "prince of the power of the air" was subject untohim. In other words, it was said of him that he had cast out devilsand healed the possessed. When others failed, Gilgal had wrestled andprevailed. One of the first-fruits of this outpouring of his soul was"Steenie Ellison, " who, from his childhood, was subject to periodicaland violent affections of the body--contortions that gave him, in theeyes of many, an appearance of one possessed. Stephen had aconsiderable share of cunning, a sort of knavish sagacity and readyimpertinence, peculiar to most of his kind. He was an orphan, earlyleft to the care of chance or charity, and being a follower ofbell-ringers, grave-diggers, and the like, assumed a sort ofsemi-official attitude at all funerals, weddings, and merry-makings inthe neighbourhood. He was generally suspected of holding intercoursewith the powers of evil, and when suffering from disease, the uncleanspirit whom he had offended was supposed to be afflicting him, havingentered into his body to buffet and torment him for his contumacy anddisobedience. So partial was he to the art and occupation ofgrave-making, that he was observed at times to hew out a habitationfor the dead ere a tenant was provided. It was always remarked, nevertheless, that the narrow house failed not ere long to receive aninhabitant; and this apprehension considerably heightened the terrorwith which he was regarded, and rendered him celebrated throughout thecountry by the name of "the live man's sexton. "

But the worthy minister being much moved with compassion towards thischild of Satan, his bowels yearned for him, that he might cast out theunclean spirit, and deliver him from his spiritual bondage. Heaccordingly girded himself to the work, and a great name did he getthroughout the land by this mighty achievement, for the possessedbecame docile as a little child before him, and was subsequently asort of erratic follower of the party unto which Gilgal was allied;but he would at times forsake the assemblies of the faithful, when, itis said, the dark spirit of divination again came over him, and hewould wander among the tombs, showing symptoms of a disorderedintellect, though not of the same violent character as before. 

Towards the dwelling of Gilgal Snape did Marian direct her steps; itwas but a short mile from her own. Often had she been a visitant tothe house, where she imbibed the doctrines and instructions of thissincere and zealous confessor of the faith. She frequently mingled inthe devotions that were there offered up; but her piety was of a moremoderate and amiable cast--less violent and ascetic, not unmixed withlove and pity for her enemies and the persecutors of the truth. 

Her object in this visit was not so much to partake of the crumbs fromthe good man's spiritual banquet, as to gain some intelligence throughhim respecting Egerton's disappearance. She recognised the individualswho were in pursuit of him to be scouts from the republican leaders, with whom the divine was in constant communication. Of the real rankof Egerton she was still ignorant; but she more than suspected hisdisguise, and scarcely hesitated to conclude, from the anxiety shownfor his apprehension, that he was of no little importance in theestimation of his opponents. 

Musing and much troubled, by reason of many conflicting emotions, shetook no note of the lapse of time until her arrival at the habitationof this devout minister of the word. It was built in a sequesteredglen, by a narrow brook near to a couple of black, shapeless, scraggyfirs, whose long lean arms were extended over the roof. A low porchguarded the door, in which dairy utensils and implements of husbandrywere usually placed. The short casement windows were rendered stillmore gloomy, and in places screened from light, by the creepingwoodbine throwing its luxuriant and unrestricted foliage about theirdeep recesses. A little wicket admitted the visitor into the court, oneach side of which was a homely garden, where nothing ornamental wassuffered to intrude or encroach upon the space devoted to objects ofusefulness rather than indulgence. 

Marian lifted up the latch, entering upon the precincts of thishallowed abode. She passed on, through the large cold cheerlessapartment generally called the house; turning thence towards a littlechamber, used as an oratory, she heard a loud voice within. She tappedfirst upon the door, which she slowly opened, and beheld the good manwith the sacred volume spread out before him. He raised his eyes fora moment as she entered, but refrained not from his exercise, noraltered in the least the strenuous tone of his orisons. 

"And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his rightthigh, and smote Eglon, the King of Moab, so that he died. Thus perishthe ungodly and the oppressor, even as Abimelech, the son ofJerubbaal, on whom the Almighty rendered the curse of Jotham hisbrother, and all his wickedness that he had committed, and all theevil of the men of Shechem did God return upon their own heads. " Herehe raised his eyes, closing the book with a devout aspiration ofcompliance to the will of Heaven. "I have sought counsel, " hecontinued, "and been much comforted thereby. The wicked shall beutterly cut off, and the ungodly man shall fall by the sword. We maynot spare, nor have pity, as Saul spared Agag, whom Samuel hewed inpieces; for the land is cursed for their sakes!"

"Hath Steenie yet returned from vain idols, and the abominations hehath committed?" inquired the maiden. 

"He doth yet hunger after the flesh-pots of Egypt; but my bowels yearntowards him, even as my first-born. I do sorrow lest he be finallyentangled in the snares of the evil one. "

"Knowest thou where he abideth, or if he doth attend the outpouring ofthe word hereabout?"

"Verily, nay, " said the divine; "but I have heard from Sarah andReuben Heathcote that he hath been seen in the house of ungodlyself-seekers, and notorious Papists and malignants, even with ourenemies at Garswood. He hath likewise been found resorting unto thathigh place of papistry, Windleshaw, of late; despising--yea, reviling--the warnings and godly exhortations of the Reverend MasterHaydock, who did purpose within himself to win, peradventure it mightbe to afflict with stripes, this lost one from the fold, that he mightbring him back. But he hath sorely buffeted and evil-entreated thisdiligent shepherd with many grievous indignities; such as tying himunto a gate, and vexing him with sundry of Satan's devices. Yet wewould fain hope that he is a chosen vessel, though now defiled by theadversary. He will return, peradventure, as heretofore, when the dayof his visitation is past. " The good man did, indeed, yearn over thiserring sinner, and lifting up his voice he wept aloud. 

"There came two men to our habitation, where they abode certain days, "said Marian. 

"And they departed this morning, " said the minister, sharply; "knowestthou that these be enemies of our faith, and contemners of the word?"

"I knew them not, " she replied, "save that I suspected them as such, ere they departed. "

"Thou wouldest not have them taken with thee in the house, and in thatthou judgedst wisely; for I care not that a maiden's thoughts were sosoon disposed for deeds like these, which be fitter for iron heartsand brazen hands. Though Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, slewSisera in her tent, and Rahab the harlot received the spies in peace;yet thou didst, I doubt not, point out the way by which they went tothe spies sent by the council of the holy state, to follow after thesesons of Belial, and deliver them into their hands. "

"I know not the path they took, " said Marian, evasively. 

"Heed not, for the men shall be delivered unto us; even now are theypursued, and, I doubt not, overtaken. Which way soever they turn, their steps are holden, and a snare is laid for their feet; for theyshall surely die!" The preacher lifted up his eyes in righteousindignation. They have made themselves drunk with the blood of thesaints. "

"Will not their lives be given them for a prey?" inquired Marian, apparently in great alarm. 

"I have sought counsel, I tell thee; and the Philistine and theCanaanite shall be destroyed utterly from the land. "

"I fear me they be other than I had imagined, " returned the maidenweeping; "yet still, and I trust I shall be forgiven, I could notbetray them who have abided with us, and eaten of our bread. "

"Thou knowest them not, wench, " said Gilgal; "and 'tis perhaps wellthou shouldest not. " Here he looked fiercely from under his brows, asthough he would have pierced the very inmost recesses of her soul. "Beware, " continued he, "for thou art comely, and these men do usedevilish and subtle devices to allure and to betray. "

Marian was silent. A swollen tear, the overflowing of an overwhelmedand oppressed heart, slowly wandered down her cheek. It was the verycrisis of the conflict; and the old man forbore to break the bruisedreed. She seemed uneasy and anxious to depart; but he hindered herfor a space. 

"Wilt thou not, as thou art wont, approach with me to the footstool ofHim who doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men?"

Marian felt the rebuke, though it was so finely tempered, andadministered so tenderly. She was one of his earlier converts, and hislove for her was that of a spiritual parent. Bending the knee, shecovered her burning cheeks, and poured out her heart with him infervour and sincerity. Whether both of them had precisely the sameobject in view as the end of their supplications, or whether themaiden's fears and inclinations might not lead her to offer up asincere petition for the safety of others besides those of thehousehold, we will not take upon ourselves to determine; but onleaving the dwelling of Gilgal Snape a suppressed sigh and aninvoluntary whisper escaped her--"He may yet be spared. " She raisedher eyes in thankfulness, and a gleam of hope, but not of happiness, irradiated her heart; for she now felt that a great gulf separatedthem for ever. 

She had ascertained by her converse with the Puritan, who was wellinformed in all matters connected with his party, that they were yetunacquainted as to the ulterior proceedings of the strangers; and itseemed probable, from this circumstance alone, that at any rateEgerton had not fallen into their hands. Her next object was to findout "Steenie, " and to elicit from him the knowledge of the stranger'sfate; for unless this mischievous personage had in some wild erraticfreak or another conveyed him off, she could not tell what mishapcould have befallen him. Despite of her prejudices and the true bentof her disposition, which, though it partook not of the furious andheadlong intolerance of the times, was yet sufficiently imbued withthe spirit of her sect, the cavalier had won so unsuspectingly uponher kindness that she started as though she would have escaped fromher own thoughts, when she felt the deep and agonising shudder whichcrossed her at the bare possibility that he might fall into the handsof the avenger of blood. At a glance she saw the fearful involutionsand the almost inextricable toils by which the fugitives wereencompassed. Unaided, she was well aware that their attempts would befruitless. She knew not the intentions of the crazy sexton on thispoint. The wayward and apparently capricious movements of this strangecompound of Puritanism and Papistry were too dangerous and uncertainto allow any hope for ultimate safety under his management. Whether ornot he had a hand in Egerton's removal was still a matter ofconjecture. She felt, in addition to this uncertainty, no slightdegree of awe and apprehension in her approaches to this solitarybeing; and a sort of undefined notion that, however modified andcontrolled by circumstances, yet his communications with the world ofspirits were still in operation, imparting to his converse andcommunion with his fellow-men a strange and dubious character, whicheven strangers did not fail to perceive, and to shrink from contactwith a being of such doubtful qualities. His predictions and darksayings were often quoted, and much more importance was attached tothem than their real and obvious meaning should have warranted. Theyderived greater credence, perhaps, from their usually vague andambiguous character suiting any accident and condition, according tothe fancy of the hearer, however remotely allied in their meaning andapplication. Whatsoever might be the event, there was littledifficulty in shaping out an appropriate or equivalent prediction; andit did seem at times sufficiently marvellous that few occurrencesshould take place which could not be traced to some dark foretokeningenveloped in one or other of these mystical revelations. Events happento ourselves that do occasionally, and not unfrequently, rush backupon our minds with unaccountable and almost appalling force, asthough, however novel in reality, they were but facts and feelingswith which we had long ago been familiar, yet in what manner we areunable to determine. It might seem that they had suddenly, and for amoment, started forth from the Lethe which divides our presentexistence from some past state of being; that a sudden light hadflashed from the portals of oblivion, too rapid or too dazzling, perhaps, to be apprehended or defined. 

As she returned the shadows of evening were coming on dim and softlyover the quiet glades and dewy meadows. The noisy rooks, having latelyventured forth, were cawing cheerily on their homeward flight, "beguiling the way with pleasant intercourse. " The lesser birds wereflitting towards the bushes; and through the lingering mist-wreath, floating still and tranquilly on the moist meadows, came forth attimes a solitary twitter, as though the lark had alighted softly andjoyously on her nest. The glow and the brightness of evening were gonewhen Marian passed the threshold of her home, uncertain yet as to thefate of Egerton and the course she should pursue. She allayed, as wellas she was able, the fretfulness and impatience of Chisenhall, entreating that he would remain quiet until the morrow, after which itwas possible that something would transpire with regard to his friend. The irresistible conclusion, that by venturing forth he wouldcompromise the safety of all parties, alone rendered him tractable, and prevented the consequences of any rash exposure. 

Too much occupied in resolves and plans for to-morrow's enterprise, the maiden on retiring to her chamber felt no inclination for repose, and her little couch was left vacant. It was a low room within thethatch, into which a narrow window, projecting from the roof, admittedthe clear mellow radiance of the moon, now shining uninterruptedlyfrom above. So lovely and inviting was the aspect of the night, that, after a long and anxious train of thought, she resolved to enjoy thecalm and delicious atmosphere, free and unconfined, hoping to feel itsinvigorating effects upon her exhausted spirits. 

It might be within a short half-hour of midnight when she trippedlightly down the stairs, and was soon across the stile which led tothe deserted chapel of Windleshaw. Attracted by the beauty and thereviving freshness of all around her, fearing no evil and conscious ofno alarm, she proceeded, wandering without aim or purpose into thequiet cemetery. 

In the dark shadow of the building she walked on, fearless and alone. Her bosom had been hitherto the abode of happiness and peace. To thestranger's appearance might be attributed the source of her presentdisquiet. She would have breathed after communion with heavenlythings, but earthly objects mingled in her aspirations; charity, peradventure, for those of another creed, and anxiety for another'sfate. But she was not satisfied that this was the sole cause of herunhappiness; and the pang of separation, too, came like a barbed arrowinto her soul. She felt alarmed, amazed at the sudden change. Shefeared that her weak and wandering heart was going back to the world, and resting for support on its frail and perishing interests. Tossedand buffeted with temptation, she still passed on; when, turning theangle of the grey tower, she emerged again into the clear, unbrokenmoonlight--the little hillocks and upright gravestones alonedisturbing the broad and level beam. She was startled from her reverieby dull and heavy sounds near her, as though a pickaxe were employedby invisible hands in disturbing the ground close to where she stood. She paused a moment and listened; the blows were still falling, andshe felt the ground vibrating beneath her feet. A sudden thoughtcrossed her--it might be "Steenie, " even at this untimely hour, plyinghis accustomed vocation. He had been retarded probably by theaccidents of the day; and the occasion being urgent, according to hisown anticipations, had led him to labour so late for its completion. It was doubtless the grave which had been so mysteriously assigned tothe lot of Egerton. A cold tremor crept upon her; she remembered thedenunciation and the uncertain fate of the victim. Even now he mightbe hastening to his final account, and this horrid _ghoul_ might bescenting the dissolution of the body that he was preparing to entomb. 

"Graciously forbid it, Heaven!" she inwardly ejaculated, approachingthe grave; but so softly, that her footsteps were not heard by theinvisible workman, who was deep in the abyss of his own creating. Theblows had ceased, and the mattock was now in requisition. Shovelfulsof earth were thrown out; thick and heavy clods were hurled forth inrapid succession. The scene would have driven back many a timid girl;and even some stout hearts and fierce stomachs would have shrunk fromthe trial. She was within range, and almost within the grasp, of abeing whose evil dispositions were known and acknowledged--a beingwhose mysterious connection with intelligences of an unfriendly naturewas universally admitted. A grave, dug in secret, peradventure duringsome baneful and preternatural process, yawned before her. Midnight, too, was nigh; and she was not devoid of apprehension--that inherentdread of the invisible things of darkness universally bound up withour feeble and fallen nature. Since the day of his first estrangement, man never, even in imagination or apprehension, approaches the darkand shadowy threshold of a world unseen without terror, lest somesupernatural communication should break forth; it seems a feelingcoeval with the curse on our first parents, when they heard "the voiceof the Lord God walking in the garden, and were afraid. " Thisapprehension still clings to us; but, though surrounded in light, aswell as in darkness, by a world of disembodied spirits, whoseattributes and capacities are inconceivably superior to our own, ournature is so material, and our very essence so engrossed andidentified with earth, that it is only when the startling realities oftheir existence become manifest in those visible emblems of theirnature--darkness and death--that we shrink back in horror, lest ourvery being should suffer contact with spiritual and eternal things. 

Concealed from view, Marian stood still at a very short distance fromthe grave. Steenie was humming a plaintive ditty, or rather dirge; forit partook of a double character, something between an alehouseroundelay and a funeral chant. 

She soon perceived that each spadeful, as it was thrown out, wasaccompanied by a separate distich, the meaning of which she coulddistinctly gather from some uncouth and barbarous rhymes--theremnants, probably, of a more superstitious age--almost cabalistic intheir form and acceptation. The following may serve as a specimen, though we have taken the precaution to render them a little moreintelligible:--

 "Howk, hack, and dig spade; Tenant ne'er grumbled that grave was ill made. "

Then came a heavy spadeful of earth again from the narrow house. Another shovelful produced the following doggerel:--

 "Housen, and castles, and kings decay; But the biggins we big last till doomus-day. "

Some more coarse and less intelligible jargon followed, which it isnot needful that we repeat. Again he threw forth a burden of more thanordinary bulk, resting from his labours during the following moreelaborate ditty:--

 "Dark and dreary though it be, Thou shalt all its terrors dree: Dungeon dark, where none complain, Nor 'scape to tell its woe and pain. "

Again he bent him to his task, and again the earth went rolling forth, accompanied by something like the following verse:--

 "Though I dig for him that be living yet, O'er this narrow gulf he shall never get; The mouth gapes wide that 'Enough' ne'er cries; Each clod that I fling on his bosom lies; In darkness and coldness it rests on thee, With the last stroke that falls thy doom shall be!"

With increasing energy did he work on, as though to accelerate thefate of his victim. Marian felt herself on the brink of the tomb, andits icy touch was perceptible through every part of her frame. 

The mystic chant was again audible, and more distinct than before--

 "The charm is wound, and this stroke shall be The last, when it falls, of his destiny; Save he sell to another his birthright here, Then the buyer shall buy both grave and bier. "

Uttering this malediction, he scrambled out of the grave, and suddenlystood before the astonished maiden, who shuddered as she beheld theunshapely outline of a form which she instantly recognised. 

He did not seem a whit surprised or startled, though he could not havebeen aware previously that a listener was nigh. 

"What ho, wench!" said he; "art watching for a husband?" His sharpshrill voice grated on her ear like the cry of the screech-owl. 

"I came to meet thee!" said she firmly. He broke forth into a loudlaugh at this reply, more terrible than the most violent expression ofhate or malignity. No wonder, in those ages, that it was supposed tobe the operation of some demon, animate in his form, controlling andexercising the bodily functions to his own malignant designs. 

"Where is he whom I seek?" inquired the maiden. 

"Ask the clods of the valley, and the dust unto which man departs!" hereplied, pointing significantly to the gulf at his feet. 

"Nay, " said Marian, apparently to humour the fantastical turn of hisideas; "thou knowest if he sell that grave to another, he shallescape, and the doom shall be foregone. "

"Ay, lassie; but there be no fools now-a-days, I wot, to buy a man'sgrave over his head for the sake of a bargain!"

"I warrant thee now, Steenie, but thou hast hidden him hereabout. " Shesaid this in as careless and indifferent a tone as she could wellassume. 

"I am but a-keeping of him safe till his time comes. Neither priestnor Presbyterian shall cheat me out of him. He's mine as sure as thatgrave gives not back its prey. "

"He is living, I trow?"

"Good wot, I reckon so; but living men may die; and this pick never, for man or woman, opened a mouth that was left to gape long withoutvictuals. "

"Thou wouldst not harm him?"

"I'd not hurt the hair on a midge-tail, though it stung me. But hisdoom was shown me yesternight, " said he, lowering his voice to awhisper; "and I would have him laid here in consecration, that thedevil get not his bones to pick, for neither priest nor Puritan canbless the ground now-a-days like unto this. "

Whether the cause of his anxiety was really a wish to provide ahallowed resting-place for the cavalier, or this pretence was merelyto cover some ulterior purposes of his own, the maiden was leftwithout a clue to form any plausible conjecture. She had heardsufficient, however, to ascertain that he was in some way or anotheraccessory to the disappearance of Egerton, and that in all likelihoodhe knew the retreat of the unfortunate captive. 

A woman's wits are proverbially sharpened by exigencies, and Marianwas not slow in obeying their impulse. 

"Where art thou abiding? I would fain speak with thee to-morrowtouching thy condition, for thou hast been much estranged from us oflate. "

He pointed to the ivied belfry, where a grated loophole formed a darkcross on the wall. 

"A man may sleep if the wind will let him; but such fearsome visions Ihave had of late, that I ha' been just nigh 'reft o' my wits. Wilt bea queen or a queen-mother, Marian? Something spake to me after thisfashion; but I was weary with watching. The spirit passed from me, andI comprehended him not. "

She was silent, apprehensive that his wits were at present toobewildered for her purpose, being always subject to aberration underany peculiar excitement of either mind or body. 

"I will visit thee yonder to-morrow, " said Marian. 

"Me!" he shouted, in a tone of surprise. "Bless thy pretty face, Marian, I have bolted him in. He is but waiting for his dismissal. "

"Whither?"

Again he pointed to the grave. 

"Tush, " said Marian; "he will not, maybe, get his passport thither sosoon, unless, indeed, thou shouldst starve him to death. "

"Starve him! Nay, by"----He stopped just as he was on the point ofuttering some well-remembered but long quiescent oath. 

"I thought not of that before, Marian: he will want some food. Ay--ay, bless thy little heart, I did not think on 't. But for thee, Marian, Ishould ha' kept him there, and he might ha' starved outright; thoughhe will not need it long, I trow, poor fool!" said he, with a sigh, ludicrous enough under other circumstances, but now invested with allthe solemnity of a supernatural disclosure. 

"I will away for victuals, " said Marian: "stay here until I return. " Ashort time only elapsed ere she came again, laden with provisions andother restoratives, judging that the captive stood in need of somerefreshment. 

Stephen was waiting for her in a deep and solemn fit of abstractionbefore the low door leading to a staircase at the foot of the tower. He spoke not until she stood beside him. 

"My brain, Marian--Oh! my brain. Here, here!" Seizing her hand, hepressed it hurriedly over his brow, which was hot, almost scorching. The blood beat rapidly through his throbbing temples. Fearful lest theapproaching hallucination might prevent her benevolent designs, shesoothed and coaxed him to lead the way, which had the desired effect;muttering as he went on, at times unintelligibly, at others speakingwith peculiar emphasis and vehemence. 

"The foul fiend came again, though he was cast out; and I--I yielded. He promised me gold, if I would dig for 't. And I digg'd, and digg'd;but it always shaped itself into a grave--another's grave--and I neverfound any. Yea, once. Look thee, wench, " said he, pulling out a brightJacobus from his belt, and holding it in the beam that shot through aloophole of the ascent. "Yes; this--this! the devil brought it thattempted me. No, no; I sold my own grave for 't. Would it were mineagain: I had been where the wicked cease from troubling, and the wearyare at rest. Nay; there will be no rest for me. I am an apostate--acastaway--the devil that seduced me hath said it again and again--forwhom is reserved the blackness of darkness, and the noisome pit forever! But as long, look thee, as I keep this gold, I die not. No!though twice ten thousand were on my track; for I sold my grave to adoomed one; nor, till I buy another with the same piece of gold, shalldeath and hell prevail against me. So sayeth the fiend. "

Marian felt actually as though in the presence of the Evil One, socompletely had the frenzy of this poor deluded idiot developed itselfin this short interval. Some violent paroxysm was evidentlyapproaching; and her object was, if possible, to procure theliberation of Egerton before her guide should be rendered eitherunwilling or incapable. He suddenly assumed a more calm and consistentdemeanour, while, to her great joy, she heard him climbing the stair. She followed as closely as the darkness would permit, and heard himpause after ascending a few steps. Then a bolt was withdrawn, her handwas seized, and she was led hastily through the aperture. It was theentrance to a small chamber in the tower, lighted by the gratingbefore named, through which the moonlight came softly, like a wizardstream, into the apartment. 

By this light she saw something coiled up in a corner, like a humanform in the attitude of repose. It was the prisoner Egerton, fastasleep. Nature, worn out with suffering, was unconsciously enjoyingfor a season the bliss of oblivion. He heard not the intruders, untilMarian gently touched him, when, starting up, he cried--

"Is mine hour come? so soon! I thought"--

"Here be victuals; thy grave's not ready yet, " said the maniac. 

Soon the soft voice of the maiden fell calmly and quietly on hisbosom: and in that hour Egerton felt how noble, how self-denying, wasthe spirit guiding the hand that ministered to him in the hour ofdanger and distress. Her disinterestedness was now manifest. Ofanother creed, and fully aware, perhaps, that he had been one of themost zealous persecutors of those who aforetime were hunted like thewild roe upon the mountains; he found that she had knowledge of him, generally, as belonging to the Royalist party, though not individuallyas to his rank and character. 

If she had set herself to win his favour by draughts andlove-philtres, she could not have compassed her design moreeffectually. His impetuous nature was alike impatient of restrainteither in love or in war; but in the latter instance the flame hadburnt so rapidly that it was nigh extinguished. This maiden beingrenowned through the whole neighbourhood for her beauty, as well asthe natural and engaging simplicity and gentleness of her manners, appertaining to one of high birth, nurtured in courts, rather than inso humble a station, the cavalier had beforetime looked on her with afavourable glance, but not with eyes at which the god Hymen would havelighted his torch. Now, so strange and wayward is that capriciouspassion which men call love, that when beset with dangers, his life injeopardy, and threatened with death on every hand, he seemed to clingeven to this lowly one as though his soul were bound to hers. Love, that mighty leveller, for a season threw down every barrier--the prideof birth, and the rank and sphere which were his birthright--nor did alicentious thought find a resting-place in his bosom. Young andardent, he had spoken to her beforetime, though not explicitly, on thesubject; and Marian, knowing none other but that he was a wayfaringman, of little note--so he represented himself--regarded his handsomeperson, his kindness, and his attentions, with still less appearanceof disfavour. 

"Thou shouldest be mine, Marian, " said he, "were I"----

"Never!" she replied, interrupting him; but a sudden heaving of thebreast showed the anguish that one hopeless word cost her. 

Stephen was in the chamber, still hurrying to and fro, too fullyabsorbed in his own abstractions to understand or attend to what waspassing. 

"And wherefore?" inquired the cavalier, with some surprise. 

"Wherefore? Ask your own nature and condition; your pride of station, which I have but lately known; your better reason, why; and see if itwere either wise or fitting that one like yourself--though of yourprecise condition I am yet ignorant--should wive with the daughter ofa poor but honest tapster. Suffer this plainness; I might be yourbauble to-day, and your chain to-morrow. "

"Thou dost wrong me!" said the cavalier; and he took her handtenderly, almost unresistingly, for a moment. "I would wear thee as myheart's best jewel, and inlay thee in its shrine. It is but fittingthat the life thou hast preserved should be rendered unto thee. "

"Nay, sir, " said she, withdrawing her hand, "my pride forbids it; ay, pride! equal, if not superior to your own. I would not be the wife ofa prince on these terms; nor on any other. 'Be not unequally yoked. 'Will not this wholesome precept hold even in a carnal and worldlysense? I would not endure the feeling of inferiority, even from ahusband. 'Twould but be servitude the more galling, because I couldneither persuade myself into an equality, nor rid me of the chain. "

"Thou dost reason wondrously, maiden. 'Tis an easy conquest, whenneither passion nor affection oppose our judgment; when the feelingsare too cold to kindle even at the spark which the Deity himself hathlighted for our solace and our blessing in this valley of tears. "

"Mine!--Oh! say not they are too cold, too slow to kindle. They aretoo easily roused, too ardent, too soon bent before an earthly idol;but"--here she laid her hand on his arm--"but the right hand must becut off, the right eye plucked out. I would not again be their slave, under the tyranny and dominion of these elements of our fallen nature, for all the pomps and vanities which they would purchase. There bemightier obstacles than those of expediency, as thou dost wellimagine, to thy suit; but these are neither coldness norindifference. " Here her voice faltered with emotion, and her heartrose, rebelling against her own inflexible purpose, in that keen, thatoverwhelming anguish of the spirit. She soon regained her composure, as she uttered firmly: "They are--my altar and my faith!"

Egerton felt as though a sudden stroke had separated them for ever--asthough it were the last look of some beloved thing just wrenched fromhis grasp. This very feeling, had none other prompted, made him moreanxious for its recovery; and he would have urged his suit with allthe energy of a reckless desperation, but the maiden firmly resisted. 

"Urge me not again: not all the inducements I trust that even thoucouldest offer would make me forget my fealty! No more--I hear theenot. The tempter I know hath too many allies within thecitadel--worldly vanities and unsubdued affections--to suffer me toparley with the traitors and listen to their unholy suggestions. AgainI say, I hear thee not. "

Finding it was in vain, he forbore to persecute her further; and afterhaving merely tasted of the cordial, and partaken of a slightrefreshment, he listlessly inquired if the term of his imprisonmentwould soon expire. 

"Tarry here for a season, until the heat and energy of the pursuit beoverpast, or at least abated. We could not find a more fitting placeof concealment. "

"Being straitened for moneys until we can obtain succour from ourfriends, I cannot reward your hospitality as I would desire; but if weare brought forth and delivered safely from this thrall, thy father'shouse shall not be forgotten. "

"We will not touch the least of all thy gifts, " said the maiden:"forbid that we sold our succour to the distressed, though it were tothe most cruel and bitter of our enemies!"

A sudden thought excited this noble-hearted female. She cautiouslyapproached her companion, who, having discontinued his perambulations, had seated himself in a corner, awaiting the termination of theirinterview. Knowing that he had generally a hoard of moneys about hisperson--for covetousness was ever his besetting sin--she ventured tosolicit a loan, either for herself or the stranger, judging thatEgerton's escape would be much impeded, if, as he had just confessed, his finances were hardly sufficient for his ordinary expenditure. 

"And so I must give my blood and my groats to nourish thy sweethearts, wench, " said the surly money-lender. "I have saved this prelatist andmalignant from his adversaries, and now"----He considered a while, muttering his thoughts and arguments to himself with a most confusedand volatile impetuosity of ratiocination. In a short time he seemedto arrive at some satisfactory conclusion through all this obscurity, and drew out a handful of coin, of some low denomination, apparentlyby the sound, and placed it in the hands of his fair suitor. 

"There--there--one, two, three. Never mind, wench; I could havecounted 'em once with the best clerkman i' the parish; and for thematter of that, I've told 'em oft enough, though, --but the countalways seems to slip from me. It is all I have, save the price of mylife; and I would not part with that for a world's worth; for whatshould it profit me, when with it I had bought my grave?"

Marian immediately transferred the long-hoarded treasure into thehands of the cavalier. 

"Thanks; yea, better than these, for they were a poor recompense, mypeerless maiden. I scruple not to receive this loan at thine hands, because it is part of the means thou dost employ for my escape. Yetdoubt not of my willingness and ability to repay thee tenfold. Thouwilt not deny me this silly suit. "

As he said this, he, with the greatest gallantry and devotedness, kissed the hand held forth to supply his exigency. He was accompanyingthe movement with some fair and courtly speech when a loud andterrible cry startled him. It was more like the howl of some ravenousbeast than any sound which human organs ever uttered. Cursesfollowed--horrible, untold--the suggestion of fiends in theirbitterness and malignity. Then came the cry, or rather shriek--

"Lost! lost!" at irregular intervals. 

The cavalier and his companion were much alarmed by this unexpectedoccurrence. They doubted not that the foul fiend was before them, bodily, in the form of this poor maniac. After a short interval ofsilence, he cried, approaching them fiercely--

"Ye have sold me, soul and body, to the wicked one. May curses longand heavy light on ye! The coin! the coin! Oh, that accursed thing! Ihave bought thy grave, stranger; and my day of hope is past!"

The latter part of the speech was uttered in a tone of such deep andheartrending misery that pity arose in place of terror in the bosomof his auditors. Marian ventured to address him, hoping she mightassuage or dissipate the fearful hallucination under which helaboured. 

"There is yet hope for the repenting sinner. The hour of life is thehour of grace: for that, and that only, is life prolonged. Turn to Himfrom whom thou hast backslidden, nor add unto thy crime by wilfullyrejecting the free offers of His mercy. "

"Mercy!--Life!" Here he laughed outright. "Hearest thou not mytormentor?--Life!--I am dead, wench; and my grave is waiting for me, dug by these accursed fingers. That grave I digged for thee is nowmine. Unwittingly have I bought it, and the coin is in thy purse!"

It seems the poor maniac, in replacing the mysterious coin to which, from some cause or other, he attached such importance, hadunthinkingly added it to the common hoard, and in this manner conveyedit to the stranger, whose grave he persisted he had bought by thistransfer; and nothing could shake his belief in so marvellous aconclusion. 

The cavalier attempted to comfort him; and in order to make thedelusion subservient to the removal of its terrors, he offered torestore the coin, or even the whole of what he had received, that thesimple gravedigger might be certain he had it in possession. 

"'Tis needless; the token, once from my grasp and in the fingers ofanother whose grave I have digged, would never change my doom by itsreturn. Keep what thou hast; and may it serve thee more faithfullythan it hath served me! But remember--let me say it while my senseshold together, for I feel the blast coming that shall scatter them tothe four winds--remember, if thou part therefrom, as I have done, tosome doomed one, thou shalt go to the grave in his stead. But acharmed life is thine as long as it is in thy possession. Away--leaveme--the master will be here presently for his own. Leave me, I say;for when the fiend cometh, he'll not tarry. But be sure you make fastthe door, lest I escape, and mischief happen, should I get abroad. "

"Stephen!" said Marian, "slight not the mercy of thy God, nordishonour His name, by hearkening to the suggestions of the enemy. Hisarm is not shortened, nor His ear heavy. "

"I know it; but when the fiend came, and found the house swept andgarnished, did he not take unto himself seven other spirits morewicked than himself, and was not the latter end of that man worse thanthe first?"

"Yet, " said Marian, "would he have been delivered if he had cried outto the strong man armed. "

"But he would hear no refutation, persisting in the thought that hiscrime was unpardonable, since he had relapsed after the devil was castout. " During the present paroxysm, it was in vain to thwart himfurther; indeed their stay was attended with some hazard, of which, itseems, he felt aware, inasmuch as he drove them forth withoutceremony. Availing themselves of his suggestion they bolted the dooron the outside, thus preventing any further mischief. Here was aperplexing and unforeseen dilemma; and how to dispose of the cavalierwas a question of no slight importance. At present the onlyalternative was to convey him to his fellow-traveller, Chisenhall, who, comfortably established in his narrow loft, was quite unconsciousof the events that were passing so near him. 

As they left the cemetery they heard the groans and cries of theunfortunate victim, suffering, as he imagined, from the resistlesspower of his tormentor. 

Early, with the early dawn, Marian again sought the dwelling of GilgalSnape. She earnestly entreated him that he would make all speed to thechapel--again exercising his peculiar gift in "binding the strong manarmed, " or, in other words, dispossessing the demoniac. 

The benevolent divine instantly accompanied her, and forthwithproceeded to the relief of the possessed. Howls and shrieks accostedhim as he ascended the stair. 

"I must be alone, " said he; "no earthly witness may be nigh. Strong infaith, by the grace that is given me, I doubt not that this also thouwilt vouchsafe to thine unworthy dust, "--he raised his eyes towardHeaven;--"yet should I fail, He will not let me be overcome, nor fallinto the snare of the wicked one; for I know, and am assured, thatthis trial shall turn out to the furtherance of His glory!"

Marian left him at the entrance. But, with the minister's appearancein the chamber, the agony of the deluded sufferer seemed to quicken, as if the sight of him who was the herald of mercy only added freshfuel to his torments. Marian was fain to depart; her ears almoststunned with the cries and howlings of the demoniac. She withdrew ingreat agitation, her knees almost sinking under their burden. Hardlyconscious of the removal, she reached her own chamber, where, coveringher face with both hands, she wept bitterly. This outburst of tearsrelieved her; though she still suffered from the recent excitement. Her former resolutions were strengthened by the terrible example shehad just witnessed; and the backsliding impenitent she looked upon asa watchlight to warn her from the rocks whereon he had made shipwreck. 

Some hours passed on, but no tidings came from the "abbey. " She oftenlooked out across the path, and towards the stile which led to theruins; but all was undisturbed. The sun shining down, bright andunclouded, all was harmony and peace--"all, save the spirit of man, was divine"--all fulfilling their Maker's ordinances, and his behest. 

The sun was creeping down towards the dark low tower of the chapel;and Marian was still at the door, gazing out anxiously forintelligence. She saw a figure mounting the stile. It was--she couldnot be mistaken--it was the reverend and easily-recognised form ofGilgal Snape. She ran down the path to meet him; and she could nothelp noticing that he looked more sedate than usual, appearingharassed and disquieted, betraying more obviously the approach of ageand infirmities. 

"Have you wrestled with the adversary and prevailed?" inquired she, anxiously. 

"I have had a fearful and a perilous struggle. The fight was long;but, by the sword of the Spirit, I _have_ prevailed. "

"Has the backslider been brought again to the fold?"

"He hath, I trust, been found of the Good Shepherd; and he nowsleepeth in Abraham's bosom!"

"Dead! Hath the grave so soon demanded its prey?"

"I left him not until the spirit was rendered unto Him who gave it. Heentreated me sore that I would not leave him until I had watched hisdismissal from the body. "

"Then do I know of a surety that the evil spirit was cast out, and thelost one restored. "

"There was joy in heaven over a repentant sinner this day. When thedark foe was vanquished, his spirit came again as a little child, andthe leprosy of his sin was healed. Verily, the evil one, ere he wasoverthrown, did utter many strange words touching things to come, andour present perplexities. There seemed to be a spirit of divinationwithin him which did prophesy. Marian, " continued the divine, with ascrutinising look, "he did tell of thy dealing with our enemies, andthat thou dost even now nourish and conceal those of whom we are insearch. "

"If thine enemy hunger"----But Marian was hastily interrupted in herplea. 

"But of the secrets which, by virtue of mine office and godlyvocation, men do entrust to my safe keeping, I may not use, even tothe hurt of our enemies and the welfare of the Church, yet buffeted bySatan in the wilderness. Nevertheless, I was sore troubled that thou, even thou, shouldest harbour and abet these wicked men, who havebroken the covenant and plucked up the seed of the kingdom. Truly, Iwot not where the afflicted Church shall find succour when her foes bethey of her own household. "

"I knew not that they were enemies when first they sought ourhabitation. They had eaten and drunken at our board, and the"----

"These sons of Belial found favour in thy sight, even the chiefcaptain of the king's host. I would not accuse or blame thee rashly;but verily thou hast not judged wisely in this matter, for now mustthey depart, inasmuch as I cannot use, even to the advantage of ourjust cause, the knowledge I have gained; nor wilt thou render them up, I trow; but mark me, the avenger of blood is behind them, and thoughthe city of refuge be nigh, they shall not escape!----Yet there beother marvels this wicked one did set forth, " said the minister, witha searching eye directed to the maiden. "One of these uncircumcisedPhilistines did woo thee for his bride. What answer gavest thou?"

"Such answer as becometh one who seeketh not fellowship with the worksof darkness. "

"'Tis well. Now lead me to this Joab the son of Zeruiah, this captainof the king's host; for I have a message unto him also. "

Following the astonished and trembling maiden, the divine, fraughtwith some weighty commission, was admitted into the temporaryconcealment of the fugitives. It was a narrow and inconvenient loftabove one of the outbuildings--the roof so low that it was only insome places the upright figure of the minister might be sustained. Thelight penetrated through an aperture in the roof, showing the guestswithin seated, and enjoying a frugal, but sufficient repast. 

"I am one of few words, " said the divine, "and so much the rather asthat I now stand in the presence of mine enemies. What sayest thou, Prince Rupert, the persecutor of God's heritage, who didst not staythine hand from the slaughter even of them that were taken captive?What sayest thou that the word should not go forth to kill and slay, even as thou didst smite and not spare, but didst destroy utterly themwho, when beleaguered by thine armies in Bolton, were delivered intothine hand?"

"Ha!" said the Prince; "thou--a cockatrice to betray me!"

"She hath not betrayed thee. Yonder poor and afflicted sinner, when inbondage unto Satan, led captive by him at his will, did reveal it bythe spirit of prophecy that was in him. But we take not advantage ofthis to thine hurt; we may not use the devil's works for the buildingup and welfare of the Church, even though she were mightily holpenthereby. But listen: thou hast wooed this maiden to be the wife of thybosom. In the dark roll of destiny it is written--so spake the uncleanspirit--that if thou shouldest wed, a son springing from thy loinsshall sit upon the throne of this unhappy realm. He shall govern thepeople righteously, every one under his own vine and his own fig-tree, none daring to make them afraid. Surely it would not be a vain and anevil thing should the maiden be----Yet--this is my temptation. Getthee behind me, Satan. May the thought and the folly of my heart beforgiven me! No! proud and cruel persecutor, this maiden is a pearl ofrare price which thou shalt not win--a chosen one who hath had gracegiven unto her above measure, even above that vouchsafed unto me. I doloathe and abhor myself for the iniquity of my heart, and theunsubdued carnality of my spirit. "

"Your Highness had need of great meekness and patience to endure thisgrievous outpouring, " said Chisenhall to the silent and bewilderedPrince. "Shall I thrust him through, and make sure of his fidelity?"

"Hurt him not, " said his Highness to this effectual admonisher untosecrecy. "And what if I should not wed?" continued he, addressing thedivine, and at the same time looking tenderly on the damsel. 

"To this point too was the prophecy accordant. The sceptre shallnevertheless be given to one of thy race; thy sister's son shall carrydown the line of kings to this people; and the Lord's work shall stillprosper. Now, daughter of many prayers--for I have yearned over theewith more than a father's love--choose thee without constraint thisday. Thou hearest the words of this prophecy: wilt thou be the motherof kings, or the lowly and despised follower of God's heritage?"

"I will not grasp the bubble of ambition. It bursts--a hollow vapourwhen possessed. Let me choose rather to suffer affliction with thepeople of God than obtain all the treasures of Egypt. But tempt me notagain, for my soul cleaveth to the dust--flesh and blood shrink fromthe trial!"

She sobbed aloud, and threw herself on the old man's neck, whoscarcely refrained from joining in her tears. 

"Thou hast come forth as gold from the furnace--thou hast kept thefaith, and holden fast thy profession, " said the divine, with a glanceof triumph. Marian held out her hand to the Prince, who grasped itwith fervour. She seemed more like to some holy and heavenward thingthan a denizen of this polluted earth--more like a type of theconfessors and martyrs of the primitive church than a disciple of ourown, nurtured in the lap of carnal security, with little show ofeither zeal or devotion. 

"Your Highness must depart--but whither?" said she, with an anxiousand inquiring glance directed to the minister. 

"Take no thought for their safety; thy constancy hath earned theirdeliverance. My safe-conduct will carry them unharmed beyond the reachof their enemies; but let them not return. It is at their own peril ifthey be found again harboured in this vicinage, and their blood be ontheir own heads!"

They departed, and the subsequent history of the gallant Rupert iswell known. He joined the king at Oxford, and helped him to retrievehis defeat at Newbury, bringing off his artillery left at DunningtonCastle in the very face of the enemy. At the decisive Battle of Nasebywe find him performing feats of extraordinary valour; but, as before, his headlong and precipitate fury led him into the usual error; andthough the loss of the battle was not to be attributed entirely to hisimprudence, yet a little more caution would have altered materiallythe results of that memorable conflict. Harassed and dispirited, hethrew himself with the remainder of his troops into Bristol, intendingto defend it to the last extremity; but even here his constitutionalfortitude and valour seemed to forsake him: a poorer defence was notmade by any town during the whole war, and the general expectationswere extremely disappointed. No sooner had the Parliamentary forcesentered the lines by storm, than the Prince capitulated, andsurrendered the place to General Fairfax. A few days before, he hadwritten a letter to the King, in which he undertook to defend it forfour months, if no mutiny obliged him to surrender it. Charles, whowas forming schemes and collecting forces for the relief of the city, was astonished at so unexpected an event, which was little less fatalto his cause than the defeat at Naseby. Full of indignation, heinstantly recalled all Prince Rupert's commissions, and sent him apass to go beyond sea. 

Several years afterwards we find him in command of a squadron ofships, entrusted to him by Charles II, when an exile in Normandy. Admiral Blake received orders from the Parliament to pursue him. Rupert, being much inferior in force, took shelter in Kinsale, andescaping thence, fled toward the coast of Portugal. Blake pursued andchased him into the Tagus, where he intended to attack him; but theKing of Portugal, moved by the favour which throughout Europe attendedthe royal cause, refused Blake admission, and aided the Prince inmaking his escape. Having lost the greater part of his fleet off thecoast of Spain, he made sail towards the West Indies; but his brother, Prince Maurice, was there shipwrecked in a hurricane. Everywhere hissquadron subsisted by privateering, sometimes on English, sometimes onSpanish, vessels. Rupert at last returned to France, where he disposedof the remnants of his fleet, together with his prizes. 

He was never married; peradventure the remembrance of the noble andheroic maiden marred his wiving; he cared not for the presence ofthose courtly dames by whom he was surrounded, though a soldier, and abrave one. By one of his race the crown of these realms was inherited;and the same line is yet perpetuated in the person of our graciousmonarch, whom God preserve! The sister of Rupert, Princess Sophia, bymarriage with the Elector of Hanover, became the mother of George I. ;and thus was that singular prediction of the supposed demoniacstrangely and happily verified. Of Marian little remains to be told;the lives of the virtuous and well-doing furnish little matter for thehistorian; their deeds are not of this world; the bright page of theirhistory is unfolded only in the next. 

 [8] Hume. 

 [9] Clarendon. 

 [10] Hume. 

[Illustration: CLEGG HALL, NEAR ROCHDALE. _Drawn by G. Pickering. __Engraved by Edw^d Finden. _]

CLEGG HALL. 

 "Is there no exorcist Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes? Is't real that I see?" --SHAKESPEARE. 

Clegg Hall, about two miles N. E. From Rochdale, is still celebratedfor the freaks and visitations of a supernatural guest, called"Clegg-Hall Boggart. "

So desultory and various are the accounts we have heard, and many ofthem so vague and unintelligible, that it has been a work of muchdifficulty to weave them into one continuous narrative, and to shapethem into a plot sufficiently interesting for our purpose. The nameand character of "Noman" are still the subject of many an absurd andmarvellous story among the country chroniclers in that region. 

Dr Whitaker says it is "the only estate within the parish which stillcontinues in the local family name. " On this site was the old housebuilt by Bernulf de Clegg and Quenilda his wife as early as the reignof Stephen. Not a vestige of it remains. The present comparativelymodern erection was built by Theophilus Ashton of Rochdale, a lawyer, and one of the Ashtons of Little Clegg, about the year 1620. 

Stubley Hall, mentioned in our tale, was built by Robert Holt in thereign of Henry VIII. The decay of our native woods had then occasioneda pretty general disuse of timber for the framework of dwelling-housesbelonging to this class of our domestic architecture. Dr Whitakersays--"It is the first specimen in the parish of a stone or brickhall-house of the second order--that is, with a centre and two wingsonly. Long before the Holts, appear at this place a Nicholas and aJohn de Stubley, in the years 1322 and 1332; then follow in successionJohn, Geoffrey, Robert, and Christopher Holt; from whom descended, though not in a direct line, Robert Holt of Castleton and Stubley, whose daughter, Dorothy, married in the year 1649, John Entwisle ofFoxholes. Robert, who built Stubley, and who was grandson ofChristopher Holt before mentioned, was a justice of the peace in theyear 1528. In an old visitation of Lancashire by Thomas Tong, Norroy, 30 Hen. VIII. , is this singular entry:--"Robarde Holte of Stubley, hase mar. An ould woman, by whom he hase none issewe, and therefore hewolde not have her name entryed. " Yet it appears he had a daughter, Mary, who married Charles Holt, her cousin, descended from the firstRobert. Her grandson was the Robert Holt, father to Dorothy Entwislebefore-named, at whose marriage the events took place which, if thefollowing tradition is to be credited, were the forerunners of a morestrange and unexpected development. 

In the year 1640, nine years before the date of our story, Robert Holtabandoned Stubley for the warmer and more fertile situation ofCastleton, about a mile south from Rochdale. It was so named from the_castellum de Recedham_, wherein dwelt Gamel, the Saxon Thane; whichplace and personage are described in our first series of _Traditions_. Castleton was principally abbey-land belonging to the house ofStanlaw. Part of this township, the hamlet of Marland or Mereland, was, at the dissolution of monasteries, granted to the Radcliffs ofLangley, and sold by Henry Radcliff to Charles Holt, who married hiscousin, Mary Holt of Stubley, and was grandfather to Robert, who leftStubley for this place, which we have noticed above. 

Stubley, with its neighbourhood, was always noted for good ale. Fromits situation, exposed to all the rigours of that hilly region, theclimate was reckoned so cold as to require that their daily beverageshould be of sufficient strength to counteract its effects. Thathabits of intemperance would be contracted from the constant use ofsuch stimuli may easily be inferred. The following letter fromNicholas Stratford, Bishop of Chester, to James Holt of Castleton, sonof Robert Holt before-named, is but too melancholy a confirmation ofthis inference. 

The original is in the possession of the Rev. J. Clowes of BroughtonHall:--

 "SIR, --Your request in behalf of Mr Halliwell was easily granted; for I am myself inclined to give the best encouragement I can to the poor curates, as long as they continue diligent in the discharge of their duty. But I have now, Sir, a request to make to you, which I heartily pray you may as readily grant me; and that is, that you will for the future abandon and abhor the sottish vice of drunkenness, which (if common fame be not a great liar) you are much addicted to. I beseech you, Sir, frequently and seriously to consider the many dismal fruits and consequences of this sin, even in this world--how destructive it is to all your most valuable concerns and interests; how it blasts your reputation, destroys your health, and will (if continued) bring you to a speedy and untimely death: and, which is infinitely more dreadful, will exclude you from the kingdom of heaven, and expose you to that everlasting fire where you will not be able to obtain so much as one drop of water to cool your tongue. I have not leisure to proceed in this argum^t, nor is it needful that I should, because you yourself can enlarge upon it without my ... I assure you, S^r, this advice now given you proceeds from sincere love and my earnest desire to promote your happiness both in this world and the next; and I hope you will be pleased so to accept from, "S^r, "Your affectionate friend "and humble servant, "N. CESTRIENS. 

 "CHESTER, _Nov. 1699_. "

Clegg Hall, after many changes of occupants, is now in part used as acountry alehouse; other portions are inhabited by the labouringclasses who find employment in that populous and manufacturingdistrict. It is the properpty of Joseph Fenton, Esq. , of Bamford Hall, by purchase from John Entwisle, Esq. , the present possessor ofFoxholes, in that neighbourhood. 

To Clegg Hall, or rather what was once the site of that ancient house, tradition points through the dim vista of past ages as the scene of anunnatural and cruel tragedy. Not that this picturesque and statelypile, with its gable and zigzag terminations, the subject of ourpresent engraving, was the very place where the murder wasperpetrated; but a low, dark, and wooden-walled tenement, such as ourforefathers were wont to construct in times anterior to the Tudorages. The present building, with its little porch, quaint andgrotesque, its balustrade and balcony above, and the points andpediments on the four sides, are evidently the coinage of some moremodern brain--peradventure in King James's days. Not unlike thecharacter of that learned monarch and of his times, half-classical, half-barbarous, it combines the puerilities of each, without the powerand grandeur of the one, or the rich and chivalric magnificence of theother; and might remind the beholder of some gaunt warrior of theMiddle Ages, with lance, and armour, and "ladye-love, " stalking forth, clad in the Roman toga or the stately garb of the senator. Thebuilding, the subject of our tale, has neither the gorgeousextravagance of the Gothic nor the severe and stern utility of theRoman architecture. Little bits of columns, dwarf-like, and frittereddown into mere extremities, give the porch very much the appearance ofa child's plaything, or a Dutch toy stuck to its side. 

It has the very air and attitude--the pedantic formalities--of thetime when it was built. Not so the house on whose ruins it waserected; the square, low, dark mansion, constructed of wood, heavy andgigantic, shaped like the hull of some great ship, the ribs andtimbers being first fixed, and the interstices afterwards filled witha compost of clay and chopped straw, to keep out the weather. Of suchrude and primitive architecture were the dwellings of the Englishgentry in former ages: such was the house built by Bernulf andQuenilda Clegg, in the reign of Stephen, the supposed scene of thathorrible deed which gave rise to the stories yet extant relating to"Clegg-Hall Boggart. " Popular story is not precise, generally, as tofacts and dates. The exact time when this occurrence took place weknow not; but it is more than probable that some dark transaction ofthis nature was here perpetrated. The prevailing tradition warrantsour belief. However fanciful and extravagant the filling up of thepicture, common rumour still preserves untouched the general outline. It is said that, sometime about the thirteenth or fourteenth century, a wicked uncle destroyed the lawful heirs of this goodlypossession--two orphan children that were left to his care--bythrowing them over a balcony into the moat, that he might seize on theinheritance. Such is the story which, to this day, retains its hold onthe popular mind; and ever after, it is said, the house was thereputed haunt of a troubled and angry spirit, until means were takenfor its removal, or rather its expulsion. But upon the inhuman deeditself we shall not dilate, inasmuch as the period is too remote, andthe events are too vague, for our purpose. 

The house built by Bernulf Clegg had passed, with many alterations andrenewals, into the possession of the Ashtons of Little Clegg. Aboutthe year 1620 the present edifice was built by Theophilus Ashton; andthirty years had scarcely elapsed from its erection to the date of ourstory. Though the original dwelling had, with one or two exceptions, been pulled down, yet symptoms of "the boggart" were still manifest inthe occasional visitations and annoyances to which the inmates weresubject. 

The hues of evening were spread out, like a rich tapestry, above andbehind the long unpicturesque line of hills, the lower acclivities ofBlackstonedge, opposite to the stately mansion of Clegg Hall. Thesquare squat tower of Rochdale Church peered out from the dark trees, high on its dim eyrie, in the distance, towards the south-west, belowwhich a wan hazy smoke indicated the site of that thriving andpopulous town. To the right, the heavy blue ridge of mountains, bearing the appropriate name of Blackstonedge, had not yet put on itscold, grey, neutral tint; but the mass appeared to rise abruptly fromthe green enclosures stretching to its base, in strong and beautifulcontrast of colour, such as painters love to express on the mimiccanvas. It was a lovely evening in October; one of Nature's partingsmiles, ere she envelops herself in the horrors and the gloom ofwinter. So soft and balmy was the season that the wild flowerslingered longer than usual in the woods and copses where they dwelt. In the gardens some of the spring blossoms had already unfolded. Thewallflowers and polyanthuses had looked out again, unhesitatingly, onthe genial sky--deprived, by sophistication and culture, of theinstincts necessary to their preservation: the wild untutored denizensof the field and the quiet woods rarely betray such lack ofpresentiment. But such are everywhere the results of civilisation;which, however beneficial to society in the aggregate, gives itsobjects altogether an artificial character, and, by depriving them oftheir natural and proper instincts, renders them helpless when singleand unaided; while it makes them more dependent upon each other, andon the factitious wants, the offspring of those very habits andconditions into which they are thrown. 

On the hollow trunk of a decrepit ash the ivy was blossomingprofusely, gathering its support from the frail prop which it wasfated to destroy. The insects were humming and frolicking about ontheir tiny wings, taking their last enjoyment of their little day, erethey gave place to the ephemera of the next. 

"How merry and jocund every life-gifted thing looks forth on this ourfestival. It might be Nature holding high jubilee in honour of Holt'sdaughter on her wedding-night!"

Thus spake Nicholas Haworth to his sister Alice, as they stepped forthfrom the hall porch, and stayed for a moment by this aged trunk toadmire the scene that was fast losing its glory and its brightness. They were bidden to the marriage-supper at Stubley, where a masquedball was to be given after the nuptials of Dorothy Holt, the daughterof its possessor, with Entwisle, the heir of Foxholes. [11]

"It may be holiday and gladness too; but I feel it not, " said Alicepensively, as she leaned on her brother's arm, while they turned intoa narrow lane overarched by irregular groups of beech and sycamoretrees. 

"Heed not such idle fancies, " said her brother. "And so, because, forsooth, an impudent beggar-man predicts some strange event that mustshortly befall thee, the apprehension doth cast its shadow ere itcome, and thou art ready to conjure up some grim spectre in the gloomit hath created. But, in good sooth, here comes the wizard himself whohath raised these melancholic and evil humours. "

"I never pass him without a shudder, " said she, at the same timecringing closely to her protector. 

This awful personage was one of an ancient class, now probablyextinct; a sort of privileged order, supplying, or rather usurping, the place of the mendicant friars of former days. Their vocation wasnot of an unprofitable kind, inasmuch as alms were commonly rendered, though more from fear than favour. Woe betide the unlucky housewifewho withheld her dole, her modicum of meal or money to these sturdyapplicants! Mischief from some invisible hand was sure to follow, andthe cause was laid to her lack of charity. 

The being, the subject of these remarks, had been for many months aperiodical visitor at the Hall, where he went by the name of "Noman. "It is not a little remarkable that tradition should here point out anadventure something analogous to that of Ulysses with the Cyclop asonce happening to this obscure individual, and that his escape wasowing to the same absurd equivoque by which the Grecian chief escapedfrom his tormentor. Our tale, however, hath reference to weightiermatters, and the brief space we possess permits no further digression. This aged but hale and sturdy beggar wore a grey frieze coat or cloakloosely about his person. Long blue stocking gaiters, well patched anddarned, came over his knee, while his doublet and hosen, or body-gear, were fastened together by the primitive attachment of woodenskewers--a contrivance now obsolete, being superseded by others moreelegant and seemly. A woollen cap or bonnet, of unparalleled form anddimensions, was disposed upon his head, hiding the upper part of hisface, and almost covering a pair of bushy grey eyebrows, that, intheir turn, crouched over a quick and vagrant eye, little the worsefor the wear of probably some sixty years. A grizzled reddish beardhung upon his breast; and his aspect altogether was forbidding, almostferocious. A well-plenished satchel was on his shoulder; and he walkedslowly and erect, as though little disposed to make way for hisbetters in the narrow path, where they must inevitably meet. When theycame nearer he stood still in the middle of the road, as thoughinclined to dispute their passage. His tall and well-proportionedfigure, apparent even beneath these grotesque habiliments, stood outbefore them in bold relief against the red and burning sky, where anopening in the lane admitted all the glow and fervour of the westernsunset. His strange, wayward, and even mysterious character was no barto his admittance into the mansions of the gentry through a widecircuit of country, where his familiarities were tolerated, or perhapsconnived at, even by many whose gifts he received more as a right thanas an obligation. 

He looked steadfastly on them as they approached, but without theslightest show either of respect or good-will. 

"Prithee, stand a little on one side, that we may pass by without fearof offence, " said Nicholas Haworth, good-humouredly. 

"And whither away, young master and my dainty miss?" was the reply, inhis usual easy and familiar address, such as might have suited one ofrank and condition. 

Haworth, little disturbed thereat, said with a carelesssmile, --"Troth, thou hast not been so long away but thou mightest haveheard of the wedding-feast to-night, and, peradventure, been foremostfor the crumbs of the banquet. "

"I know well there's mumming and foolery a-going on yonder; and Isuppose ye join the merry-making, as they call it?"

"Ay, that do we; and so, prithee, begone. "

"And your masks will ne'er be the wiser for't, I trow, " said thebeggar, looking curiously upon them from beneath his penthouse lids. 

"But that I could laugh at his impertinence, Alice, I would even nowchide him soundly, and send his pitiful carcase to the stocks for thispresumption. Hark thee, I do offer good counsel when I warn thee toshift thyself, and that speedily, ere I use the readiest means for thyremoval. "

"Gramercy, brave ruffler; but I must e'en gi'e ye the path; an' sopass on to the masking, my Lord Essex and his maiden queen. "

He said this with a cunning look and a chuckle of self-gratulation atthe knowledge he had somehow or other acquired of the parts they wereintended to enact. 

"Foul fa' thy busy tongue, where foundest thou this news? I've amonth's mind to change my part, Alice, but that there's neitherleisure nor opportunity, and they lack our presence at the nuptials. "

"How came he by this knowledge, and the fashion of our masks?"inquired Alice from her brother. "Truly, I could join belief withthose who say that he obtained it not through the ordinary channelsopen to our frail and fallible intellects. "

Mistress Alice, "the gentle Alice, " was reckoned fair andwell-favoured. Strongly tinctured with romance, her superstition wascontinually fed by the stories then current in relation to her owndwelling, and by the generally-received opinions about witches andother supernatural things which yet lingered, loth to depart fromthese remote limits of civilisation. 

"Clegg-Hall Boggart" was the type of a notion too general to bedisbelieved; yet were the inmates, in all probability, less intimatelyacquainted with the freaks and disturbances attendant thereon thanevery gossip in the neighbourhood; for, as it frequently happens, tales and marvels, for the most part originating through roguery, andthe pranks of servants and retainers, were less likely to come to theears of the master and his family than those of persons lessinterested, but more likely to assist in their propagation. Thevagrant and erratic movements of "Noman" were, somehow or another, connected with the marvellous adventures and appearances in the"boggart chamber. " At the Hall, this discarded room, being part of theold house yet remaining, was the one which he was permitted to occupyduring his stay; and his appearance was generally the signal of avisit from their supernatural guest. To be sure, the strange sights hebeheld rested on his testimony alone; but his word was neverquestioned, and his coming was of equal potency with the magician'swand in raising the ghost. 

"We shall have some news from our troublesome guest, I suppose, in themorning, " said Alice to her brother, as they went slowly on: "I knownot the cause; but yonder vagrant seems to waken our ancient companionfrom his slumbers, either by sympathy or antipathy, I trow. "

"For the most part they be idle tales, " said he; "though I doubt not, in former days, the place was infested by some unquiet spirit. Butthis good house of ours hath modern stuff too strong upon it. Thesmell of antiquity alone hath a savour delicate enough for your mustyghost. "

Alice pressed his arm slightly as an admonition, at the same timegently chiding his unbelief. Thus beguiling the way with pleasantdiscourse, they drew nigh to the old house at Stubley, little morethan a mile distant from their own dwelling. 

Though now resident in his more modern, sheltered, and convenientmansion of Castleton, Holt determined that his daughter's weddingshould be solemnised in the ancient halls, where Robert Bath, vicar ofRochdale, who was presented to the living on his marriage with a nieceof Archbishop Laud, was invited to perform the ceremony;--"A man, "says Dr Whitaker, "of very different principles from his patron; forhe complied with all changes but the last, and retained his beneficetill August 24, 1662, when he went out on the Bartholomew Act, andretired to a small house at Deepleach Hill, near Rochdale, where hefrequently preached to a crowded auditory. "[12]

As they came nigh, lights were already glancing between the mullionsof the great hall window, then richly ornamented with painted glass. The guests were loitering about the walks and terraces in the littlegarden-plots, which in that bleak and chilly region were scantilyfurnished. In the hall, fitted up with flowers and green holly-wreathsfor the occasion, the father of the bride and his intended son-in-lawwere pacing to and fro in loving discourse; the latter pranked out ina costly pair of "petticoat breeches, " pink and white, of the newestfashion, reaching only to the knee. These were ornamented with ribandsand laces at the two extremities, below which silk stockings, glistering like silver, and immense pink shoe-roses, completed hisnether costume. A silken doublet and waistcoat of rich embroidery, over which was a turned-down shirt-collar of point-lace, surmountedthe whole. 

His friends and officials were busily employed in arranging mattersfor the occasion, distributing the wedding-favours, and preparing forthe entertainments and festivities that were to follow. 

Holt and his son-in-law were exempt from duty, save that of welcomingthose that were bidden, upon their arrival. 

Before an oaken screen, beautifully carved with arabesque ornamentsand armorial bearings, [13] there was a narrow table, covered with awhite cloth, and on it the prayer-book, open at the marriageformulary. Four stools were placed for those more immediatelyinterested in the ceremony. Rosemary and bay-leaves, gilt and dippedin scented water, were scattered about the marriage-altar inlove-knots and many fanciful and ingenious devices. A bride-cup restedupon it, in which lay a sprig of gilded rosemary--a relic or semblanceof the ancient hymeneal torch. Huge tables, groaning with garniturefor the approaching feast, were laid round the apartment--room beingleft in the central floor for all who chose to mingle in the games anddances that were expected after supper. 

The company were now assembled, and the ceremony about to commence. The bride, clothed in white, with a veil of costly workmanship thrownover her, was led in by her maidens and a train of friends. Thebridegroom taking her hand, they stood before the altar, and the briefbut indissoluble knot was tied. The kiss being given, the happyhusband led away his partner into the parlour or guest chamber, followed by many of those who had witnessed the ceremony. Alice andher brother were amongst them; and the bride, perceiving theirentrance, drew the hand of the maiden within hers, and retained herfor a short season by her side. 

The feast was begun; those who were for the mask took but a hastyrefreshment, being anxious to proceed into the 'tiring rooms, there toarray for the more interesting part of the night's revel. In due timeissued forth from their crowded bowers lords and ladies gay, buffoons, morris-dancers, and the like; gypsies, fortune-tellers, and a medleyof giddy mummers, into the hall, where the more sedate or more sensualwere still carousing after the feast. 

"Room for the masks!" was the general cry; and the musicians, eachafter his kind, did pierce and vex the air with such a medley ofdisquieting sounds that the talkers were fain to cease, and thedancers to fall to in good earnest. Alice and her brother weredisguised as the cunning beggar had predicted--to wit, as the virginqueen and her unfortunate lover. Masks were often dropping in, so thatthe hall and adjoining chambers were fully occupied, resounding inwild echoes with noise and revelry. 

Loud and long was the merriment, increasing even until the roofs rungwith the din, and the revellers themselves grew weary of the tumult. 

Alice was standing by the oaken screen during a temporary cessation onher part from the labours incident to royalty, when there came frombehind it a tawny Moor, wearing a rich shawl turban, with a beard ofcomely aspect. His arms were bare and hung with massive bracelets, andhe wore a tight jacket of crimson and gold. His figure was tall andcommanding; but his face was concealed by a visor of black crape, which hindered not his speech from being clearly apprehended, thoughthe sound came forth in a muffled tone, as if feigned for theoccasion. Immediately there followed an Arabic or Turkish doctor, clad in a long dark robe, and his head surmounted by a four-corneredfur cap. In one hand he held a glass phial, and a box under his leftarm. Of an erect and majestic stature, he stood for a momentapparently surveying the scene ere he mingled in the busy crowd. Hisface also was covered with black crape, and through the "eyelet-holes"a bright and burning glance shot forth, hardly repressed by the shadowfrom his disguise. Alice, being unattended, shunned these unknownintruders, and mingled again with a merry group who were pelting oneanother with comfits and candied almonds. The stately Elizabethbeckoned to her maidens; but they merely curtsied to their royalmistress, without discontinuing their boisterous hilarity. Indeed, themumming hitherto had been more in dress than manners, so littlerestraint had their outward disguise occasioned, or their behaviourbeen altered thereby. The two late comers, however, produced a change. It appeared that their business was to enact a play or cunning devicefor the amusement of the company who, regarding them with a curiouseye, one by one left off their several sports to gaze upon thestrangers. 

The rest were generally known to each other; but whispers andinquiries now went round, from which it appeared that the newvisitants were strictly concealed, and their presence unexpected. 

"Now, o' my faith, " said Harry Cheetham, whose skill in dancing anddrollery had been conspicuous throughout the evening, "yon barbariansbe come from the Grand Turk, with his kerchief, recruiting for theseraglio. "

"Out upon thee!" said a jingling Morisco, enacted by young Hellawellof Pike House; "the Grand Signior loveth not maidens such as ours forhis pavilion. They be too frosty to melt, even in Afric's sunnyclime. " This was said with a malicious glance at Alice, whosequeen-like dignity and haughty bearing had kept many an ardent admirerat bay through the evening. 

"Sure the master of the feast hath withheld this precious delectationuntil now, " said Essex; "for they, doubtless, be of his providing. "

"And give promise of more novel but less savoury entertainment, " saidHamer of Hamer. But Holt either knew them not, or his look ofsurprise, not unmixed with curiosity and expectation, showed that hewas playing the masker too, without other disguise than his own properfeatures--the kind hospitable face of an honest north-country squire, ruddy with health and conviviality. 

At the farther end of the hall the bride and her bride-maidens werestanding, with the bridegroom at her side, whispering soft gallantriesin her ear. The strangers, on their entrance, rendered neither tokennor obeisance, as courtesy required, to the bride and her train, butfollowed Alice, who had joined her brother in the merry crowd, nowwatching the motions of these unexpected visitants. They approachedwith stately and solemn steps; and, without once deigning to noticethe rest of the company, the gaudy Moor bowed himself in a mostdignified _salaam_ before the queen. Alice, apparently with sometrepidation at being thus singled out from the rest, clung to herbrother, she hardly knew why. 

"My sublime master, emperor of the world, lord of the sun, and rulerof the seven celestial configurations, sendeth his slave unto the mosthigh and mighty Queen--whose beauty, as a girdle, doth encompass thewhole earth--with greeting. "

"And who is he?" said Alice, timidly enough. 

"The Sultan Ibrahim, lord of the seven golden towers, the emeraldislands, and ruler over an hundred nations. He bade his slave kiss thehem of his mistress's garment, and beseech her to put her foot on theneck of his bondsman, her slave's slave, and accept his gift. "

"And who is this thy companion?" said Alice, growing bolder, while thecompany were gradually gathering round them. 

"This, whom your unworthy slave hath brought, most gracious Queen, isthe renowned Doctor Aboulfahrez, high conjuror to the Khan of Tartary, and physician to the Great Mogul. He doth drive hence all pains anddiseases whatsoever, and will cure your great majesty of any disorderof the spirit, by reason of charms or love-philtres heretoforeadministered. "

With a slight bend of his illustrious person, as though the highconjuror to the Khan of Tartary, and physician to the Great Mogul, thought himself too nearly on an equality with her "high mightinesse"the Queen, the learned doctor for the first time broke silence--

"Will it please the Queen's grace to command an ensample of mine art?"

"We must first be assured unto what purpose. Hast thou not heard, "said Alice, with increasing confidence, "that it is treason to putforth strange or unlawful devices before the Queen?"

The stranger bowed. "But your grace hath traitors in those fair eyeswhich do prompt treason if they practise none. "

This gallant speech was much applauded by the company, and relievedAlice from the necessity of a speedy and suitable answer; for shebegan to be somewhat perplexed by the address of these bold admirers. 

"Look at this precious phial, the incomparable elixir, the pabulum oflife, the grand arcanum, the supernaculum, the mother and regeneratorof nature, the source and the womb of all existence, past, present, and to come!" The learned doctor paused, more from want of breath thanfrom scarcity of epithets wherewith to blazon forth the great virtuesof his discovery. Soon, however, he breathed again through themouth-slit in his mask, and blew on the phial, when lo! a vapourissued from within, curling in long-drawn wreaths down the side, in amanner most wonderful to behold. 

This trick roused the admiration of his audience, but he made a signthat they should be still, as their breath and acclamations mightdisturb the process. He now thrust one finger into the vapour, when itappeared to wind round his hand; then, letting the bottle drop, itfell, suspended from the finger by this novel and extraordinarychain--the vapour seeming to be the link by which it hung. Thisunexpected feat repressed the noisy burst of applause which might havebeen the result of a less wonderful device. Every one looked anxiouslyand uneasily at his neighbour, and at the renowned Doctor Aboulfahrez, not feeling comfortable, perhaps, or even safe, in the presence of soexalted a personage. But new wonders were at hand. The mysteriousvisitor uttered some cabalistic words, and lo! flames burst forth fromthe magic phial, to the additional wonder and dismay of the beholders. 

"When the Queen's grace doth will it, this box shall be opened; but itwill behove her to be discreet in what may follow, lest the charm beevaded. "

The Moorish slave was silent during this procedure, standing witharms folded, as though he had been one of the mutes of his master'sharem, rather than ambassador to his "ladye love. " With the assent ofAlice, the Doctor took in one hand the casket, which he cautiouslyunlocked. The lid flew open by a secret spring, and a peacock ofsurprising beauty and glittering plumage rose out of the box, imitating the motions of the real bird to admiration. The mimic thing, being placed on the floor, flapped its wings, and unfolded its tailwith all the pride and precision of the original. 

"Beshrew me!" said Holt, approaching nearer to the performer, "butthou hast been bred to the black art, I think. Some o' ye have cateredexcellently for our pastime. " But who it was none could ascertain, each giving his neighbour credit secretly for the construction ofthese dainty devices. Yet new wonders were about to follow, when thebride and bridegroom, though wedded to each other's company, cameforward to see the spectacle. Not a guest was missing. Even those mostpleasantly occupied at the tables left their sack and canary, theirspices and confections. The musicians, too, and the menials, seemed tohave forgotten their several duties, and stood gaping and marvellingat the show. Suddenly there flew open a little door in the breast ofthe automaton bird, and out jumped a fair white pigeon, which, afterhaving performed many surprising feats, in its turn became the parentof another progeny--to wit, a beautiful singing bird, or nightingale, which warbled so sweetly, fluttering its wings with all the ecstacy ofthat divine creature, that the listeners were nearly beside themselveswith ravishment and admiration. The nightingale now opened, and alittle humming-bird of most surprising brilliancy hopped forth, andjumping up to the Queen, held out its beak, having a label therein, apparently beseeching her to accept the offering. She stooped down toreceive the billet, which she hastily unfolded. What effect wasvisible on her countenance we cannot pretend to say, inasmuch as themask precluded observation; but there was an evident tremor in herframe. She seemed to be overpowered with surprise, and held out thenote as though for the moment incapable of deciding whether to acceptit or no. Then with a sudden effort she crumpled it together, andthrust it behind her stomacher. Wonder sat silent and watchful on theface of every beholder. The actors in this strange drama had replacedthe automata in the box again, closing its lid. The Moor had made his_salaam_, the Doctor his obeisance, disappearing behind the screenfrom which they had so mysteriously come forth. But at their departurea train of fire followed upon their track, and a lambent flame playedcuriously upon the wooden crockets for a few seconds, and thendisappeared. 

Now was there a Babel of tongues unloosed, at first by sudden impulsesand whispers, then breaking forth by degrees into a loud andcontinuous din of voices, all at once seeking to satisfy theirinquiries touching this strange and unexpected visit. Their host wasmightily pestered and besieged with questions and congratulations onthe subject, which he has promptly and peremptorily disclaimed, attempting to fix the hatching of the plot upon the astonishedbridegroom. But even he would not father the conceit; and, in the end, it began to be surmised that these were indeed what their appearancebetokened, or something worse, which cast a sudden gloom on the wholeassembly. Some sallied out of the door to watch, and others blamed themaster for not seizing and detaining these emissaries of Satan. Alicewas closely questioned as to the communication she had received; butshe replied, evasively perhaps, that it was only one of the usualstale conceits appropriate to the masque. 

Nothing more was heard or seen of them; and it was now high time theyshould accompany the bridegroom to his own dwelling at Foxholes--agoodly house situate on a pretty knoll near the town of Rochdale, andabout two miles distant from Stubley. 

Now was there mustering and hurrying to depart. An unwieldy coach wasdrawn up, into which the bride and her female attendants wereforthwith introduced, the bridegroom and his company going on foot. Onarriving at Foxholes, the needful ceremonies were performed. Throwingthe stocking, a custom then universally practised, was not omitted;which agreeable ceremony was performed as follows:--

The female friends and relations conducted the bride to her chamber, and the men the bridegroom. The latter then took the bride'sstockings, and the females those of the bridegroom. Sitting at thebottom of the bed, the stockings were thrown over their heads. Whenone of the "hurlers" hit the owner, it was deemed an omen that theparty would shortly be married. Meanwhile the posset was got ready, and given to the newly-married couple. [14]

It was past midnight, yet Alice sat, solitary and watchful, at herlittle casement. One fair white arm supported her cheek, and she wasgazing listlessly on the silver clouds as they floated in liquidbrightness across the full round disc of the moon, then high in themeridian. Her thoughts were not on the scene she beheld. The mellowsound of the waterfalls, the murmur from the river, came on with thebreeze, rising and falling like the deep pathos of some wild andmysterious music. Memory, that busy enchanter, was at work; and thescenes she had lately witnessed, so full of disquietude and mystery, mingled with the returning tide of past and almost forgotten emotions. We have said that the prevailing bent or bias of her disposition wasthat of romance; and this idol of the imagination, this love ofstrange and enervating excitement, had not been repressed by theoccurrences of the last few hours; on the contrary, she felt as thoughsome wondrous event was impending--some adventure which she aloneshould achieve--some power that her own arm should contend with andsubdue. 

She took the billet from her bosom; the moonlight alone fell upon it;but the words were so indeliby fixed upon her imagination that shefancied she could trace every word on that mystic tablet. 

 "To-morrow, at midnight, in the haunted chamber! If thou hast courage, tarry there a while. Its occupant will protect thee. "--['Wherefore am I so bent on this adventure? To visit the beggar in his lair!' thought she; and again she threw her eyes on the billet. ] "Peril threatens thine house, which thy coming can alone prevent. Shouldest thou reveal but one word of this warning, thy life, and those dear to thee, will be the forfeit. From thine unknown monitor, "THESE. "

The guest in the boggart-chamber was Noman, to whom it had beenallotted, and though he told of terrible sights and harrowingdisclosures, he seemed to brave them all with unflinching hardihood, and even exulted in their repetition. To remain an hour or two withsuch a companion was in itself a sufficiently novel adventure; butthat harm could come from such a source scarcely entered herimagination. A feeling of irrepressible curiosity stimulated her, andprevailed over every other consideration. It was not like spending thetime alone; this certainly would have been a formidable condition tohave annexed. Besides, would it not be a wicked and a wanton thing toshrink from difficulty or danger when the welfare and even life of oneso dear as her brother, peradventure, depended on her compliance. Another feeling, too, more complicated, and a little more selfish itmight be, was the hidden cause to which her inclinations might betraced. 

"Mine unknown monitor!" she repeated the words, and a thousand strangeand wayward fancies rose to her recollection. Often had she seen, whenleast expecting it, a stranger, who, in whatsoever place they met, preserved a silence respectful but mysterious. She had seen him in theplaces of public resort, in the solitary woods, and in the highways;but his reserve and secrecy were unbroken. When she inquired, not anindividual knew him; and though his form and features were indeliblytraced on her memory, she could never recall them without an effort, which, whether it was attended with more of pain than of pleasure, wewill not venture to declare. Once or twice she had fancied, whenawaking in the dead stillness of the night, that an invisiblesomething was near and gazing upon her; but this feeling was soonforgotten, though often revived whenever she was more than usuallysensitive or excited. The figure of the Moor was wonderfully similarto the form of the mysterious unknown. But the secret was now, at anyrate, to be divulged; and a few hours would put her into possession ofthe key to unlock this curious cabinet. So thought Alice, and her ownsecret chambers of imagery were strangely distempered thereby. Was shebeloved by one of a higher order of beings, a denizen of the invisibleworld, who tracked her every footstep, and hovered about her unseen?She had heard that such things were, and that they held intercoursewith some favoured mortals--unlimited duration, and a nature moreexalted, subject to no change, being vouchsafed to the chosen ones. The exploits at Stubley seemed to favour this hypothesis, and Alicefell into a delicious reverie, as we have seen, well prepared for thebelief and reception of any stray marvels that might fall out by theway. 

Looking upon the moat which lay stagnant and unruffled beneath thequiet gaze of the moon, she thought that a living form emerged fromthe bushes on the opposite bank;--she could not be mistaken, it washer unknown lover. Breathless she awaited the result; but the shadowsagain closed around him, and she saw him not again. Bewildered, agitated, and alarmed, the day was springing faintly in the dim eastwhen her eyelids lay heavy in the dew of their repose. 

Morning was high and far risen in the clear blue atmosphere, but itsfirst and balmy freshness was passed when Alice left her chamber. Shelooked paler and more languid than she was wont, and her brotherrallied her playfully on the consequences of last night's dissipation;but her thoughts were otherwise engrossed, and she replied carelesslyand with an air of abstraction far different from her usual playfuland unrestrained spirit. The mind was absorbed, restricted to one soleavenue of thought: all other impressions ceased to communicate theirimpulse. Her brother departed soon afterwards to his morningavocations; but Alice sat in the porch. She looked out on the hillswith a vacant, but not unwistful eye. Their slopes were dotted withmany a fair white dwelling, but the rigour of cultivation had notextended so far up their barren heathery sides as now; yet many abright paddock, green amid the dark waste, and the little homestead, the nucleus of some subsequent and valuable inheritance, proclaimedthe unceasing toil, the primeval curse, and the sweat of the brow, that was here also. 

To enjoy the warmth and freshness of the morning, Alice had removedher spinning-wheel into the porch. Here she was engaged in theprimitive and good old fashion of preparing yarn for the wants of thehousehold--an occupation not then perfected into the system to whichit is now degraded. The wives and daughters of the wealthiest wouldnot then disdain to fabricate material for the household linen, carrying us far back into simpler, if not happier times, when Homersung, and kings' daughters found a similar employment. 

Alice was humming in unison with her wheel, her thoughts more freefrom the very circumstance that her body was the subject of thismechanical exercise. 

"Good morrow, Mistress Alice!" said a sonorous voice at the entrance. Turning suddenly, she espied the athletic beggar standing erect, withhis staff and satchel, on one side of the porch. 

"Ha' ye an awmous to-day, lady?" He doffed his cap and held it forth, more with the air of one bestowing a favour than soliciting one. 

"Thou hast been i' the kitchen, I warrant, " said Alice, "by thebreadth of thy satchel. "

"An' what the worse are ye for that?" replied the saucy mendicant;"your hounds and puppies would lick up the leavings, if I did not. "

"Go to, " said Alice, impatiently; "thou dost presume too far to escapecorrection. Begone!"

"This air, I reckon--ay, this blessed air--is as free unto my use asthine, " said Noman, sullenly, and without showing any symptoms ofobedience. 

"My brother shall know of thine insolence, and the menials shall drivethee forth. "

"Thy brother!--tell him, pretty maiden, that though he is a lawyer, and his uncle, he who built this house to boot, he hath little left inthis misgoverned realm but to deal out injustice. Other folks' moneysticks i' their skirts that have precious little o' their own, I wis. "

"I know not the nature of thine allusions, nor care I to bandy weaponswith such an adversary. "

"Hark ye, lady! it was to solder down as pretty a piece of roguery asone would wish to leave to one's heirs that Theophilus Ashton, thineuncle, thy mother's brother, now deceased, went to London when he hadbuilded this house. "

"Roguery!--mine uncle Ashton! Darest thou?"----

"Ay, the same. The spoils of my patrimony built this goodly dwelling, and the battle of Marston Moor gave thy brother wherewith to buy theremainder of the inheritance. I was made a beggar by my loyalty, he arich man by his treason. "

"What means this foul charge?" said Alice, astounded by the audacityof this accusation. 

"But fear not. Had it not been for thee and another--whose well-beingis bound up in thine own--long ago would this goodly heritage havebeen spoiled; for--revenge is sweeter even than possession; sogood-morrow, Mistress Alice. "

"What, then, is thy business with me?"

"Wentest thou not from the masque with thy pretty love-billet behindthy stomacher?"

"Insolent vagrant, this folly shall not go unpunished!"

"Hold, wench! provoke not an"----he paused for one second, but in thatbrief space there came a change over his spirit, which in a moment wassubdued as though by some over-mastering effort--"an impotent oldman. " His voice softened, and there was a touch even of pathos in theexpression. "To-night--fail not--I, ay even _I_, will protect thee. Fear not; thy welfare hangs on that issue!"

Saying this, with an air of dignity far superior to his usualbluntness and even rudeness of address, he slowly departed. Thoughtscrowded, like a honey swarm, to this hive of mystery, nor could shethrow off the impression which clung to her. She had been warnedagainst revealing this communication, but at one time she feltresolved to make her brother acquainted with the whole, and to claimhis protection; but then came the warning, or rather threat, of somehidden mischief that must inevitably follow the disclosure. "Surely, in her own home, she might venture to walk unattended. The beggar shehad known for some time in his periodical visits; and though she feltan unaccountable timidity in his presence, yet she certainly wasminded to make an experiment of the adventure; but"----And in thishappy state of doubt and fluctuation she remained until eventide, whena calm bright moon, as it again rose over the hill, saw Alice at thecasement of her own chamber, looking thoughtfully, anxiously, downwhere the dark surface of the stagnant moat wore a bright star on itsbosom. The scene, the soft and tender influence which itpossessed--the hour, soothing and elevating the mind, freed from theharassing and petty cares of existence--to a romantic and imaginativedisposition these were all favourable to its effects--the developmentof that ethereal spirit of our nature, that enchanter whose wandconjures up the busy world within, creating all things according tohis own pleasure, and investing them with every attribute at his will. She felt her fears give way, and her resolution was taken: the die wascast, and she committed herself to the result. What share thehandsome, dark, and melancholy-looking stranger had in this decisionshe did not pause to inquire, nor indeed could she have much if anysuspicion of the secret influence he excited. There was danger, andthis danger could only be averted by her interference: what might becuriosity was at any rate her duty; and she, feeling mightily likesome devoted heroine, would not shrink from the trial. When oncebrought to a decision she felt a load taken from her breast; shebreathed more freely, and her tread was more vigorous and elastic. Sheleft her chamber with a lofty mien, and the gentle Alice felt morelike the proud mistress of an empire than the inhabitant of a littlecountry dwelling when she re-entered the parlour: yet there was arestless glance from her eye which ever and anon would start asidefrom visible objects and wander about, apparently without aim ordiscrimination. Her brother was busied, happily, with domestic duties, too much engaged to notice any unusual disturbance in her demeanour, and Alice employed her time to little profit until she heard theappointed signal for rest. As they bade the usual "good-night, " herheart smote her: she looked on the unconscious, unsuspecting aspect ofher brother, and the whole secret of her heart was on her tongue: itdid not escape her lips; but the tear stood in her eye; and as sheclosed the door it sounded like the signal of some long separation--asthough the portal had for ever closed upon her. 

Wrapped in a dark mantle, with cap and hood, the maiden stepped forthfrom her little closet about midnight. She bore a silver lamp thatwaved softly in the night-wind as she went with a noiseless, timidstep through the passages to the haunted chamber. The room wherein thebeggar slept was somewhat detached from the rest of the dormitories. Alow gallery led by a narrow corridor to a flight of some two or threesteps into this room, now used for the stowage of lumber. It was saidto have been one of the apartments in the old house, forming a sort ofpeduncle to the new, not then removed, like a remnant of the shellsticking to the skirts of the new-fledged bird. This adjunct, thebeggar's dwelling, is now gone. An ancient doorcase with a grotesquecarving disclosed the entrance. She paused before it, not without asecret apprehension of what might be going on within. For the firsttime she felt the novelty, not to say imprudence, of her situation, and the unfeminine nature of her exploit. She was just hesitatingwhether or not to return when she heard the door slowly open; a tall, gaunt, figure looked out, which she immediately recognised to be thatof the mendicant. Somewhat reassured, and her courage strengthened byhis appearance, she did not attempt to retreat, but stood silent for aspace, and seemingly not a little abashed; yet the purity of hermotives, as far as known to herself, soon recurred to her aid, and herproud and somewhat haughty spirit immediately roused its energies whenshe had to cope with difficulty and danger. 

"I come to thy den, old man, that I may unriddle thy dark sayings. "

"Or rather, " replied he, slowly and emphatically, "that thou mayestunriddle that pretty love-billet thou hast read. "

"I am here in my brother's house, and surely I have both the right andthe power to walk forth unquestioned or unsuspected of an intrigue orassignation, " replied she, quick and tender on the point whereon herown suspicions were disagreeably awakened. 

"Come in, lady, " said he, "and thou shall be safe from any suspicionsbut thine own. "

Alice entered, and the door was closed and bolted. Her feelings werethose of uneasiness, not unmixed with alarm. Before her stood theathletic form of the mendicant; she was at some distance from the restof the family--none caring to have their biding-place in the immediatevicinity of the haunted chamber--in the power, it might be, of thisstrange and anomalous being. A miserable pallet lay on the floor inone corner, and the room was nearly filled with useless lumber and theremains of ancient materials from the old apartments. Probably it wasfrom this circumstance that the ghosts had their fancies for thisroom, haunting the relics of the past, and lingering around theirformer reminiscences. The light she held gleamed athwart the face ofher companion, and his features were strangely significant of someconcealed purpose. 

"Whom do we meet in this place?" she inquired. 

"Prithee, wait; thou wilt see anon. But let me counsel thee to remainsilent; what thou seest note, but make no reply. Be not afraid, for noharm shall befall thee. But let me warn thee, maiden, that thou shrinknot from the trial. "

He now slowly retired, and she watched his receding figure until itwas hidden behind a huge oaken bedstead in the corner. But he returnednot, and Alice felt terrified at being so unexpectedly left alone. Shecalled out to him, but there was no answer; she sought for someoutlet, but no trace was visible whereby he could have departed fromthe chamber. As she was stooping down, suddenly the light was blownout, and she felt herself seized by invisible hands. 

"Be silent for thy life, " said a strange whisper in her ear. She washurried on through vaults and passages; the cold damp air struckchilly on her, and she felt as though descending into some unknowndepths, beneath the very foundations of her own dwelling. Darkness wasstill about their steps; but she was borne along, at a swift pace, bypersons evidently accustomed to this subterraneous line ofcommunication. 

"No harm shall happen thee, " said the same whisper in her ear asbefore. Suddenly a vivid light flashed out from an aperture or window, and she heard a groaning or rumbling and the clank of chains; but thiswas passed, and a pale dull light showed a low vaulted chamber, intowhich Alice was conveyed. An iron lamp hung from the ceiling in whatseemed to have been one of the cellars of the old house, though shewas unaware beforetime of such a dangerous proximity. The door wasclosed upon her, and again she was left alone. So confused andagitated was she for a while that she felt unable to survey theobjects that encompassed her. By degrees, however, she regainedsufficient fortitude to make the examination. Her astonishment wasextreme when she beheld, ranged round the vault, coffers full ofcoin--heaps of surprising magnitude exposed, the least of which wouldhave been a king's ransom; fair and glistering too, apparently freshfrom the hands of some cunning artificer. Her curiosity in somemeasure getting the better of her fears, she ventured to touch one ofthese tempting heaps--not being sure but that her night visions wereanswerable for the illusion. She laid her hand on a hoard of brightnobles. Another and another succeeded, yet each coffer held some freshdenomination of coin. There were moneys of various nations, even tothe Spanish pistole and Turkish bezant. Such exhaustless wealth it hadnever yet entered into her imagination to conceive--the very idea wastoo boundless even for fancy to present. "Surely, " thought she, "I amin some fairy palace, where the combined wealth of every clime isaccumulated; and the king of the genii, or some old and ugly ogre, hascertes fallen in love with me, and means to present it for my dowry. "Smiling at this thought, even in the midst of her apprehensions--forthe blow which severed her from her friends was too stunning to befelt immediately in all its rigour--she stood as one almosttransported with admiration and surprise. Yet her situation was farfrom being either enviable or pleasant, though in the midst of atreasure-house of wealth that would have made an emperor the richestof his race. No solution that she could invent would at all solve theproblem--no key of interpretation would fit these intricate movements. Here she stood, a prisoner perhaps, with the other treasures in thevault; and assuredly the miser, whosoever he might be, had shown greattaste and judgment too in the selection. But the crisis was at hand. The door opened, and she heard a footstep behind her. A form stoodbefore her whom she immediately recognised and perhaps expected. Themysterious stranger was in her presence. With a respectful obeisancehe folded his hands on his bosom, but he spoke not. 

"What wouldst thou? and why this outrage?" inquired she. 

The intruder pointed to the surrounding treasures, then to himself: bywhich she understood (so quickly interpretated is the mute eloquenceof passion) that he was in love with her, and devoted them allexclusively to her service. But what answer she gave, permit me, gentle reader, for a season to detain; for truly it is an event of somarvellous a nature whereon our tradition now disporteth itself, that, like an epicure hindering the final disposal of some delicatemouthful, of which, when gulped, he feeleth no more the savour, so wewould, in like manner, courteous reader, do thee this excellentservice, in order that the sweetness of expectation may be prolongedthereby; and the solution, like a kernal in the shell, not be crushedby being too suddenly cracked. 

Turn we now to the inmates at the hall, where, as may easily beunderstood, there was a mighty stir and commotion when morning broughtthe appointed hour, and Mistress Alice came not to the breakfast meal. Her brother was at his wits' end when the forenoon passed, and stillthere were no tidings. Messengers were sent far and near, and no placewas left untried where it was thought intelligence might be gained. She was not to be found, nor any trace discovered of her departure. 

Nicholas was returning from Foxholes, Stubley, and Pike House. Passing, in a disconsolate mood, through the gate leading from thelane to his own porch, he met Noman, apparently departing. The beggar, seeing his approach, assumed his usual stiff and inflexible attitude, pausing ere he passed. A vague surmise, for which he could notaccount, prompted the suspicions of Nicholas Haworth towards thisunimportant personage. 

"What is thy business to-day abroad?" he inquired hastily. 

"A word in thine ear, master, " said the beggar. 

"Say on, then; and grant that it may have an inkling of my sister!"

"She hath departed. "

"That I know. But whither?"

"Ask the little devilkins I saw yesternight. I have told ye oft o' thesights and terrible things that have visited me i' the boggartchamber, and that the ghost begged hard for a victim. "

"What! thou dost not surely suppose he hath borne away my sister?"

"I have said it!" replied the mendicant, with an air of mystery. 

"We'll have the place exorcised, and the spirit laid; and thou"--saidNicholas, pausing--"have a care that we hale thee not before thejustice for practising with forbidden and devilish devices. "

"I cry thee mercy, Master Haworth; but for what good deed am I tosuffer? I have brought luck to thine house hitherto, and what mischiefyon ghost hath wrought is none o' my doing. If thou wilt, I can ridthee of his presence, and that speedily, even if 'twere Beelzebubhimself. "

"But will thy conjurations bring back my sister?" said the wondering, yet half-credulous squire. 

"That is more than I can tell. But, to prove that I am not in leaguewith thine enemy, I will cast him out. "

"Hath Alice been strangled, or in anywise hurt, by this wickedspirit?"

"Nay, " said the beggar solemnly, "I guess not; but I heard him passby, and the chains did rattle fearfully through mine ears, until Iheard them at her bed-chamber. He may have spirited her away tofairy-land for aught I know; and yet she lives!"

"Save us, merciful Disposer of our lot!" said Nicholas, much moved tosorrow at this strange recital, yet in somewise comforted by theassurance it contained. "We are none of us safe from his visitations, now they are extended hitherto. I dreamt not of danger beforetime, though I have heard sounds, and seen unaccountable things; yet Iimagined that in the old chamber only he had power to work mischief;and, even there, I did disbelieve much of thy story, as it respectedhis freaks and the nature and manner of his visits. The rumblings thatI fancied at times in the dead of night were in the end disregardedand almost forgotten. "

"I too have heard the like, but I knew it was the spirit, and"----

"Beware, old man; for I do verily suspect thee as an abettor of theseunlawful practices. "

"And so the reward for my testimony is like to end in a lyingaccusation and a prison!"

"Canst thou win her back by driving from me this evil spirit?"

"I can lay the ghost, I tell thee, if thou wilt; but as for the other, peradventure it lieth not within the compass or power of mortal man toaccomplish. "

"What thou canst, let it be done without delay, for I would fainbehold a sight so wonderful; yet will I first take precaution to putthee in durance until it be accomplished; perchance it may quickenthee to this good work; and I do bethink me too, thou knowest morethan thou wouldest fain acknowledge of this evil dealing toward mysister. "

The beggar sought not to escape; he knew it would be in vain, for themenials had surrounded them; and he was conveyed to the kitchen untilhe should be ready for the important duties he had to perform. To-morrow was appointed for the trial, but fearful was the night thatintervened--rattling of chains, falling of heavy weights, loudrumblings, as though a coach-and-six were driving about the premises;these, intermingled with shrieks and howlings, were not confined tothe old room, where the beggar lodged as heretofore, but were heardand felt through the whole house. It seemed as though his presence hadhitherto confined them to the locality we have named, and that theyhad burst their bounds on his departure. Little rest had the householdon that fearful night, and the morning was welcome to many who hadbeen terrified so that they scarcely expected to see the light ofanother sun. 

With the earliest dawn Nicholas Haworth hied him to the kitchen, wherethe beggar, a close prisoner, was comfortably nestled on his couch. 

"What ho!" said the squire, "thou canst sleep when others be waking. Thy friends have been seeking thee through the night, mayhap. Therehave been more shaking limbs than hungry stomachs, I trow. "

"I know of naught that should keep me waking; my conscience made noecho to the knocking without; and so good-morrow, Master Nicholas. "

There came one at this moment running in almost breathless, to saythat the cart-horses were all harnessed and yoked ready in the stableby invisible hands, and that no one durst take them from their stalls. On the heels of this messenger came another, who shouted out that thebull, a lusty and well-thriven brute, was quietly perched, in mostbull-like gravity, upon the hay-mow. It being impossible, or contraryto the ordinary law of gravitation, that he could have thustransported himself, what other than demon hands could or durst havelifted so ponderous and obstinate a beast into the place? In short, such were the strange and out-of-the-way frolics that had beencommitted, that Satan and all his company seemed to have been letloose upon the household on this memorable night. 

"Thou shalt rid us of these pests, or by the head of St Nicholas, "said his namesake, "the hangman shall singe thy beard for afumigation. "

"Let me go, and the spirit shall not trouble thee. "

"Nay, gaffer, thou dost not escape me thus; my sister, we have yet notidings of her, and, it may be, those followers or familiars of thinecan help me to that knowledge. "

"I tell thee I'll lay the ghost while the holly's green, or mire inDearnly Clough, should it so please thee, Master Nicholas; but I mustfirst be locked up for a space in the haunted chamber alone. Keepwatch at both door and loophole, if thou see fit; but I gi'e thee myword that I'll not escape. "

"Agreed, " said Haworth; "but it shall not avail thee, thou crafty fox, for we will watch, and that right diligently; unless the de'il flyaway with thee, thou shalt not escape us. "

The bargain was made, and Noman was speedily conducted to the chamber. Sentinels were posted at the door, and round the outside, to preventeither entrance or exit. 

A long hour had nigh elapsed, and the watchers were grown weary. Somethought he had gone off in a chariot of smoke through the roof, or ina whirlwind of infernal brimstone; while others, not a few, were outof doors gazing steadfastly up towards the chimneys, expecting to seehim perched there, like a daw or starling, ready for flight. But whenthe hour was fulfilled, the beggar lifted up the latch, and walkedforth alone, without let or molestation. 

"Whither away, Sir Grey-back?" said Nicholas, "and wherefore in suchhaste? We have a word or so ere thou depart. Art thou prepared?"

"Ay, if it so please thee. "

"And when dost thou begin thine exorcism?"

"Now, if so be that thou have courage. But I warn thee of dangertherefrom. If thou persist, verily in this chamber shall it be done. "

"Then return, we will follow--as many as have courage, that is, " saidNicholas Haworth, looking round and observing that his attendants, with pale faces and mewling stomachs, did manifest a wondrousinquietude, and a sudden eagerness to depart. Yet were there somewhose curiosity got the better of their fears, and who followed, orrather hung upon their master's skirts, into the chamber, which, evenin the broad and cheerful daylight, looked a gloomy and comfortlessand unhallowed place. Noman commanded that silence should be kept, that not even a whisper should breathe from other lips than his own. He drew a line with his crutch upon the floor, and forbade that anyshould attempt to pass this imaginary demarcation. The auditors wereall agape, and but that the door was fastened, some would doubtlesshave gone back, repenting of their temerity. 

After several unmeaning mummeries and incantations, the chamberappeared to grow darker, and a low rumbling noise was heard, as fromsome subterraneous explosion. 

"_Dominus vobiscum_, " said the necromancer; and a train of fire leaptsuddenly across the room. A groan of irrepressible terror ran throughthe company; but the exorcist, with a look of reprehension for theirdisobedience, betook himself again to his ejaculations. Retiringbackwards a few paces to a corner of the room, he gave three audibleknocks upon the floor, which, to the astonishment and dismay of theassembly, were distinctly repeated, apparently from beneath. Thricewas this ceremony gone through, and thrice three times was the sameanswer returned. 

"Restless spirit, " said the conjuror, solemnly, and in a voice andmanner little accordant with those of an obscure and unlearned beggar;"why art thou disquieted, and what is the price of thy departure?"

No answer was given, though the question was repeated. The adjurerappeared, for one moment, fairly at a nonplus. 

"By thine everlasting doom, I conjure thee, answer me!" Still therewas no reply. "Thou shalt not evade me thus, " said he, indignant atthe slight which was put upon his spells. He drew a little ebony boxfrom his bosom, and on opening it smoke issued therefrom, like thesmell of frankincense. With this fumigation he used many uncouth andhorrible words, hard names, and so forth, which probably had noexistence save in the teeming issue of his own brain. During thisoperation groans were heard, at first low and indistinct, then loudand vehement; soon they broke into a yell, so shrill and piercing thatseveral of the hearers absolutely tried, through horror anddesperation, to burst the door; but this was secure, and their egressprevented thereby. 

"Now answer me what thou wouldst have, and tell me the terms of thydeparture hence. "

A low murmur was heard. The beggar listened with great attention. 

"This wandering ghost avoucheth, " said he, after all was silent, "thatthere be two of them, and that they rest not until they have takenpossession of this house, and driven the inhabitants therefrom. "

"Hard law this, " said Nicholas Haworth; "but, for all their racket, Ishan't budge. "

"Then must they have a sacrifice for the wrong done when they were i'the body; being slain, as they say, by their guardian, a wicked uncle, that he might possess the inheritance. "

Again he made question, looking all the while as though talking tosomething that was present and visible before him. 

"What would ye for your sacrifice, evil and hateful things? for Iknow, in very deed, that ye are not the innocent and heavenly babeswhose spirits are now in glory, but devilish creatures who have beenpermitted to walk here unmolested, for the wickedness that hath beendone. Again, I say that your unwillingness sufficeth not, for ye shallbe driven hence this blessed day. "

Another shriek announced their apprehension at this threat, and againthere was a murmuring as before. 

"He sayeth, " cried the exorcist, after listening a while, "they musthave a living body sacrificed, and in four quarters it must be laid;then shall these wicked spirits not return hither until what issevered be joined together. With this hard condition we must becontent. "

"Then, by 'r lady's grace, if none else there be, thou shalt be theholocaust for thy pains, " said Nicholas, "for I think we need not anyother. What say ye, shall not this wizard be the sacrifice, and wethen rid the world of a batch of evil things at once?" He looked witha cruel eye upon the mendicant; for he judged that his sister had, insome way or another, fallen a victim to his devilish plots; and hewould have thought it little harm to have poured out his blood on thespot. The beggar seemed aware of his danger, but with a loud andperemptory tone he cried--

"There needeth not so costly an oblation. Bring hither the first bruteanimal ye behold, any one of you, on crossing the threshold of theporch. "

A messenger was accordingly sent, who returned with a barn-door fowlin his hand, a well-fed chanticleer, whose crow that morning hadawakened his cackling dames for the last time. 

With great solemnity the conjuror went forth from the chamber, and inthe courtyard the fowl was named "John;" sponsors standing in dueform, as at an ordinary baptism. Then the bird was dismembered, orrather divided into four parts, according to the directions they hadreceived. These were afterwards disposed of as follows:--one wasburied at Little Clegg, in a field close by, another under one of thehearth-flags in the hall, another at the Beil Bridge, by the riverwhich runs past Belfield, and the remaining quarter under thebarn-floor. Nicholas continued to look on with a curious eye until theceremony was concluded, when, after a brief pause, he inquired--

"Have there been no tidings yet from Alice? Can thine art not discloseto me whither she be gone?"

"The maiden lives, " said the beggar doggedly. 

"Thou knowest of her hiding, then?" said her brother sharply, and witha cunning glance directed towards the speaker. 

"The spirit said so, " replied Noman, as though wishful to evade or toshrink from the question. 

"And what else?" inquired the other; "for by my halidome thou stirrestnot hence until she be forthcoming, alive or dead! I verilysuspect--nay, more, I charge thee with forcibly detaining her againsther own privity or consent. "

The beggar looked steadily upon him, not a whit either moved orabashed at this bold accusation. 

"Peradventure thou speakest without heed and unadvisedly. I tell theeagain, thou wouldest have been driven hence ere now had it not beenfor others whom that spirit must obey. "

"Who art thou?" said the perplexed inquirer; "for thou art eitherworse or better than thou seemest. "

"Once the rightful heir, now a beggar, in these domains, wrested fromme by rapine and the harpy fangs of injustice misnamed law. TheophilusAshton, from whom ye took your share of the inheritance when deathdislodged it from his gripe, won it himself most foully from myancestors;--and have I not a right to hate thee?"

"And so thy vengeance hath fallen upon a defenceless woman?"

"Nay, I said not so; but if I had so minded I might have been gluttedwith vengeance, ay, to my heart's core. Hark thee. Secrets I havelearned that will bind the hidden things of darkness, and bow them tomy behest. The unseen powers and operations of nature have been opento my gaze. Long ago my converse and companionship were with thelearned doctors and sages of the East. In Spain I have walked in thepalace of the Moorish kings, the Alhambra at Grenada; and in Arabia Ihave learned the mystic cabala, and worshipped in the temple of theholy prophet!"

"And yet thou comest a beggar to my door! Truly thy spells haveprofited thee little. "

The beggar smiled scornfully. "Riches inexhaustible, unlimited aremine; while nature is unveiled at my command. "

"Thou speakest riddles, old man; or thou dost hug the very spectres ofthy brain, which men call madness. "

"I am not mad; save it be madness that I have not hurled thee fromthis thy misgotten heritage. A power of mighty and all prevadingenergy hath hindered me, and, it may be, rescued thee fromdestruction. "

"Unto what unknown intercessor do I owe this forbearance?"

"Love!" said the mendicant, with an expression of withering andbaneful scorn; "a silly hankering for a puling girl. "

"Thee!--in love?"

"And is it so strange, so hard and incapable of belief, that in afrosty but vigorous age, the sap should be fresh though the outwardtrunk look withered and without verdure?"

Nicholas shuddered. A harrowing suspicion crossed him that his belovedsister had fallen a victim to the lawless passions of this hoarydelinquent. 

"Thou dost judge wrongfully, " said the beggar; "she appertaineth notto me. 'Tis long since I have drunk of that maddening cup, a woman'slove. Would that another had not taken its intoxicating draught. "

"Thou but triflest with me, " said Haworth; "let the maiden go, orbeware my vengeance. "

"Thy vengeance! Weak, impotent man! what canst thou do? Thy threats Ihold lighter than the breath that makes them; thy cajolments I valueless than these; and thy rewards--why, the uttermost wealth that thoucouldst boast would weigh but as a feather against the riches at mydisposal. "

"Then give her back at my request. "

"I tell thee she is not mine, nor in my charge. "

"But thou knowest of her detention, and where she is concealed. "

"What if I do? will that help thee to the discovery?"

"Point out the place, or conduct me thither, and"----

The mendicant here burst forth into a laugh so tantalising andmalicious that Nicholas, though silent, grew pale with choler. 

"Am I a fool?" said the exorcist; "an everyday fool? a simpleton ofsuch a dastardly condition that thou shouldest think to whine me frommy purpose? Never. "

Scarcely was the word spoken when a loud and awful explosion shook thebuilding to its foundations. Horror and consternation were seen uponthe hitherto composed features of the beggar. He grasped his crutch, and with a yell of unutterable anguish he cried, "Ruined--betrayed!May the fiends follow ye for this mischance!"

He threw himself almost headlong down the steps, and ran with rapidstrides through the yard, followed by Nicholas, who seemed in a stuporof astonishment at these mysterious events. 

Passing round to the other side of the house, he saw a smoke rising ina dense unbroken column from an outbuilding beyond the moat, towardswhich Noman was speedily advancing. Suddenly he slackened his pace. Hepaused, seemingly undecided whither to proceed. He then turned sharplyround and made his way into the kitchen, passing up a staircase intothe haunted chamber, still followed by Nicholas Haworth, and not a fewwho were lookers-on, hoping to ascertain the cause of this alarm. 

To their great surprise the beggar hastily displaced some lumber, and, raising a trap-door, quickly disappeared down a flight of steps. Withlittle hesitation the master followed, and keeping the footsteps ofhis leader within hearing, he cautiously went forward, convinced thatin some way or another this opportune but inexplicable event wouldlead to the discovery of his sister. 

Suddenly he heard a shriek. He felt certain it was the voice of Alice. He rushed on; but some unseen barrier opposed his progress. He heardnoises and hasty footsteps beyond, evidently in hurry and confusion. The door was immediately opened, and he beheld Noman bearing out thehalf-lifeless form of Alice. Smoke, and even flame, followed hard upontheir flight; but she was conveyed upwards to a place of safety. 

"There, " said the mendicant, when he had laid down his burden, "at theperil of all I possess, and of life too, I have rescued her. My hopesare gone--my schemes for ever blasted--and I am a ruined, wretched oldman, without a home or a morsel of bread. "

He walked out through the porch, Nicholas being too busily engaged inattending to the restoration of Alice to heed his escape. Two othermen, strangers, had before emerged from the avenue. In the confusionof the moment their flight was effected, and they were seen no more. 

When Alice was sufficiently recovered, Nicholas, to his utter surpriseand dismay, learned that she had been doomed to be imprisoned, even inher own house, until she consented to be the wife of one whom, howeverhe might have won upon her regard by fair and honest courtship, shehated and repulsed for this traitorous and forcible detention. Yetthey had not dared to let her go, lest the secrets of her prison-houseshould be told. The false beggar, whose real name was Clegg, havingbecome an adept in the art of coining, acquired during his residenceabroad, and likewise having arrived at the knowledge of many chemicalsecrets long hidden from the vulgar and uninitiated, had leaguedhimself with one of the like sort, together with his own son, ahandsome well-favoured youth (whose mother he had rescued from aSpanish convent), for the purpose of carrying on a most extensivemanufacture and issue of counterfeit money of several descriptions. His former knowledge, when young, of his ancestors' mansion at CleggHall suggested the fitness of this spot for their establishment. Itssituation was sequestered; and the ancient vaults, though nearlyfilled with rubbish, might yet be made available for their purpose. The secret entrance, and, above all, the currently-believed story ofthe ghost, might afford facilities for frightening away those who weredisposed to be curious; and any noises unavoidable in the course oftheir operations might be attributed to this fruitful source ofimposture. By a little dexterity, possession of the haunted chamberwas obtained, the feigned beggar being a periodical visitant; thence aready entrance was contrived, and all materials were introduced thatwere needful for their fraudulent proceedings. Many months theirtraffic was carried on without discovery; and in the beggar's walletcounterfeit money to a considerable amount was conveyed, anddistributed by other agents into general circulation. Well might hesay that boundless wealth was at their command; the means employed indisposing of the proceeds of their ingenuity were well calculated forthe purpose. They had proposed, by machinations and alarms, to driveaway utterly the present inhabitants and possessors of the Hall. Thereign of terror was about to commence, plans being already matured forthis purpose, had not the younger Clegg seen Alice Haworth; and love, that mighty controller of human affairs and devices, mostinopportunely frustrated their intentions. The elder Clegg, too, wasinduced to aid the design, hoping that, should a union take place, theinheritance might revert into the old channel. We have seen theresult: the wilfulness and obduracy of Alice, and the infatuation ofthe lover, who had thought to dazzle her with the riches he purposelyspread before her, prevented the success of their schemes. Sheperemptorily refused and repulsed him, accusing him of a gross andwanton outrage. What might have been the end of this contention weknow not, seeing that an unforeseen accident caused the explosionwhich led to her escape and the flight of her captors. 

What remained of the old house was pulled down. The vaults andcellars, which were found to extend for a considerable distance evenbeyond the moat, were walled up, and every vestige that was left, together with an immense hoard of counterfeit money, was completelydestroyed. 

 [11] Her marriage-gift was £500, nineteen cows, and a bull, --a magnificent portion in those days. 

 [12] We are sorry that this remark should come from the historian of Whalley; but our respect for the author even will not suffer us to let it pass unnoticed. The passage, indeed, refutes itself, and we need refer to none other than the very terms of the accusation. The circumstance of Bath "going out under the Bartholomew Act, " that master-movement of spiritual tyranny, issued by an ill-advised and sensual monarch, when two thousand and upwards of conscientious clergymen were driven from their flocks and deprived of their benefices in one day, is a sufficient denial of what the learned doctor has insinuated, as it respects complying "with all changes" from mere self-interest and worldly lucre. For what could have hindered this conscientious and self-denying minister from conforming to the terms of the act, and securing his goodly benefice thereby, if it were not a zealous and honest regard to the vows he had taken, and the future welfare of his flock; which the very fact of his subsequent preaching to crowded auditories at his own house sufficiently corroborates. We know the persecutions, the malice, and the poverty, which would assail this unlicensed administration of ordinances; and nothing but a reverential awe for the sacred and responsible functions he had undertaken could have stimulated him to "endure the cross and despise the shame, " when a very different line of conduct would have left him in the undisturbed possession of both wealth and patronage. But, we are afraid, the unpardonable offence of preaching in the church under the authority and protection of the Commonwealth, and his leaving her pale and preaching to "crowded auditories, " when the wicked decree of St Bartholomew went forth, is ungrateful to the spirit of many, who ought not to stigmatise as sectaries and malignants all who have dared to think for themselves, and at anytime to oppose "spiritual wickedness" in "high places. " The very principles which made Bath an outcast for conscience' sake are those which originated and led on the work of our Protestant Reformation, and placed the historian of Whalley where his sacred functions should have led him to respect the rights and consciences even of those from whom he might differ, and not hold them up to unmerited obloquy and reprehension. 

 [13] This interesting and curious relic is now in the possession of the Rev. J. Clowes of Broughton, whose ancestor, Samuel Clowes, Esq. , about the year 1690, married Mary Cheetham, a descendant of Humphrey Cheetham, founder of the Manchester Blue Coat School. In 1713, after the death of James Holt, whose faithful rebuke from the Bishop of Chester we have noticed in the introduction, Castleton came into possession of the Cheethams until the death of Edward Cheetham, in 1769. 

 The screen is now made into a side-board, and is most fancifully and beautifully wrought with crests, ciphers, and cognisances, belonging to the Holts and many of the neighbouring families. 

 [14] Brand's _Popular Antiquities_, ii. 86-96. 

[Illustration: THE MERMAID OF MARTIN MEER]

THE MERMAID OF MARTIN MEER. 

 "Now the dancing sunbeams play O'er the green and glassy sea: Come with me, and we will go Where the rocks of coral grow. "

 Little needs to be said by way of introduction or explanation of the following tale. Martin Meer is now in process of cultivation; the plough and the harrow leave more enduring furrows on its bosom. It is a fact, curious enough in connection with our story, that some years ago, in digging and draining, a canoe was found here. How far this may confirm our tradition, we leave the reader to determine. It is scarcely two miles from Southport; and the botanist, as well as the entomologist, would find themselves amply repaid by a visit. 

Martin Meer, the scene of the following story, we have described inour first series of _Traditions_, where Sir Tarquin, a carnivorousgiant, is slain by Sir Lancelot of the Lake. These circumstances, andmore of the like purport on this subject, we therefore omit, as beingtoo trite and familiar to bear repetition. We do not suppose thereader to be quite so familiar with the names and fortunes of CaptainHarrington and Sir Ralph Molyneux, though they had the good fortune tobe born eleven hundred years later, and to have seen the world, inconsequence, eleven hundred years older--we wish we could say wiserand better tempered, less selfish and less disposed to return hardknocks, and to be corrupted with evil communications. But man is thesame in all ages. The external habits and usages of society change hismode of action--clothe the person and passions in a different garb;but their form and substance, like the frame they inhabit, areunchanged, and will continue until this great mass of intelligence, this mischievous compound of good and evil, this round rolling earth, shall cease to swing through time and space--a mighty pendulum, whoselast stroke shall announce the end of time, the beginning of eternity!

Our story gets on indifferently the while; but a willing steed is nonethe worse for halting. Harrington and his friend Sir Ralph were spruceand well-caparisoned cavaliers, living often about court towards thelatter end of Charles the Second's reign. What should now requiretheir presence in these extreme regions of the earth, far from societyand civilisation, it is not our business to inquire. It sufficeth forour story that they were here, mounted, and proceeding at a shufflingtrot along the flat, bare, sandy region we have described. 

"How sweetly and silently that round sun sinks into the water!" saidHarrington. 

"But doubtless, " returned his companion, "if he were fire, as thousayest, the liquid would not bear his approach so meekly; why, itwould boil if he were but chin-deep in yon great seething-pot. "

"Thou art quicker at a jest than a moral, Molyneux, " said the otherand graver personage; "thou canst not even let the elements escape thygibes. I marvel how far we are from our cousin Ireland's at Lydiate. My fears mislead me, or we have missed our way. This flat bosom ofdesolation hath no vantage-ground whence we may discern our path; andwe have been winding about this interminable lake these two hours. "

"Without so much as a blade of grass or a tree to say 'Good neighbour'to, " said Molyneux, interrupting his companion's audible reverie. "Crows and horses must fare sumptuously in these parts. "

"This lake, I verily think, follows us; or we are stuck to its sidelike a lady's bauble. "

"And no living thing to say 'Good-bye, ' were it fish or woman. "

"Or mermaid, which is both. " Scarcely were the words uttered whenHarrington pointed to the water. 

"Something dark comes upon that burning track left on the surface bythe sun's chariot wheels. "

"A fishmonger's skiff belike, " said Sir Ralph. 

They plunged through the deep sandy drifts towards the brink, hastening to greet the first appearance of life which they had foundin this region of solitude. At a distance they saw a female floatingsecurely, and apparently without effort, upon the rippling current. Her form was raised half-way above the water, and her long hair hungfar below her shoulders. This she threw back at times from herforehead, smoothing it down with great dexterity. She seemed to glideon slowly, and without support; yet the distance prevented any veryminute observation. 

"A bold swimmer, o' my troth!" said Molyneux; "her body tapers to afish's tail, no doubt, or my senses have lost their use. "

Harrington was silent, looking thoughtful and mysterious. 

"I'll speak to yon sea-wench. "

"For mercy's sake, hold thy tongue. If, as I suspect--and there besuch things, 'tis said, in God's creation--thou wilt"----

But the tongue of this errant knight would not be stayed; and his loudmusical voice swept over the waters, evidently attracting her notice, and for the first time. She drew back her dark hair, gazing on themfor a moment, when she suddenly disappeared. Harrington was sure shehad sunk; but a jutting peninsula of sand was near enough to havedeceived him, especially through the twilight, which now drew onrapidly. 

"And thou hast spoken to her!" said he gravely; "then be the answerthine!"

"A woman's answer were easier parried than a sword-thrust, methinks;and that I have hitherto escaped. "

"Let us be gone speedily. I like not yon angry star spying out ourpath through these wilds. "

"Thou didst use to laugh at my superstitions; but thine own, I guess, are too chary to be meddled with. "

"Laugh at me an' thou wilt, " said Harrington: "when Master Lilly castmy horoscope he bade me ever to eschew travel when Mars comes to hissouthing, conjunct with the Pleiades, at midnight--the hour of mybirth. Last night, as I looked out from where I lay at Preston, methought the red warrior shot his spear athwart their softscintillating light; and as I gazed, his ray seemed to ride half-wayacross the heavens. Again he is rising yonder. "

"And his meridian will happen at midnight?"

"Even so, " replied Harrington. 

"Then gallop on. I'd rather make my supper with the fair dames atLydiate than in a mermaid's hall. "

But their progress was a work of no slight difficulty, and evendanger. Occasionally plunging to the knees in a deep bog, then wadingto the girth in a hillock of sand and prickly bent grass (the _Arundoarenaria_, so plentiful on these coasts), the horses were scarcelyable to keep their footing--yet were they still urged on. Every stepwas expected to bring them within sight of some habitation. 

"What is yonder glimmer to the left?" said Molyneux. "If it be thathideous water again, it is verily pursuing us. I think I shall beafraid of water as long as I live. "

"As sure as Mahomet was a liar, and the Pope has excommunicated himfrom Paradise, 'tis the same still, torpid, dead-like sea we ought tohave long since passed. "

"Then have our demonstrations been in a circle, in place of a rightline, and we are fairly on our way back again. "

Sure enough there was the same broad, still surface of the Meer, though on the contrary side, mocking day's last glimmer in the west. The bewildered travellers came to a full pause. They took counseltogether while they rested their beasts and their spur-rowels; but theresult was by no means satisfactory. One by one came out the gloriousthrong above them, until the heavens grew light with living hosts, andthe stars seemed to pierce the sight, so vivid was their brightness. 

"Yonder is a light, thank Heaven!" cried Harrington. 

"And it is approaching, thank your stars!" said his companion. "Idurst not stir to meet it, through these perilous paths, if ournight's lodging depended on it. "

The bearer of this welcome discovery was a kind-hearted fisherman, whocarried a blazing splinter of antediluvian firewood dug from theneighbouring bog; a useful substitute for more expensive materials. 

It appeared they were at a considerable distance from the right path, or indeed from any path that could be travelled with safety, except bydaylight. He invited them to a lodging in a lone hut on the borders ofthe lake, where he and his wife subsisted by eel-catching and otherprecarious pursuits. The simplicity and openness of his mannerdisarmed suspicion. The offer was accepted, and the benighted heroesfound themselves breathing fish-odours and turf-smoke for the night, under a shed of the humblest construction. His family consisted of awife and one child only; but the strangers preferred a bed by theturf-embers to the couch that was kindly offered them. 

The cabin was built of the most simple and homely materials. The wallswere pebble-stones from the sea-beach, cemented with clay. Theroof-tree was the wreck of some unfortunate vessel stranded on thecoast. The whole was thatched with star-grass or sea-reed, blackenedwith smoke and moisture. 

"You are but scantily peopled hereabouts, " said Harrington, for lackof other converse. 

"Why, ay, " returned the peasant; "but it matters nought; our living ismostly on the water. "

"And it might be with more chance of company than on shore; we saw awoman swimming or diving there not long ago. "

"Have ye seen her?" inquired both man and dame with great alacrity. 

"Seen whom?" returned the guest. 

"The Meer-woman, as we call her. "

"We saw a being, but of what nature we are ignorant, float anddisappear as suddenly as though she were an inhabitant of yon world ofwaters. "

"Thank mercy! Then she will be here anon. "

Curiosity was roused, though it failed in procuring the desiredintelligence. She might be half-woman half-fish for aught they knew. She always came from the water, and was very kind to them and thebabe. Such was the sum of the information; yet when they spoke of thechild there was evidently a sort of mystery and alarm, calculated toawaken suspicion. 

Harrington looked on the infant. It was on the woman's lap asleep, smiling as it lay; and an image of more perfect loveliness and reposehe had never beheld. It might be about a twelvemonth old; but itsdress did not correspond with the squalid poverty by which it wassurrounded. 

"Surely this poor innocent has not been stolen, " thought he. The childthrew its little hands towards him as it awoke; and he could havewept. Its short feeble wail had smitten him to the heart. 

Suddenly they heard a low murmuring noise at the window. 

"She is there, " said the woman; "but she likes not the presence ofstrangers. Get thee out to her, Martin, and persuade her to come in. "

The man was absent for a short time. When he entered, his facedisplayed as much astonishment as it was possible to cram into acountenance so vacant. 

"She says our lives were just now in danger; and that the child'senemies are again in search; but she has put them on the wrong scent. We must not tarry here any longer; we must remove, and that speedily. But she would fain be told what is your business in these parts, if yeare so disposed. "

"Why truly, " said Harrington, "our names and occupation need littlesecrecy. We are idlers at present, and having kindred in theneighbourhood, are on our way to the Irelands at Lydiate, as we beforetold thee. Verily, there is but little of either favour or profit tobe had about court now-a-days. Nought better than to loiter in halland bower, and fling our swords in a lady's lap. But why does thewoman ask? Hath she some warning to us? or is there already a spy uponour track?"

"I know not, " said Martin; "but she seems mightily afeard o' thechild. "

"If she will entrust the babe to our care, " said Harrington, after along pause, "I will protect it. The shield of the Harringtons shall beits safeguard. "

The fisherman went out with this message; and on his return it wasagreed that, as greater safety would be the result, the child shouldimmediately be given to Harrington. A solemn pledge was required bythe unseen visitant that the trust should be surrendered whenever, andby whomsoever, demanded; likewise a vow of inviolable secrecy wasexacted from the parties that were present. Harrington drew a signetfrom his finger; whoever returned it was to receive back the child. Hesaw not the mysterious being to whom it was sent; but the idea of theMeer-woman, the lake, and the untold mysteries beneath its quietbosom, came vividly and painfully on his recollection. 

Long after she had departed, the strange events of the evening keptthem awake. Inquiries were now answered without hesitation. Harringtonlearned that the "Meer-woman's" first appearance was on a cold wintryday, a few months before. She did not crave protection from thedwellers in the hut, but seemed rather to command it. Leaving theinfant with them, and promising to return shortly, she seemed tovanish upon the lake, or rather, she seemed to glide away on itssurface so swiftly that she soon disappeared. Since then she hadvisited them thrice, supplying them with a little money and othernecessaries; but they durst not question her, she looked so strangeand forbidding. 

In the morning they were conducted to Lydiate by the fisherman, whoalso carried the babe. Here they told a pitiable story of their havingfound the infant exposed, the evening before, by some unfeelingmother; and, strange to say, the truth was never divulged until thetime arrived when Harrington should render up his trust. 

Years passed on. Harrington saw the pretty foundling expand throughevery successive stage from infancy to childhood--lovelier as eachyear unfolded some hidden grace, and the bloom brightened as it grew. He had married in the interval, but was yet childless. His lady waspassionately fond of her charge, and Grace Harrington was the pet anddarling of the family. No wonder their love to the little stranger wasgrowing deeper, and was gradually acquiring a stronger hold on theiraffections. But Harrington remembered his vow: it haunted him like aspectre. It seemed as though written with a sunbeam on his memory; butthe finger of death pointed to its accomplishment. It will not befulfilled without blood, was the foreboding that assailed him. Hislady knew not of his grief, ignorant happily of its existence, and ofits source. 

Their mansion stood on a rising ground but a few miles distant fromthe lake. He thus seemed to hover instinctively on its precincts;though, in observance of his vow, he refrained from visiting thatlonely hut, or inquiring about its inhabitants. Its broad smooth bosomwas ever in his sight; and when the sun went down upon its wide brimhis emotion was difficult to conceal. 

One soft, clear evening, he sat enjoying the calm atmosphere, with hislady and their child. The sun was nigh setting, and the lake glowedlike molten fire at his approach. 

"'Tis said a mermaid haunts yon water, " said Mrs Harrington; "I haveheard many marvellous tales of her, a few years ago. Strange enough, last night I dreamed she took away our little girl, and plunged withher into the water. But she never returned. "

"How I should like to see a mermaid!" said the playful girl. "Nursesays they are beautiful ladies with long hair and green eyes. But"--and she looked beseechingly towards them--"we are alwaysforbidden to ramble towards the Meer. "

"Harrington, the night wind makes you shiver. You are ill!"

"No, my love. But--this cold air comes wondrous keen across my bosom, "said he, looking wistfully on the child, who, scarcely knowing why, threw her little arms about his neck, and wept. 

"My dream, I fear, hath strange omens in it, " said the ladythoughtfully. 

The same red star shot fiercely up from the dusky horizon; the samebright beam was on the wave; and the mysterious incidents of thefisherman's hut came like a track of fire across Harrington's memory. 

"Yonder is that strange woman again that has troubled us about thehouse these three days, " said Mrs Harrington, looking out from thebalcony; "we forbade her yesterday. She comes hither with no goodintent. "

Harrington looked over the balustrade. A female stood beside a pillar, gazing intently towards him. Her eye caught his own; it was as if abasilisk had smitten him. Trembling, yet fascinated, he could not turnaway his glance; a smile passed on her dark-red visage--a grin of joyat the discovery. 

"Surely, " thought he, "'tis not the being who claims my child!" Butthe woman drew something from her hand, which, at that distance, Harrington recognised as his pledge. His lady saw not the signal;without speaking, he obeyed. Hastening down-stairs, a privateaudience confirmed her demand, which the miserable Harrington durstnot refuse. 

Two days he was mostly in private. Business with the steward was theostensible motive. He had sent an urgent message to his friendMolyneux, who, on the third day, arrived at H----, where they spentmany hours in close consultation. The following morning Grace camerunning in after breakfast. She flung her arms about his neck. 

"Let me not leave you to-day, " she sobbed aloud. 

"Why, my love?" said Harrington, strangely disturbed at the request. 

"I do not know!" replied the child, pouting. 

"To-day I ride out with Sir Ralph to the Meer, and as thou hast oftenwished--because it was forbidden, I guess--thou shalt ride with us ashort distance; I will toss thee on before me, and away we'llgallop--like the Prince of Trebizond on the fairy horse. "

"And shall we see the mermaid?" said the little maiden quickly, asthough her mind had been running on the subject. 

"I wish the old nurse would not put such foolery in the girl's head, "said Mrs Harrington impatiently. "There be no mermaids now, my love. "

"What! not the mermaid of Martin Meer?" inquired the child, seeminglydisappointed. 

Harrington left the room, promising to return shortly. 

The morning was dull, but the afternoon broke out calm and bright. Grace was all impatience for the ride; and Rosalind, the favouritemare, looked more beautiful than ever in her eyes. She bounded downthe terrace at the first sound of the horses' feet, leaving MrsHarrington to follow. 

The cavaliers were already mounted, but the child suddenly drew back. 

"Come, my love, " said Harrington, stretching out his hand; "look howyour pretty Rosalind bends her neck to receive you. "

Seeing her terror, Mrs Harrington soothed these apprehensions, andfear was soon forgotten amid the pleasures she anticipated. 

"You are back by sunset, Harrington?"

"Fear not, _I_ shall return, " replied he; and away sprang the pawingbeasts down the avenue. The lady lingered until they were out ofsight. Some unaccountable oppression weighed down her spirits; shesought her chamber, and a heavy sob threw open the channel whichhitherto had restrained her tears. 

They took the nearest path towards the Meer, losing sight of it asthey advanced into the low flat sands, scarcely above its level. Whenagain it opened into view its wide waveless surface lay before them, reposing in all the sublimity of loneliness and silence. The raptureof the child was excessive. She surveyed with delight its broadunruffled bosom, giving back the brightness and glory of that heavento which it looked; to her it seemed another sky and another world, pure and spotless as the imagination that created it. 

They entered the fisherman's hut; but it was deserted. Years hadprobably elapsed since the last occupation. Half-burnt turf andbog-wood lay on the hearth; but the walls were crumbling down withdamp and decay. 

The two friends were evidently disappointed. At times they looked outanxiously, but in vain, as it might seem; for they again sat down, silent and depressed, upon a turf-heap by the window, while the childran playing and gambolling towards the beach. 

Harrington sat with his back to the window, when suddenly the lowmurmuring noise he had heard on his former visit was repeated. Heturned pale. 

"Thou art not alone; and where is the child?" or words to this purportwere uttered in a whisper. He started aside; the sound, as he thought, was close to his ear. Molyneux heard it too. 

"Shall I depart?" said he, cautiously; "I will take care to keepwithin call. "

"Nay, " said his friend, whispering in his ear, "thou must ride out ofsight and sound too, I am afraid, or we shall not accomplish our plansfor the child's safety. Depart with the attendants; I fear not thewoman. Say to my lady I will return anon. "

With some reluctance Sir Ralph went his way homewards, and Harringtonwas left to accomplish these designs without assistance. 

Immediately he walked out towards the shore; but he saw nothing of thechild, and his heart misgave him. He called her; but the sound diedwith its own echo upon the waters. The timid rabbit fled to itsburrow, and the sea-gull rose from her gorge, screaming away heavilyto her mate; but the voice of his child returned no more!

Almost driven to frenzy, he ran along the margin of the lake to aconsiderable distance, returning after a fruitless search to the hut, where he threw himself on the ground. In the agony of his spirit helay with his face to the earth, as if to hide his anguish as he wept. 

How long he remained was a matter of uncertainty. On a sudden, instantaneously with the rush that aroused him, he felt his armspinioned, and that by no timid or feeble hand. At the same moment abandage was thrown over his eyes, and he found himself borne awayswiftly into a boat. He listened for some time to the rapid stroke ofthe oars. Not a word was spoken from which he could ascertain themeaning of this outrage. To his questions no reply was vouchsafed, andin the end he forbore inquiry--the mind wearied into apathy byexcitement and its consequent exhaustion. 

The boat again touched the shore, and he was carried out. The roar ofthe sea had for some time been rapidly growing louder as they nearedthe land. He was now borne along over hillocks of loose sand to thesea-beach, when he felt himself fairly launched upon the high seas. Heheard the whistling of the cordage, the wide sail flap to the wind, with the groan of the blast as it rushed into the swelling canvas;then he felt the billows prancing under him, and the foam and sprayfrom their huge necks as they swept by. It was not long ere he heardthe sails lowered; and presently they were brought up alongside avessel of no ordinary bulk. Harrington was conducted with littleceremony into the cabin; the bandage was removed from his eyes, and hefound himself in the presence of a weather-beaten tar, who was sittingby a table, on which lay a cutlass and a pair of richly-embossedpistols. 

"We have had a long tug to bring thee to, " said the captain; "but wealways grapple with the enemy in the long run. If thou hast aught tosay why sentence of death should not pass on thee, ay, and be executedstraightway too--say on. What! not a shot in thy locker? Then may allsuch land-sharks perish, say I, as thus I signify thy doom. " Heexamined his pistols with great nicety as he spoke. Harrington wasdumb with amazement, whilst his enemy surveyed him with a desperateand determined glance. At length he stammered forth--

"I am ignorant of thy meaning; much less can I shape my defence. Whoart thou?"

The other replied, in a daring and reckless tone--

"I am the Free Rover, of whom thou hast doubtless heard. My goodvessel and her gallant crew ne'er slackened a sky-raker in the chase, nor backed a mainsail astern of the enemy. But pirate as I am--huntedand driven forth like the prowling wolf, without the common rights andusages of my fellow men--I have yet their feelings. I _had_ a child!Thy fell, unpitying purpose, remorseless monster, hath made mechildless! But thou hast robbed the lioness of her whelp, and thou artin her gripe!"

"As my hope is to escape thy fangs, I am innocent of the crime. "

"Maybe thou knowest not the mischief thou hast inflicted; but thyguilt and my bereavement are not the less. My child was ailing; wewere off this coast, when we sent her ashore secretly until ourreturn. A fisherman and his wife, to whom our messenger entrusted thebabe, were driven forth by thee one bitter night without a shelter. The child perished; and its mother chides my tardy revenge. "

"'Tis a falsehood!" cried Harrington, "told to cover some mischievousdesign. The child, if it be thine, was given to my care--by whom Iknow not. I have nurtured her kindly; not three hours ago, as I takeit, she was in yonder hut; but she has been decoyed from me; and I amhere thy prisoner, and without the means of clearing myself from thisfalse and malicious charge. "

The captain smiled incredulously. 

"Thou art lord of yonder soil, I own; but thou shouldest have listenedto the cry of the helpless. I have here a witness who will prove thystory false--the messenger herself. Call hither Oneida, " said he, speaking to the attendants. But this personage could not be found. 

"She has gone ashore in her canoe, " said the pirate; "and the mennever question her. She will return ere mid-watch. Prepare: thoushowedst no mercy, and I have sworn!"

Harrington was hurried to a little square apartment, which an irongrating sufficiently indicated to be the state prison. The vessel layat anchor; the intricate soundings on that dangerous coast renderedher perfectly safe from attack, even if she had been discovered. Hewatched the stars rising out, calm and silently, from the deep: "Ereyon glorious orb is on the zenith, " thought he, "I may be--what?" Heshrank from the conclusion. "Surely the wretch will not dare toexecute his audacious threat?" He again caught that red and angry stargleaming portentously on him. It seemed to be his evil genius; itsmalignant eye appeared to follow out his track, to haunt him, and tobeset his path continually with suffering and danger. He stood by thenarrow grating, feverish and apprehensive; again he heard that lowmurmuring voice which he too painfully recognised. The mysteriousbeing of the lake stood before him. 

"White man"--she spoke in a strange and uncouth accent;--"the treebows to the wing of the tempest--the roots look upward--the wind sighspast its withered trunk--the song of the warbler is heard no more fromits branches, and the place of its habitation is desolate. Thineenemies have prevailed. I did it not to compass thine hurt: I knew nottill now thou wert in their power; and I cannot prevent thesacrifice. "

"Restore the child, and I am safe, " said Harrington, trembling in hissoul's agony at every point; "or withdraw thy false, thine accursedaccusations. "

"Thou knowest not my wrongs and my revenge! Thou seest the arrow, butnot the poison that is upon it. The maiden, whose race numbers athousand warriors, returns not to her father's tribe ere she wring outthe heart's life-blood from her destroyer. Death were happiness to thetorments I inflict on him and the woman who hath supplanted me. Andyet they think Oneida loves them--bends like the bulrush when the windblows upon her, and rises only when he departs. What! give back thechild? She hath but taken my husband and my bed; as soon might ye tearthe prey from the starved hunter. This night will I remove their childfrom them--to depart, when a few moons are gone--it may be to dwellagain with my tribe in the wigwam and the forest. "

"But I have not wronged thee!"

"Thou art of their detested race. Yet would I not kill thee. "

"Help me to escape. "

"Escape!" said this untamed savage, with a laugh which went with ashudder to his heart. "As soon might the deer dart from the hunter'srifle as thou from the cruel pirate who has pronounced thy death! Icould tell thee such deeds of him and these bloody men as would freezethy bosom, though it were wide and deep as the lakes of my country. Yet I loved him once! He came a prisoner to my father's hut. I havespilled my best blood for his escape. I have borne him where the whiteman's feet never trod--through forests, where aught but the Indian orthe wild beast would have perished. I left my country and my kin--thegraves of my fathers--and how hath he requited me? He gave the ring ofpeace to the red woman; but when he saw another and a fairer one ofthy race, she became his wife; and from that hour Oneida's love washate!--and I have waited and not complained, for my revenge was sure!And shall I now bind the healing leaf upon the wound?--draw the arrowfrom the flesh of mine enemies? Thou must die! for my revenge issweet. "

"I will denounce thee to him, fiend! I will reveal"----

"He will not believe thee. His eye and ear are sealed. He would stakehis life on my fidelity. He knows not of the change. "

"But he will discover it, monster, when thou art gone. He will trackthee to the verge of this green earth and the salt sea, and thou shallnot escape. "

With a yell of unutterable scorn she cried--

"He may track the wild bee to its nest, and the eagle to his eyrie, but he discerns not one footprint of Oneida's path!"

The pangs of death seemed to be upon him. He read his doom in thekindling eye and almost demoniac looks of the being who addressed him. She seemed like some attendant demon waiting to receive his spirit. His brain grew dizzy. Death would have been welcome in comparison withthe horrors of its anticipation. He would have caught her; but sheglided from his grasp, and he was again left in that den of lonelinessand misery. How long he knew not; his first returning recollection wasthe sound of bolts and the rude voices of his jailers. 

In this extremity the remembrance of that Being in whom, and fromwhom, are all power and mercy, flashed on his brain like a burst ofhope--like a sunbeam on the dark ocean of despair. 

"God of my fathers, hear!" escaped from his lips in that appallingmoment. His soul was calmed by the appeal. Vain was the help of man, but he felt as if supported and surrounded by the arm of Omnipotence, while silently, and with a firm step, he followed his conductors. 

One dim light only was burning above. Some half-dozen of the crewstood armed on the quarter-deck behind their chief; their hard, forbidding faces looked without emotion upon this scene of unpitying, deliberate murder. 

To some question from the pirate Harrington replied by accusing theIndian woman of treachery. 

"As soon yonder star, which at midnight marks our meridian, wouldprove untrue in its course. "

Harrington shuddered at this ominous reference. 

"I cannot prove mine innocence, " said he; "but I take yon orb towitness that I never wronged you or yours. The child is in herkeeping. "

"Call her hither, if she be returned, " said the captain, "and see ifhe dare repeat this in her presence. He thinks to haul in our canvasuntil the enemy are under weigh, and then, Yoh ho, boys, for therescue. But we shall be dancing over the bright Solway ere the morningwatch, and thy carcase in the de'il's locker. "

"If not for mine, for your own safety!"

"My safety! and what care I, though ten thousand teeth were grinningat me, through as many port-holes. My will alone bounds my power. Whoshall question my sentence, which is death?"

He gnashed his teeth as he went on. "And your halls shall be too hotto hold your well-fed drones. Thy hearth, proud man, shall bedesolate. I'll lay waste thy domain. Thy race, root and branch, will Iextinguish; for thou hast made me childless!"

The messenger returned with the intelligence that Oneida was not inthe ship. 

"On shore again, the ----! If I were to bind her with the main-chains, and an anchor at each leg, she would escape me to go ashore. No heed;we will just settle the affair without her, and he shall drop quietlyinto a grave ready made, and older than Adam. I would we had some moreof his kin; they should swing from the bowsprit, like sharks andporpoises, who devour even when they have had enough, and waste whatthey can't devour. "

"Thou wilt not murder me thus, defenceless, and in cold blood. "

"My child was more helpless, and had not injured _thee_! Ye give noquarter to the prowling beast, and yet, like me, he only robs andmurders to preserve his life. How far is it from midnight?"

"Five minutes, and yon star comes to his southing, " said the person headdressed. 

"Then prepare; that moment marks thy death!"

The men looked significantly towards their rifles. 

"Nay, " cried this bloodthirsty freebooter, "my arm alone shall avengemy child. "

He drew a pistol from his belt. 

"Yonder is Oneida, " sang out the man at the main-top; "she is within acable's length. "

"Heed her not. When the bell strikes, I have sworn thou shalt die!"

A pause ensued--a few brief moments in the lapse of time, but an agein the records of thought. Not a breath relieved the horror andintensity of that silence. The plash of a light oar was heard;--a boattouched the vessel. The bell struck. 

"Once!" shouted the fierce mariner, and he raised his pistol with thesharp click of preparation. 

"Twice!"

The bell boomed again. 

"Thrice!"

"Hold!" cried a female, rushing between the executioner and thecondemned: But the warning was too late;--the ball had sped, thoughnot to its mark. Oneida was the victim. She fell, with a faint scream, bleeding on the deck. But Harrington was close locked in the arms ofhis little Grace. She had flown to him for protection, sobbing withjoy. 

The pirate seemed horror-struck at the deed. He raised Oneida, unloosing his neckcloth to staunch the wound. 

"The Great Spirit calls me:" she spoke with great exertion: "the greenwoods, the streams, land of my forefathers. Oh! I come!" She raisedherself suddenly with great energy, looking towards Harrington, whoyet knelt, guarded and pinioned--the child still clinging to him. 

"White man, I have wronged thee, and I am the sacrifice. Murderer, behold thy child!" She raised her eyes suddenly towards the pirate, who shook his head, supposing that her senses grew confused. 

"It was for thy rescue!" again she addressed Harrington. "The GreatSpirit appeared to me: he bade me restore what I had taken away, and Ishould be with the warriors and the chiefs who have died in battle. They hunt in forests from which the red-deer flies not, and fish inrivers that are never dry. But my bones shall not rest with myfathers!--I come. Lake of the woods, farewell!"

She threw one look of reproach on her destroyer, and the spirit ofOneida had departed. 

The pirate stood speechless and bewildered. He looked on the child--aray of recollection seemed to pass over his visage. Its expression wassoftened; and this man of outlawry and blood became gentle. The savagegrew tame. The common sympathies of his nature, so long dried up, burst forth, and the wide deep flood of feeling and affection rolledon with it like a torrent, gathering strength by its own accumulation. 

Years after, in a secluded cottage by the mansion of the Harringtons, dwelt an old man and his daughter. She soothed the declining hours ofhis sojourn. His errors and his crimes--and they were many andaggravated--were not unrepented of. She watched his last breath; andthe richest lady of that land was "THE PIRATE'S DAUGHTER. "

[Illustration: GEORGE FOX]

GEORGE FOX. 

 "O Thou who every thought pervades, My darkened soul inform: With equal hand Thy goodness guides A planet or a worm. "

 On the eastern side of Swart Moor, about a mile from Ulverstone, stands Swartmoor Hall. This bleak elevation took its name from Colonel Martin Swart, or Swartz, an experienced and valiant soldier, of a noble German family, to whom the Duchess of Burgundy, in 1486, entrusted the command of the troops which were sent to support Lambert Simnel in his claim to the English crown. A more detailed account of this transaction will be found in the first volume of our present series, in the tradition relating to "The Pile of Fouldrey. " Suffice it to say that the rebel army was defeated here with great slaughter; and Swartz, along with several of the English nobility, was slain--an event which entailed the name of this chieftain on the place of his overthrow. 

 The hall, about 180 years ago, was the residence of Thomas Fell, commonly called Judge Fell, vice-chancellor of the Duchy Court at Westminster, and one of the judges that went the Welsh circuit; a man greatly esteemed both in his public and private capacity. His wife was a lady of exemplary piety: she was born at Marsh Grange, in the parish of Dalton, in the year 1614, and was married before she had attained to the age of eighteen. The Judge and his lady being greatly respected, and much hospitality being displayed in their house to ministers and religious people, George Fox, in the year 1652, on his first coming into Furness, called at Swartmoor Hall, and preaching there, and also at Ulverstone, Mrs Fell, her daughters, and many of the family adopted his principles. The Judge was then upon the circuit. On his return he seemed much afflicted and surprised at this revolution in his family; and in consequence of some malicious insinuations from those who met him with the intelligence, he was greatly exasperated against George Fox and his principles. By the prudent intervention of two friends, however, his displeasure was greatly mitigated; and Fox, returning hither in the evening, answered all his objections in so satisfactory a manner, that the Judge "assented to the truth and reasonableness thereof;" the tranquillity of the family was restored; and from that time, notwithstanding numerous attempts to detach him from the cause, he continued a steady friend to the members of the society and its founder on all occasions where he had the power. A weekly meeting was established in his house the following Sunday. But his patronage did not last many years; he departed this life in September 1658, his health having been for some time before considerably on the decline. 

 Mrs Fell, after his death, suffered much inconvenience and oppression because of the religious principles she had embraced; yet, notwithstanding, the weekly meetings continued to be held at her house until the year 1690, when a new meetinghouse was opened about a quarter of a mile distant. 

 In 1669, eleven years after the death of Judge Fell, she married George Fox, whom she survived eleven years, dying at Swartmoor Hall in February 1702, nearly eighty-eight years old. [15]

 The house is still inhabited, though in a very dilapidated condition. The barns and stables by which it is surrounded, and the litter of the farmyard, give it a very mean and undignified appearance. 

 The tenant is a substantial farmer, who is very assiduous in showing the premises. The hall is spacious, with an oaken wainscoting. The bedrooms, which are large and airy, were formerly ornamented with carved work, now greatly damaged. In one of them is a substantial bedstead, with carved posts, on which it is said this reformer used to repose, and any of his followers have permission to occupy it for one night. This privilege is either not known, or perhaps not very highly appreciated, for the tenant states that not a single "Friend" has availed himself of it during the whole time he has resided there. Here is shown the study of George Fox in all its pristine plainness and simplicity. On one side of the hall is an orchard, looking almost coeval with the building. The house stands high, and the upper windows command an extensive and beautiful prospect. The meetinghouse is a neat plain building, in perfect repair, still used by the Friends at Ulverstone and the neighbourhood for religious worship. Over the door is the following inscription, "_Ex dono G. F. 1688_. " There is a burial-place surrounded with trees attached to the chapel. 

 George Fox did not reside constantly at Swartmoor after his marriage. The greater part of his time was spent in itinerancy. He travelled nearly over the whole of Great Britain, and several parts of America in the exercise of his ministry. After encountering innumerable sufferings, oppositions, and afflictions, this indefatigable missionary departed this life on the 13th of November 1690, in the 67th year of his age, at a house in White Hart Court, London. He was interred in the "Friends Burying-Ground, " near Bunhill Fields. 

 The author is aware that the following remarkable account of "a special interposition" has been attributed to other names and later dates, and is recorded as having happened to individuals at different places both in England and Ireland. The same fact attaching itself to different localities and persons--probably according to the caprice or partialities of the several narrators--is, as he has found in the course of his researches, no unusual occurrence. He does not attempt to decide in favour of any of the conflicting claims or authorities, but merely to give the tale as it exists, selecting those places and circumstances which are most suitable for his purpose. 

The supremacy of a special Providence, guiding and overruling theaffairs of men, is a doctrine which few will have the hardihood towithstand and still less to deny. It is interwoven with our verynature, and seems implanted in us for the wisest and most beneficentof purposes. It is a doctrine full of comfort and consolation; ourstay and succour in the most appalling extremities. There does seem, at times, vividly bursting through the most important periods of ourexistence, a ray from the secret place of the Most High. We see anopening, as it were, into the very arrangements and councils of theskies; we catch a glimpse of the machinery by which the universe isgoverned; the wheels of Providence are for a moment exhibited, palpable and unencumbered by secondary causes, while we, strickenprostrate from the consciousness of our own insignificance, acknowledge with awe and admiration the protecting power of which weare so unworthy. 

Of the special interference we have just noticed the followingnarrative, true as to the more important particulars, is a strikinginstance; events, apparently happening out of the ordinary way, seembrought about by this direct interposition at a period when the mosteminent display of human foresight and sagacity would have beenunavailing. 

One chill and misty evening in the year 1652, being the early part ofa wet and, as it proved, a tardy spring, two strangers were benightedin attempting to cross the wild mountain ridge called Cartmel Fell. They had proposed taking the most direct route from Kendal toCartmel; having, however, missed the few points which indicated theirtrack, they had for several hours been beating about in theexpectation of finding some clue to extricate themselves, but everyattempt seemed only to fix them more inextricably in a state of doubtand bewilderment. A dense fog had been rapidly accumulating, and theybegan to feel something startled with a vague apprehension of anight-watch amongst the hills, unprovided as they were with therequisite essentials for either food or lodging. 

The elder of the two, though not more than midway between thirty andforty years old, was clad in a strange uncouth garb of the coarsestmaterials, and his lank long hair hung matted and uncombed upon hisshoulders from a "brim" of extravagant dimensions. This style of dresswas not then recognised as the distinctive badge of a religious sect, as it is now of the people called "Quakers, " or, as they are morefavourably designated, "Friends. " The person of whom we speak was thefounder of this society, George Fox, who, only about five yearsprevious to the date of our story, after much contemplation onreligious subjects, took upon himself the public ministry. In the year1650 he was imprisoned at Derby for speaking publicly in the churchafter divine service; on being brought before a magistrate, he badethe company "_tremble at the word of the Lord_;" the expression wasturned into ridicule, and he and his friends received the appellationof "_Quakers_. "

His appearance was stout and muscular; and his general demeanour ofthat still, undisturbed aspect which, if not one of the essentials ofhis own religion, is at least looked upon as its greatest ornament, betokening the inward grace of a meek and quiet spirit. "He was, " saysJohn Gough, the historian of this people, "a man of strong naturalparts, firm health, undaunted courage, remarkable disinterestedness, inflexible integrity, and distinguished sincerity. The tenor of hisdoctrine, when he found himself concerned to instruct others, was towean men from systems, ceremonies, and the outside of religion inevery form, and to lead them to an acquaintance with themselves by amost solicitous attention to what passed in their own minds; to directthem to a principle of their own hearts, which, if duly attended to, would introduce rectitude of mind, simplicity of manners, a life andconversation adorned with every Christian virtue, and peace, theeffect of righteousness. Drawing his doctrine from the pure source ofreligious truth, the New Testament, and the conviction of his ownmind, abstracted from the comments of men, he asserted the freedom ofman in the liberty of the gospel against the tyranny of custom, andagainst the combined powers of severe persecution, the greatestcontempt, and keenest ridicule. Unshaken and undismayed, he perseveredin disseminating principles and practices conducive to the present andeverlasting well-being of mankind, with great honesty, simplicity, andsuccess. "

The companion of this reformer was arrayed in a more worldly suit; amulberry-coloured cloak and doublet, with a hat of grey felt, that, for brevity of brim, would almost have vied with that of the brassbasin worn by the knight of the rueful countenance, whose history maybe consulted at length in the writings of that veracious historian, Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. His movements were of a moreirregular and erratic nature than comported with the well-ordered andequable gait of his companion. The rarely-occurring remarks of thelatter were anything but explicit as to the state of his feelings incontemplation of an event, the possibility of which increased withevery step--a night's lodgings in these inhospitable wilds. The sunwas now evidently beneath the horizon; darkness came on with frightfulrapidity; and they had, as yet, no reason to divest themselves of sodisagreeable an anticipation. To one in the full glare of daylight, orwith a sound roof-tree over his head and a warm fire at his elbow, theidea of a night-vigil may not appear either unpleasant orextraordinary; but, wrapped in a sheet of grey mist, the wet heathoozing beneath his feet, with the cold and benumbing air of the hillsfor his supper, there could be little question that he would be apt toregard it as a condition not far removed from the extremity of humansuffering; especially if at the same time he had just exchanged a snugfireside and an affectionate neighbourhood of friends for theseappalling discomforts. 

"I know not what we shall do, " said the younger traveller. "It neverentered into my head beforehand to imagine the possibility of such anevent. Surely, surely, we are not to live through a whole night inthese horrid wilds. Pray, do speak out, and let me at least have thecomfort of a complaint, for we are past consolation. "

"I have been ruminating on this very matter, " replied the other; "andit does appear that we are as safe in this place verily as though wewere encompassed with walls and bulwarks. Methinks, friend, thouspeakest unadvisedly; in future, when thee knowest not what todo--wait! The more thee pulls and hauls, and frets and kicks, dependon it thou wilt be the less able to extricate thyself thereby. We arenot left quite without comfort in this dreary wilderness; here is agoodly and a well-set stone, I perceive, just convenient. Verily, itis a mercy if we get a little rest for our limbs. Many a meek and holydisciple, of whom the world was not worthy, has ere now been fain of aslice of hard rock for his pillow. "

"And, in truth, we are as likely as the holiest of 'em to refreshourselves all night on a stone bolster, " pettishly replied theunthankful youth, as he seated himself beside his friend. 

It was not long ere a slight breeze began to roll the mist intoirregular masses of cloud. The dense atmosphere appeared to break, anda star twinkled for a moment, but disappeared as suddenly as it cameforth. Ralph Seaton, the younger of the pedestrians, pointed out thefriendly visitant to his companion. It seemed as though the eye ofmercy were beaming visibly upon them. 

"I have seen it, " said the man of quiet endurance; "and now gird upthy loins to depart. The fog will rapidly disperse; and it may be thatsome distant light will guide us to rest and shelter. "

While he was speaking the mist coiled upwards, driving rapidly acrossthe sky in the shape of a heavy scud. A few stars twinkled here andthere through the lucid intervals, "few and far between;" but theywere continually changing place, closing and unfolding as the windmingled or separated their shapeless fragments. 

"It is even as I said. Seest thou yonder light?"

"I see not anything, " replied Seaton. 

"Just beneath that bright star to our left?" again inquired the eldertraveller. 

"I only see a dark hill rising there abruptly against the loweringswell of the sky. "

Our "Friend" was silent for a space, when he replied in a tone of deepsolemnity--

"It is the inward light of which I have spoken to thee before; a tokenof no ordinary import. To-night, or I am deceived, we are called onto pass through no common allotment of toil and tribulation. Oft haththis light been outwardly manifest, and as often has it been theprecursor of some sharp and fiery trial! Again! But thou seest it not. Yet mayest thou follow in my steps. Take heed thou turn not either tothe right hand or to the left. But"----The speaker's voice here grewfearfully ominous and emphatic. 

"Hast thou courage to do as I shall bid thee? I must obey the will ofthe Spirit; but unless thou hast faith to follow the light that iswithin me, rather pass the night on that cold unsheltered rock thandraw back from His witness. Remember, it is no slight peril thatawaits us. "

Not without a struggle and certain waverings, which indicated a faithsomewhat less implicit than was desirable on such an occasion, did thedisciple promise to obey--ay, to the very letter--every command thatmight be given. Peradventure, a well-founded apprehension of spendingthe night companionless on the cold and wet dormitory to which hisevil stars had conducted him, had some influence in thisdetermination. Suffice it to say, never did disciple resolve morefaithfully to obey than did our young adventurer in this perilousextremity. 

Their path now appeared to wind precipitately down a steep and narrowdefile, through which a rapid torrent was heard foaming and tumblingover its rugged bed. Following the course of the stream to aconsiderable distance, a rude bridge was discerned, sufficientlyindicating a path to some house or village in that direction. The windwas rising in sharp and heavy gusts. The moon, not yet above thehills, was brightening the dark clouds that hung behind them like ahuge curtain. The sky was studded, in beauteous intervals, with hostsof stars. This light enabled them to follow a narrow footpath, which, abruptly turning the head of a projecting crag, showed them a distantglimmer as though from some friendly habitation. Seaton bounded pasthis more recondite companion; and it was not long ere a fierce growlchallenged him as he approached nearer to the dwelling. He threw openthe door, and discovered what was sufficiently distinguishable as apublic-house, a homely interior, dignified by the name of tavern. Twogrim-looking men sat before a huge pile of turf, glowing fiercely fromthe wide expanse appropriated to several uses beside that of fireplaceand chimney. Liquor and coarse bread were near them on a lowthree-legged table; while Seaton, overjoyed at his good fortune andhappy escape, thought the rude hut a palace, and the smell of turfand oat-cake a refection fit for the gods. 

"Be quiet, Vixen. " The fierce animal, at this rebuke from hermistress, slunk into a dark corner beside the chimney, whence twohideous and glaring eyes were fixed on the strangers for the rest ofthe evening. Wherever Seaton turned, he still beheld them, intentlywatching, as though gloating on their prey. The female who had thusspoken did not welcome her guests with that cheerful solicitude whichthe arrival of profitable customers generally creates. She bustledabout unceasingly; but showed neither anxiety nor inclination to offerthem any refreshment. Short and firm-set in person, she looked moremuscular than was befitting her sex. Her hair was grizzled, and thestraggling tresses hung untrammelled about her smoke-dried andhard-lined visage. Her features wore a dubious and unpleasant aspect, calculated to create more distrust than seemed desirable to theirowner. Every effort, however, to disguise their expression onlyrendered them the more forbidding and repulsive. 

Near the turf-stack, by the chimney, sat a being to all appearance ina state of mental derangement almost approaching to idiotcy. His eyerested for a moment, with a vacant and undefined stare, upon thestrangers; then, with a loud shrill laugh, which made the listenersshudder, he again bent his head, basking moodily before the blaze. Themoment Seaton had thrown down a light portmanteau that he carried, thedame, with a low tap, summoned two stout fellows from an inner room, who, with a suspicious and over-acted civility, inquired thedestination and wishes of their guests. The elder of the travellers, now coming forward as spokesman, inquired about the possibility ofobtaining lodgings for the night, and was informed that a room, detached from the rest, was generally used as a guest-chamber on allextra occasions. 

"There's a bed in 't fit to streek down the limbs of a king, " said oneof the gruff helpers; "and maybe the gentlemen will sleep as soundhere as they could wish. Rabbit thee, Will, but the luggage will breakthy back. Have a care, lad. Let me feel: it's as light as a churchpoor's-box. The de'il's flown awa' with aw the shiners, I think; forit's lang sin' I heard a good ow'd-fashioned jink in a traveller'spack. "

This was said more by way of comment than conversation, as he handledthe stranger's valise. 

The features of these men exhibited a strange mixture of ferocity andmirth. Savage, and almost brutal in their expression, still anatmosphere of fun hovered about them--a Will-o'-the-wisp sort ofplayfulness, unnatural and decoying, like the capricious gambols ofthat renowned and mischievous sprite. 

The Quaker seated himself on a low bench before the fire. He took fromhis neck a huge handkerchief, spreading it out on his knees. He thendrew off a pair of long worsted stocking-boots; leisurely untied hisshoes, and extending his ample surface in the most convenient mannerto the blaze, appeared, with eyes half-shut, pondering deeply someinward abyss of thought, yet not wholly indifferent to the objectsaround him. His tall and bony figure looked more like some stiff andimitative piece of mechanism than a living human frame with flexiblearticulations, so fashioned was every motion of the body to the formaland constrained habits and peculiarities of the mind. Seaton hadobserved, with no slight uneasiness, the suspicious circumstances inwhich they were placed; but he was fearful of betraying his mistrust, lest it should accelerate the mischief he anticipated. He lookedwistfully at his friend; but there was no outward manifestation thatcould elucidate the inward bent of his thoughts. The keen expressionof his eye was not visible; but his other features wore thatimperturbable and stolid aspect which suited the stiff and unyieldingsubstance of his opinions. Seaton was now reminded of his supper by aninquiry from the female as to their intentions on that momentoussubject. A "flesh pye, " as she termed it, was drawn from its lair--adark hole used as a cupboard--and set before the guests. The very namesounded suspicious and disgusting. In the present state of hisfeelings the most trivial circumstance was sufficient to keep alivethe apprehensions that haunted him. He endeavoured to rally himselfout of his fears, and had in some measure succeeded, thrusting hisknife deep into the forbidden envelope. At that moment a slightrustling caused him to look aside. The idiot was gazing on him. Heshrank from this unexpected glance; and the knife loosened in hisgrasp. He thought the creature made a sign with his finger, forbiddinghim to eat. It might be fancy; but nevertheless he felt determined notto touch the food; and the former, with that natural cunning which, incharacters of this description, almost assumes the nature of instinct, again appeared crouching over the blaze, and incapable either ofobservation or intelligence. This transaction passed unnoticed by therest of the party; and Seaton, afraid that some horrible and unnaturalfood had been set before him, secretly motioned to his friend, who, apparently unheeding, helped himself to a portion of the mysteriousdish. For a moment it occurred to Seaton that the cunning half-wit, apprehensive lest too great a share of the savoury victuals shouldfall to their lot, had contrived to forbid this appropriation. After afew mouthfuls, however, he observed that his friend had as littlerelish for the provision as himself, remarking that a rasher of baconwould be preferred, if the hostess could furnish him with thisdelicacy. A whisper was the result of this request; but, in the end, asavoury collop was set upon the table. Beer was added, as a matter ofcourse; but neither of them partook of the beverage. Though Seaton, toall appearance, drank a portion, yet his fears got the better of hisfatigue; and some apprehension of treachery made him careful to conveyaway the liquor unobserved. Fox now drew up his gaunt figure in theattitude which indicated a change of position. With great deliberationhe rose, and addressed the hostess--

"Canst thee show us to bed?"

Answering in the affirmative, she snatched up a light, and leading theway across a narrow yard, she pointed out a small step-ladder outsidethe building. Giving the candle into the hands of the grave personagewho followed her, she left them after bidding "Good-night!"

They scrambled up the ladder, entering the room appropriated to theiruse. It was low, and of scanty dimensions. The walls were bare; andthe damp oozed through chinks and crevices, where the wind met withslight interruption, though it clamoured unceasingly for admission. The only furniture in the apartment was a low bedstead, on which astraw mattress reposed in all the accumulated filth of past ages. Acoverlid of coarse woollen partly concealed a suit of bed-linen thatwould have stricken terror amongst a tribe of Esquimaux. Neither partyappeared wishful to tempt the mysteries that were yet unseen, or todivest himself of clothing. They flung their luggage on the floor, andsat upon it, each awaiting the first word of intercourse from hiscompanion. After a while there was a heavy groan from the Quaker; andSeaton something hastily intimated his suspicions respecting theoccupation and pursuits of the party below. 

"I am of the like persuasion with thyself, " was the reply. "Verily, the warning was not in vain. This night may not pass ere faith shallhave its test. I have had a sore struggle. Our safety will be granted;but through inward guidance rather than from our own endeavours. Yetmust we use the means. "

"I see no way of escape, " returned Seaton, "provided they be what wehave unhappily too good cause to apprehend. Unarmed, and without themeans of defence, how can we cope with men whose object, doubtless, with the robbery, will be the concealment of their crime?"

"Follow my example. It is thine only chance for deliverance. Questionme not; but be silent, and obey. I have said it. "

While the speaker relapsed into one of his usual reveries, Seaton casthis eyes inquiringly round the room. Their feeble light was ready toexpire. The rude gusts rocked the frail tenement "as if't had agues;"and the walls groaned beneath their pressure. There was a smallcasement, stuffed with paper and a matchless assortment ofparti-coloured rags, near the roof, directly over the bed. He ascendedsoftly to examine the nature of this outlet; but, to his furtheralarm, he found it guarded outside with iron bars. This was a directconfirmation of his surmises. A cold shudder crept over him. He feltalmost stiffening with horror as he looked down upon his thoughtfulcompanion, doomed, he doubted not, as well as himself, to fall a preyto the assassin. He gazed wildly round the apartment, as if with somedesperate hope of deliverance. His head grew dizzy; objects seemed toflit past him; and more than once he fancied that footsteps werecreeping up the ladder. This acute burst of agony subsiding, helistened to the short and rapid whirl of the wind eddying by; andnever had the sound fallen upon his ear so fearfully. It seemed likethe wail of a departing spirit, or like some funeral dirge, moaningheavily and deep through the sudden pauses of the blast. He threwhimself on the bed. Fatigue and long abstinence had enervated hisframe. Nature, forced almost beyond the limit of endurance, had becomepassive, and almost incapable of suffering. A deep slumber stole uponhim, yet could he not escape the horrors by which he was surrounded. Daggers reeking in blood--spectres covered with hideouswounds--murderers on the rack--gibbets, and a thousand forms, shapeless and unimaginable, crowded past with inconceivable rapidity. A huge figure approached. In its hand a weapon was uplifted, as if todestroy him. He made a vehement effort to escape; but was holden, without the power of resistance. Just as it was descending he awoke. For a while he was unable to recollect precisely the nature of hissituation. The apartment was quite dark. He groped confusedly abouthim, but to no purpose. At that instant a ray seemed to glide from thecasement. It was a moonbeam struggling through that almost imperviousinlet. By this light he beheld a figure intently gazing towards thewindow. At the first glance he did not recognise his companion; but, as he started from the couch, the former approached him, and, layingone hand on his shoulder, whispered that he should be still. Heobeyed, and remained motionless. The reason for this admonition wassoon apparent. He heard a slight pattering at intervals on the fewbrittle fragments which the window yet retained. Seaton at firstthought it might be the rain, especially as the wind had considerablyabated; but he soon found there must be some other cause, from therattling of sand and other coarser materials upon the floor and bed. He crept close to the window, looking out below, but was unable tofind out the reason of this disturbance. Suddenly a volley of pebblesbounded past his face, and the moon shining forth at the same instant, a figure was distinguished anxiously attempting to arouse and excitetheir attention. To his great astonishment he recognised the waywardbeing whose glance had startled him so disagreeably a few hoursbefore. He recollected the idiot's former signal, and felt convincedthat this was a more direct and friendly interference. Seatoncarefully pulled away a portion of the stuffing, and was thus enabledto bring his head closer to the bars. This movement was observed; andwith an admonition to silence, the strange creature pointed to theground, at the same time he appeared as if urging them to escape. Seaton comprehended his meaning; but the iron fastenings were anapparently insurmountable impediment. He laid hold of one of the barswith considerable force; and to his great joy it yielded to thepressure. Apparently there was no other individual beneath, or thisfriendly warning would not have been given. It seemed as if thetenants of the hovel were too secure of their prey to set a watch. Hedescended cautiously to his companion. A few whispers were sufficientto convey the intelligence. Again he mounted to the window; and, onlooking down, found that their providential monitor had disappeared. There was no time to be lost. Seaton again tried the bar, andsucceeded in removing it. Another was soon wrenched from its hold, anda few minutes more saw him safely through the aperture, from which helet himself down with little difficulty to the ground. His companionimmediately followed; and once more outside their lodging, a newdifficulty presented itself. Seaton knew of no other path than the oneby which they had previously gained the cottage; and this would, inall probability, afford a leading track to their pursuers, who mightbe expected shortly to be aware of their escape. But he was relievedfrom this dilemma by his companion making a signal that he shouldfollow. "Remember thy promise, " said he. Seaton was prepared to obey, feeling a renewed confidence in the discretion of his guide. Turninginto a pathway near the place where they had alighted, their coursewas towards a river, which they beheld at no great distance twinklingbrightly in the moonbeams. They cautiously yet rapidly proceeded downa narrow descent, fear hastening their flight, for they expected everymoment to hear the footsteps of their pursuers. In a little while theyturned out of the road, and, by a circuitous path, which the guideseemed to tread with unhesitating confidence, they came to the river'sbrink. By the brawling of its current, and the appearance itpresented, the water was evidently shallow, and might be crossedwithout much difficulty. Seaton was preparing to make the attempt, butwas prevented by his comrade. 

"I have some inward impression that we may not cross here. We shall bepursued; and our adversaries will imagine that we have passed overwhat is doubtless the ford of this Jordan. I know not why, but we mustfollow its banks, and for some distance, ere we pass. "

Seaton urged the danger and folly of this proceeding, and proposedcrossing immediately, but met with a decided and unflinching refusalfrom his companion. They now kept along the river's brink, but withmuch difficulty. The rain having swollen the waters, they were oftenforced to wade up to the knees through the little creeks and rivuletsthat intersected their path. They journeyed on for a considerabletime in silence, when the elder traveller made a sudden pause. 

"It is here, " said he. Seaton looked on the river; but the broad anddeep wave rolled past with frightful impetuosity. The moonbeamsglittered on a wide and rapid flood, whose depths were unknown, but towhich, nevertheless, it seemed that they were on the point ofcommitting themselves. 

"The river is both wide and deep!" said the youth. 

"Nevertheless, we must cross, " replied his more taciturn companion. Without further parley the latter plunged boldly into the stream. Urged on by his fears, and preferring death in any shape to the deaththat was pursuing him, Seaton followed his example. For some time theystruggled hard with the full sweep of the current; and it seemedlittle short of a miracle when they arrived, almost breathless andexhausted, on the opposite side. 

"Praised be His name who hath given strength! Though deep waters haveencompassed us, yet His arm is our deliverance. "

With a holy and ardent outpouring of soul did this good man renderthanksgivings unto Him whose hand had been so visibly stretched outfor their protection. Just as he had made an end of speaking, adistant but distinct howl was borne down upon the wind. They listenedeagerly, as the sound evidently grew nearer. It was like the short butstifled cry of a hound in full chase. 

"Peril cometh as a whirlwind, " said George Fox; "but fear not--a waywill be left for our escape!"

"It is that malicious hound!" replied Seaton shuddering, as heremembered the beast which had gazed so intently on him, and which wasevidently trained for the present purpose. 

"We must climb up to those tall bushes with all speed, " said thecompanion of his flight, at the same time leading the way withconsiderable haste and agility. 

From this height they saw, at some distance up the river, three men onhorseback, preceded by a large hound, who, true to the scent, wasfollowing steadily on their footsteps. They approached rapidly to theplace where the fugitives had gone over, when the dog made a deadhalt, and looked wistfully across. 

"Loo, loo!" said the foremost rider, "hie on, lass!" But the beastwould not move. 

"Sure now, Mike, " said he, as the others came up, "if they've takenthe water at this unlucky hole, they'll need no drownin' by thisanyhow. "

"It's the brute, bad luck to her, " replied his comrade. "She's on thewrong scent. Why they're over the ford by this, and we shall have thebloody thief-catchers here before we can open the door for 'em. "

"If the bitch had followed my nose, instead of her own beautifulscent, " said the remaining speaker, "we should ha' been over the fordtoo, long ago. They'd as soon think of swimming o'er the bay in acabbage-leaf as cross at this place. Back, back; and we'll shoulder'em yet, my darlings. Come along, boys--one of you take the ford, an'watch the road over the hill. Have a care, now, that the rogues be notskulking round the bog. I'll keep the road hereabout; an' thou, Mike, lay to with the hound when thou art on the other side. Maybe they'llnot find it just so easy to beat us in the hunting while we've a legto lay on after them. "

The worthy triumvirate here withdrew. The animal was with muchdifficulty forced from her track; but by the help of a stout cord shewas dragged off, yelping and whining, to the great joy of theirintended victims. Seaton could not but recognise the very finger ofProvidence, which had pointed out the means of preservation. No otherway was left apparently for their escape. Whatsoever course they hadtaken, save this, must have inevitably thrown them into the very toilsof their pursuers; and he determined to follow, fearlessly and withoutquestion, the future impulses of his companion. 

"Shall we attempt to flee, or must we tarry here a space?" hehesitatingly inquired. 

"Nay, friend, " said his guide, "I wis not yet what we shall do; butmethinks we are to abide here until morning!"

Seaton shivered at this intimation. His clothes were drenched, and hiswhole frame stiffened and benumbed with cold. His position, too, crouching amongst decayed branches and alder twigs, was none of themost eligible or easy to sustain. He felt fully resolved, however, tofollow the leadings of his friend, being convinced that his ultimatesafety depended on a strict adherence to this determination. 

The country was very thinly inhabited, and their enemies were inpossession of the only outlets by which they could escape to thenearest village. Aided, too, by the sagacity of the dog, their trackwould inevitably be discovered before daylight enabled them to findshelter. These considerations were too important to be overlooked, andSeaton quietly resolved to make himself as comfortable ascircumstances would permit. He wrung out the wet from his clothes, chafed his limbs, and ere long, to his inexpressible relief, the firstsymptoms of the dawn were visible in the east. Just as a glowing rimof light was gliding above the horizon, they ventured to peep forthcautiously from their retreat. To their great mortification, they saw, at a considerable distance, a horseman stationed on the brow of aneighbouring hill, evidently for the purpose of a more extendedscrutiny. Signals would inevitably betray their route should theyemerge from their concealment; and escape now seemed as hopeless asever. 

In this fresh difficulty Seaton again sought counsel from his friend, who replied with great earnestness--

"There is yet another and a more grievous trial;"--he lifted up hiseyes, darkening already with the energy of his spirit;--"but I trustour deliverance draweth nigh. We must return!"

"Return?" cried Seaton, his lips quivering with amazement. "Whither?Not to the den we have just left?"

"Even so, " said the other with great composure. 

"Then all hope is lost!" mournfully returned the inquirer. 

"Nay, " replied his companion, "but let me ask what chance, evenaccording to thine own natural and unaided sense, there is ofdeliverance in our present condition? Hemmed in on every hand, withouta guide, and strangers to the path we should take, if the watchmanfrom the hill miss our track, there is the hound upon our scent!"

There was no gainsaying these suggestions; but still a proposal thatthey should return to the cabin, whence they had with such pains anddifficulty made their escape, in itself was so absurd and inexplicablea piece of manoeuvring, that common sense and common prudence alikeforbade the attempt. Yet, on the other hand, common sense and commonprudence appeared to be equally unavailing as to any mode of escapefrom the toils in which they were entangled. 

Again he determined to follow his friend's guidance: who, addressinghimself immediately to the task, made the best of his way to the fordwhich he had refused to cross the preceding night. They now took thedirect road to the house. The morning was sharp and clear. Seaton feltthe cold and raw atmosphere cling to his frame, already chilled to analarming degree; but the excitation he had undergone prevented furthermischief than the temporary inconvenience he then suffered. As theycame nearer the hut his very faculties seemed to escape from hiscontrol. A sense of danger, imminent and almost insupportable, cameupon him. Bewildered, and actuated with that unaccountable butinstinctive desperation which urges on to some inevitable doom, herushed wildly into the dwelling. It was not as they had left it. Several horses were quietly standing by the door; and a party, who hadmerely called for the purpose of half-an-hour's rest and refreshment, were then making preparations to depart. Seaton took one of themaside, and disclosed the terrible circumstances we have related. By ajudicious but prompt application of their forces they prevented anyone from leaving the house, and were prepared to seize all who shouldreturn thither. A close search soon betrayed the quality and callingof its inmates. A vast hoard of plunder was discovered, and proofs tooabundant were found that deeds had been there perpetrated of which weforbear the recital. The old woman was seized; and her capture wasfollowed by the apprehension of the whole gang, who shortly after metwith the retribution merited by their crimes. 

The maniac proved to be a son of the old beldame. At times, the cloudunhappily clearing from his mental vision had left him for a shortspace fearfully cognisant of the transactions he was then doomed towitness. On that night to which our history refers a suddenprovidential gleam of intelligence flashed upon him, and an unknownimpulse prompted his interference in behalf of the unfortunate, and, as he thought, unsuspecting victims. Ere leaving the country they sawhim comfortably provided for; and, as far as the nature of his maladywould permit, his mind was soothed, and his darkest moments partlyrelieved from the horrors which humanity alone could mitigate, but notprevent. 

 [15] _Vide_ West's _Antiquities of Furness_. 

THE DEMON OF THE WELL. 

 "Avaunt, thou senseless thing! Can graven image mimic life, and glare Its stony eye-balls; grin, make mouths at me? Go to, it is possessed;--some demon lurks Within its substance. "

 Peggy's well, the subject of our engraving, is near the brink of the Ribble, in a field below Waddow Hall; Brunckerley Stepping-stones not being far distant, where several lives have been lost in attempting to cross, at times when the river was swollen by a rapid rise, which even a day's rain will produce. These calamities, along with any other fatal accidents which happened in the neighbourhood, are usually attributed to the malevolence of Peggy. The stepping-stones are alluded to in our first volume as the place where King Henry VI was taken, after escaping from Waddington Hall. 

 Some stones are still visible at low water; but whether these are the original "Hippins, " or the foundations of a wooden bridge which succeeded them, and was borne down by the ice at the breaking up of the frost in the year 1814, is not known. 

 The stone image by the well, depicted in our engraving, has been the subject of many strange tales and apprehensions, being placed there when turned out of the house at Waddow, to allay the terrors of the domestics, who durst not continue under the same roof with this misshapen figure. It was then broken, either from accident or design, and the head, some time ago, we have understood, was in one of the attic chambers at Waddow Hall. 

One loud, roaring, and tempestuous night--the last relics of the year1660--some half-dozen boon companions were comforting themselvesbeside a blazing fire, and a wassail-cup, at the ingle of awell-ordered and well-accustomed tavern within the good borough ofClitheroe, bearing on its gable front, over a grim and narrow porch, amarvellous portraiture apparently of some four-footed animal, bycommon usage and consent denominated "The Bull. " What recked they ofthe turmoil that was abroad, while good liquor lasted, and the trolland merry tale went round? The yule-log was blazing on the hearth, and their cups were bright and plenished. 

[Illustration 10: PEG O'NELLY'S WELL, NEAR CLITHEROE. _Drawn by G. Pickering. __Engraved by Edw^d Finden. _]

"'Ods bodikins, Nic--and that's a parson's oath, " said a small waspishfigure from the farther chimney-corner, in a sort of husky wheezingvoice, "I'll lay thee a thimblefull of pins thou dar'na do it. "

"And I'll lay thee a grey lapstone, an' a tachin-end to boot, that Irun ower t' hippin-stones to-night, and never a wet sole; but a bussand a wet lip I'll bring fro' the bonniest maiden at Waddow!"

"Like enough, like enough, though thou hast to brag for't, " said thefirst speaker tauntingly--an old customer of the house, and a compilerof leathern extremities for the good burghers and their wives. 

"Give o'er your gostering, " said another; "_Non omnes qui citharamtenent, sunt citharoedi_. [iii] Many talk of Robin Hood who never shot fromhis bow. Know ye not 'tis Peggy's year, and her oblation hath not beenrendered? Eschew therefore the rather your bravery until this night beoverpast. "

This learned harangue betrayed the schoolmaster, who was prone to makeGaffer Wiswall's chimney-side a temporary refuge from the broils anddisturbances of his own, where his spouse, by way of enticing him toremain, generally contrived either to rate him soundly or to sulkduring their brief communion. 

"Who cares for Peg?" said the hero who had boasted of hisblandishments with the maids. "She may go drown herself i' the Red Seafor aught I care!"

This heretical, unbelieving, and impious scorner was a man of shredsand patches, a pot-valiant tailor, whose ungartered hosen, looseknee-strings, and thin shambling legs, sufficiently betokened thesedentary nature of his avocations. "I wonder the parson hasn't gi'enher a lift wi' Pharaoh and his host ere this, " continued he. 

"Or the schoolmaster, " said that provoking little personage, the firstspeaker, whose sole aim was to throw the apple of discord amongst hisfellows. 

"And pray who may this lady be whom ye so ungallantly devote toperdition?" inquired a stranger from behind, who had hitherto beensilent, apparently not wishful to join the hilarity of those headdressed. The party quesited was in the midst of a puff of exhalationmore than usually prolonged when the question was put, so that ere hecould frame his organs to the requisite reply the pragmatical tailor, whose glibness of tongue was equalled only by his assurance, gave thefollowing by way of parenthesis:--

"Plague on't, where's t'ou bin a' thy life, 'at doesn't know PegO'Nelly, man?"

"Deuce tak' thee for a saucy lout, " said the sutor; "I'll brak' thyspindle-shanks wi' my pipe-stump. Be civil if thou can, Nicky, to thybetters. Sir, if it please ye to listen, we'll have ye well instructedin the matter by the schoolmaster here. " He cast a roguish look at thepedagogue as he spoke. But I pray you draw in with us, an' make onewi' the rest. "

The scholar adjusted himself, passed one hand thoughtfully upon hisbrow, and with a gentle inclination commenced with a loud hem, orclearance of aught that might obstruct the free communication of histhoughts. 

"Peg, or Peggy, as some do more euphoniously denominate her, was maid, woman, or servant--_ancilla_, _famula_, _ministra_, not _pedissequa_, or one who attends her mistress abroad, but rather a servant of allwork, in the house yonder at Waddow, many years past. Indeed, mygrandmother did use to speak of it as _ex vetere famâ_--traditionary, or appertaining unto the like. "

"I tell thee what, gossip, if thee doesn't get on faster wi' thy tale, Peggy's ghost will have a chronicle of another make. I can see Nic'stongue is yammering to take up a stitch i' thy narrative, " interruptedthe leathern artificer. 

"And I'd bring it up in another guess way, " said Nicholas, tartly, "than wi' scraps and scrapings fro' gallipots, and remnants o' massbooks. "

"Pray ye, friends, be at peace a while, or I may be dealt with never aword to my question, " said the stranger beseechingly. 

"Go on, " rejoined the peremptory occupant of the chimney-corner; "butlet thy discourse be more akin to thy text. "

The schoolmaster, thus admonished, again set forward. 

"As I was a-saying precedent or prior to this unseasonableinterruption--_medium sermonem_--I crave your mercy, but I was born, as I may say, with the Latin, or the _lingua latialis_ in my mouth, rather than my mother-tongue; so, as I was a-saying, this same Peggy, _filia_ or daughter to Ellen, if I mistake not, seeing that PegO'Nell doth betoken, after the manner and use of these rudeprovincials, that the genitrix or _mater_ is the genitive orgenerator, being"----

"Now a murrain light on all fools, coxcombs, and"----

"Tailors' shins--hang thee, for thou hast verily split mine wi' thygilly-pegs. They're as sharp as a pair of hatchets, " said anunfortunate neighbour who had the ill-luck to encounter the gyrationsof these offensive and weapon-like appendages to the trunk of NicholasSlater, who, in his great ardour and distress at the floundering andabortive attempts of the scholar, threw them about in all directions, to the constant jeopardy and annoyance of those more immediatelywithin their sphere of operation. 

"Keep 'em out o't gait then, " said the testy aggressor, angry at theinterruption, being fearful of losing so lucky an opportunity. 

"Peg O'Nelly, sir, was a maid-servant once at Waddow, killed first, and then drowned i' the well by one o' the men for concubinage, as theparson says; and so for the wrong done, her ghost ne'er having beenlaid, you see she claims every seventh year an offering which must besummat wick--and"----While he hesitated another took up the thread ofhis narrative. 

"This is the last night o' the year, you see, " said the other incontinuation; "and we be just thinking to bid good-bye to th' oldchap, and greet th' new one with a wag of his paw, and a drink to hisweel-doing. But the first cause o' this disturbance was by reason ofits being Peggy's year, and as she hasn't had her sop yet, we thoughtas how it would be no bad job to get rid o' this drunken tailor here, and he might save some better man; so we have been daring him to crosst' hippin-stones to-night; for there is but an hour or two to sparebefore her time's up. "

"It is not too late, " said the stranger, with great solemnity. Everyeye was bent upon him. He still sat in the broad shadow projected byone huge chimney-corner, his face overhung by a broad felt hat, girtwith a band and buckle; a drooping draggled feather fell over itscrown. His whole person was so curiously enveloped in a loosetravelling cloak that nothing but a dark unshapely mass, having someresemblance to the human form, could be distinguished. Concealmentwas evidently the object. Every one was awed down into silence. Thefew words he had spoken seemed to have dried up, or rather frozen atits surface, the babbling current of their opinions, that ran, whilom, with unceasing folly and rapidity. 

"Silence!" cried the sutor from the opposite ingleside. 

This command operated like a charm. The ice was broken, and thecurrent became free. Without more ado, as if in opposition to theself-constituted authority from the high-backed chair, the guests, with one exception only, commenced with a vigorous discharge of "airymissiles, " which by degrees subsided into a sort of desultorysharp-shooting; but their words were neither few nor well applied. Itwas evident that a gloom and disquietude was upon the assembly. Therewas a distinct impression of fear, though a vague notion as to itscause--a sort of extempore superstition--a power which hath most holdon the mind in proportion as its limits and operations are least knownor understood. The bugbear owing its magnitude and importance toobscurity and misapprehension, becomes divested of its terrors when itcan be surveyed and appreciated. 

 "_Te misereat, miserescat, vel commiserescat mei, _"

quoted the schoolmaster, who, before he could find an equivalent inhis mother-tongue, was tripped up by the nimble constructor ofraiment. 

"The dule and his dam are verily let loose on us, " said he. 

"Our Lady and her grace forefend!" cried he of the awl and lapstone, whose pipe having unaccountably been extinguished, was just in the actof being thrust down into the red and roaring billets when he beheld ablue flame hovering on them; a spiral wreath of light shot upwards, and the log was reduced to a mass of glowing ashes and half-burntembers. At this critical moment the stranger deliberately approachedthe hearth. He threw a whole flagon of liquor wilfully upon the waningfaggots, and in a moment fiz, splutter, and smoke proclaimed that thewarfare of the elements, like many others, had ended in thedestruction of both the contending belligerents. The yule-log wasextinguished. There was a general rush, and a consternation of sounequivocal a nature, that tables, benches, platters, and drinkingutensils were included in one vast overthrow. Some thought they sawthe glowing emblem of Yule transferred to the stranger's eyes, whichtwinkled like twin loopholes to the furnace within. 

"I have thee now!" said he; but who this unfortunate might be whomthey had so left, even in the very claws of the Evil One, they knewnot, nor did they care to inquire. Each, too happy to escape, rushedforth hatless and sore dismayed into the street, with all the horrorsof a pelting and pitiless night upon his head, and thought himselfwell off by the exchange, and too much overjoyed that his own personwas not the victim in the catastrophe. 

In the morning Isabel, the landlord's ward, and his coal-black steedwere amissing!

Now, it was but a mile or so from this ancient borough to Brunckerley, or Bromiley hippin (stepping) stones, across the Ribble, where, uponthis insecure but long-used mode of transit, the steps of ourforefathers were guided over the ford. These same stepping-stones werequite as often the instruments or executioners of Peggy's vengeance asthe well itself dignified by her name. It need not, therefore, be amatter of surprise that when the appalling and fearful events of thepreceding night were bruited forth in the public thoroughfares uponNew-Year's morning--a season when news-carriers and gossips, old andyoung, are more particularly prone to a vigilant exercise of theirtalents and avocations--we say it need not be a source of eithersuspicion or surprise that many of these conduit-pipes ofintelligence, even before the day was broad awake, did pour forth anoverwhelming flood of alarm and exaggeration. According to theseveracious lovers of the marvellous, shrieks were heard about therequisite time, and in the precise direction where it must needsfollow that Isabel was just in the act of being whisked off by one ofPegg's emissaries, and that ere now she was doubtless offered as oneof the septennial sacrifices to her revenge. 

It was a brave and comely morning, and a brave sight it was to see oldand young go forth to the river on that blessed day. The crisp and icybrink of the brawling Ribble was beset by groups of idle folk, someanxiously looking out for symptoms or traces of the body, othersoccupied with rakes and various implements for searching the unknownregions beneath the turbid and angry waters. Beyond were the antleredand hoary woods of Waddow, every bow laden with the snows ofyestereven, sparkling silently in the broad and level sweep of light, pouring in one uninterrupted flood over the wide and chilly waste--awilderness of snow, a gay and gorgeous mantle glittering on the bosomof death and desolation. 

Gaffer Wiswall was there. The old man almost beside himself withgrief, heart-stricken with the blow, felt alone, a scathed trunk, doomed to survive when the green verdure of his existence haddeparted. 

Wet and weary were the searchers, and their toil unremitting, but thebody was not found. The "Well, " Peg O'Nelly's Well, was tried, withthe like result. Surely this was a visitation of more than ordinaryspite and malignity. Hitherto the bodies of the victims, with but fewexceptions, had been rendered back to their disconsolate survivors, the revengeful ghost apparently satisfied with their extinction; butit is now high time to make the attempt, if possible, to ridthemselves of her persecutions. 

"Look here!" said one of the bystanders, pointing to the river'smargin; "there hath gone a horse, or it may be two, along theseslippery banks, but a few hours ago, and the track seems to come fromthe river. "

"Let us see to the other side, " said another, "if there be a fellow toit. " And, sure enough, on the opposite bank, there were footmarkscorresponding thereto, as though one or more adventurous horsemen hadswam the swollen waters recently, a little higher up than the ford, pursuing their slippery way by the very margin, along the woods, forsome distance, when their track was lost amid these deep and almostpathless recesses. 

"Mercy o' me, " said one, "it is deep enough thereabouts to drown thecastle and hill to boot. Neither horse nor man could wade thathurly-burly there last night, for the waters were out, and the footboyfrom Waddow told me that nobody could even cross the hippin-stones ateight o'clock. He came round by the bridge. "

"But if the beasts could swim?" said another, of more knowledge andshrewdness than the rest. 

"Swim!--Go to!" said the small leathern-aproned personage whosefunctions we have before adverted to at the bright and merry ingle ofold Wiswall; "neither man nor beast could have held breast against thetorrent. "

This was a complete negation to the whole. Nevertheless something hadcrossed, whether cloven-footed or not they were unable to distinguish, inasmuch as the demon, or whatsoever it might be, had taken theprecaution to make its passage in a pair of horse-shoes. Theprobability was, that Peggy had varied the usual mode of herproceedings, and sent a messenger with a strong arm and a fiery steedto seize her victim. 

"We're none on us safe, " cried one, "fro' this she div--div--Save us!I'd like to ha' made a bad job on't. "

"The bloody vixen is ne'er satisfied, " said an old gossip, whose noseand chin had been gradually getting into closer fellowship for atleast a long score of winters. "I'll hie me to Bet at the Alleys for acharm that'll drive aw t' hobgoblins to the de'il again. When I waur awee lassie, the scummerin' dixies didn't use to go rampaging aboutthis gate. There was nowt to do, but off to t' priest, an' th' jobwaur done. Now-a-days, what wi' new lights, doctrines, an' lollypops, Anabaptists an' Presbyterians, they're too throng wranglin' wi' oneanother to tak' care o' the poor sheep, which Satan is worrying andhurrying like hey go mad, and not a soul to set the dog at him, nor acallant to tak' him by t' horns, an' say 'Boh!'"

It seems "the good old times, " even in those days, were objects ofregret, still clung to with fondness and delight--reversing thedistich; for--

 "Man never is, but always _has been_, blest!"

It is a principle in our very nature that we should look back withyearnings to our youthful years, when all was fresh and joyous; whenour thoughts were in all the prime, the spring-tide of theirexistence, and our emotions, young and jocund as ourselves, bubbledforth fresh and clear as the mountain-spring from its source. Thechange is not in the objects around us; it is in ourselves. Lookingthrough the medium of our own jaded and enervated feelings, we fancyall things have the same worn-out aspect, and contrast the presentwith the freshness and vigour of our former existence. 

Turn we now to the former inmates at Waddow, an old-fashioned buildingin that old-fashioned age, now re-edified and re-built. It isbeautifully situated on a slope on the Yorkshire side of the Ribble, beyond the "hippin-stones" we have named. 

In a low, dark chamber, panelled with dingy oak, into which themorning sun burst joyously, its garish brightness ill assorting withthe solemnity and even sadness of the scene, there sat an elderlymatron, owner and occupier of the place. The casements were so besetwith untrimmed branches and decayed tendrils that her form looked dimand almost impalpable, seen through the mist, the vagrant motesrevelling in the sunbeams. It seemed some ghostly, some attenuatedshape, that sat, still and stately, in that gloomy chamber. Before herstood a female domestic, antique and venerable as herself, and theconversation was carried on scarcely above a whisper, as thoughsilence brooded over that mansion, rarely disturbed by voice orfootstep. 

"I heed not these idle tales. A hammer and a willing hand will poundyon bugbear into dirt, " said the dame. "If there be none else, I'lltry what the hand of a feeble but resolute woman can do. YonDagon--yon graven image of papistrie, which scares ye so, shall bebroken for the very beasts to trample on. "

"But the dins last night were"----

"Tell me not of such folly. When yonder senseless thing is gone, youshall be quiet, maybe, if the rats will let ye. Send Jock hither, andlet Jim the mason be sent for, and the great iron mallet. Quick, Mause, at my bidding. We shall see whether or not yonder grim idolwill dare to stir after it is cast down. "

With a look of surprise, and even horror, at this impious intent, didthe ancient housekeeper move slowly forth to execute her commands. 

The innocent cause of all this broil was a certain stone figure, rudely sculptured, which, time out of mind, had been the disturbingbut undisturbed inmate of an obscure corner in the cellar beneath anuninhabited wing of the mansion at Waddow. Superstition had investedthis rude misshapen relic with peculiar terrors; and the generationhaving passed to whom its origin was known, from some cause or anotherit became associated with Peggy's disaster, who, as it was currentlybelieved, either took possession of this ugly image, or else employedit as a kind of spy or bugbear to annoy the inhabitants of the housewhere she had been so cruelly treated. There did certainly appear someconnection between Peggy's freaks and this uncouth specimen ofprimitive workmanship. Though bearing evident marks of some rudeeffigy, the spoliation of a religious house at some reforming, or, inother words, plundering, era--the ideal similitude probably of aRomish saint--yet, whenever Peggy's emissaries were abroad and avictim was to be immolated, this disorderly cast-out from the calendarwas particularly restless; not that any really authenticate, visiblecases were extant of these unidol-like propensities to locomotion, butnoises and disturbances were heard for all the world like the uncouthand awkward gambols of such an ugly thing; at least, those who werewiser than their neighbours, and well skilled in iconoclastics, didstoutly aver that they had heard it "clump, clump, clump, " preciselylike the jumping and capering of such a misshapen, ill-conditionedeffigy, when inclined to be particularly merry and jocose. Now thiscould not be gainsaid, and consequently the innocent and mutilatedrelic, once looked upon as the genius or tutelary guardian of thehouse, was unhesitatingly assigned to the evil domination of Peggy. Itmight be that the rancour she displayed was partly in consequence ofan adequate retribution having failed to overtake her betrayer, andthe family, then resident at Waddow, not having dealt out to him thejust punishment of his deserts. Thus had she been permitted to pervertthe proper influences and benevolent operations of this mysticdisturber to her own mischievous propensities; and thenceforth amalignant spirit troubled the house, heretofore guarded by a saint oftrue Catholic dignity and stolidity. 

But it seemed the time was now come when these unholy doings were tobe put an end to. The present owner of Waddow, tired, as we have seen, of such ridiculous alarms, and the terrors of her domestics, andwishful to do away with the evil report and scandal sustained thereby, was now resolved to dissipate these idle fears, to show at once theirfolly and futility. 

"Well, Mause, the old lady will have her way, I know; but if shedoesn't rue her cantrips, my name's not Jock; that's all. " And herethe speaker stamped with a heavy clouted foot upon the kitchen-hearth, whither the lady's message had been conveyed. 

"Thou maun get thy hammer and pick, lad, and soon, too, I tell thee, "said Mause. 

"I'll do aught 'at she asks me; but--but--to run like some goupin'warlock to the whame o' destruction, wi' one's een open, it's what noChristian will do that hasn' forsworn his baptism. "

"Maun I tell her so?" inquired Mause, with a significant emphasis. 

"Naw, naw; no' just soa; but thee maun--wait a bit; let's see. " Herehe began to beat about anxiously for an excuse, which did not presentitself with the same facility as the expression of his unwillingnessto undertake the job. "Eh me!--Jock Tattersall--herd and bailiff nowthese twenty years--that I should be brought to sich a pass; an' aw'through these plaguy women. Well, well; but if a good stiff lie, Mause, would sarve my turn, I wouldna' care so mich. Hears to me, owdwench; tell mistress I'm gone wi' t' kye to water, Peg's Well beingfrozen up. "

"Tell her thysel', " said the indignant Mause; "an' then one lie maysarve. I'll no go to the dule upo' thy shouthers!"

"There's Bob i' the yard yon; winnat he do for her instead?"

"I tell thee what, Jock, " said Mause, "mistress'll ha't done in herown way; so we may as weel budge sooner as later. But let's a' gotogether, an' I warrant our dame will be the first, an' she'll standi' th' gap if aught should happen. Besides, courage comes wi' company, thee knows, an' there's a round dozen of us. "

This proposal, in the present exigency, seemed the best that could beadopted. The whole household were full of misgivings about the result;yet, sheltered under the authority of their mistress, and themselvesnot consenting to the deed, they trusted Peggy would consider it inthe same light, and if she should break forth upon them, doubtless shewould possess sufficient discrimination to know the real aggressor, and wreak her vengeance where it was due. 

Mause was despatched to their mistress, who, after a short period, starched and pinned, her aspect as stiff and unyielding as herdisposition, consented to take the lead, and shame the unwillingnessand cowardice of her domestics. Immediately behind walked, or ratherlagged, the executioner with his weapons, looking more like unto onethat was going to execution. Mause came next, then the remainder ofthe household, not one of them disposed to quarrel about precedency. The room to which they were tending was low, dark, and unfurnished, save with the _exuviæ_ of other parts of the premises. Rats and lumberwere its chief occupants. A few steps accomplished the descent, thechamber having less of the nature of cellarage than that of a dairy, which, in former times, and until a more eligible situation had beenfound, was the general use and appropriation to which it was allotted. Seldom visited, Peggy, or rather her mysterious representative, reigned here without molestation or control. At times, as we havebefore seen, the image, awaking from its stony slumber, played thevery shame amongst the chattels in the lumber-room. 

Its activity and exertions against "social order" were now destined tobe forever ended. Irrevocable was the doom, and the lowering aspect ofthe proud dame of Waddow, as the door unclosed, and a faint light fromthe loophole opposite revealed her enemy in all the mockery ofrepose--grim, erect, and undisturbed--showed the inflexibility of herpurpose. 

"Now to work, " said she; "come hither with thy torch, Hal; why dostloiter so? and where's Jock and the mason with the tools?" But Jockand his compeer were loth to come, and the lady's voice grew louderand more peremptory. "Shame on ye, to be cow'd thus by a gravenimage--a popish idol--a bit of chiselled stone. Out upon it, thatnature should have put women's hearts into men's bosoms. Nay, 'tisworse than womanhood, for they have the stouter stomach for theenterprise, I trow. Bring hither the hammer, I say. Doth the foulapprehension of a trumpet terrify you that has been dead and rottenthese hundred years?"

Thus did the sturdy dame strive to quell their fears and stimulatethem to the attack. Yet they lingered, and were loth to begin. Nay, one whispered to his fellow that the image grinned and frownedhorribly during this harangue, and made mouths at the trenchant dame. 

"It's no use, " said Jock; "I darena strike!"

"Thou craven kestril!" said she, angrily; "and what should ail thee toshy at the quarry? Give me the weapon. " And with that she seized thehammer as though rendered furious by the pusillanimity of herattendants. The whole group were paralysed with terror. Not a word wasspoken; scarcely a breath was drawn; every eye was riveted upon her, without the power of withdrawal. They saw her approach, as thoughendowed with tenfold strength, and lending the whole weight of herlong, thin arm to the blow, with a right good will added thereto, shedealt a powerful stroke at the head of this dumb idol. A headlesstrunk tumbled on the floor; but with that there came a shriek, sowild, woeful, and appalling, that the cowardly attendants fled. Thetorch-bearer threw down the light, and the whole of the domestics, with dismal outcries, rushed pell-mell through the narrow passage;fearful, inconceivable horror urging their flight. The dame was leftalone, but what she saw or heard was never divulged; an altered womanshe looked when she came forth, like one of the old still portraitsthat had slipped down from its frame in the gloomy oaken chamber. Shespoke not again even to Mause that day, but seemed as if bent on somedeep and solemn exercise. Abstracted from every outward impression, she sat, the image of some ancient sibyl communing with the inward, unseen pageantries of thought--the hidden workings of a power shecould not control. Towards night she seemed more accessible. Naturallyaustere and taciturn, she rarely spoke but when it was absolutelynecessary; yet now there was a softened, a subdued tone of feeling, and even a bland expression in her address, which for years had notbeen felt. Some bitter, some heart-searing disappointment, had driedup the sources of feeling, and left her spirit withered, withoutnurture, and without verdure, without so much as a green spot in theuntrodden wilderness of her existence. 

"I've seen him, Mause, " said she, as though half in earnest, half-musing, when the faithful domestic came to warn her mistress thatthe time of rest was at hand. 

"Seen who, my lady?"

"Bless thee, silly wench, I've seen William. Nay, nurse, it was thyboy, as thou didst use to call him; and as sure as these aged eyeshave wept themselves dry at his departure and decease, I saw hisvision this morning i' the image-chamber. "

"Eh! the good saints guide and preserve us, " said the aged menial, crossing herself very devoutly, more by way of conjuration orcounter-charm, than from any proper feeling of reverence or faith inthe mystic symbol of our redemption. "There's death at the door, then, sure enough, " she continued; "aw this gramarye and foretokening isn'tfor nought; so who's to pay for it?"

"When the light was gone, " said the dame, as though scarcely heedingthe interpolation of her domestic, "I stayed a brief space; but whatpassed"----Here she raised her dim and hollow eyes for a moment; "nomatter now, Mause; suffice it that my nephew, who was drown'd sevenlong years ago, stood before me!"

"But young master, Heaven rest his soul, what can he want from yonderbright mansion of glory, where you always said he was gone, " repliedMause, "that he should come again to this pitiful world? Eh me! thatPeggy should ha' claw'd so fair a victim. "

"Peace, Mause; never would I believe it. Nor even now will I, for onemoment, apprehend that Heaven would put any of its creatures, for whomits care is continually going forth, into the power of a base andvindictive harlot--that the All-merciful and All-good would render upan innocent victim to her malice. Better worship Moloch and thedevils, unto whom our forefathers did offer a vain and cruelsacrifice. No, Mause! believe me, our faith forbids. The light ofrevealed truth shows no such misrule in the government of the Deity. The powers of evil are as much the instruments of good in His hand asthe very attributes of His own perfections. And yet, strange enoughthat my devoted William should appear at the very time, and in thevery place, when the destruction of the ugly image was accomplished, as though the charm were then broken, and he were set free! I amdistressed, bewildered, Mause; the links are too strong to be undoneby my feeble and unassisted reason. That he was reckoned by commonreport as a doomed one to that vindictive ghost, I know; and that themutilation of yonder image should apparently have called forth hisvery substance from the dark womb where he had lain, transcends myimperfect knowledge. Beshrew me, but I could readily become tincturedwith the prevailing belief, did not my firm hold on the goodness andthe omnipotence of the great Ruler of all sustain my faith and forbidmy distrust. "

"I know not what wiser heads may think; but if I'd seen his wraithrising fro' the image, I should ha' thought--what I do yet--andso"----

"Tarry with me through the night, Mause. This vision haunts mestrangely, and I do feel more heavy and debilitate than I have beenwont. "

Whether the shock was too great or too sudden for a frame so stubbornand unyielding, we know not; but that the firmest often feel moreintensely the blows and disasters which others, by yielding to them, do evade, needeth not that we set forth, inasmuch as it is too plainand demonstrative to require illustration. On that same night, Mause, awakening from a short and broken slumber, looked on her mistress, andlo, she was a corpse!

This event, according to the popular belief, would doubtless addanother to the list of Peggy's victims, and was looked upon as aterrible token from the demon against all who should hereafter havethe temerity or presumption to interfere with her proceedings. 

The following day it was noised abroad, and the survivors were mindfulto have the entrance to this fearful chamber walled up, and thusprevent any further mischief or interference. 

Towards eventide, or ere the lights were renewed in the death-chamber, there came a gentle knock at the hall-door. An aged domestic answeredthe summons; but with a scream, she fled as from the face of an enemy. A footstep was heard in the hall. Slowly it ascended the stairs. Theycreaked and groaned, every step seeming to strike with a cold shudderto the heart. They verily thought that the house was beset by a wholesquadron of infernals, who had sent a messenger for the body of theirmistress. The tramp of the mysterious visitor was heard in thedeath-chamber. Moans and bewailings were distinctly audible; andMause, who was in the room, came down with a face colourless and wan, as though she had seen a ghost. She could not articulate, save oneharrowing word--

"William!" she cried, and pointed upwards. Seven years ago had he beendrowned, according to general belief, one fearful night, in crossingthe river by Bromiley or Brunckerley hippin-stones. Nephew andheir-presumptive to the lady of Waddow, he had left his home thatevening writhing under her malediction; for he had in an evil hour, asshe thought, formed a base-born attachment to an orphan living withGaffer Wiswall, and generally looked upon as his daughter. It was thiscurse which clave like a band of iron about the breast of the prouddame of Waddow; for, in the morning light, when there came news to thehall that he had been seen swept down by the ravening flood--perishingwithout hope of succour--she sat as though stupefied, without a murmuror a tear, and her stricken heart knew not this world's gladnessagain. Solitary and friendless, this fair creation seemed blotted out, and she became fretful and morose. All her earthly hopes were centredin this boy, the offspring of a sister, and they were for ever gone!Mause only had the privilege of addressing her without a specialinterrogation. The appearance, or it might be, the apparition of herbeloved nephew, seemed again to open the sluices of feeling andaffection; to soften and subdue the harshness that encrusted herdisposition; but it was only the forerunner of an eternal change--theherald of that inexorable tyrant, Death!

Darkness was fast gathering about them; but the whole household werehuddled together in the kitchen, none daring to venture forth to theiroccupations. A long hour it seemed, while every moment they wereexpecting some further visitation. The fire was nigh extinguished, forwho durst fetch the billet from the stack? The conversation, if suchmight be called the brief and scanty form of their communications, waskept up in a sort of tremulous whisper, every one being frightened atthe sound of his own voice. How long this state of things might havelasted we know not, inasmuch as the terrible footsteps were againheard upon the stairs--the same slow and solemn tread. They heard itsdescent into the hall. It became louder, and the fearful vision wasevidently approaching. The sound was now in the narrow passage closeto them. The next moment a form was presented to their view, carryinga taper, and recognised by the major part of the group; it being thevery semblance of their deceased "young master, " as he was generallycalled, changed, it was true, but still sufficiently like him, whenliving, to be distinguished from any other. One loud cry announcedtheir discovery of the phantom. 

"Why tarry here?" said the intruder. "Yonder corse hath need of thedeath lights;" and with that he disappeared. Yet, however needful itwas that the usual offices should be rendered to the departed, therewas no one bold enough to perform the duty. Nevertheless the lightswere kindled by some invisible hand in the lady's chamber that night;and, by whomsoever the office was fulfilled, the corpse was notwithout a watcher, and a faithful one, till daylight came softly onthe couch, driving away the darkness and the apprehensions itexcited. 

It was past midnight ere the domestics retired to rest, or rather totheir chambers; so fearful were they of another visit that, by alittle care and management, they contrived so that none should be leftalone till morning arose before them, bright and cheerful, dissipating, in some measure, their former terrors. 

Softly and cheerily broke that morning sun upon the frosty andembossed panes of Gaffer Wiswall's dwelling; but the light brought nocheer, no solace unto him. The old man was now a withered, a saplesstrunk, stripped of the green verdure which had lately bloomed on itshoary summit. His daughter, as he loved to call her--and he had almostcheated himself into the belief--was ravished from him, and the staffof his declining years had perished. 

He was sitting moody and disconsolate, and, like the bereaved motherin Israel, "refusing to be comforted, " when a stranger entered, and, without speaking, seated himself by the broad ingle, opposite thegoodman, who was looking listlessly forth into the blazing faggots, but without either aim or discernment. The intruder was wrapped in adark military cloak; his hat drawn warily over his forehead, concealing his features beneath the broad and almost imperviousshadow. 

Wiswall awoke from his study, and with a curious eye, seemed silentlyto ask the will and business of the stranger; but he spoke not. Theold man, surveying his guest more minutely, inquired--

"Be ye far ridden this morning, Sir Cavalier?"

"Not farther than one might stride ere breakfast, " was the reply, butin a low, and, it seemed, a hasty tone, as though impatient of beingquestioned, and preferring to remain unnoticed. 

The tapster's instincts were still in operation. With the true spiritof his calling, he inquired--

"From the army, sir?"

"Ay, from the Grand Turk, an' thou wilt. "

"The king, they say, hath a fairer word for the dames than for thosestout hearts who won him his crown, " said the victualler, seeminglyconversant in the common rumours that were abroad. "The sparks aboutcourt, " continued he, "do ruffle it bravely among the buxom dames andtheir beauteous"----Here his daughter's bright image came suddenlyupon his recollection, and the old man wept. 

"Why dost weep, old man?" inquired his guest. 

"Alas! I had a daughter once, a match fit for the bravest galliardthat sun e'er shown upon. She was the wonder and dismay of all thatlooked on her. She loved a soldier dearly, and her mouth would purseand play, and her eye would glisten at a cap and plume; and yet theveriest prude in all Christendom was not more discreet. "

"Mayhap her sweetheart was a soldier, and abroad at the wars; so thatthese were but the outgoings of hope and expectation for his return. "

"Her sweetheart, marry! she had once--but--he was ta'en from us. Theyoung heir of Waddow, as we always called him, at the hall yonder, washer true love; but one night, seven long bitter years back, the floodswept him away: we never saw him again, but Isabel's hope was for everblighted!"

"And the body--was it not found?"

"Nay, for the current was swift, and bore him hence. The demon--shehath ta'en mine, as the next dainty morsel for her ravening appetite. "

"'Tis seven years since I first sought my fortune as a soldier. Iserved my king faithfully. With him I went into exile. He hathreturned, and here I come to redeem my pledge. "

The stranger threw off his cloak, and the astonished and almostincredulous tapster beheld the nephew of the dame now heir to theinheritance of Waddow. 

"Though swept rapidly down the stream on that dreadful night when Ifled, heedlessly fled, from the denunciations of her who had supplieda parent's place from my infancy, I escaped, almost by a miracle, at aconsiderable distance below the ford, where I attempted to cross; yet, knowing her inflexible disposition--for she had threatened to leave mepenniless--I resolved to seek my fortune as a soldier until I shouldbe enabled to wed with better prospects for the future. I contrived toassure Isabel of my safety, but I strictly enjoined secrecy. I was notwithout hope that one day or another, appearing as though I had risenfrom the dead, I should win a reluctant consent, it might be, to ourunion. A long exile was the only recompense for my loyalty. Therestoration hath rendered me back, and I have redeemed my pledge. Atmy urgent entreaty the other night, the first of my return, sheaccompanied me, and we have plighted our vows at the same altar. Itook her privily to my former home. Knowing a secret entrance to thechamber where the image is deposited, I concealed her there, safe, asI thought, from molestation, until I had won the consent of her whowas my only friend. To my horror and surprise she discovered me there, and the screams of Isabel had nigh betrayed her presence; but it wasevident she thought the grave had given back its dead. I could notthen undeceive her, and when I returned she was a corpse! Dyingwithout will, I am now the lawful heir to yon good inheritance, andIsabel is the proud mistress of Waddow!"

This unlooked-for intelligence was almost overwhelming; the old man'sframe seemed hardly able to bear the disclosure. He wept like a child;but the overflow of his joy relieved the oppressed heart, full even tobursting. 

Yet Peggy was not without a sacrifice, according to popular belief, which sacrifice was offered in the person of the late defunct atWaddow. Indeed, according to some, it were an act of unbelief andimpiety to suppose any other, and only to be equalled by that of theattack made by this resolute dame upon Peggy's representative--anoutrage she so dearly atoned for by her own death. 

The headless trunk was, however, removed some years afterwards to itspresent site by the brink of "the Well, " where, having fallen uponevil and unbelieving times, it is desecrated to the profane uses of aresting-place for cans unto the merry maidens who come thither atmorning and eventide to draw water. 

Many are the victims now recorded to the capricious malevolence ofPeggy; and though deprived of her domicile at Waddow, still hervisitations are not the less frequent; and whether a stray kitten oran unfortunate chick be the sufferer, the same is deemed a victim anda sacrifice to the wrath of Peggy's _manes_. 

[Illustration: ULVERSTONE SANDS. _Engraved by Edw^d Finden. __Drawn by G. Pickering. _]

THE SANDS. 

 "It is the shout of the coming foe, Ride, ride for thy life, Sir John; But still the waters deeper grew, The wild sea-foam rushed on. "

 --_Old Ballad. _

 The following account of an excursion over the sands, from Mr Baines's _Companion to the Lakes_, will give a very accurate idea of the mode in which travellers accomplish this interesting, though sometimes perilous journey, over the bare sands of the Bay of Morecambe. Taking a horse at Lancaster, and setting out at the same time with the "Over-sands" coach, he says--

 "We arrived at Hest Bank, on the shores of Morecambe Bay, three miles and a half from Lancaster, about five in the afternoon. Here a little caravan was collected, waiting the proper time to cross the trackless sands left bare by the receding tide. I soon saw two persons set out in a gig, and, following them, I found that one of them was the guide appointed to conduct travellers, and the other a servant who was driving his master's gig to the Cartmel shore, and was to return with the horse the same evening. He had of course no time to lose, and had begun his journey at the earliest possible hour. We found the sands firm and level, except the slight wrinkles produced by the ripple of the waves; but they were still wet, having only just been left by the sea. The guide appeared to drive with caution, and in no place went farther than a mile from land. We had a good deal of conversation, and I found him intelligent and communicative. His name is Thomas Wilkinson. He is a tall, athletic man, past the middle age, and bears marks of the rough weather he has been exposed to in discharging the duties of his post during the winter months. In stormy, and more especially in foggy weather, those duties must be arduous and anxious. It is his business to station himself at the place where the river Keer runs over the sands to the sea, which is about three miles from Hest Bank, and to show travellers where they may pass with safety. The bed of the river is liable to frequent changes, and a fresh of water after rain may, in a very short time, convert a fordable place into a quicksand. When we came to the river, he got out of the gig, and waded over to ascertain the firmness of the bottom, the water being about knee-deep. Having escorted us a little farther, till we saw the guide for the Kent at a distance, and having pointed out the line we should keep, he left us to return to his proper post. We gave him, as is usual, a few pence; for though he is appointed by government, his salary is only £10 a-year, and he is, of course, chiefly dependent on what he receives from travellers. 

 "These sands are called the Lancaster Sands, and the guide said that they were at present eleven miles over, from Hest Bank to Kent's Bank, but that he had known them when he could pass directly over in not more than seven miles. The tide forms a channel in the sand, which has been gradually coming nearer the shore for some years past, and has obliged persons crossing to take a longer circuit. It was now the spring-tide, and the sands we were travelling upon would, at high-water, be seventeen feet below the surface of the sea. 

 "The day was exceedingly fine, and the prospects, in crossing over the sands, were splendid. The whole coast of the bay, from Peel Castle round to the shore beyond Lancaster; the stern crags of Warton and Arnside Fells, on the right; farther eastward, the well-known form of Ingleborough, whose broad head, not apparently of very great elevation, is still visible from every considerable hill in Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland, and seems to lift itself in serene and unchanging majesty over the neighbouring hills; the broken and picturesque shores of the Kent, beautifully wooded, and forming a vista to the eye;--the fells of Cartmel, rising in the mid-distance, their sides hung with forests, and several ornamental parks lying round their base; and above, and far beyond them, the noble chain of the Westmoreland and Cumberland mountains, whose lofty summits, clothed with light, formed a sublime barrier stretching along the northern horizon. Such are the principal features of a prospect which is not the less beautiful because it rises from the level expanse of the sands, and which was to me the more interesting from the novelty of my own situation. 

 "The Ulverstone coach, several gigs, and some persons on horseback, had followed us at a little distance, keeping the track left by the wheels of the vehicle which conveyed the guide. When Wilkinson left us, we rode on two or three miles before we came to the channel of the Kent, and there we found a guide on horseback, who had just forded the river from the opposite side. The guide stationed here has long gone by the name of the Carter, and it is difficult to say whether the office has been so called from the family in which it has been vested, or the family have assumed their official title as a cognomen; but it is certain that for many ages the duties of guide over the Lancaster Sands have been performed by a family named Carter, and have descended from father to son. The present possessor of the office is named James Carter, and has lately succeeded his father. He told me that some persons said the office of guide had been in his family five hundred years, but he did not know how anybody could tell that; and all he could say was, that they had held it 'for many grandfathers back, longer than anyone knew. ' The salary was only £10 a-year till his father's time, when it was raised to £20; yet I should suppose that the office is a rather productive one, as the family have accumulated some property. 

 "The Carter seems a cheerful and pleasant fellow. He wore a rough greatcoat and a pair of jack-boots, and was mounted on a good horse, which appeared to have been up to the ribs in the water. When we came to him, he recommended us to wait till the arrival of the coach, which was nearly a mile distant, as the tide would then be gone farther out. I asked if there had been any accidents in this place lately; to which he replied, that some boys were drowned two years ago, having attempted to pass when the tide was up, in defiance of warnings; but that, with that exception, there had not been any accidents for a considerable time. When the coach came up we took the water in procession, and crossed two channels, in one of which the water was up to the horses' bellies. The coach passed over without the least difficulty, being drawn by fine tall horses. Arrived at the other side, the man of high genealogy received our gratuities, and we rode on, keeping close to a line of rods which have been planted in the sand to indicate the track, and which have remained there for many months. We shortly met the coach from Ulverstone, and several other vehicles, and as we proceeded the views of the estuary and the distant mountains became still more beautiful and interesting. Three or four miles brought us to Kent's Bank, on the Cartmel shore. I infer that the river is not fordable for any long period, as the guide told the servant whom I have mentioned that he must return in an hour if he wished to pass over again that evening. 

 "The peninsula formed by the Kent and the Leven is three miles over; and, after passing it, I came to the latter river, the sands of which are of the same breadth, and must be crossed to reach Ulverstone. "

 These sands are reckoned more dangerous than the former, as the channel of the river is frequently shifted. 

 It is safest to cross at spring-tides; the water then is more completely drained out, and the force of the tide sweeps the bottom clean from mud and sediment. 

 Here another guide on horseback escorts travellers over. 

 The views up the Leven are fully as picturesque, though not quite so extensive, as those at the mouth of the Kent. A bold, woody promontory, seen in our engraving, projects into the river at the mouth of the ford, narrowing it to less than half the breadth. The two ridges of the Cartmel and Ulverstone Fells, the former clothed with wood and the latter with verdure, run up inland, and carry the eye back to the mountains, round the head of Coniston Water and Windermere. On the Ulverstone shore, to the left of the town, are the grounds of Conishead Priory, which adorn with their rich woods and lawns the gently-waving side of the hill; and the mouth of the Leven opens out to the Bay of Morecambe, the shores of which are visible to a great extent. 

The sands forming the Bay of Morecambe, covered by the sea at highwater, are crossed every day by travellers whose time or inclinationleads them to choose this route rather than one more circuitous, andnearly thrice the distance, inland. Yet the sands are by no meanswithout danger, especially to the uncautious or unwary. Scarcely ayear passes without some loss of lives, generally owing to theobstinacy or foolhardiness of the victims. Guides are appointed toconduct strangers across this trackless waste, whose duty it is toexamine daily, on the receding of the tide, the several routes bywhich passengers may accomplish their journey. The places where dangeris to be apprehended are the fordings of the several rivers orwatercourses, which, even when the sands are bare, still pour forth aconsiderable stream to the ocean. These fords are continually changingby reason of the shifting of the sands, so that one day's path may onthe morrow prove a dangerous and impassable quicksand. 

The principal guide has a small annuity from government, and isobliged, in all weathers, to perform this disagreeable buthighly-important duty. The priory of Conishead was charged with thisoffice over the Leven or Ulverstone sands, and the guide whom theyappointed, besides perquisites, had an allotment of three acres ofland, with fifteen marks per annum. Henry the Eighth, on thedissolution of the monasteries, charged himself and his successorswith the payment of a certain sum to the person that should be guidefor the time being, by patent under the seal of the duchy ofLancaster. Such was the importance and the idea of danger attached tothis journey, that on a little rocky island midway between the shoresof Cartmel and Furness, there stood a small chapel or oratory built bythe monks of Furness, where prayers were daily offered for the safetyof travellers then occupied in this perilous attempt. Yet these, called the Ulverstone sands, are scarcely more than three milesacross, whilst the well-known Lancaster sands are nine miles, from thecircuitous line of the track, though it is said that the shorterpassage is the more dangerous. That the longer journey is notunattended with risk may be inferred from the accidents which haveoccurred, as well as from the fact, that carriages are sometimes leftto the mercy of the coming tide, the passengers making their escape inthe best manner they are able. 

Our tale hath reference to one of these perilous adventures, longyears ago; and as neither plot nor story is evolved, the reader iswarned, if he so please, that he leave the few following pages unread, unless he be of a temper not liable to suffer disappointment thereby. 

The night was beautifully calm: the moon just sinking upon the vergeof the distant waters, where the Bay of Morecambe, the great estuaryso called, according to some authorities, by Ptolemy, opens out intothe broad channel of the Irish Sea. 

The stars shone down, keen, bright, and piercing, --"fixed in theireverlasting seat, "--ever presenting the same aspect, the same orderand disposition, through all the changes of this changing and mutableworld. The scene was peculiarly inviting--so calm, so placid, thewhole wide and visible hemisphere was without a blot. Nature, like adeceitful mistress, looked so hypocritically serene, that her facemight never have been darkened with a cloud or furrowed by a frown. Sowinning was she withal, that, though the veriest shrew, and alluntamed and ungovernable in her habits and conditions, this night shebecame hushed and gentle as the soothed infant in its repose. 

The same night came down to the Kent side, intending to set out ontheir perilous march over the sands of the bay, divers travellers, well mounted for the occasion. Yet were their steeds much harassed, weltering in mud and foam, by reason that their journey had been bothlong and hasty, and their business urgent, nor were they yet withoutapprehension of pursuit. They looked wistfully down towards the west, where the moon hung over the ocean's brim, a red ensanguined crescent, as if about to dip her golden bowl into the raging deep, or mayhap tolaunch her glittering bark on that perilous tide. For, in good sooth, the travellers on that same day, having forded the estuaries of theDuddon and the Leven, were barely in time for their passage across thesands of the Kent, their destination being the tower of Arnside, standing on a round rocky peninsula, little more than two miles fromtheir present station. Yet was the way perilous, though they had timesufficient for their purpose. The river Kent, or Ken, which, when thetide hath receded from the bay, followeth often at a considerabledepth and speed, was at this period much swollen by reason of the lateswells and freshes from the hills. Moreover, the tide would ere longpress back the waters towards their source, and but few hours shouldelapse ere the ocean itself would roll over and obliterate every traceof their intended path. Yet though sure and undeviating was the perilbefore them, another more imminent and perchance not less remote, awaited them from behind. They were pursued. Hot and hasty was thechase, and their blood alone would slake the vengeance of theiradversaries. 

Pausing ere the first plash was heard in the heavy sands beneath theshore, the foremost horseman of the party thus held discourse. Thosethat followed were likewise armed, and to all appearance werefollowers or retainers of the chief, who had been with them upon someforay or predatory excursion. 

"We are between fire and water, I trow; but what of that? We must e'encross. "

"And how if the fog of yesternight should come again, or we shouldmiss our track?"

"Tush, Harry, with thine evil croak. There will be time enough todiscourse with danger when it comes. Besides, I would know itblindfold, and the night doth bear no token of either distemper ordisquiet. "

"Thou art passing careless of our jeopardy. It were better, even now, that we follow the track by the coast. My counsel was set at naught, or we had gone forward by Cartmel, and missed this perilous pathway ofthe sea. "

"And with it met the enemy at my gate; or, peradventure, having passedon thither before us, we should have found them in quiet possession ofour good fortalice yonder. Truly it were a precious entertainment! Weshould have Lenten fare, I trow, where they be lords o' the feast. "

"Our steeds, I think, would have outstripped them, even by way of theforest and the bridges, but"----

"Thou reckonest not for delay by the hill-paths and the morass, letalone the weary miles that we should have to ride. Tut, man, theyfancy not of our crossing this little brooklet here, because I misledthem ere we departed; and they are now mightily sure of cutting offour retreat, and getting at the tower before us. How the knaves willslink back when they find the gate barred in their teeth. Forward, SirHarry, and let the Cumberland wolves take the hindmost!"

They dashed down the slope into the heavy mud by the beach, and soonthe little band might have been seen moving like dark specks on thesandy waste, even though night had come on, so clear and unsullied wasthe atmosphere. 

The wind, which through the day had blown light, but piercing, fromthe north, seemed all at once to become more bland and genial. Apause was felt; then a veering to and fro, like the flapping sail, erethe big canvas comes bellying before the wind; a pause, created by oneof those occult and uncomprehended operations of nature, to beunderstood only in the secret recesses of her power, where all thegerms of being are elaborated, but whither the most daring and exaltedof human capacities never penetrated. 

It was near the turn of the tide, and the wind, obeying her spell, asthough at the call of that mighty wizard, was gradually veeringtowards the sea, and shortly would ride on with the rolling billows, driving forward, like some proud charioteer, the dark waters of theAtlantic in its progress. 

The travellers were pricking on their way discreetly, the channel ofthe river just before them, rippling pleasantly over some quiet star, that seemed to sink deep within its bosom. 

To their right was the voice of the restless and mystic ocean, obeyingthe fiat of Him who hath fixed its bounds--at too great a distance nowto excite other feelings than those of their own impotence, and theimmensity by which they were surrounded. I know of no sound to becompared to it. There is nought in the wide range of our intelligencethat can produce the dread, the almost terrific expansion which itseems to create in the mind, save it be the dizzy view over some darkand unfathomable abyss--an impression that comes over us like thedread unutterable anticipations of eternity!

Suddenly a thin white vapour was seen obscuring the brightness in thewest. Then came a cloud-like haze, scudding on the very surface of thestream, wherein the plash of horses' feet announced their entrance. They rode slowly on, but the channel was deep, and it seemed as thoughsome sleight and witchery was about them, for the mist became so densethat the clouds seemed to have dropped down to encompass and enfoldthem. The stream gradually became deeper, until the foremost horse waswading to the belly, labouring and snorting from the chillness andoppression upon his chest. 

"'Tis an unlucky and an embarrassing escort that we are favouredwith, " said the rider. "The wind, too, whiffles about strangely. 'Tison my face, now, and verily I think the stream will ne'er be crossed. I trust we are not wading it down towards the sea. "

"Troth but we be, though, " hastily replied his friend, after lookingdown, bending as low as possible to observe his horse's feet, wherehe could just discern the gouts of foam as they ran right before, instead of passing them from left to right. 

"Put back--put back, and soon!" he cried, in great alarm; for the mistbewildered them strangely. They did put back, but instead of allobeying the same impulse, some of the party, finding themselves onopposite sides of the stream, were plunging and replunging into it, torejoin their comrades, every one calling out for his neighbour tofollow; so that, in the end, the whole party were so confused that, onbeing gathered together once more on the sand, they really knew not onwhich side of the stream they stood, nor which way to move. Theyseemed like persons discoursing in a dream, and the mist hung aboutthem so closely that they could not, even by dismounting, see themarks of their own footsteps. They felt that they were standing on abank of sand, which they knew must inevitably, and ere long, becovered by the raging tide, even then, perhaps, on its way tooverwhelm and devour them. But this was the utmost of their knowlege, for the direction in which to proceed, or the bearing of either shore, was beyond their knowledge or apprehension. They would now have beenglad to retrace their steps, but this, alas! they knew not how toaccomplish. To remain would be certain destruction; to go on, mightonly be hastening to meet it. But move they must, as the only chanceof escape; yet opinions were as various as the points of the compass. One was for going to the right, another to the left, another straightforward; so that, what with arguing and wrangling, they became morebewilderd and uncertain than ever. 

"I do verily believe we have not yet crossed the river, " said one. 

"Not come across!" replied another; "why we've been through andthrough, to my own certainty, at least thrice. "

"Thrice in thy teeth!" said his angry opponent; "and so I'll goforward. "

"And I'll go back, " was the reply. But the precise idea they hadformed of these opposite and important determinations was more thaneither of them could explain; even though they had been ever socertain upon these points, to proceed in a straight line in anydirection was impossible, without some object by which to direct theircourse. Ever and anon was heard a heavy plunge into the stream, buteven this token had ceased to avail them, for its course could not beascertained. The tide was now arresting its progress, and the watermoved to and fro in every direction, according to the various impulsesit received. The wind, too, was light and treacherous; its breathseemed to come and go, without any fixed point by which they couldfeel either its arrival or departure. In this dilemma, and without anyclue to their extrication, harassed and confounded, they were like menbereft of their senses, and almost at their wits' end. Still theyclung instinctively about each other, but their conduct had now takenthe opposite extreme. Before, all was bustle and activity, everybodygiving directions, hallooing, shouting, and so forth. Now, they weresilent, and almost stationary, stupefied, distracted. There is afascination in danger. I have known those who never could look down aprecipice without a horrible impulse to leap over the brink. Like thescared bird, almost within the gripe of its destroyer, yet unable toflee, so had they lost, apparently, all power of escape. It was asilence more awful even than the yellings of despair. Its horrid gripewas on every heart; every bosom withered beneath its touch. The natureof the most courageous appeared to change; trembling and perplexityshook the stoutest frame; yet suddenly and unexpectedly was thesilence broken, and the spell that bound them dissolved. 

"Hark!" said every voice together; "a bell, by the blessed Virgin!"The sound roused them from their stupor. Hope again visited theprison-house of the spirit. 

"On, on!" said their leader. 

"On, on!" was re-echoed on every side; but they were still attemptingto escape in different directions. Scarcely two of them were agreed asto the place whence the sound proceeded. Yet it came on, at statedintervals, a long, deep, melancholy knell, almost terrific in theirpresent condition. Another council was attended with the sameresults--opinions being as varied as ever. Still that warning toll hadsome connection with their fellow-men, some link, which, howeverremote, united them to those who were now slumbering in happiness andsecurity. Yet of their true course and bearing they were as ignorantas ever. 

"Now, by'r lady, " said one, "there's either witch or wizard at thetail o' this. Haven't I passed this very place to and fro, man andboy, these twenty years, and never went away by a yard's space, rightor left. Now"----

"Right well, Humphry Braithwaite, should I know it too, and yet wemight be in a wilderness for aught I can distinguish, either land-markor sea-mark. Hush, I'm sure that bell is from the right. "

"Nay, I hear it yonder, to the left, if I'm not witched. "

"Thee'rt gone daft, man, 'tis----Well, if the sound binna from bothsides, right and left! I hear it behind me now. "

"We must be moving, " said the leader. There's no chance for us here. We can but meet the enemy at the worst, and there are three chances ofescaping for one of drowning, which way soever we take, at a blindventure. Then let us away together; and may the Virgin and St Bees beour helper!"

But there were some who would rather trust to their own guidance; andwhat with the indecision of one, the obstinacy of another, and thetimidity of a third, he soon found himself with only one companion, besides his good grey steed, when he flung the reins to his control, and spurred forward. 

Reckless, almost driven to desperation, he committed his way to thebeast's better discretion, as he thought, goading on the jaded animalincessantly, his fellow-traveller still keeping behind, but at nogreat distance. They halted after a space; but how long it isimpossible to say. Hours and minutes, in seasons of pain orexcitement, are, in the mind's duration, arbitrary and conventional. To measure time by the state of our feelings would be as futile as anattempt to measure space by the slowness or impetuosity of ourmovements. Hours dwindle into minutes, and minutes are exaggeratedinto hours, according to the circumstances under which the mind moveson. We are conscious of existence only by the succession of ourfeelings. We are conscious of time only by its lapse. Hence we are aptto make the same measure serve for both; and, as our own dispositionspredicate, so doth time run fast or slow. True it is that time cannotmeasure thought. The mind notes but the current and passage of its ownfeelings; they only are the measure of existence and the medium ofidentity. 

"Halt, Lord Monteagle!" cried his companion from behind; "I hear thesea before us. Hush, and use thine own senses, if they be worth thetrial. "

The other listened, but it was only for one moment; the next saw himwheel round, urging on his flight in the opposite direction, for heknew, or his senses were rendered deceptive through terror, the soundof the coming tide. 

"Halt, Lord Monteagle!" again cried the horseman from behind; "forthe water is deeper at every plunge. Halt, I say, for the loveof"----The sound died on the speaker's lip, for he was overwhelmed andsickening with the dread anticipation of death. 

"On one side or the other, then, I care not which, " cried the foremostrider. 

"To the right, and Heaven grant us a safe deliverance!"

Away went the panting steeds; but the waters increased; yet were theypowerful animals, and they swam boldly on amid the roar and dash ofthe rising waves. Still it was with difficulty they could breast thetorrent. The courageous beasts braced every sinew to thework--instinctively grappling with danger--every effort was directedto their escape. Suddenly a loud shout was heard, and something darkrose up before them. It might be the hull of some vessel, that wasapproaching an ark of safety. This thought was the first that crossedthem. But they felt a sudden shock and a vibration, as though theirsteeds had struck the land. 

They saw, or it was a deception produced by agitation or excitement, the dark outline of the beach, and men hurrying to and fro withlighted torches. They galloped on through the waves, and a few momentsbrought them safely upon the hard, loose pebbles of the shore. 

Joyful was the recognition; for those who had come to their succourwere the party from whom they had separated, who had luckily gainedthe shore before them. But what was their surprise when they foundthey had been galloping to and fro almost within a stone's throw ofthe beach opposite the place of their destination! Yet such was theirstate of bewilderment that it was an even hand but they had put abouton the other side, and attempted to return across the channel. In thatcase no human help could have rescued them from destruction, for thetide already had overtaken them, and it was only their close proximityunto the shore which enabled the horses to regain their footing, andbear them safely to land. 

It seems that their pursuers were still outdone, for their strongholdwas open to receive them; and the enemy, foiled in their expectations, returned with all speed into Cumberland, lest during their absencesome more dangerous foe from the Borders should lay waste theirpossessions. 

[Illustration: THE RING AND THE CLIFF]

THE RING AND THE CLIFF. 

 "And still I tried each fickle art, [ii] Importunate and vain; And while his passion touched my heart, I triumphed in his pain. "

 --GOLDSMITH. 

 Having in vain attempted to ascertain the locality of the following tradition, we suspect that it may have strayed originally from another county, though it has taken root in our own. 

 The only place that could by any possibility answer the description which marks the catastrophe is the high ridge above Broughton, in Furness; and even here it would be difficult to point out any single spot which would exactly correspond in every particular. 

 The Lancashire coast, with here and there an exception, is one low bank or ridge of sand, loosely drifted into hillocks of but mean height and appearance; only preserving their consistency by reason of the creeping roots of the bent or sea-mat weed (_Arundo arenaria_)[16] which bind the loose sands together, and prevent them from being dispersed over the adjoining grounds. On the opposite coast fancy might often recognise those very cliffs to which our story alludes; perpendicular, bare, and almost inaccessible, with rents and chasms, where little difficulty would be found in pointing out the exact features represented in this tradition. 

On the sea-coast, where a wild bare promontory stretches out amidstthe waves of the Irish Channel, is a small hamlet or fishing station. Its site is in the cleft of a deep ravine, through which a smallstream lazily trickles amid sand and sea-slime to the little estuaryformed by the sea at its mouth. Between almost perpendicular cliffsthe village lies like a solitary enclosure, where the inhabitants areseparate and alone--aloof from the busy world--their horizon confinedto a mere segment of vision. The same ever-rolling sea hath swung toand fro for ages in the same narrow creek, at the sides of which risea cluster of huts, dignified with the appellation of village--some ofthese ornamented about and upon the roofs with round patches of theyellow stone-crop and house-leek, that never-failing protectionagainst lightning and tempest, according to indubitable testimony setforth by Master Nicholas Culpepper in his _Herbal_. 

The strong marine odour, so well known to all lovers of sea-sideenjoyments, may here be sensibly appreciated; for the pent-up effluviafrom the curing of fish, marine algæ, and other products of the coast, abundantly strengthen the reminiscences connected with this solitaryand secluded spot. 

It was on a cold, grey morning in October that two individuals wereloitering up a narrow path from the hamlet which led to the high mainroad, passing from village to village along the coast; branches fromwhich, at irregular intervals, penetrated the cliffs to the differentfishing stations along the beach. The road, on rising from thevillage, runs along the summit, a considerable height above the sea;terrific bursts through some rocky cleft reveal the wide ocean rollingon from the dim horizon to the shore. Here and there may be seen thewhite sail, or the hull of some distant bark, gliding on so smooth andsilently as to suggest the idea of volition obeyed without any visibleeffort. Rising from the ravine, the road passes diagonally up thesteep. At the period of which we speak, ere it reached the main lineof communication through the country, a reft or chasm in the steepwall towards the sea--a nearly perpendicular rent--left the mountainpath without protection, save by a slender paling for the space of afew yards only. Nothing could be more dreary and terrific. Throughthis dizzy cleft--the sides bare and abrupt, without ledge orprojection--the walls, like gigantic buttresses, presenting theirinaccessible barriers to the deep--the distant horizon, raised to anunusual height by the point of sight and position of the spectator, seemed to mingle so softly and imperceptibly with the sky that itappeared one wide sea of cloud stretching to the foot of the cliff. From that fearful summit the billows were but as the waving of asummer cloud, undulating on the quiet atmosphere. The fishing bark, with its dun, squat, picturesque sail, looked as though floating inthe sky--a fairy boat poised on the calm ether. 

As we before noticed, two persons were loitering up this path. Theypaused at the brink of the chasm. It might be for the purpose ofgazing on the scene we have just described; but the lover's gaze wason his mistress, and the maiden's eye was bent on the ground. 

"'Tis even so, Adeline. We must part. And yet the time may come, when----But thou art chill, Adeline. The words freeze ere they pass mylips, even as thine own; for I never yet could melt the frost-workfrom thy soul. Still silent? Well. I know thy heart is not another's;and yet thou dost hesitate, and linger, and turn away thy cold greyeyes when I would fain kindle them from mine. Nay, Adeline; I knowthou lovest me. Ay! draw back so proudly, and offer up thine and thytrue lover's happiness for ever on the altar of thy pride. "

"Since thou knowest this heart so well, " retorted the haughty maiden, "methinks it were a bootless wish to wear it on thy sleeve, save forthe purpose of admiring thine own skill and bravery in theachievement. "

"Thou wrongest me, Adeline; 'tis not my wish. Say thou art mine; weare then safe. No earthly power shall part us. But I warn thee, maiden, that long years of misery and anguish will be our portionshould we separate while our troth is yet unplighted. This ring, " saidhe, drawing off his glove, "is indifferently well set. The bauble wasmade by a skilful and cunning workman. The pearls have the true orienttinge, and this opal hath an eye like the hue of the morning, changeable as--woman's favour. How bright at times!--warm and radiantwith gladness, now dull, cold, hazy, and"----unfeeling, he would havesaid, but he leaned on the slender barrier as he spoke, and his eyewandered away over the dim and distant wave, across which he was aboutto depart. Whether he saw it, or his eye was too intently fixed on thedark and appalling future, we presume not to determine. 

"A woman's favour, like thy similes, Mortimer, hath its colour byreflection. Thou seest but thine own beam in't; the hue and temper ofthy spirit. We have no form nor feeling of our own, forsooth; we butgive back the irradiation we receive. "

"Thou canst jest, Adeline. Thy chillness comes upon my spirit like thekeen ice-wind; it freezes while it withers. "

The maiden turned aside her head, perhaps to hide a gleam oftenderness that belied her speech. 

"Adeline, dark hours of sorrow are before thee! Think not to escape. "

He seized her hand. 

"Shouldst thou wed another, a doom is thine--a doom from which eventhought recoils. "

He looked steadfastly upon her, but the maiden spoke not; a tearquivered through her drooping eyelashes, and her lip grew pale. 

"But I must away, " continued Mortimer. "Yonder bark awaits me, " and hedrew her gently towards the brink. "It will part us, perhaps for ever!No, no, not for ever. Thou wilt wed--it may be--and when Ireturn--Horror!"

He started back, as from a spectre which his imagination had created. 

"That ring--take it. Let it be thy monitor; and should another seekthy love, look on it; for it shall warn thee. It shall be a silentwitness of thy thoughts--one that will watch over thee in my stead;for the genii of that ring, " said he, playfully, "are my slaves. "

But she returned the pledge. 

"I cannot. Do not wind the links around me thus, lest they gall myspirit; lest I feel the fetters, and wish them broken!"

"Then I swear, " said Mortimer, vehemently, "no hand but thine shallwear it!"

He raised his arm, and the next moment the ring would have beenhurled into the gulf, but ere it fell he cast another glance at hismistress. Her heart was full. The emotion she sought to quell quiveredconvulsively on her lip. He seized her hand; but when he looked againupon the ring it was broken!

By what a strange and mysterious link are the finest and most subtlefeelings connected with external forms and appearances! By what unseenprocess are they wrought out and developed; their hidden sources, thesecret avenues of thought and emotion, discovered--called forth bycircumstances the most trivial and unimportant! Adeline turned pale;and Mortimer himself shuddered as he beheld the omen. But anothertrain of feelings had taken possession of her bosom; or rather herthoughts had acquired a new tendency by this apparently casualcircumstance; and true to the bent and disposition of our nature, nowthat the slighted good was in danger of being withdrawn, she becameanxious for its possession. She received the token. A slight crackupon its rim was visible, but this fracture did not prevent its beingretained on the hand. 

After this brief development their walk was concluded. They breathedno vows. Mortimer would not again urge her. A lock of hair only wasexchanged; and shortly the last adieu was on their lips, and the broaddeck of the vessel beneath his feet, whence he saw the tall cliff sinkdown into the ocean, and with it his hopes, that seemed to sink forever into the same gulf!

Some few years afterwards, on a still evening, about the same time ofthe year, a boat was lowered from a distant vessel in the offing. Three men pulled ashore as the broad full moon rose up, red and dim, from the mist that hung upon the sea. The roll of the ocean alonebetokened its approach. Its melancholy murmur alone broke theuniversal stillness. The lights came out one by one from the villagecasements. The cattle were housed, and the curs had crept to thehearth, save some of the younger sort, who at intervals worriedthemselves, fidgeting about, and making a mighty show of activity andwatchfulness. 

One of the passengers stepped hastily on shore. He spoke a few wordsto the rowers, who threw their oars into the boat, fastening her tothe rocks. Afterwards they betook themselves to a tavern newlytrimmed, where, swinging from a rude pole, hung the "_sign_" of aship--for _sign_ it could only be called--painted long ago by someself-initiated and village-immortalised artist, whose production hadonce been the wonder of the whole neighbourhood. 

A roaring blaze revealed the whole interior, where pewter cups andwell-scoured trenchers threw their bright glances upon all who wooedthese dangerous allurements at "The Ship. "

But the individual whom the rowers had put ashore withstood thesetempting devices. He strode rapidly up the path, and paused not untilhe approached the cliff where the agony of one short hour had left itsdeep furrows for ever on his memory. 

The incidents of that memorable day were then renewed with suchvividness that, on a sudden, writhing and dismayed, he hurried forwardin the vain hope, it might seem, of flying from the anguish he couldnot control. 

A dark plain stone house stood at no great distance, and hither hisfootsteps were now directed. A little gate opened into a gravel walksweeping round an oval grass plat before the door. He leaned upon thewicket, as though hesitating to enter. By this time the moon rode highand clear above the mist which was yet slumbering on the ocean. Shecame forth gloriously, without a shadow or a cloud. The widehemisphere was unveiled, but its bright orbs were softened by hergaze. The shadows, broad and distinct, lay projected on a slighthoar-frost, where a thousand splendours and a thousand crystals hungin the cold and dewy beam. Bright, tranquil, and unruffled was theworld around him--but the world within was dark and turbulent--tossed, agitated, and overwhelmed by the deep untold anguish of the spirit. 

The tyrant sway of the passions, like some desolating invader, canmake a paradise into a desert, and the fruitful places into awilderness. How different to Mortimer would have been the scene viewedthrough another medium! His soul was ardent, devoted, full of high andglorious imaginings; but a blight was on them all, and they becamechill and decayed--an uninformed mass, without aim or vitality. 

He was afraid to proceed, lest his worst suspicions might beconfirmed. He had heard----But we will not anticipate the sequel. 

A loud barking announced the presence of an intruder, but thesagacious animal, when he had carefully snuffed out a recognition, fawned and whined upon him, running round and round towards the house, with gambols frolicsome and extravagant enough to have excited thesmiles of any human being but Mortimer. 

As he approached he heard a soft, faint melody from within. It was hervoice;--he could not be mistaken, though years had passed by;--thoughthe dull tide of oblivion had effaced many an intervening record fromthe tablet of his memory, those tones yet vibrated to his soul. Hisheart thrilled to their impression like two finely-modulated strings, which produce a corresponding sympathy upon each other. He listened, almost breathless. The recollection came like a track of fire acrosshis brain. Memory! how glorious, how terrible art thou! With the wandof the enchanter thou canst change every current of feeling into joyor woe. The same agency--nay, the same object--shall awaken the mostopposite emotions. The simplest forms and the subtlest agents arealike to thee. Nature seems fashioned at thy will, and her attributesare but the instruments of thy power. 

The melody that he heard was a wild and mournful ballad which he hadonce given to Adeline, when the hours flew on, sparkling with delight, and--she had not forgotten him!

The thought was too thrilling to endure. His brain throbbed withecstacy. Unable to restrain his impatience, he applied hastily to thedoor. Such was the excitement under which he laboured that the verysound made him start back: it struck so chilly on his heart. Then camean interval of harrowing suspense. He shuddered when he heard theapproaching footsteps, and could with difficulty address the servantwho stood inquiring his errand. 

"Is--is Adeline within?"

The menial silently surveyed the inquirer, as though doubtful in whatmanner to reply, ere he answered--

"My mistress is at home, sir. "

Mortimer stepped into the hall. The servant threw open the doorannouncing his name, and Mortimer was in the presence of Adeline. 

The meeting was too sudden for preliminary forms and courtesies. Therewas no time for preparation. The blow was struck, and a thousand idleinquiries were perhaps saved; but Adeline, after one short gaze ofastonishment and dismay, covered her face; a low groan escaped her, and she threw herself convulsively on the chair. 

Mortimer hastened to her relief, but she shrank from his touch. Shespoke not; her anguish was beyond utterance. 

"Adeline!"

She shuddered as though the sound once more awakened the slumberingechoes of memory. 

"Leave me, Mortimer, " she cried. "I must not"----

"Leave thee!" it was repeated in a tone that no words can describe. Inquiry, apprehension, were depicted in his look as if existence hungon a word; while a pause followed, compared with which the rack were abed of roses. The silence was too harrowing to sustain. 

"And why? I know it all now, " cried the unhappy Mortimer; and thebroad impress of despair was upon his brow, legibly, indeliblywritten. 

"I am here to redeem my pledge; and thou! O Adeline! Why--why? Say howis my trust requited? Were long years too, too long, to await myreturn? I have not had a thought thou hast not shared. And yet thoudost withhold thy troth!"

"It is plighted!"

"To whom?"

"To my husband?"

Though anticipating the reply, the words went like an arrow to hisheart. We will not describe the separation. With unusual speed hedescended the path towards the village. He rushed past the cleft withaverted looks, fearful that he might be tempted to leap the gulf. Heentered the tavern; but so changed in manner and appearance that hiscompanions, fearful that his senses were disordered, earnestlybesought him to take some rest and refreshment. 

In the end he was persuaded to retire to bed. But ere long fever anddelirium had seized him; and in the morning he was pronounced by amedical attendant to be in extreme danger, requiring the interpositionof rest and skill to effect his cure. 

 * * * * *

It was in the cold and heavy mist of a December evening that a femalewas seated upon the tall cliff above the chasm we have described. Asthe solitary gull came wheeling around her, she spoke to it with greateagerness and gesticulation. 

"Leave me--leave me!" she cried. "I must not now. Poor wanderer! artthou gone?" With an expression of the deepest bitterness anddisappointment, she continued, "Why, oh, why didst thou take back thypledge? Nay, it is here still; but--alas! 'tis broken. Broken!" and ascream so wild and pitiful escaped her, it was like the last agony ofthe spirit when riven from its shrine. Her hair wet with the drizzlyatmosphere hung about her face. She suddenly threw it aside, as iflistening. 

"'Tis he! Again he comes. My--no, no; he _was_ my lover! I have nonenow. I have a husband; but--he is unkind. Alas! why am I thus? I feelit! O merciful Heaven! my brain leaps; but I am not--indeed I am notmad!"

Saying this, she bounded down the cliff into the path she had left, with surprising swiftness. Returning, she was met by her husband, withtwo servants, who were in search. He chid her harshly--brutally. Hethreatened--ay, he threatened restraint. She heard this; but he sawnot the deep and inflexible purpose she had formed. Horror at theapprehension of confinement, which, in calmer intervals, she dreadedworse than death, prompted her to use every artifice to aid herescape. She was now calm and obedient, murmuring not at the temporaryattendance to which she was subjected. She sought not the cliff andthe deep chasm; but would sit for hours upon the shore, looking overthe calm sea, with a look as calm and as deceitful. 

Vigilance became relaxed; apprehension was lulled; she was again leftto herself, and again she stole towards the cliff. Like to some guiltything, she crept onward, often looking back lest she should beobserved. Having attired herself with more than ordinary care, beforeleaving her chamber she unlocked an ivory casket with great caution, taking thence a ring, which she carefully disposed on her forefinger. She looked with so intense a gaze upon this pledge--for it was thepledge of Mortimer--that she seemed to be watching its capriciousglance, like the eye of destiny, as if her fate were revealed in itsbeautiful and mystic light. 

Sunset was near as she approached the cliff. She paused where thechasm opened out its deep vista upon the waters. They were nowsparkling in the crimson flush from a sky more than usually brilliant. Both sky and ocean were blent in one; the purple beam ran out so purealong the waves, that every billow might now be seen, every path andfurrow of the deep. 

Adeline climbed over the rail. She stood on that extreme verge, sofearful and abrupt that it might have rendered dizzy a stouter headthan her own. 

"This night are we married, Mortimer. The _ring_ and the _cliff_!"

The ring at this moment shot forth a tremulous brightness; probablyfrom participation with the glowing hues by which it was surrounded. 

"The genii of that ring--said he not so?--they will bear me to him. Our couch is decked, and the bridal hymn----Hark!"

It was only the sound from some passing skiff that crept along thewaters, but Adeline thought she heard the voice of her lover. 

"He calls me; when will he return?"

She looked anxiously on the ring, as though expecting a reply; but shesaw its bright hues diminish, and gradually grow dim in the dull greylight which displaced the gaudy sunset. 

"Oh, why art thou gone so soon?" Her heart seemed full, as though inthe very agony of separation. 

"I must away. His bark is on the deep; and he will not return. "

She buried her head in her lap, and wept. But suddenly she started up;she looked on the distant wave as though she beheld some objectapproaching. She again climbed upon the rail, and gazed eagerlythrough the twilight on the billows, now foaming back in triumph withthe returning tide. Her features were yet beautiful, though wasted bydisease; and as she gazed, a smile, rapturous and bright, passed over, like a sunbeam on the dark billows. She waved her hand. 

"I have waited for thee. Bear me hence. Haste! Oh, haste! They arehere. "

She listened. Her countenance grew more pale and agitated. Voices wereheard, and footsteps evidently approaching. She recognised the hatedsound of her pursuers. Agony and despair were thy last ministers, unhappy victim! She wrapped her cloak closer to her form, and, withone wild and appalling shriek, leaped that dizzy height, by the footof which her mangled remains were shortly discovered. 

 * * * * *

In the family of ---- is a ring, taken from the finger of a femaleancestor of the house who leaped from "_The Lady's Cliff_, "--for suchit continues to be called; and it is still said to be haunted by herspirit. The ring was found uninjured, save by a crack through the rim, where it seems bent by a sudden stroke. Superstition attaches strangestories to this relic. True enough, at times it appears almost giftedwith intelligence; though perhaps the answer, intimated by thebrilliancy or dimness of the stone, may often be construed accordingto the thoughts or wishes of the inquirer. It is kept in a littleivory box, and preserved with great care. It is said there never was aquestion propounded to this oracle--if done with a proper spirit, witha due and devout reverence, and a reliance on its wondrousefficacy--but the ring, by its brightness or its gloom, shadowed forththe good or evil destiny of the querent. 

Mortimer recovered. In this village, many years afterwards, lived anold man, whose daily walk was to the cliff. From that height he wouldgaze until the last hue of evening died upon the waves. He thenreturned, with a vacant and down-cast look, sad and solitary, to hisdwelling. He was buried there in the churchyard; and a plain-lookingstone, with the initials C. M. , still marks the spot called THESTRANGER'S GRAVE. 

 [16] Many a fertile acre has been covered with sand and rendered useless which might have been preserved by sowing on its confines the seeds of this plant. The Dutch have profited by a knowledge of its efficacy; Queen Elizabeth prohibited the extirpation of it. As soon as it takes root a sandhill gathers round it; so that wherever it is planted it gives a peculiar character to the coast. This grass or reed is manufactured into mats, baskets, &c. A legislative enactment, however, in 1742, was issued for its preservation. The Scottish Parliament likewise protected it, together with _Elymus arenarius_, or upright sea-lyme grass. 

[Illustration: THE DEAD MAN'S HAND]

THE DEAD MAN'S HAND. 

 "Yet stay, fair lady, turn again, And dry those pearly tears; For see, beneath this gown of grey, Thy own true love appears. "

 --PERCY'S _Reliques_. 

 Bryn Hall, the scene or rather the solution, of the following tradition, is now demolished. It was the ancient seat of the Gerards, by virtue of marriage between William Gerard, about the year 1280, with the daughter and sole heir of Peter de Bryn. It was built in a quadrangular form with a spacious courtyard, to which admittance was gained by a narrow bridge over the moat surrounding the whole fabric. The gatehouse was secured by massy doors well studded with iron; a curiously-carved porch led to the great hall, where, on the chimney-piece, were displayed the arms of England, not older than the reign of James I. A railed gallery ran along one side, on which persons might stand to observe the entertainments below without mingling in them. It was supported by double pillars in front of pilasters, forming arches between, profusely ornamented by rich carved work. Most of these decorations, together with the carved wainscots, were taken to embellish Garswood Hall, near Ashton, a few miles distant, where the family resided after their removal. 

 In the windows were some armorial bearings of painted glass, the first quarterings beginning with the Leighs of Lyme, instead of Gerard or Bryn, as might have been expected. Here was a Roman Catholic chapel, and a priest who continued long after the family had departed, having in his custody the hand mentioned in the following pages. It is still kept by them, or rather by the priest, who now resides at Garswood. Preserved with great care in a white silk bag, it is still resorted to by many diseased persons, and wonderful cures are said to have been wrought by this saintly relic. It is called the Hand of Father Arrowsmith--a priest who is said to have been put to death at Lancaster for his religion in the time of William III. When about to suffer, he desired his spiritual attendant to cut off his right hand, which should then have the power to work miraculous cures on those who had faith to believe in its efficacy. Not many years ago, a female, sick of the smallpox, had it lying in bed with her every night for six weeks, in order to effect her recovery, which took place. A poor lad, living in Withy Grove, Manchester, afflicted with scrofulous sores, was rubbed with it; and though it has been said he was miraculously restored, yet, upon inquiry, the assertion was found incorrect, inasmuch as he died in about a fortnight after the operation. 

 Not less devoid of truth is the tradition that Arrowsmith was hanged for witnessing a good confession. Having been found guilty of a misdemeanour, in all probability this story of his martyrdom and miraculous attestation to the truth of the cause for which he suffered was contrived for the purpose of preventing the scandal that might have come upon the Church through the delinquency of an unworthy member. 

 One of the family of the Kenyons attended as under-sheriff at the execution; and it is said that he refused the culprit some trifling favour at the gallows, whereupon Arrowsmith denounced a curse upon him--to wit, that whilst the family could boast of an heir, so long they should never want a cripple: which prediction was supposed by the credulous to have been literally fulfilled. 

What a strange and appalling history would be that of superstition!how humiliating, how degrading to the boasted dignity of our nature!In all ages this teeming source of error has yielded abundantly allvarieties of phantasms--the sublime, the solemn, the horrible, and theridiculous--a mildew, a blight, on the fairest blossoms of truth; anexcrescence; a coat of rust, which eateth as a canker, and makesreligion, which was given as a blessing and a boon to our perishingrace, a burden and a curse. And yet neither good nor evil is unmixed. Such is the nature even of our most baneful impressions that instancesdo arise where good may come from so corrupt a source. The connectionbetween material and immaterial, between mind and matter, so operates, that sometimes, and in proportion to the strength of the impression, achange is wrought by the mere control of the mind over the bodilyfunctions. 

To this operation may be ascribed the wonder-workings of these latterdays. We do not question the effects thereby produced; but totally, unhesitatingly, deny the cause. Imagination at times doth so usurp themastery over the animal and bodily faculties, that she has been knownto suspend their ordinary processes, and to render the frameinsensible even to the attacks of pain itself. 

In one of the northern divisions of the county--we know not theprecise situation, nor is it needful to our purpose that weinquire--there dwelt a comely maiden, who, at a period of little morethan twenty summers from her birth, found herself in the undisturbedpossession, if not enjoyment, of an abundant income, with a domain ofmore than ordinary fertility and extent. Her parents dying during theperiod of her youth, she, as the only offshoot of the family, held herdominion uncontrolled. That the possessor of such an abundant stock ofliberty should wish to wear a chain is verily a marvel not easilyresolved. But so it was; and she seemed never so well pleased as whenthe links were firmly riveted. The forging of this invisible chain wasa work performed in secret. She felt her thrall, but she sighed not tobe free! For, alas! a grievous malady had seized her. The light of hereyes--a brisk and winning gallant, in the shape of a male cousin--haddeparted. He went out to the wars, as was reported, and Ellen refusedto be comforted. He knew not, peradventure, of her liking towards him. He was of a different creed, moreover--a Catholic--and she had, in thesovereignty of her caprice, treated him with something ofpetulance--he thought scorn. What a misfortune, that two fond heartsshould have wanted an interpreter!

She sat one evening in her bed-chamber, and Bridget her maid, a littleRoman Catholic orphan, who had served her from a child, was busilyengaged in preparing her mistress for the night's repose. Now Bridgetwas a zealous believer in saints, miracles, and the like; and Ellenwould often disport herself gently on the subject. 

"I wish I could believe in thy legends and thy saints' gear; it wouldverily be a comfortable disposition of my thoughts in all extremity tohave a hope of a special interference. "

"And why not?" said Bridget, who confessed thrice a-year, and knew themarvellous histories of a dozen saints by rote. 

"Because, " said her mistress, "I did not imbibe thy faith with mymother's milk as thou hast done. 'Tis part of thy very nature, wench;and thou couldst not but act in conformity thereto. "

"There have we the better of our birthright. But, nevertheless, thosewho repent and turn to the true faith have the same privileges; yet itis hard, as well it may be, to bend their stubborn nature to thisbelief. How comfortable to have one's sins struck from the calendar, and to know that we are holy again as a little child, besides ailmentsof the body innumerable that are cured whenever we can bring our faithto its full exercise!"

"Well, Bridget, if I were a good Catholic as now I am an unbelieverand heretic, dost think that St Somebody, or whoever I might take afancy to for the purpose, would be propitiated by a few prayers andgenuflexions, and restore me to health and--and"----

She faltered in her speech; the banter died away on her lips; memorygave a sudden twinge, and her heart grew dark under the dim cloud thatwas passing over. 

"I'd answer for it, if you were a good Catholic, that Father O'Learywould cure you as readily as he did Davy Dean's sow, that went mad, and bit her master. "

"But seeing that I am neither a good Catholic nor even Davy Dean'ssow, is there a saint in the whole calendar would think it worth whileto work a miracle on such a wicked unbeliever as I am?"

"There's one way, as I've heard tell; that if ye take a sprig of StJohn's wort, and say three _credos_ over it and a _paternoster_, andlay it under your pillow, you shall dream of the remedy by which acure may be wrought. "

Ellen did not immediately reply to this suggestion, for she thoughtthat no special revelation was needed to point out a remedy. 

"I would give the world if I had it to know what my cousin William isdoing, " said she in a musing fit, as though some sudden fancy hadcrossed her. 

"And why may you not?" said the ready-witted maid; "yea, as sure as StPeter's at Rome, and that's not to be gainsaid either by Turk orinfidel. "

"What, dost thou learn these crotchets in thy creed?" said Ellen. 

"Nay, " replied the other, "it is a bit of conjuration not enjoined bythe Church; a kind of left-handed intercourse which we get by stealthfrom other guess-folk, I reckon, than the holy saints. "

"Am I to dream of this too?"

"Why, nay; you may be wide awake for that matter; but you must justtake a phoenix feather in one hand, a cockatrice tooth in your mouth, and breathe on the glass, when, as the breath departs, they say yourtrue love will appear therein. "

"But he is not my true love, wench; and so I may not bind him withsuch spell, mayhap. "

"How know ye that, fair mistress?"

"Go to; thou dost wound and vex me with thy questions. Hath he notbeen gone these five months, and never a word, good or bad, hath beenrendered to me? Nay, did he not, ere he went, so deport himself withmost cold and supercilious arrogance, and even with neglect anddisdain?"

"Because in your own bright self, lady, he had the first example; forof all the gay sparks that fluttered about you there was never a oneo' them that had to endure such chilling looks and so haughty abearing as were usually reserved for him. "

"Hold thy tongue; thou dost presume too much, methinks, upon thyformer freedoms, wench. I like not such unguarded speech. "

Bridget was silent at this rebuke; and, whatever was uppermost in herthoughts, no more was said that night. 

The following days Ellen was much worse. The disease appeared to berapidly gaining strength, and the maiden seemed doomed to an earlygrave. 

"And isn't it a silly thing for one like you to die so soon?" saidBridget; "I can ask for you, what I would not have the face to ask formyself. "

Ellen smiled. The hectic flush was apparently on her cheek; and thefever that fed it was on her vitals; at least, so said the villagechroniclers by whom it was told. 

What was the precise nature of the request that Bridget made the nextSunday from her patron saint, we know not; but she seemed mightilyoccupied therewith; and if ever there was faith in such anintercessor, Bridget felt assured that her patron would intercede onbehalf of her mistress, though a heretic and unbeliever. But StBridget was told, in all likelihood, that Ellen must necessarily be aconvert to the true faith should a miracle be wrought in her favour. 

The following morning Bridget was early at the bedside of hermistress, with a countenance more than usually indicative of someimportant communication. But Ellen was the first to break silence. 

"I have had a strange dream last night. "

"So I guessed, " said Bridget, with a face of great importance; "andwhat said the holy saint, my good kind patron?"

"Bless thy silly face, it was no woman saint that I saw. "

Bridget looked sad and chop-fallen at this intimation; she was fearfulthat her prayers were unheeded. 

"There came, as I thought in my dream, " said Ellen, "a long-robedpriest to my bedside. "

"Sure enough, then, St Bridget--blessings on her wherever shebe!--sent him. "

"Prithee, be quiet, and listen. He stood there, methought, and when Iasked him of his errand, he raised his right arm, and I saw that thehand was wanting, being taken off at the wrist. I marvelledexceedingly at this strange apparition; but as I was a-going toquestion him thereon I awoke. I know not why, but the vision sorelytroubled me, especially when again going to sleep, for it was repeatedthrice. "

"It's a riddle, " said Bridget, "and one with a heavy meaning in it, too, if we could find it out. "

"Verily, I think so, " said Ellen; "for the impress doth not pass awaylike that from ordinary dreams; but rests with a deep and solemn powerupon my spirit, such as I can neither throw off nor patiently endure. "

"I'll unriddle it for you, or go a pilgrimage to our Lady at Loretto, "said Bridget, determined not to be behindhand in her curiosity. So sheset her woman's wits immediately to work; yet she saw her mistressdaily losing strength, and no clue was obtained by which to know theinterpretation of the vision. She consulted her confessor; but he wasequally at a loss with herself, and knew not the nature of the dream, nor its meaning. 

One day Mistress Bridget brought in a tall beggar woman, dumb, orpretendedly so, and apparently deaf. She made many signs that the giftof foreknowledge was in her possession, though she seemed herself tohave profited little by so dangerous an endowment. Ellen, beingpersuaded by her maid, craved a specimen of this wonderful art. Thehag, a smoke-dried, dirty-looking beldame, with a patch over one eye, and an idiotic expression of face, began to mutter and make an oddnoise at the sight of the sick lady. She took a piece of chalk fromher handkerchief, and began her work of divination. First she drew acircle on the floor, as a boundary or frame, and within it she putmany uncouth and crabbed signs; but their meaning was perfectlyunintelligible. Under this she sketched something like unto a sword, then a hideous figure was attached to it, with a soldier's cap on hishead. Before him was a heart, that seemed to hang, as it were, on thepoint of this long sword; which when Ellen saw she changed colour, butattempted to smile; yet she only betrayed her agitation. The dumboperator drew one hand across her own breast, and with the otherpointed to the lady; which appeared to Ellen as though intimating thata soldier had won her heart, and that this was the true cause of herillness. Such an interpretation, perchance, was but the consciousmonitor speaking from within, as it invested this unmeaninghieroglyphic with the hue and likeness of its own fancies. But moremarvellous still was the subsequent proceeding. Having revealed thecause, it seemed as though she were about to point out, obscurely asbefore, the method and means of cure. When she had drawn the longunshapely representation of a cloak, above it was placed somethinglike unto a human head, without helm or other covering; and to thisfigure two arms were added; one having a huge hand, displayed proper, as the heralds say, the other arm entirely destitute of this usefulappendage. Ellen at once remembered her dream, and watched the processeven with more interest than before. 

The hand which should have been attached to the wrist was now drawndistinct from the rest, as though grasping a heart wounded by thesword; and doubtless the interpretation, according to Bridget'sopinion, was, that the application of a hand, which had been severedfrom the body, would alone cure the disease under which she pined. Thedumb prophetess did not communicate further on the subject; and afterhaving received her bounty, she departed. 

"How very strange!" said Ellen. 

"Marvellous enough, " said the maid; "but St Bridget hath doubtlesssent her to your help. Nay, peradventure, it was St Bridget herself!Save us, what a kind, good creature she must be!"

Here she crossed herself with great fervour, forgetting that even asaint among womankind would hardly feign herself dumb. 

"There is some mystery about this hand, " thought Ellen; but where toseek for a solution was a mystery of equal magnitude with the rest. Bridget was sure, from the disclosures already vouchsafed, that theneedful directions would not be withheld. 

Ellen felt restless and disturbed for a while after this event; buther sensations were again reverting to their ordinary channel when onemorning she awoke in a fearful trepidation. She said that the figureof a human hand was visible, in her slumbers; that it led the way, pointing to an old house like a fortified mansion, with a moat andgatehouse before the main entrance. As she followed, the hand seemedto twine its fingers about her heart, and for that time she feltrelieved of her pain. So vividly was the scene impressed upon herimagination that she felt assured she should recognise the buildingagain, and especially the interior, where, in a stately chamber, themiraculous cure was performed. Bridget rubbed her hands, and caperedabout for joy. 

"The name of St Bridget be praised!" said she, and vowed twenty thingsin a breath; but the principal of these was an embroidered petticoat, which vow she expected her mistress would enable her to fulfil. Indeed, she had long set her mind upon this lustrous piece of attire, and was waiting, somewhat impatiently, the time when it should beallotted to her. So audibly had she made her vow that Ellen wasreminded of her pertinacity in still hoarding this precious andcoveted piece of finery, which Bridget looked upon as an unwarrantabledetention of her perquisites. 

The cunning maid having obtained the garment for her patron saint, what harm was there in wearing it, a while at least, for her sake?

Affairs went on for a little time in this dubious state; but thecontinued and increasing illness of Ellen made it expedient that achange of air should be attempted, and the journey accomplished byshort and easy travel. The family coach was brought out, and MistressBridget, invested with the dignities of her office, went forth asattendant of the body, and principal conductor of stores and packages. 

Journeying southwards at a slow pace, pausing to take a look wherethere was any object worth the attention, they came one afternoon, about the fourth day from their departure, to Wigan. When they hadjourneyed thence a mile or so, as they were passing down a joltingroad, Bridget, whose curious eye was ever on the look-out, suddenlyexclaimed, at the same time pointing through the window--

"I declare if there is not the dummy again yonder!"

Ellen beheld the dumb sibyl, whose predictions were not forgotten. Bridget, by her looks, seemed to ask leave to stop the carriage andhold another conference with the woman; and Ellen, whom illness hadrendered somewhat passive in such matters, did not make anyopposition. Having accosted this walking oracle, Bridget curtsied withgreat reverence, peradventure fancying that St Bridget herself mightbe again embodied before her; but the beldame went straight to thecarriage, addressing herself to the invalid within by pointing to herbreast, and making divers motions of the like signification, whichwere not easy to be understood, even by the party for whom they wereintended. The prophetess seemed fully to comprehend that her symbolicrepresentations were unintelligible, and no fitting place being athand whereon they could be readily portrayed, she strove with thegreater vehemence to explain her meaning. There appeared a more thanordinary anxiety on her part to communicate something of importance;and the travellers looked as though fully aware of it. Her mostunequivocal signs, however, were to this purport--that they should notproceed farther. Ellen, impelled by fear and curiosity, spoke aloud--

"Surely we are not to remain here at the beck of this woman!"

The one-eyed sibyl nodded an affirmative. This, at any rate, helpedthem to an easier mode of communication, finding that she was notdeaf, as they had hitherto supposed. 

"And whither shall we proceed?"

The woman here pointed to a narrow lane on the right of the main roadthey were pursuing. 

"Truly that seems but an indifferent path. Wherefore should we turn inthither?" inquired Ellen. 

Again the prophetess pointed to her own breast, and then at the bosomof the invalid. 

"By this token I understand that in so doing I am to expect somerelief. "

Again nodded the officious intruder. 

"But how shall that relief be obtained?"

The woman here lifted up her hand, again pointing towards the path bywhich they should proceed. 

"Go and see, I suppose thou wouldst say, " said Ellen. 

Another affirmatory nod was the answer. 

"Wilt thou be our guide?"

The person addressed here darted a look at Ellen which seemed toexpress pleasure at the request, if pleasure it might be called thatcould irradiate such an aspect. She put out her hand for the customarylargess ere setting forward as their guide on the expedition. Somedifficulty now arose by reason of the straitness of the path; buttheir dumb leader hastened up the lane with unusual speed, beckoningthat they should follow. From this signal it appeared that there wassufficient room, and the postilion addressed himself to proceed by sounusual a route. 

They went forward for about a mile with little difficulty; but asudden turn, almost at right angles with their course, presented anobstacle which the driver hesitated whether or not to encounter; butit was impossible to return, though they were not without seriousfears that the weird woman might lead them on to a situation fromwhich they could not extricate themselves. Still she beckoned themforward, until they emerged into another and a wider road, on whichthey travelled without further impediment. 

Ellen, whose eyes were abundantly occupied, suddenly assumed a look ofgreater fixedness and intensity. For a while she seemed nearlyspeechless with amazement. At length she cried--

"'Tis there!--There!"

Bridget looked forth, but saw nothing worthy of remark save an oldgatehouse over a dark lazy moat, secured by heavy wooden doors. 

This gatehouse was apparently the entrance to a court or quadrangle, enclosed by buildings of wood and plaster of the like antiquity. Theirguide stood on the bridge, as though to intimate that their wanderingswould here terminate. 

"I have seen it before, " said Ellen, with great solemnity and emotion. Bridget perhaps fancied her mistress's thoughts were wanderingstrangely, and was just going to recommend rest and a little of themedicine she carried, when Ellen again spoke, as though sensible ofsome incoherency in her remark:--"In my dreams, Bridget. "

"St Bridget and the Virgin be praised! Is this the house you sawwhen"----

"The very same. I should know it again; nor should I forget it if Iwere to live to the age of the patriarchs. "

"It's an evident answer to my prayers, " said Bridget; and here thedevout enthusiast began to recite internally some holy ejaculations, which, if they did not possess any positive efficacy, were at leastserviceable in allaying the excitement under which she laboured. 

Ellen determined to alight and witness the issue of the adventure; soin due time these forlorn damsels were seen advancing over the bridgeunto this enchanted castle. 

The beldame knocked loudly at the gate, and immediately she sprangback; but when the travellers again looked round she was gone!

Now were they in a precious dilemma. Two females before a stranger'sgate; the warder a-coming, when their business would of necessity bedemanded. A tread, every footstep of which might have been passingover them, was close at hand. The bolts shrieked; the gate shook, anda curious face peeped forth to inquire their errand. Bridget, whoseready tongue rarely refused its office, replied--

"Is there a Catholic priest hereabout? for we would fain have a wordwith one of that persuasion. "

The grim warder smiled. 

"Ye have not far to go for such an one, " said he; "but ye be far-offcomers, I reckon, or ye would have known Bryn Hall belike, thedwelling-place of the noble house of Gerard, that hath never beenwithout a priest and an altar therein. "

He threw the gate wide open, and invited them to follow; after whichhe led them through a clumsily-ornamented porch into the great hall, at the end of which was a low gallery, supported by pillars andpilasters richly and profusely carved. From these arches were sprung, and a flight of stairs at one end led to the upper chambers. 

Their guide preceded them into a small wainscoted room, fitted up as astudy, or perhaps an oratory in those days. A wooden crucifix, with arepresentation of the Saviour carved in ivory, was placed in a recess, occasionally covered by a green curtain. Shelves laden with booksoccupied the farther end of the room, and writing materials were laidupon an oak trestle or table, before which sat a tall white-hairedpersonage in a suit of sables, to whose further protection the porterleft his charge. 

Ellen had suffered herself to be led passive hitherto by her maid; butwhen she saw that they were now fairly committed to the disposal ofthe priest, for so he appeared, she felt uneasy and anxious todepart. The room and the whole scene were vividly brought to herrecollection; for she fancied that, at one time or another, she hadbeen present in a similar place. 

Bridget curtsied to the holy father, who, doubting not that either acase of conscience or a need-be for confession brought these strangersto his presence, began the usual interrogatories. 

"Here is a sick person, most reverent sir, who would have the benefitof your prayers, " said Bridget. The pale and wasting form that was byher side sufficiently corroborated this reply. 

"Daughter, the prayers of the church are for the penitent andbelieving; hast thou made shrift and a clear confession?"

Bridget was prepared for this question. 

"She is not of the faith; but, peradventure, if aid be vouchsafed, sheshall be reclaimed. "

"If she have faith, I will cure her malady. What sayest thou?" Hefixed his clear grey eye upon her, and Ellen felt as though some charmwere already at work, and a strange tingling went through her frame. She stammered out something like an assent, when the priest carefullyproceeded to unlock a little cabinet, inlaid with ivory and gold, fromwhich he took out a white silk bag that diffused a grateful perfumethrough the chamber. He offered up a prayer before he unloosed thestrings; after which, with great formality and reverence, he drewforth a human hand, dried and preserved, apparently by some mysteriousprocess, in all its substance and proportions. Ellen was dumb withastonishment. Bridget could with difficulty refrain from falling onher knees before this holy relic; and her delight would easily haverun over in some form of religious extravagance had it been sufferedto have free vent. To this relic, doubtless, had the predictionsreferred: and she doubted not its power and efficacy. 

"This rare and priceless thing, " said the priest, "was once the righthand of an English Martyr, Father Arrowsmith by name, put to death forhis holy profession. In consideration whereof, it is permitted, by thewill of the Supreme, that an honourable testimony be rendered to hisfidelity by the miracles that it doth and shall work to the end oftime. Rub it thrice on the part affected, and mark the result. If thoureceive it with humility and faith, trusting in Heaven, from whencealone the healing virtue doth flow--these holy relics being, as itwere, but the appointed channels and conduits of His mercy--thou shallassuredly be healed. "

But Ellen was at some loss to know the precise situation of hercomplaint, until she recollected the picture drawn by the dumbfortune-teller, who described the heart alone as touched by thismiraculous hand. Yet, in what manner to make the application was amatter of some difficulty. 

Bridget again relieved her from the dilemma. 

"If it so please your reverence, the seat of the complaint is notvisible. Suffer us to use it privately. We will not carry forth normisuse this precious keepsake; for I have been brought up in thenurture of the Holy Church, and am well instructed in her ceremonies. "

"I fear not for the harm that can happen to it, by reason of ungodlyor mischievous devices. If taken away, it would assuredly returnhither. Should the lady have some inward ailment, let her lay it asnear as may be to the part where she feels afflicted, and keep itthere for a space, until she findeth help. "

The two visitors were then shown into another chamber; and hereBridget, with great devoutness, and a firm faith in its efficiency, placed the dead cold hand upon her mistress's heart. Ellen shudderedwhen she felt its death-like touch. It was either fancy, or somethingmore, but she really felt as though a load were suddenly takenaway--an oppression, an incubus, that had continually brooded overher, was gone. Surprised, and lightened of her burden, she returnedinto the oratory, and gave back the relic, along with a liberaloffering into the hands of the priest. He said there would scarcely beoccasion for a repetition of the act, as it was evident the faith ofthe recipient had wrought its proper work. 

The day by this time being far spent, the priest begged permission tointroduce Ellen to Lady Gerard, who, he said, would be much gratifiedto afford them entertainment, and, if need were, shelter for thenight. On hearing the name of her visitor, this kind lady would takeno denial, but expressed herself warmly on the folly and imprudence ofan invalid being exposed to the night air; and Ellen, delighted withthe change she felt, was all compliance and good-nature. After alittle hesitation, she suffered her first refusals to be overcome, andthe night wore on with pleasant converse. By little and little LadyGerard gained the confidence of Ellen, who seemed glad that she couldnow speak freely on the subject nearest to her heart. 

"It is marvellous enough, " continued Lady Gerard, "that you shouldhave been conducted hither; for in this house there is a magic mirror, which may, peradventure, disclose what shall relieve your anxiety. Onbeing looked into, after suitable preparations, it is said--for Inever tried the experiment--to show wondrous images within its charmedsurface; and like the glass of Cornelius Agrippa, of which we have atractate in the library chamber, will show what an absent person isdoing, if the party questioning be sincere, and anxious for hiswelfare. "

"I have long wished, " said the blushing Ellen, "that I might see himof whom our evening's discourse hath, perchance, been too muchconversant. I would not for worlds that he knew of my wish; but if Icould see him once more, and know the bearing of his thoughts towardme, I could now, methinks, die content. "

"This very night, then, let us consult the oracle, " said Lady Gerard;"but there must not be any witness to our exploit; so while away yourimpatience as best you may until I have made the needful preparationsfor our adventure. "

Ellen could not repress her agitation when, after waiting alone for alittle time, her kind hostess came to summon her to the trial. She wasconducted up the staircase before mentioned, and through a corridor ofsome length. The lamp grew pale and sickly in the cold wind of thegalleries they trod. Soon, however, they paused before a low door. Lady Gerard pressed her finger on her lip, in token of silence. Shethen blew out the light, and they were involved in total darkness. Taking hold of Ellen's arm, which trembled excessively within her own, she opened the door, but not a ray was yet visible. She was conductedto a seat, and Lady Gerard whispered that she should be still. Suddenly a light flashed forth on the opposite side, and Ellen sawthat it came from a huge antique mirror. A form, in male attire, wasthere discernible. With a slow and melancholy pace he came forward, and his lips seemed to move. It was--she could not be mistaken--it washer cousin William! She thought he looked pale and agitated. Hecarried a light which, as it glimmered on his features, showed thatthey were the index of some internal and conflicting emotion. He satdown. He passed one hand over his brow, and she thought that a sighlaboured from his lips; but as she gazed the light grew dim, and erelong the mirror, ceasing to be illuminated, again left them in totaldarkness. A few minutes elapsed, which were swollen to long hours inthe estimation of the anxious and wondering inquirer. Her companionagain whispered that she should await the result in silence. Suddenlythe light flashed out as before, and she saw the dumb fortune tellerinstead of the individual she expected. Her features were more writhenand distorted than ever; and she seemed to mutter, it might be, somemalignant spell, some charm, the operation of which was for someunknown and diabolical intent. Ellen shuddered as the weird woman tooka paper-roll from her bosom. Unfolding it, there was displayed thefigure of her lover, as she supposed, kneeling, while he held out hishands toward the obdurate heart which he in vain attempted to grasp. 

"I have wronged him, " said Ellen, in a whisper to her companion; "if Iinterpret these images aright, he now sighs for my favour; and--wouldthat we had known each other ere it was too late!"

"He knows now, " said Lady Gerard; and immediately the dumb prophetesswas at her side. She threw off a disguise, ingeniously contrived, andEllen beheld her cousin William! The magic mirror was but an aperturethrough the wainscot into another apartment, and the plot had beenarranged in the first place by Mrs Bridget, who had been confederatewith the handsome but somewhat haughty wooer, having for his torment amaiden as haughty and intractable as himself. Thus two loving heartshad nigh been broken for lack of an interpreter. William's absence hadtaken deeper hold on Ellen's finely-tempered frame than was expected;and it was with sorrow and alarm that he heard of her illness. Hisdistant relative, Lady Gerard, to whom he had retired for a season, spake of the marvellous hand, which, he was sure, being a devout andpious Catholic, would cure any disease incident to the human frame. Itwas absolutely needful that a cure should be attempted, along withsome stratagem, to conquer the yet unbroken obstinacy in which, aswith a double panoply, Ellen had arrayed herself. The result of theexperiment has been shown. She was united to her cousin ere a fewmonths were old, and the "merrie spring" had melted in the warm lap ofsummer. 

THE LOST FARM;

OR, THE HAUNTED CASKET. 

 "And when of me his leave he tuik, The tears they wat mine ee, I gave tull him a parting luik, 'My benison gang wi' thee; God speed thee weil, mine ain dear heart, For gane is all my joy; My heart is rent, sith we maun part, My handsome Gilderoy. '

 "Of Gilderoy sae 'fraid they were, They bound him mickle strong, Tull Edenburrow they led him thair, And on a gallows hung. They hung him high aboon the rest, He was sae trim a boy; Thair dyed the youth whom I lued best, My handsome Gilderoy. "

On the flat, bare, sandy coast, near to Southport, now a modernbathing-place of great resort, described in the first series of thiswork, might be seen, some few years ago, a ruined barn, cottage, andother farmyard appurtenances, around which the loose and drifting sandwas accumulated, covering, at the same time, some acres of scantypasture, once held under lease and occupation by an honest fisherman, who earned a comfortable, if not an easy subsistence, from hisamphibious pursuits. The thatched roofs were broken through--the wallsrent and disfigured--all wore the aspect of desolation and decay. Longgrass had taken root, flourishing luxuriantly on the summit, thoughsurrounded by a barren wilderness, a wide and almost boundless oceanof sand. The ruin was the only fertile spot in this dreary waste. Though painful and melancholy the aspect, still, as the sea-breezecame softly over, sighing gently on its time-worn furrows, and on thenodding plumes that decorated the crest of this aged and hoary relicof the past, the sensation, though pleasing, became mournful; theheart seemed linked with the unknown, the mysterious events of agesthat are for ever gone--feelings that make even a luxury of grief, prompted by that within us, "the joy of sorrow;" something morehallowed, more cherished in the heart's holiest shrine, than all theglare and glitter of enjoyment--the present bliss--which we prize onlywhen it departs. 

[Illustration: THE LOST FARM, NEAR SOUTHPORT. _Drawn by G. Pickering. __Engraved by Edw^d Finden. _]

Many years ago, this humble tenement was the abode of George Grimes, the fisherman to whom we have just alluded. It was a dwelling onestory only from the ground, as the general use was in these regions, ere modern edifices, staring forth in red, white, and green--theirbold and upstart pretensions outfacing and supplanting the lowly butpicturesque abodes of the aboriginal inhabitants--had overtopped andovershadowed these meek, rural, and primitive displays ofarchitectural simplicity. 

Grimes, we repeat, was of that amphibious class, common upon everycoast, combining the occupations incident to land and water in his ownproper person. Half-fisherman, half-farmer, he ploughed the seas withhis keel, when upon land his coulter was out of use. He was nighsixty, and had long settled down into that quiet nap-like sort ofexistence, when the passions are lulled, scarcely visible, as theycreep over the stagnant current of life. He was hale and hardfeatured; the lines on his visage betokening, if need were, a stern, decisive, and obstinate bent in his disposition, that might haveissued in deeds of high and noble daring had its possessor been throwninto circumstances favourable to the display. As matters stood, Georgewas master of his own household. Here none questioned his authority;no profane, irreverent approach ever awakening the dormant energies ofhis character, or thwarting the current, visible only by opposition. 

His wife was a round, brown, heavy-cheeked, dark-eyed dame, with a capwhite as the whitest goose of the flock that marched every morningfrom her barn-doors to the common, where, by some little pool, ascanty and close-bitten herbage formed their daily subsistence. Shewore a striped apron; the blue lines would have vied with the bestWigan check for breadth and distinctness. Her good-humoured mouth, reverse from her husband's, was usually puckered up at the cornersinto an expression of kindness, benignity, and mirth--the contrastgreatly aided by proximity; for though George Grimes was benevolentand kind-hearted at the bottom, yet he was by no means apt to letthese gentler feelings rise to the surface. 

An only daughter was now passing within the precincts of womanhood. Her complexion, red, and--not white, reader--but of that rich, healthy, and wholesome tinge, perfect as an example of the realEnglish brunette. Her face exhibited a beautiful modification of herfather's hard and determined expression, blended with her mother'sgentleness and placidity. A smile of thrilling sweetness wouldsometimes pass upon her calm and thoughtful countenance, alwaysbeautiful--if such a term can be allowed in speaking of a brown, rosy, plump, and well-conditioned girl, of good stature, whose form had notbeen squeezed into shape, nor her linsey woolsey flourished intoflounce and farthingale. Her hair hung in bright clusters on her brow;fresh from Nature's toilet, their wild untutored elegance was singularand bewitching. Indeed, Katherine, or "Kattern, " as she was moregenerally called, was the cynosure of this clime--a jewel, that needednot the foil of its homely setting; the envy and admiration of thewhole neighbourhood--well known at church, and at Ormskirk market, where she attended weekly--at the latter place to dispose of herproduce. Here she was the torment of many a rustic, unable to conquer, or even to understand, the power by which his heart was taken captive. 

Avarice was the besetting sin of her father. He was always fearful ofbecoming poor, and "not paying his way, " as he called it. Yet was itsuspected that George Grimes had a "powerfu'" hoard, concealed bothfrom his family and friends. Money he doated on. It was an undoubtedfact that many a shining face went into the coffer of old Grimes thatwas never again seen performing the common everyday functions ofcurrency and traffic. 

He was always a-dreaming, too, that he had found treasure. Often hewould spend the greater part of a morning tide in pacing the brink ofthe boiling waves, hoping to find there some coinage of his brain thathad been his dream on the preceding night. Southport then existed not, at least in name. No gay and laughing crowds fluttered on the marginof the deep. No lines of well-trimmed "green-eyed" houses looked on, nor boats with their dancing pennons and bright forms shone gallantlyon the waves. All was bleak, bare, and unappropriated. The very airseemed tenantless, save when the solitary gull came sailing on heavilywith the approaching tide, screaming over the gorge she beheld risingon the billows. The loud lunge of the sea was interrupted solely bythe cry of the fisherman, and the "cockler's" whistle, plying hisscanty trade among the shoals and sandbanks about the coast. It isscarcely possible to conceive a situation more desolate anduninviting. Hills of arid sand skirting the beach, without vegetationor enclosure, except where the withered bent and little golden-starredstone-crop gave their own wild and peculiar aspect to the scene. Theshore is flat and unbroken to the very horizon, where the tide, retreating to its extreme verge, throws up a dim sparkle in thedistance--Nature even here displaying her never-ceasing round ofreproduction and decay, of advance and retrocession. 

We had almost forgotten that there was another inmate of thehousehold--a tall, thick-browed, high-cheeked menial, whose coarsehabiliments displayed a well-proportioned shape, and shoulders of anathletic width. He had been engaged at the farm barely twelve monthsbefore the date of our narrative; and, at the first, a more egregioussimpleton, as to farming and fishing operations, never drew a net orwhistled at the plough-tail. Yet he came well recommended by aCatholic gentleman in the neighbourhood as a stout servant of allwork, who would serve Grimes honestly and for moderate wages. He hadone excellence or defect, as it might be--that which we impute to onedumb from his birth, but not deaf. He perfectly understood what wasspoken, though, to make known his wishes, he was obliged to haverecourse to signs or writing. In the former accomplishment he seemedto be well skilled, for he often elucidated his meaning by rudesketches in chalk upon the floor and table. There was a mystery abouthis appearance he cared not to divulge. His country and connections, too, were equally unknown. By the neighbours it was often suspectedthat he dealt with the Evil One. The "evil eye" was sometimesattributed to him; and the signs and chalkings were supposed to bemystic emblems of the future, into the hidden secrets of which he hadthe power of directing his inquiries. 

He was apt in learning, and served George Grimes diligently andfaithfully. He soon became acquainted with the various duties of thefarm; and could unreef a sail or make a net with the best labourer inthe parish. 

His only companion was Katherine. She taught him to knit, and to makenets; directed him how to find the best peats, and showed him wherethe rabbits burrowed and the larks and lapwings made their nests. Sometimes the instructress and her pupil would sit on the sandhills, and watch the sun sink down upon the ocean; sometimes they wouldgather shells, when the day's work was over, and string them infantastic chaplets, which "_Dummy_" was very expert in contriving. Hecould converse with Kattern without difficulty. He had taught her hisvocabulary of signs, and the maiden liked to observe his strangeremarks and inquiries on passing events. 

In the forenoon of a dark, threatening, and squally day, just beforehigh tide, Grimes and his assistant had trudged towards the beach, intending to go out with the boat for a little while. The weatherhaving been stormy of late, supplies were becoming scanty, and hewanted a few fish for their own use. They proposed to take the smallerboat only, hoping to be back with the next flood. 

Toiling through the sand-drifts, they came to an opening between thehills, which looked immediately on the beach. The sky was black andheavy on the horizon towards the south-west. Round hard-edged cloudsrode on from the main body, like flying squadrons, "grim couriers" ofthe storm. Here and there, through an opening in the clouds, the skywas of a deep, vivid, and intense blue, contrasting wildly with therolling forms that tumbled about in turbulent confusion over the wholehemisphere. The sea was rising in breakers over the banks, hillocks ofwhite foam riding on the crest of the billows, while the margin of thewaves boiled and frothed like some vast cauldron. 

The old man was not in a particularly complaisant mood that day. Hewas cross and snappish at trifles; irritable and out of humour withhimself. As he waded through the narrow defile, the dumb assistantbehind him whistled faintly, and perhaps inadvertantly. The fishermanlooked back with a furious glance. 

"Thou staring buzzard, is't not enough to see sich a bellyful o' windi' brewing but thou must whistle for more to keep it company? Hangthee for a he-witch; I never hear that accursed piping but the windfollows, like sea-gulls to the garbage. "

He had just turned a corner of the hill, when, looking round, he criedin a tone of terror and amazement--

"How now, Dick? Why, the boat is gone! what prank next? Thou carelessunthrift, ill-luck follows i' thy wake. She has slipped anchor, andthe little _Kitty_ is gone to the Manx herring-boats. I am ruined, thou limb of Old Nick! thou chub! thou"----

Epithets were accumulating with prodigious force, when Dick, half-closing his eyes, pointed to something dark, like a small boat, in the offing. 

"What's yon thee'rt pointing at? A porpoise-back, I warrant. Ay, shakethy head, fool; 'twill bring my bonny _Kitty_ back. Why, thou'rtstaring like a bit-boomp in a gutter catching frogs!"

Soon, however, the black speck became less ambiguous. George beheld awhite stern heaving up and down. He ran forward as if to accelerateher return, crying out to his companion--

"A murrain catch thy tail, thou hast ever a longer sight than beseemsthee. But she's coming, sure enough, whatever she be. "

The old man gazed in wonder and suspense. He saw a sail unfurl, andthe bark--his own little tight, trim vessel--come prancing on thewhite billows toward the shore. Soon he observed, sitting therein, perfectly at his ease, and unmindful of the near approach to, and theportentous menaces of, the owner, a figure clad in a garment of greyfrieze, and a dark hairy cap on his head. One hand grasped the helm, and in the other he held the sheet, while he managed the boat with themost seamanlike skill and composure. His eye was fixed alternately onthe shore and on the vane at the masthead as he came dancing throughthe surf, until he ran right upon the sands, where the boat grounded, and he sprang out upon the beach. The astonishment of Grimes canhardly be conceived when, without once deigning to notice him, awaywent the stranger, vouchsafing neither thanks nor acknowledgments. 

"Holloa, friend!" cried the incensed owner; "your disposition be freerthan welcome, methinks. Holloa, I say, whither away so fast?" cried heimpatiently, quickening his pace; but the stranger altered not hisgait in the least, plodding steadily onwards, without appearing tonotice the angry inquiries of his pursuer. 

Soon the quick long strides of George Grimes brought him alongside ofthe person he addressed. Crossing before him, and almost interceptinghis progress, he exclaimed--

"How now, friend? I'd be bold to know what thou be'st. I'm mightilybeholden to thee for this favour. "

A malicious grin quivered on his pale and angry countenance; but thestranger was unmoved. He merely waved his hand, as though kindlyadmonishing the inquirer to depart and leave him unmolested. 

"Nay, good man; I'm not so soon put off. Prithee, save thy wit, forI'm not i' the humour for a jest this morning. "

A melancholy smile accompanied the reply. 

"Friend, " said he, "I am beholden to thee for thy boat; and if thouart seeking conditions for the hire, I am willing to return itsequivalent. Will this content thee?"

Here George saw a bit of gold twinkling in the stranger's hand, which, like a beam on the dark waters, cleared his brow immediately. 

He doffed his bonnet with great humility; but he was still curiousabout the matter, and more particularly as to what errand could havebeen requisite that boisterous morning. He stammered out some inquiry, and the stranger replied--

"Seek not to know; 'tis a doomed thing and accursed. I would havegiven thrice my revenue long ago, to have been rid o' the pest. Butthe wave hath swallowed it--for ever, I would earnestly pray; and I amagain free!"

Saying this, he passed on, leaving the astonished fisherman gapingmute with wonder, until a projecting sandhill shut him out from theirsight. During this interview the dumb assistant was busily engagedwith the boat, disposing of the nets and other implements, though atthe same time evidently keeping a wary eye towards the stranger. 

The little bark was soon afloat, the wind again filled the sails, andshortly she was seen flying over the billows in defiance of "wind, water, and foul weather. "

Grimes only purposed to cast the nets a mile or two from shore, for agood haul at that period was easily obtained much nearer the coastthan is now practicable, the fish being driven away, as theinhabitants superstitiously but firmly believe, by the quarrels thathave taken place amongst the fishermen. 

The bark went merrily on, leaping over the waves, with the old marinerat her helm, and his dumb servant by the mainsheet. The wind wasblowing more steadily; the short and squally gusts had increased intoa roaring gale, driving right ahead from the west. To work, however, they went, when, after a haul or two, the old man being engaged withthe tackling, up came something in the net--at least old Grimes saw itglittering amongst the fish when he turned round, and it could havecome from none other quarter than the sea. 

Grimes drew it forth, and a fair and weighty casket it was, apparentlyuninjured. It was ornamented in the arabesque or antique fashion, inlaid with great care and skill. He grasped the prize; he poised it, to ascertain its gravity. It seemed to be both heavy and well-filled. 

This at last was the treasure he had often dreamt about, and the oldman was almost frantic with joy. He hugged the unlooked-for messengerof wealth and good-fortune, and, putting the vessel about, made allsail for land. 

Once more anchored as near the beach as the retiring tide would allow, Grimes was too much engaged with his prize to notice that "Dummy" tookanother route to the farm. Alone with his bundle, and a pelting stormat his heels, the old man came to his dwelling. His early appearancewas unexpected, but the women, little used to question his movements, immediately set about preparing for dinner. Depositing the casket, which was locked, in the oaken chest or ark at his bedside, hepurposed to break it open when he had procured the means, withoutharming the exterior. 

The storm was rapidly gaining strength; the wind blew a hurricane; thethunder rolled on, louder and more frequent; and the rain came down intorrents. It was not an ordinary tempest, but more like one of thosetropical tornadoes, when the elements--fire, air, and water--seem tomingle in universal uproar, fighting and striving for the mastery. 

"I think, o' my conscience, this wind is raised by the ould one, " saidthe elder female. Scarcely were the words uttered when the room seemedin a blaze, and a clap of thunder followed: so loud and appalling, that it made the very walls to rock and the whole fabric to reel withthe stroke. The fisherman grew pale; the stranger's words rang in hisears. Was it the _casket_ that he had committed to the deep, and ofwhich he spake with such horror and execration? Strange as was theidea, yet he could not get rid of it; there seemed some connectionbetween this fearful agony of nature and the mysterious treasurebeneath his roof. The pipe fell from his mouth, and he sat listening, as he fancied, to the awful denunciations mingled with the howlingstorm, as though he had not power to move or to avert his gaze fromthe window. 

"Bless me, I had forgotten you were by yourself, father, " saidKatherine. "He will be almost drowned, if he has not ta'en shelter. "

"I know not, " muttered Grimes; "he left me on the shore. He might ha'been here long since. " The rain and wind abated for a brief space, when old Isabel appeared to be listening near the chamber door, whereGrimes had left the casket. 

"Mercy! what's that, George?"

The fisherman was immediately all eye and ear; his head bent towardsthe door, which stood ajar. 

"Who is there in the chamber?" inquired the old woman. "I hear itagain. "

"Hear! what?" replied he, in great agitation. 

"Something like an' it were a-whispering there, " replied the dame. 

But a gust of wind again overwhelmed every other sound in itsprogress. Grimes thought he had heard a whisper that made his bloodfreeze, and the very flesh to creep over his bones with terror. 

But Katherine fearlessly entered; she looked cautiously about, but allwas still, and she returned. Ere she closed the door, however, sheheard a soft whisper, as though behind her. Naturally courageous, sheimmediately went back, but all was quiet as before; nor could she findthat any person had been concealed in the apartment. She opened thechest where Grimes had stowed his booty, and seeing the casket, shetook it up, running hastily into the adjoining room. 

"Why, father, what a pretty fairing you have brought me. I'se warrant, now, you would not have told me on't till after the wakes, if I hadnot seen it. "

The old man looked as if he had seen a ghost. The whispers he hadheard were, foolishly enough perhaps, connected in his mind with thepresence of this mysterious thing. 

"Take it back--back, wench, into the chest again. It was not for thee, hussy. A prize I fished up with the nets to-day. "

"From the sea. Oh me! it is--it is unholy spoil. It has been draggedfrom some wreck. Cast it again to the greedy waters. They yield nottheir prey without a perilous struggle, " said the girl. 

The fisherman was silent. He looked thoughtful and disturbed, whileKatherine went back to put the treasure into its hiding-place. 

"I wonder what that whispering could be?" thought the maiden, as sheopened the old chest. Ere the lid was pulled down, she cast one lookat the beautiful but forbidden intruder, and she was sure--butimagination is a potent wizard, and works marvellously--else she wassure that a slight movement was visible beneath the casket. She flungdown the lid in great terror; pale and trembling, she sprang out ofthe room, and sat down silent and alarmed. Again the mysteriouswhispers were audible in the momentary pauses of the blast. 

"Save us!" said the elder female; "I hear it again. "

Bounce flew open the door of the bed-chamber, and--in stalked theirdumb assistant, as though he had chosen this mode of ingress, throughthe window of the sleeping-room, rather than through the house-door. 

"Plague take thee! Where hast thou been?" said the old woman, partlyrelieved from her terrors. Yet was the whispering precisely asincomprehensible as before. The dumb menial that stood before her wasobviously incapable even of this act of incipient speech. 

"Where hast thou been, Dick?" inquired Grimes, seriously. But theformer pointed towards the beach. 

"How long hast thou been yonder?--in the chamber, I mean. "

Dick here fell into one of his ordinary fits of abstraction, fromwhich neither menace nor entreaty could arouse him. As the old manturned from the window he saw a blaze of light flashing suddenly uponthe wall. The yard was filled with smoke. Rushing forth, the inmatesfound the barn thatch on fire, kindled probably by the lightning. Therain prevented it from extending with much rapidity; and Grimes, mounting on the roof, soon extinguished the burning materials beforemuch damage had been the result. Misfortunes verily seemed to crowdupon each other; and that unlucky casket, doubtless, was the cause. When the old man, with his dame, returned into the house, Katherinewas nowhere to be found. The "Dummy, " too, was unaccountably absent. Anxious and wondering, they awaited, hoping for their appearance atdinner; but their meal was cheerless and unvisited. Evening came, serene, deceitful as ever--but their child did not return. They wentout to make inquiries, but could find no clue to aid them in thesearch. Katherine had never stayed from home so late. The parents werenigh distracted. There was evidently some connection between thedisappearance of their servant and her own absence. Fearful surmisesensued. Suspicion strengthened into certainty. The casket wasforgotten in this fearful distress; and, after a fruitless search, they were forced to return. 

On the third night after this occurrence, Grimes and his disconsolatehelpmate were sitting by the turf embers in moody silence, broken onlyby irregular whiffs from the pipe--the old man's universal solace. After a longer pull than usual, he abruptly exclaimed--

"Three days, Isabel, and no tidings of the child. Who will comb downmy grey hairs now, or read for us in the Book o' nights? We mustlinger on without help to our grave; none will care to keep uscompany. "

"Woe's me!" cried the dame, and she wept sore; "my poor child! If Ibut knew what was come to her, I think i' my heart I would bethankfu'. But what can have happen'd her? unless it be Dick indeed;and yet I think the lad was honest, though lungeous at times, andodd-tempered. By next market, surely, we shall ha' tidings fra' someend. But I trow, 'tis that fearsome burden ye brought with you, George, fra' the sea, that has been the cause of a' this trouble. "

Grimes started up. He threw the ashes from his pipe, and, withoutsaying a word, went into the bed-chamber. Lifting up the chest-lid, hesaw the casket safe, and apparently undisturbed. He drew it fearlesslyforth, and vowed that he would throw it into the sea again, withoutfurther ado, on the morrow. It felt much lighter, however, thanbefore; but not another night should it pass under his roof; so hethrew it beside a turf-heap in the yard. His heart, too, felt lighteras he cast the abominable thing from him; and he was sure it was thismischievous inmate alone that had wrought such woe in his hithertohappy and quiet household. 

Morning came; and Grimes, for the first time since his loss, took theboat, committing himself alone with the haunted casket on the sea. Itwas a lovely morning as ever sun shone upon; the waters werecomparatively smooth; and the tide brought one of those refreshingbreezes on its bosom, so stimulating and healthful to the invalid. 

But Grimes thought not of the brightness or beauty of the morning. With the helm in his hand, one light sail being stretched out to thewind, he was steering through the intricate channel, and amongst thesandbanks which render the coast so dangerous even to those bestacquainted with its perils. 

He stood out to a considerable distance, intending to have depth andsea-room enough to drown his burden. 

The breeze was fair, the sea was bright, and the mariner sailed on. Hedetermined, this time at least, that the casket should be sent farenough out of harm's way. 

"If that plaguy thing had been down deep enough before, " thought he, "this mischief had not happened. " He looked at it, and thought again, "How very sad to part with so beautiful a treasure. " He had notobserved before that the lid was unlocked. He might as well peepbefore it should be hidden for ever beneath the dark billows. Helifted up the rim of the coffer cautiously; he trembled as the hingesgave way; and--it was empty!

"I am a fool!" thought he; "a downright fool. An empty box can havenothing to do with"----

But, as if to belie his own conclusions, and to convince him thatperil, and misfortune must attend the presence of that mysteriousthing, he having just quitted the helm for a more convenientexamination, a sudden squall nearly upset the boat. Fortunately sherighted, but not before most of the movables were tossed out, including the cause of all his troubles. This at any rate was lucky, and cheaply purchased with the loss and breakage of his marine stores. 

The tide was still coming in, though nearly at the height, and Grimesfloated merrily to land. After hauling the boat ashore, he stood fora moment looking towards the sea, when he saw, dancing like a spectreon the very edge of the wave that broke in a thousand bubbles at hisfeet, the identical box he had taken such pains to commit to the safekeeping of that perilous deep. It was evidently pursuing him. He wouldhave fled, but fear had arrested his footsteps. He did not recollectthat the box was now empty, and floated from its own buoyancy. 

"It will not drown, " thought he. After a little reflection he resolvedto dispose of it in some other manner. 

"It will haunt me as long as it is above ground. I'll bury it. " Inpursuance of this wholesome resolve, he took it home again. Digging adeep grave in the peat-moss behind this cottage, he thrust in theobject of his apprehensions, trusting that he was now safe from itspower. 

But noises horrid and unaccountable disturbed him. Demons had surelychosen his dwelling for their head-quarters. Nor day nor night couldhe rest--fancying that a whole legion of them were haunting him. Heseemed to be the sport and prey of his own terrors; and with a heavyheart he resolved to quit, though suffering a grievous loss by theremoval. 

The story of the haunted casket, with many additions and improvements, soon got abroad. No one dared to pass the house after nightfall, and"The Lost Farm" has ever since been tenantless. 

Grimes removed to another in a few weeks; but his happiness and hishopes were for ever dissipated by the mysterious intruder. Hearing notidings from his daughter, he determined, several weeks after theadventure, to sally forth in quest of intelligence. 

It was a cold blustery morning when the old man set out on his errand. He was clad in a coarse blue frieze coat, with the usual complement oflarge white-plated buttons. His head was sheltered by an oilcase-covered hat, tied down with a blue and white check handkerchief, and he held a long stick before him at arm's length, on which hissorrowful and drooping frame hung more heavily than usual. He hadgrown a dozen years older at least in less than as many weeks; andwhen he came to Church Town, having taken the bypath through thehills, he was fain to rest himself a while at the inn-door. Before itstood several carts on their way towards Preston, whither they werebound for the disposal of their produce on the morrow. Grimes thoughthe might as well make some inquiries there; Katherine having at timesvisited that remote town to make purchases. He would have company tooif he went with the carts, and a lift now and then if he were tired;so, throwing down his bundle, he entered the house intimating his wishthat they should join company. 

"To Preston, lad?" said a jolly carter, holding a pewter pot thatseemed as if glued to his hard fist. "Rare doings there, old one. What! thee wants to look at the fun, I warrant. Why, the rebels ha'been packed off to Lunnun long sin'; but we han had some on 'em backagain; that is, thou sees, their Papist heads were sent back i' pickleinto these parts, and one on 'em grins savagely afore the Town Ha'. "

Grimes knew little of political niceties, or whether kings _de facto_or _de jure_ were better entitled to the throne. 

The late disturbances had not reached these districts; so that therebellion of 1745 might as well have happened in Kamtschatka or Japanfor any personal knowledge that old Grimes had of the matter. 

"Rebels!" said he; "I have heard a somewhat of this business; though Iknow nothing, and care less about them cannibals. "

"Then what be'st thee for in such a hurry to Preston?"

"I had a daughter, but she has left me, the staff and comfort of myold age, when I stood most in need of the prop!" Here the old man drewhis hat over his brows, partly turning aside. 

"Cheer up, friend, " saith another; "thy daughter, maybe, is gone wi'Prince Charlie, when he piped through Preston 'Hie thee, Charlie, hameagain!'"

This malicious sally raised a loud laugh; but the old man heard itwith great agony and consternation; for though a bow drawn at aventure--a chance expression merely, intended as a clever hit at thewomen's expense, who had followed in the train of the rebels--Grimesconstrued the passage literally; and from that time it ran continuallyin his head, that his daughter's absence would be found to have someconnection with these events. 

"Hang thy jibes!" said the first speaker, for whom this piece of witwas more especially intended; "hang thee, I'll knock thy neckstraight; pepper me but I will!"

This worthy had a wife, who incontinently had contributed to augmentthe rebel train when the Prince, in far different plight, on the 27thof November 1745, passed through Preston, on his route to London, piping "The king shall have his own again. "

A fray was nigh commencing--a circumstance not at all unusual in thoseturbulent times--but the master of the band speedily interfered, threatening displeasure and a wholesome discipline to his refractoryservants. 

Grimes accompanied them on their journey, riding, walking, andgossiping, at irregular intervals; during which he learned much newsrelating to the aspect and circumstances of the time, the names of theleaders, and those attainted and condemned, in this hasty andill-timed rebellion. A considerable number of Lancashire partisans, officers of the Manchester regiment, commanded by Colonel Townley, hadbeen conveyed to London, and tried for high treason, in July 1746. Some were reprieved and pardoned; others were executed, with all thehorrid accompaniments prescribed by the law. The heads of Townley andone Captain Fletcher were placed upon Temple Bar. The heads of sevenothers, having been preserved in spirits, were at that timeornamenting posterns and public thoroughfares in Manchester, Preston, Wigan, and Carlisle, to the great comfort of the loyal andwell-disposed, and the grievous terror of the little children whopassed in and out thereat. Others, the noble leaders of this short andill-acted tragedy for the benefit of the selfish and bigoted Stuarts, suffered death; while others escaped, amongst whom was the titularEarl of Derwentwater, supposed to have been conveyed secretly aboardship for Scotland. 

In these rebellions, it may generally be said, that in the county ofLancaster, Catholics as well as Protestants displayed a firmattachment to the reigning family. Instances of defection were veryrare; and, when they occurred, might be imputed to some peculiarity inthe situation of the delinquents rather than to party or religiousfeelings. The romantic attempt of the young Chevalier, as displayed inthis rebellion, had in it something imposing to ardent andenthusiastic minds; and those who embraced his cause south of theTweed were principally young men of warm temperament, whoseimaginations were dazzled by the chivalrous character of theenterprise. [17]

About the close of day, the towers of "proud Preston" were seen risingabove the broad sweep of the river below Penwortham Bridge. Thesituation chosen by our ancestors for the erection of "_Priest'sTown_"--so called because the majority of its inhabitants in formertimes were ecclesiastics--evinces the discriminating eye of a priest, and shows that, whether the religious orders selected a site for anabbey or for a city, they were equally felicitous in their choice. Placed at a convenient distance from the sea, upon the elevated banksof one of the finest rivers in England, with a mild climate and a drysoil, and commanding a rich assemblage of picturesque views, in one ofthe most interesting portions of Ribblesdale, the spirit of St Wilfredhimself, to whom the parish church is dedicated, and who was the mostaccomplished ecclesiastic of his age, must have animated the mind thatfixed upon this spot. [18]

Grimes, adjusting his satchel and other appendages, trudged warily on, according to the directions he had procured from his guides, inrespect to lodgings. His route lay up Fishergate; and on his way, nearthe Town Hall, his progress was interrupted by a dense crowd. Thesoldiers and local authorities were just conveying a prisoner of somenote from the hall of justice to head-quarters at the Bull Inn, undera strong guard. 

Grimes, impelled by curiosity, and likewise having an idea that itmight be one of the rebels, with whom he still connected thedisappearance of his daughter, thrust himself, edgeways, into thecrowd; his primitive appearance causing no slight merriment amongstthe bystanders. 

Guarded by soldiery and a bevy of constables before and behind, came atall, muscular figure, attired in a ragged suit--probably a disguise, and not of the most reputable or becoming description. He lookedhaggard and dejected--harassed, in all likelihood, by long watchingand fatigue. His hair was intensely black, surmounted by a coarse capor bonnet, such as the mechanics then wore at their ordinaryoccupations. 

The old man looked steadfastly at the prisoner. 

"Surely it cannot be!" said he half-aloud. He pressed into theforemost rank, and near enough to receive a lusty blow from one of theconstables; but not before he had, with an exclamation of joy andastonishment, recognised the features of his former servant and dumbinmate at the farm. 

Grimes, caring not a whit for the blow, in his ready and imprudentzeal stepped up to the leader of the party, thinking there wasdoubtless some mistake in the person they had seized, and anxious, too, for an opportunity of speaking with the prisoner anent hiserrand. 

"Stand back!" said the official representative gruffly. 

"Friend, I know thy prisoner well. He was lodged and victualled at myhouse not six weeks agone. "

"The ---- he was; then we may as well try a hand with thee too, " saidthe constable. 

But the simplicity and openness of the old man was his protection; forthe constable walked on, without deigning to bend his truncheon tosuch low and inglorious enterprise. 

"But look thee, " said the pertinacious and unsuspecting fisherman, "heis my servant; and you are i' the wrong to capture him without myprivity. "

"And who art thou?" inquired another of these myrmidons of justice, eyeing Grimes and the cut of his habiliments from head to foot. "I dobethink me thou art i' the roll. Thee would make a grim fixture for apole here hard by. " He looked significantly towards the reward oftreason hung in front of the Town Hall above them. 

"Like enough!" said the other, taking the offender by the collar; who, astonished beyond measure at this proceeding, was unable for a whileto give such an account of himself as to satisfy the officers andregain his liberty. The prisoner looked at him, but did not betray theleast symptom of acknowledgment. 

"Ill-mannered varlet!" thought the old man; "but what can they bea-wanting with our Dummy?"

Still urged on by the crowd, he resolved to see an end of thebusiness; so, pushing with them through the gateway of the inn, hecame so near the prisoner as to touch him gently by the sleeve duringthe press and scuffle in the entry. For a moment--and it was a glanceobserved by the fisherman alone--the pale features of the unfortunaterebel showed a glimpse of recognition; but immediately they relapsedinto their former stern though melancholy expression. 

Being much amazed at this conduct, the old man could not forbearexclaiming--

"Varlet!--my daughter--thou"----But the prisoner was out of sight andhearing, and the crowd were driven from the gateway. Grimes heard afew of the bystanders speaking of some great man that was taken, andof the reward that would be obtained for his apprehension; but the oldfisherman smiled at their ignorance. He knew better. It was none otherthan his dumb retainer at the farm; and he set his wits to work--nodespicable auxiliaries at a pinch--in order to procure an interview. 

In vain he attempted to persuade such of the crowd as would give him ahearing of the real state of the case, and the great injustice of theman's arrest. But they listened to him with impatience and suspicion. The old man was doubtless either crazed or guilty as one of the rebelpartisans. 

"I tell thee what, old crony; if thou dost not change thy quarters, wewill lay thee by the heels i' the cage, presently. Budge! move, quick;or"----Here the speaker, a little authoritative-looking personage, would have made a movement corresponding to the words; but Grimes, perceiving that he was not to be trifled with, unwillingly drew asideout of harm's way. 

Hungry, weary, and dispirited, the old man inquired his way to anobscure lodging in one of the wynds near the market. It was a low, dismal-looking tavern, wherein sat two or three unwashed artificers, drinking beer and devouring the news. 

"I'm right fain he's taken, " said one of the politicians, whose blackleathern apron and smutty face betokened his occupation. "There's butold Lovat, they say, now, to chop shorter by a handful of brains. Proud Preston, say I, for ever. Hurra!"

"Ay, and the mayor's wife too, say I; and may she never want a pair ofgarters to tuck round a rebel's neck!" replied a little giggling, good-humoured fellow, who seemed to imbibe ale as he drew hisbreath--both being vitally necessary to his existence. 

"She's a rare wench, and would sooner see a rebel hanged, than bod hernose at a basin of swig and roasted apples. "

"She played the husband's part to some purpose when Charles Edwardlevied the tribute forsooth, Mr Mayor being gone to look after hischildren, by Longridge; but old Sam the beadle says he was afeard o'the wild Highlanders, and slunk out of the way. "

Whilst this conversation was going on Grimes untied his handkerchief, doffed his stocking boots, and embracing his satchel, drew forth apiece of hard, unsavoury cheese, and some barley-cake, with which heproceeded to entertain, if not satisfy, his stomach. A glass of beerfinished this frugal repast, when the old man retired into the shadowof a huge projecting chimney, ruminating on the perplexities by whichhe was encompassed, and on the possibility of his final extrication. Opposite to him, in the shadow, as if shunning observation, satanother person who appeared wishful to avoid any intercourse with theguests. Grimes stretched his gaunt figure on a bench beside thehearth, as though desirous to let in the dark waters of oblivion uponhis spirit. 

The hostess was bustling in and out, doubtless impatient at thisprolonged stay when the cup was empty; and, in one of these inspectoryvisits, the old man addressed her, scarcely raising his contemplativegaze from the embers, where he had been poking his eyes out for thelast half-hour. 

"I want a bed for the night, good dame. "

"We have none to spare, " said the dissatisfied landlady--"for suchguests as thee, " perhaps she would have added, but the stranger fromthe opposite corner interrupted her. 

"He shall have mine: I can lie on the squab. "

The voice of the speaker was soft and musical, apparently in adisguised tone. 

"You're very kind, sir, " said the hostess; "but this over-thriftycustomer may find other guess places i' the town; unless, indeed, hechooses to pay handsomely for the lodging. "

"And then, maybe, " said the stranger, "the siller would find out a bedto lie in. "

"I could lend him mine, perhaps, " returned the accommodating landlady. 

"Then here's a crown, " said the other, "and let the old man be bothfed and bedded. I have money enough; and his purse, I think, is notoverstocked with provision, if we may guess by the lining of hiswallet. "

The dame, growing courteous in an instant, promised as good a bed asKing George himself slept in that blessed night. The astonishedfisherman could hardly credit his senses. He thanked his stars forthis unexpected interposition; nor would he refuse the gift, thoughfrom the hands of a stranger. 

The latter shortly afterwards retired to rest; and the politicalweaver and blacksmith, having settled the hanging, drawing, andquartering of the unfortunate prisoner, not without a full andminute-description of this disgusting and barbarous, though to themdiverting process, called for a parting cup, to drink confusion to therebels and a speedy dismissal to the Chevalier. 

Old Grimes retired also; and in a low wide room, white-washed andbare-walled, containing a broken chair, two-thirds of a table, and abed without tester, covered with a thick blue quilt, was deposited themortal fabric of the weary fisherman. 

He could not sleep for a considerable time; the strange events he hadwitnessed, the excitement he had undergone, together with the rudebrawls beneath his window, prevented him from closing his eyes untilpast midnight. He heard not a few loyal home-made songs, by thered-hot braggarts, pot-valiant and full of "gentle minstrelsie, " asthey trolled lustily past his lodging. Amongst many others, thefollowing seemed an especial favourite:--

 1. "Down wi' the Papists an' a', man, Down wi' the priest and confession; Down wi' the Charlies an' a', man, And up wi' the Duke an' the nation. 

 2. "There's Townley, an' Fletcher, an' Syddal, And Nairn, wi' his breeks wrang side out, man; Some ran without breeks to their middle, But Charlie ran fastest about, man. "

After a while, the sounds began to mingle confusedly with the imagesfloating on his own sensorium. He felt as though unable to separatethem: ideal forms took up the real impressions, and arrayed themselvesso cunningly withal, that to his mind's eye the image of his daughterseemed to approach. The brawling ceased; the room was lighted up. Itwas his own chamber, and Katherine sprang towards him, smiling as shewas wont, for her usual "Good-night. " "God bless thee, my child!" saidhe, as he threw his arms about her. Starting up, awake, at the soundof his own voice, he found that he had not grasped a shadow; but abeing, real and substantial, was in his embrace. Grimes was horriblyalarmed. 

"Father, it is I, " said a soft whisper. It was the voice of hisdaughter. 

"Hush!" said she; "be silent, for your life and mine. You shall knowall; but not now. Fear not for me. I'm safe; but I will not leave_him_--my companion--yonder unfortunate captive. Help me, and I'llcontrive his rescue. "

"_Thy_ companion, wench! why, how is this? Art"----

"Honest and true, as he is faithful. We may yet be happy as we oncewere, when this fearful extremity is past. Say no more; we may beoverheard. Now aid me; for without our help he is lost! and, oh, refuse not this one, perhaps this last request of thy child!"

She fell upon his neck, and the old man was moved to an unwontedexpression of tenderness; for truly his daughter was dearer to himthan any earthly object; and still dearer in the moment when the lostone was restored. 

"To-morrow night, " said the maiden, "bring your boat, with four stoutrowers, to the quay at Preston Marsh. Let me see; ay, the moon is neartwo days old, and the tide will serve from nine till midnight. Youknow the channel well, and wait there until I come. "

"Kattern, thou shall go with me. I'll not leave thee now. "

"Nay, " said the faithful girl; "I must not; I _will_ not. There islife depending on my endeavours. Father, " continued she, throwing herarms round the old man's neck, who now sobbed aloud, "hear me; nopower shall force me to leave him now in misery and misfortune. Iwould move the very stones for his rescue; and cannot I move thee?"

"Well, Kattern, I am a silly and a weak old body, and thou--But thouart disguised. Where didst get that coat? and--I declare--trousers. For shame, wench!"

"Nay, you shall know all, father, when I return; when we havedelivered him, and not before. "

The old man was too much overjoyed not to promise the requisiteattendance. 

"My life depends on 't, father; so good-night. "

"Stay--stay, wench--a moment!"

But a light step, and the sound of a gently-closing door, announcedher departure; and Grimes was forced to remain, where he lay sleeplesson his pallet, impatiently awaiting daybreak. 

With the first peep of dawn was old Grimes astir; and the lark was butjust fluttering from the dew when the quaint, angular form of themariner was again seen plodding towards the coast. 

"Since that plaguy box came into my fingers, I've had neither rest norluck. I'll ne'er meddle with stray goods again while I live!" and inthis comfortable determination he continued, thinking of his bonnyKattern to lighten the toil of his long and lonesome journey. 

The same day the sun lighted early on the towers and gables of "ProudPreston. " Longridge Fell threw off its wreath of mist; but on theriver a long and winding vapour followed its course, everythingbetokening one of those pure, exhilarating days that so rarely visitour watery and weeping regions. 

 * * * * *

The mayor was but just awakened; yet Mrs Mayor had long beenvigilantly engaged in household and political affairs (for she ruledthe civic power in Preston's thrice happy borough), when a strangercame on some business of importance. 

"What is your will, my good friend?" inquired the mayoress, taking offa light pair of shagreen-mounted spectacles; for being of thatdebatable age when time is hardly known by his advances on the person, having just mounted these helps occasionally, as she said, whenmending a pen or sewing fine work, she cared not to show that theywere in use at other seasons more germane to their purpose. 

"I would have a word in private with the mayor. "

"Mr Mayor has no words in private that come not through his lady'sear. Once more, your business?"

"I must see him, and alone, " said the intruder. 

"_Must_ see him?" replied the female diplomatist; "I tell you that youshall not see him before I am acquainted with the cause. I hear yourmaster on the floor above, " said she to a servant who had justentered; "tell him he need not hurry down; breakfast is not yetready. "

The servant retired as he was bid; but, having heard more of theforegoing colloquy than his mistress intended, the message, asdelivered to his worship, was of an opposite tenor from what he hadbeen charged with. The stranger continued firm in his determinationnot to divulge his errand; and the anxiety of the ruling power toascertain his motive would not suffer her to dismiss him. 

Great was the disappointment and dark the storm on the lady's brow, when, beslippered and begowned, came in hastily the chief magistrateof this ancient borough. 

"A word in your worship's ear, " said the stranger; "my time is shortand the affair is urgent. "

"Speak out; my wife shares the burdens of this office, and, indeed"----

"But, sir, I crave an audience in private. Should you not grant myrequest, there be other ears shall have the benefit of what is meantfor your own. "

The magistrate quailed before the terrors of his wife's frown; buthowever dangerous the duty--and it was fraught with no ordinaryperil--still, in his official capacity, he could not refuse to grantthe stranger a private interview. 

The mayor was a round, full-eyed personage, whose cheek and nosedisplayed the result of many a libation to the jolly god. Short-legged, short-breathed, and full-paunched, he strode, quick andlaborious, like a big-bellied cask set in motion, as if glad toescape, into a small back chamber, furnished with two stools, a desk, and sundry big books--implements in use only as touching his privateaffairs. 

"Now, sir, " said his majesty's vicegerent, puffing from unwontedexertion, "it is my lot to fill the civic chair in these troubloustimes; and truly my portion is not in pleasant places; but I am loyal, sir, loyal. The king has knighted many a servant less worthy thanmyself; and, but that Mrs Mayor is looking forward to the title, therewould be little good-will to the office from 'my lady' that is to be. Now, sir. "

The garrulous and ambitious minister of justice here paused, more forlack of breath than words or will to utter them; and the stranger, whohad hitherto kept his hat just below his chin, waiting for a pause inthis monologue, replied--

"My message respects your prisoner. "

"Well, sir, go on. Proceed, sir, I say. What! can't you speak? Whystand there as if stricken dumb in our presence?"

The stranger did proceed the moment that an interval was granted. 

"I am brief, your worship. "

"Brief--brief--so am I; and my lady--that is, Mrs Mayor--though shelikes that I should, in some sort, furnish my tongue to anacquaintance with the speech, so that I often speak of and to her assuch, you observe, that when it may seem good unto his Majesty'spleasure, knighting my poor honesty"--here he made a slightobeisance--"the words may fall trippingly off the tongue, as though wewere used to the title, and wore our honours like they who be born tothem, sir. Proceed, sir. Why stand dilly-dallying here? Am I to waityour pleasure?"

"Mine errand is simply this:--A plot is laid for the escape of yourprisoner on his way to London; so that, unless means be taken tohinder it, he will be liberated. "

"Escape!--what?--where? We will raise the soldiery. How say you? Iwill tell my lady instantly. Escape! If he escape I am undone. Myknighthood--my knighthood, sir, is lost for ever; and my lady--shewill ne'er look kindly on me again. "

Here the little man arose, and, in great agitation, would have soughtcounsel from his wife, but the stranger prevented him. 

"This must not be; 'tis for your ear alone. Stay!"

His worship was too much alarmed to resist; and the other led himgently from the door. 

"If you will be guided by me you may prevent this untoward event. Lethim be conveyed with all speed aboard the king's ship that is in theIrish Channel yonder; so shall you quit your hands of him, andfrustrate the plans of his confederates. This must be done secretly, or his friends may get knowledge of the matter, who have had a shiplong waiting for him privily on the coast to convey him forthwith toScotland. "

"I will about it directly. Dear me, I have left my glasses. Thetown-clerk must be apprised. The jailer--ay, good--thinkest thou hehad not best be committed to jail?"

"Peradventure it will be prudent to do this. I will bear your ordersto the town-clerk for his removal. "

"What, immediately?"

"When your worship thinks best; but I would recommend despatch. "

"I will about it instantly. There--there--take this. I shall be at theclerk's office myself shortly. Tell Mr Clerk to be discreet until Icome. "

The little twinkling eyes of the functionary were overflowing at thegood fortune which revealed to him alone this vile Popish treason. Thus happily frustrated by himself, it would doubtless be the meansof raising him from plebeian ranks to the honours of knighthood, perhaps further. His head grew dizzy at the prospect. He shook thestranger by the hand, who bowed and withdrew. 

Soon a little antiquated clerk, with green spectacles mounted in hugeblack rims, and a skin like unto shrivelled parchment, was seenaccompanying the stranger to the inn. 

The bolts opened to this demi-official, and they were at once usheredinto the prisoner's chamber. He had already arisen, and was pacing theapartment in great haste. 

"We come, sir, " said the clerk, "to announce your removal; but firstwe search for plots. This rebel's disguise--where, sayest thou, is itconcealed?"

"Upon his person, " said the stranger. 

"Pray doff that noble suit, sir, " said the jocose purveyor of justice. 

The prisoner, with an angry scowl, in which both grief andastonishment were mingled, silently obeyed the mandate; and displayed, underneath these coarse habiliments, a complete suit of femaleapparel--the very clothes worn by Katherine Grimes at the time of herdisappearance. 

"A well-contrived disguise, sir, truly. I wot you can suddenly changeyour gender at a pinch, " said the clerk, chuckling at his ownimpertinence. But the prisoner, no longer dumb, as aforetime at thefarm, answered, in a voice that awed even this presuming minion, withall the attributes of both law and power at his grasp. 

"Why call you me sir, Sir Knave? I own no nicknames, and I answer tonone. My title is Derwentwater. "

"The titular earl, truly; but now Charles Ratcliffe, since yourbrother was"----

"Hanged, thou wouldst say, " said the unfortunate and attainted peer, interrupting him; "it was his lot, as I pray thine may be, when theking shall have his own again. Silence!" continued he, in a commandingtone, as one accustomed to be obeyed. "I own it was my purpose toescape; but there is treachery in the camp--treachery in our ownbosom--treachery"--here he cast a keen glance at the stranger--"ay, where our best feelings were cherished. I have leaned on a spear, andit hath pierced me! deeper than I thought--in this hard and searedheart. "

A strong and painful emotion came over his dark features; he clenchedhis hands; but the stranger betrayed no symptoms of compunction. 

"Now, sir, I am ready, " said the earl; "make my fetters tight; orperhaps I may be spared that indignity. "

But the proud Earl of Derwentwater would not stoop to propitiate. 

"Nay, bind them, and I will be prouder of their insignia than of allthe honours, all the trappings, that George Guelph can bestow. "

"We have orders merely for your safe keeping in the jail, " said theclerk; "to which the proper officers will see you conveyed. "

He was accordingly removed to the town jail, then situated to the westof Friargate. This building had been formerly a Franciscan convent ofGrey Friars, or Friars Minor, built by Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, sonof Henry III. , in 1221, to which Robert de Holland, who impeachedThomas, Earl of Lancaster, for high treason, contributed largely, andwas buried there. In its original state it was a small collegiatebuilding, with a chapel attached to its quadrangular cloisters. By themutations of time, it became the residence of the Breares ofHammerton, in Bowland; next a house of correction, until the prison atthe bottom of Church Street was erected in 1790. 

The clerk, being more particular in his inquiries than his worship, addressed the stranger as follows when their mission was ended:--

"Thou hast given good evidence of this plot, and too full ofcircumstance and confirmation to be disbelieved. The name is Oswaldthou sayest, and one of the party who have plotted for his rescue?"

"I have told thee of this before, " replied the stranger, sullenly. 

"What should prompt thee to betray him?"

"The same that prompts thee to minister to the hangman's trade--gold!"

"Humph!" replied the other drily, wiping his spectacles; "and whatwill satisfy your craving?"

"Why, thinkest thou that I deserve not a reward for my loyalty andreadiness to reveal this plot? I will to London with the prisoner; theking will not fail to grant me great largess for what this proudlack-land calls my treachery. "

"Why an it be a noose mayhap: for my part, " continued the greedy anddisappointed man of law, "I have touched never a doit of the bounty, though I have got many a sound rating, and am harder worked than agalley-slave, without even so much as a 'thank ye' for my pains. Themayor himself, who dreams he shall be knighted, may whistle a duetwith 'my lady' as he calls her, as long as a county precept, or erehis title be forthcoming, though it be only a puff of empty breath. There's no luck in being loyal; neither honour nor honesty thrivetherein. But 'tis the spoke that's uppermost; and so are we. "

"Thinkest thou that I may get no share of the reward for hisapprehension?" inquired the avaricious betrayer. 

"Yes; Judas's reward, maybe, who sold his Master, " said theindomitable clerk, much diverted by his own talents for tormenting. "Hold--I bethink me thou mayest claim the earl's linsey-woolsey gownand petticoats. "

A loud laugh proclaimed that he had fully appreciated his own wit;though the stranger made no comments thereon. 

"To-night, thou sayest, a boat will be in readiness, one hour beforemidnight and by the mayor's orders?"

"Yes; arrangements will be made, and soon after daylight we shall haveour prisoner safe aboard the king's cruiser, " replied the stranger, "for I know her bearing to a league. "

"Thou wilt with us then?"

"Why, ay, if they will grant me a free passage. I would fain see himsafe at head-quarters. "

"I know not but thou art right; though, rest thee satisfied, he shallbe sufficiently guarded. "

The worthies here separated--one to his indictments and his desk, theother to gloat on the mischief he had either committed or prevented. 

About an hour before midnight a heavy jarring sound announced to theprisoner that the time was at hand for his departure. 

"Quick--quick, sir, " said the jailer; "the mayor and his posse willsee you safe aboard. "

"The mayor! Wherefore comes he to swell the procession?"

"A prisoner of your rank and influence must be well looked after, Iguess. The mayor will see you safely afloat, sir, and then he may gohome with a quiet heart. He has had sore misgivings on account of yoursafety. "

The earl accompanied his keeper; a close carriage was at the gate, well guarded. Mr Mayor and his green-eyed clerk took their seats withthe prisoner: and the heavy vehicle rumbled dismally through the nowdeserted streets, wakening many a drowsy burgher as it passed. 

They gained the low landing-place without interruption, having takenthe precaution to chain the legs and wrists of their prisoner toprevent escape. The mayor and his shadow, the gossiping clerk, steppedout first, the carriage being well guarded on each side. Conductedalong a jet or wooden pier, they saw a fishing-boat lying beneath. Thewaves flapped heavily on her sides, beating to and fro against thepier. Four rowers were leaning silently on their oars, awaiting thearrival of their cargo; their dark, low-crowned hats heaving above thedim light which yet lay upon the water. 

The wind howled in the rising sail, and the creaking cordage whistledthrough the block. The sail was hoisted. The wind was fresh, and therowers raised their oars. The earl was lifted into the boat by two ofthe attendants. The jailer next stepped in; three other myrmidons ofjustice followed. 

"You know the offing well, my lads, I guess?" said the jailer. 

"Ay, ay, sir, " replied several voices. 

"Where is the king's cutter?" said he, addressing the stranger, whowas already in the boat. 

"Lying to, between us and the Peel of Fouldrey, " replied he. 

"This is a strange boat I think, " said the inquisitive jailer. 

"We came with fish to market from Church Town, " was the reply. 

"One of your own men engaged her, " said the stranger; "and these havegrumbled long and hard enough, that they should have the ill-luck tobe pressed into this disagreeable service. "

"I would you had laid your paws on some other boat. We shall ha' na'luck after this, " said the elder of the seamen. "You may hire anothernow, and welcome. "

But there were none at hand. The jailer, with a hearty curse at hisinsolence, bade him be silent and push off. 

"Hast thou gotten the memorial touching my poor services to the king?"inquired the trenchant mayor. 

"Have ye gotten the warrant safe, and the prisoner in close custody?"inquired the clerk. 

But the boat pushed from shore, and the answer was scarce heard, mingling with the rush of the waves and the hollow wind, while thetrampling of horses and the rumbling of the coach announced thedeparture of Preston's high and illustrious ruler and his learnedclerk: one to dream of swords, knights, and drawing-rooms; the otherto soar through those mystic regions, sublime andincomprehensible--the awful, inscrutable forms, fictions, andsubtleties of law. 

The boat soon gained the mid-channel. The wind was favourable, and thetide, beginning to return, swept them rapidly down the river. Thestranger, at whose instigation this plan had been adopted, lay in thelittle cabin, or rather coop, wrapped in a fisherman's coat, apparently asleep. Derwentwater sought not repose; he sat, moody andsilent, in a deep reverie, unconscious or insensible to all but hisown dark and untoward fate. 

The loud dash and furrowing of the wave, the roar of the wind, and thecry of the boatman as he gave the soundings, were often the onlyaudible sounds. No one was inclined to converse, and the roll andpitching of the boat when they approached the river's mouth made thejailer and his friends still less willing to disturb their comrades. 

After nearly four hours the lights of the little fishing hamlet ofLytham were passed, and they were fast entering upon the open sea. Thestranger came out of the cabin, stationing himself by the steersman. They were evidently on the look-out for signals. It was not yetdaybreak, and the wind was from the north, a bitter and a biting air, that made the jailer's teeth to chatter as he raised himself up toexamine their course and situation as well as the darkness wouldpermit. 

"How long run we on through these great blubbering waves ere we endour voyage? This night wind is worse than a Robin Hood's thaw. "

"We will hoist signals shortly, " was the reply; "if the ship is withinsight, she will answer and bring to. "

"Have ye any prog[iv] aboard?" inquired the officer. 

A bottle was handed to him. He drank eagerly of the liquor, and gavethe remainder to his assistants. 

"I wish with all my heart, " said he, "the prisoner were safe out of mycustody, and I on my way back. I had as lief trot a hundred miles onland bare-back as sit in this confounded swing for a minute. How myhead reels!"

He leaned against one of the benches, to all appearance squeamish andindisposed. 

A faint light now flickered on the horizon and disappeared. Again. Itseemed to rise above the deep. They were evidently approaching towardsit, and the stranger spoke something in a low tone to the steersman. 

"Yonder it be, I reckon, " said the jailer, lifting up his head onhearing an unusual bustle amongst the crew. "I am fain to see it, forI am waundy qualmish dancing to this up-an'-down tune, wi' nought butthe wind for my fiddle. "

"And who pays the piper?" asked a wavering voice from below. 

"Thee Simon Catterall, bumbailiff, catchpole, thieftaker, and"----

Here a sudden lurch threw the jailer on his beam-ends. A pause was theresult, which this worthy official was not inclined to interrupt. 

A light hitherto concealed, was now hoisted up to the masthead. Thiswas apparently answered by another signal at no great distance. 

"Friends!" said the stranger; "and now hold on to your course. "

They had passed the banks and were some leagues from shore. Morningwas feebly dawning behind them, when the dark hull of a ship, rapidlyenlarging, seemed to rise out, broad and distinct, from the thin misttowards the west. The loud and incessant moan of the waves, the dashand recoil of their huge tops breaking against the sides of thevessel, with voices from on board, were distinctly heard, andimmediately the boat was alongside. 

The transfer of their cargo was a work of more difficulty, partlyowing to the clumsiness and unseamanlike proceedings of the men whohad charge of the prisoner, and partly owing to the light being yettoo feeble for objects to be distinctly seen. A considerable intervalin consequence elapsed ere the jailer, his assistants, and theircharge were hoisted on the deck, not of a trim, gallant war-ship, wellgarrisoned and appointed, but of a lubberly trading vessel, redolentof tar, grease, and fish-odours, bound for merry Scotland. 

"Yoh-o-ih! There--helm down--back maintopsail. So, masters, we hadnigh slipped hawser and away. Why, here have we been beating about andabout for three long nights; by day we durst not be seen in-shore. Yoncruiser overhauls everything from a crab to a crab-louse. What! gotpart of your company in the gyves! Where is the earl?"

"Here!" said the prisoner, coolly. 

"Hold, captain, " cried the wondering jailer, "the vessel goes not onher voyage until I and two of my friends here depart with the boat; wego not farther with our prisoner. The remaining two will suffice tosee him delivered up at head-quarters. Yet, this cannot be. " Here thebewildered officer looked round. "I have a warrant to commit thisrebel unto the safe keeping of--ay, the captain of his majesty'scutter, the _Dart_. But this, " surveying the deck with a suspiciousglance, "is as frowsy and fusty a piece of ship-timber as ever stowedcoals and cods' tails between her hatches. I pray we be not nabbed!"said he in a supplicating tone to his head craftsman. 

The prisoner himself seemed as much surprised as any of the group; butthe stranger, now addressing him, unravelled the mystery. 

"My lord; I am no traitor; though until now labouring under thatimputation; but you are amongst friends. Thanks to a woman's wits, weare, despite guards, bolts, and fetters, aboard the vessel which waswaiting for us when you were surprised and seized, unfortunately, aswe were trying our escape towards the coast. With the aid of myparent, I have been at last successful. You are now free!" It wasKatherine who said this. 

She changed her hitherto muffled voice as she continued:--"Captain, wehave nabbed as cunning a jailer as ever took rogue to board in a stonecrib. We will trouble thee to use thy craft; undo these fetters, prithee. He must with you, captain, till you can safely leave him andhis companions ashore; but use him well for his vocation's sake. Mylord, through weal and woe I have been your counsellor--your friend;but we must now part--'tis fitting we should. While you were injeopardy, that alone could excuse my flight. Should better timescome!"----Her voice faltered; she could not proceed; and old Grimesdrew his hat over his face. 

"Father, " said Katherine, "you will take me to our home again. I willbe all to you once more; and to my mother, now that _he_ is safe. "

One kiss from the gallant earl, and the high-minded, though low-born, maiden stepped into the boat. One wave of the hand, when the morningmist interposed its white veil, and parted them for ever;--yet notbefore old Grimes, taking a last survey of the vessel, was quite surehe saw the magician of the casket looking at him over the ship's side. In all probability his fancy had not deceived him; the affair of thecasket, though supposed by the fisherman to be altogether of asupernatural nature, was, in all likelihood, a means of supplying theearl with money and information to aid his escape. 

The subsequent history of this unfortunate but misguided chieftain, whose daring and audacious bravery was worthy of a better cause and amore disinterested master, is but too well known. 

The vessel, being ill equipped and hardly sea-worthy, was pursued--theearl taken, and an ignominious death gave to the world assurance of atraitor. 

[Illustration: THE MAID'S STRATAGEM]

THE MAID'S STRATAGEM;

OR, THE CAPTIVE LOVER. 

 "Let me alone with him. If I do not gull him into a nayword, and make him a common recreation, do not think I have wit enough to lie straight in my bed. "

 --_Twelfth Night. _

 The following tale is perhaps the most apocryphal in our series. There has been considerable difficulty in fixing its locality: and, indeed, we are hardly sure that the names, dates, and places we have hit upon, will answer to the facts in every particular. We have done our best to verify it, and have succeeded, we trust, in the attempt, more to our reader's satisfaction than our own. 

"There be more fools than farthingales, and more braggarts thanbeards, in this good land of ours. A bald-faced impertinent! it shouldcost the grand inquisitor a month's hard study to invent a punishmentfor him. This pretty morsel! Hark thee, wench; I'll render hislove-billet to thine ear. Listen and be discreet. 

 "'If my sighs could waft the soft cargo of their love to thy bosom, I would freight the vessel with my tears, and her sails should be zephyr's wings, and her oars love's fiercest darts. If I could tell but the lightest part of mine agony, your heart, though it were adamant, would melt in the furnace of my speech, and your torture should not abate till one kind glance had irradiated the bosom of your most unhappy, and most wretched of lovers, ANTONIO. '

"Now for the _post scriptum_. If thy sighs be as long as thineears, ----help the furnace they are blown through. Again. 

 "'If one ray of compassion lurks in your bosom, lady, let those radiant fingers illuminate your pen, touching one little word by way of answer to this love-billet, though it were but as a rope thrown out in this overwhelming ocean of love to keep from sinking your unhappy slave. These from my dwelling at ----. '

"O' my troth, answer thou shalt have, and that quickly, on thy fool'spate. Dost think, Marian, it were not a deed worth trying, to quellthis noisome brute with a tough cudgel?"

"It were too good for him, " replied the maid; "but if you will trustthe rather to my conceits, lady, we will make this buzzard spin. Heshall dance so rare a coarnto[v] for our pastime; beshrew me, but I wouldnot miss the sport for my best holiday favours. "

But we leave the beauteous Kate and her mischief-loving maiden, toplot and machinate against the unsuspecting lover. It behoveth us, moreover, to be absent for a somewhat grave and weighty reason, towit, that when women are a-plotting, another and a more renownedpersonage--the _beau ideal_ of whose dress and personal appearance, according to the testimony of a reverend divine, consists of a blackcoat and blue breeches--generally contrives to be present, as was bythat learned dignitary umquhile set forth in a well-known ditty, ofwhich the veracity is only equalled by the elegance and propriety ofthe subject, and the classical dignity of its composition. 

Leaving them, though in somewhat dangerous company, we just glance atthe lover, whose epistle to the proud maiden proved so galling to herhumours. 

Master Anthony Hardcastle was the only son of a substantial yeoman ofgood repute long resident in ----. Dying he left him, when scarcely atman's estate, the benefit of a good name, besides a rich store ofsubstance, in the shape of broad pieces, together with lands andlivings. The sudden acquisition of so much loose wealth to one whoseutmost limit of spending money aforetime had been a penny at Easterand a groat at Michaelmas, did seem like the first breaking forth ofa mighty torrent, pent up for past ages, forming its own wild andwilful channel, in despite of all bounds and impediments. Hiseducation had been none of the most liberal or extensive; and, astonished at his own aggrandisement, he found himself at onceelevated into an object of importance ere he could estimate his ownrelative insignificance in the great world around him. Thus he becamean easy prey to the hordes of idlers and braggarts with whom heassociated. He had been to town, kept company with some of the leadingcut-and-thrust bullies of the day; but Nature had denied him theheadstrong boldness, the desperate recklessness of disposition, requisite for this amiable occupation. His infirmity had consequentlyoften led him to play the coward. At the same time it probably was themeans of restraining him from many of those evils into which hislavish and simple disposition might have been enticed, and he was nowsettling down quietly in the character of a good-natured, well-furnished simpleton. Fond of dress and a gaudy outside, he aimedat ladies' hearts through the medium of silken cloaks and ponderousshoe-buckles;--designing to conquer not a few of the fair dames withwhom he associated. But, alas! the perversity of woman had hithertorendered his efforts unavailing; still an overweening opinion of hisown pretensions to their favour prevented him from giving up thepursuit, every succeeding mishap in no wise hindering him fromfollowing the allurements of the next fair object that flutteredacross his path. He had heard of the wit and beauty of Kate Anderton, only daughter to Justice Anderton of Lostock Hall, a bluff and honestsquire who spent his mornings in the chase and his evenings in therevel incident thereto; a man well looked upon by his lessdistinguished neighbours, being of a benevolent disposition, and muchgiven to hospitality. Kate's disposition was fiery and impetuous, buttempered withal so pleasantly by the sweetness of a naturally tenderand affectionate spirit, that you loved her the better for these sharpand wayward ingredients, which prevented that sweetness from cloying. 

Master Anthony, hearing of this goodly maiden, found himself, aftersecretly beholding her, moved to the exploit of winning and wearing inhis bosom so precious a gem, which many a high-flown gallant hadessayed to appropriate. He began the siege by consulting the mostapproved oracles and authorities of the time for the construction oflove-billets. The cut and fashion of the paper, too, were matters ofdeep and anxious consideration. Folded and perfumed, the missile wasdespatched, and the result was such as we have just seen. 

Upon this memorable day, it then drawing on towards eventide, Anthony, full of solicitude and musing on the fate of his billet, was spreadinghimself out, like a newly-feathered peacock, in the trim garden behindhis dwelling. A richly-embroidered Genoa silk waistcoat andamber-coloured velvet coat glittered in the declining sun, like thechurch weathercock perched just above him at a short distance from thehouse. 

The mansion of Squire Anderton lay a few miles off; yet there had beensufficient time for the return of his trusty valet, who was the bearerof this love-billet. Several times had he paced the long straightgravel walk stretching from the terrace to the Chinese temple, and asoften had he mounted the terrace itself to look out for the well-knownfigure of Hodge, ere the hind was descried through a cloud of hotdust, urging on his steed to the extremity of a short but laborioustrot. Needless were it to dwell upon the anxiety and foreboding withwhich he awaited the nearer approach of this leaden-heeled Mercury. Tolovers the detail would be unnecessary, and to others descriptionwould fail to convey our meaning. 

"I ha't, measter. "

"What hast thou brought, Hodge?"

"A letter. "

"Quick--quick, fellow. Canst not give it me?"

"Ay, i' fackens; but where is it?"

Great was the consternation depicted in the flat and vapid face of theboor as he fumbled in his pocket, turned out the lining, and gropeddown incontinently "five fathom deep, " into his nether appendages; butstill no letter was forthcoming. 

"She gi'ed me one, though; an' where it is----I'se sure it waur here, an'----Bodikins if those de'ilments hanna twitched it out o'my----Thoose gigglin' wenches i' th' buttery took it when I waur butputting my nose to the mug the last time, for a lift i' the stirrup. "

Terrible was the wrath and disapprobation evinced by Master Anthony atthis disaster. He had nigh despoiled the curls of his new wig, whichwere become twisted and awry with choler. 

Patiently to endure was the business of Hodge; and his master's furyhaving "sweeled" down into the socket, a few hasty flashes justglimmered out from the ignited mass, ere it was extinguished. 

"But thou hadst a letter--dolt--ass!"

"Ay, master, as sure as I am virtuous and well-favoured. "

"Then is the lady kindly affected towards my suit? But oh, thougull--thou dunderpate--thou losel knave, to lose one line moved by hersweet fingers. Get in; I'll not defile my rapier with beating of thee. Thanks to the lady thou hast just left; her condescension so affectethmy softer nature that I could not speak an angry word without weeping. March, rascal, and come not into my presence until thou art bidden, lest I make a thrust at thee with my weapon. O Katherine! my life--mylove, --'my polar star, my axle; where all desire, all thought, allpassions turn, and have their consequence!'"

Anthony had picked up this scrap from the players, with whom he hadsmoked, and committed the usual delinquencies, not peculiar to thatage of folly and licentiousness. 

"I'll go dream of thee where there be a bank of flowers. Here let melose myself in a delirium of sweets. "

Choosing a fair position, he squatted down upon a ripe strawberry bed, and great was the dismay with which he beheld the entire ruin of hisbest puce-coloured breeches. So sudden was the dissipation of hiscomplacency, that he determined to beat Hodge forthwith; to whichthrifty employment we commend him, whilst we address ourselves to thefurther development of our story. 

Near to the lower extremity of the village dwelt a maiden whose bloomhad been wasted, and whose matchless hopes were always frustrated eretheir accomplishment. Many a simpering look had she cast towards thegoodly raiment of Master Anthony, and some incipient notion wasentertained that the indweller at the big house was not averse to apeep, now and then, more tender than usual, at the window of MrsBridget Allport. When a boy, Anthony had been a sort of spoiled pet ofthe maiden, who was then opening into bloom, and the bud of promisebreaking forth in all its pride and loveliness. While Anthony's legswere getting rounder, and his face and figure more plump andcapacious, the person of Mistress Bridget was, alas! proceeding, unluckily, in a manner quite the reverse. Anthony's love had notquickened into fruition with his growth: but the lady kept a quickand wary eye upon his movements, and many a pang had his flatteringfavours caused in her too susceptible heart. 

Distantly related to the family, she sometimes visited Lostock Hall;and at the period when our narrative begins she was located therein. 

Kate had long been aware of her likings and mishaps, and was nostranger to her predilection for Master Anthony Hardcastle. 

The first overt act of mischief resulting from the plots of Kate andher maid was a smart tap at the door of Mistress Bridget, herbed-chamber, where she was indulging in reverie and romance; but theday being hot, she had fallen asleep, and was dreaming of "hearts, darts, and love's fires. " She started from this mockery of bliss atthe summons. 

"Prithee, Marian, what is it?"

"A billet from--I don't care to tell who!"

"A billet, sayest thou?--eh!--who can it be? What! It is--go away, mygood Marian; I cannot--oh! when will my poor heart----'_Waft a cargoof love to thy bosom. _' '_Melt in the furnace. _' Dear, delightfulpassion! How pure! Just like mine own, I declare. '_Harder thanadamant. _' Nay, thou wrongest me. Prithee, Marian, who--where is he?"

"A trusty messenger is below. " She dropped a handsome curtsy. 

"Give me my tablets and my writing-stool. O Marian! little did I thinkof this yesterday. When I was telling thee of--of--oh, I amdistraught!"

She commenced a score of times ere something in the shape of acommunication could be despatched. 

"There--there; let it be conveyed quick. Nay, I will see him myself. Lead me to him, girl. I will say how--and yet, this may look too boldand unmaidenly. Take it, good girl, and say--what thou thinkest best. "

Lightly did the laughing maiden trip through the great hall into thebuttery, where Hodge was ambushed along with a huge pie, fastlessening under his inspection. Her intention was not to have givenhim the billet, but she was suddenly alarmed at the approach ofMistress Bridget. Fearful lest the deception might be discovered, shehastily gave Hodge the precious deposit, trusting to some favourableopportunity when she might extract the letter from his pouch. Anoccasion shortly occurred, and Hodge was despatched, as we have seen, billetless, and unconscious of his loss. 

The lover was sore puzzled how to proceed. It was possible--nay, morethan probable--that the message might have appointed a meeting; ortwenty other matters, which he was utterly unable to conjecture, woman's brain being so fertile in expedients; and if he obeyed not herinjunctions it might be construed amiss, and unavoidably provedetrimental to his suit. Should he send back the messenger? She wouldperhaps laugh at him for his pains; and he was too much afraid of hercaprice to peril his adventure on this issue. A happy thought crossedhis brain; he capered about his little chamber; and could hardlygovern himself as the brilliant conception blazed forth on hisimagination. This bright phantasy was to be embodied in the shape of aserenade. It would be more in the romantic way of making love--wouldstimulate her passions--powerfully enlist her feelings in his favour, and doubtless bring on something like an appointment, or a permission, at any rate, to use a freer intercourse. 

"To-morrow night, " said he, rubbing his hands and stroking his softround chin, for be it understood, gentle reader, the youth was of atender and fair complexion, with little beard, save a slight blush onhis upper lip. He was not ill-favoured, but there was altogethersomething boyish and effeminate throughout his appearance, whichseemed not of the hue to win a lady's love. He could twang the guitar, and had at times made scraps of verse, which he trolled to many adamsel's ear, but to little purpose hitherto. 

On the morrow he watched the sun creep lazily up the sky, and morelazily down again. The old dial seemed equally dilatory and unwillingto move. He had sorted out his best and most ardent love sonnet, andstrummed as many jangling tunes as would have served a company ofmorris-dancers and pipers for a May festival. Twilight came on apace. The moon was fast mounting to her zenith. No chance of its being dark;so much the better--it would enable the lovers to distinguish eachother the more easily. 

Hodge had long been ready, and the steeds duly caparisoned. At length, reckoning that his arrival would take place about the time the ladyhad retired to her chamber, he set forth, accompanied by his trustyesquire. The road lay for some distance over a long high tract ofmoorland, while beautifully did the bright stars appear to shoot upfrom the black, bleak, level horizon. The moon seemed to smilesuspiciously upon them, and even Hodge grew eloquent beneath herglance. 

"It's brave riding to-night, master; one might see to pick up a testerif 'twere but i' the way. Well, I does like moonlight, ever sinceMargery came a-living at the parson's. "

"Peace, sirrah!" Anthony was conning inwardly, and humming the softditty by which he proposed to excite his mistress' ear. "I think thouart mine evil destiny, doomed everlastingly to be my plague andannoyance. "

"Body o' me, but you're grown woundily humoursome of a sudden, "muttered the other at the lower end of his voice. "I waur but sayingas how Margery"----

Hodge here received another interruption. A stray ass, turned out tobrowse on the common, seemingly actuated thereto by sympathy orproximity of either man or beast, burst into one of those hysterical, though exquisite cadences, which defy all imitation, and at the sametime produce an extraordinary and irresistible effect on the animaleconomy. 

"That is all along of thy prating, " said the meditative lover, whenthe "_strain_" was concluded. "It bodes no good; and I'd as lief see amagpie, and hear a screech-owl, as one of those silly beasts. Thesalutation of an ass by night is ever held a sound of ill-omen; andlo! there be two of ye, reckoning thine own ugly voice. "

"Then may two bode good, if one bode ill, as the maids say of themagpies, " replied the indefatigable attendant. 

"I'll cudgel thine infirmity out o' thee. Hold thy tongue! Hadst thounot been left me by my father, a precious bequest, I had sent thee apacking, long ere thou hadst worn a badge in my service. "

The rest of their journey was accomplished in comparative silence, until a short ascent brought them to a steep ridge, down which theroad wound into the valley. It was a scene of rich and varied beauty, now lighted by a bright summer moon. A narrow thread of light might beseen twining through the ground below them, broken at short intervals, then abruptly gliding into the mist which hung upon the horizon. Lights were yet twinkling about, where toil or festivity held ontheir career unmitigated. A mile or two beyond the hill they were nowpreparing to descend lay a dark wood, extending to the shallow marginof the adjacent brook. Above this rose the square low tower of LostockHall; clusters of long chimneys, irregularly marked out in the broadmoonlight, showed one curl of smoke only, just perceptible above thedark trees, intimating that some of the indwellers were yet awake. Erelong a bypath brought them round to a fence of low brushwood, where alittle wicket communicated with the gardens and offices behind. 

"Here stay with the beasts until I return, " said Anthony, deliberatelyuntying the cover wherein reposed his musical accompaniment. 

"And how long may we kick our heels and snuff the hungry wind forsupper, master?"

"Until my business be accomplished, " was the reply. 

Master Anthony commenced tuning, which aroused the inquiries ofseveral well-ordered and decently-disposed rooks who were not given todisturb their neighbours at untimely hours, and were just at thesoundest part of their night's nap. 

"These villainous bipeds do fearfully exorbitate mine ear, " said theagonised musician. "'Tis not in the power of aught human to harmonisethe strings. "

The clamour increased with every effort, until the whole communitywere in an uproar, driving the incensed wooer fairly off the field. Trusting that he should be able to eke out the tune in spite of theseinterruptions, he hastened immediately to his destination. He crosseda narrow bridge and passed through a gap into the garden, taking hisstation on one side of the house, where he commenced a low prelude byway of ascertaining if the lady were within hearing, and likewise thesituation of her chamber. To his inexpressible delight a window, nearly opposite the tree under which he stood, was gently opened, andhe could distinguish a figure in white moving gently behind thedrapery. He now determined to try the full power of his instrument, and warbled, with no inconsiderable share of skill and pathos, thefollowing ditty:--

 "Fair as the moonbeam, Bright as the running stream, Sparkling, yet cold; In Love's tiny fingers A shaft yet there lingers, "And he creeps to thy bosom, and smiles, lady. Soon his soft wings will cherish A flame round thine heart, And ere it may perish Thy peace shall depart. 

 Oh listen, listen, lady gay; Love doth not always sue; The brightest flame will oft decay, The fondest lover rue, lady! The fondest lover rue, lady!"

At the conclusion he saw a hand, presently an arm, stretched outthrough the casement. Something fell from it, which glistened with asnowy whiteness in the clear moonlight. He ran to seize thetreasure--a scrap of paper neatly folded--which, after a thankful andcomely obeisance towards the window, he deposited in his bosom. Thecasement was suddenly closed. The lover, eager to read his billet, made all imaginable haste to regain the road, where, mounting hissteed, he arrived in a brief space, almost breathless withanticipation and impatience, at his own door. The contents of thedespatch were quickly revealed in manner following:--

 "I know thine impatience; but faith must have its test. Send a message to my father; win his consent to thy suit; but as thou holdest my favour in thine esteem come not near the house thyself ere one month have elapsed. Ask not why; 'tis sufficient that I have willed it. Shouldst thou not obey, I renounce thee for ever. 

 "This shall be the test of thy fidelity. 

 KATHERINE. "

He kissed the writing again and again; he skipped round the chamberlike unto one demented; and when the old housekeeper, who was in asore ill-temper at being deprived of her accustomed allowance of rest, came in to know his intentions about supper, he bade her go dream oflove and give supper to the hogs. 

The morning found Anthony early at his studies. A letter, painfullyelaborated, was despatched in due form "To Master Roger Anderton, these;" and the lover began to ruminate on his good fortune. The termswere hard, to be sure, and the time was long; but women, and otherlike superior intelligences, will not bear to be thwarted; at least, so thought Master Anthony Hardcastle, as he threw his taper legs overthe opposite chair, screwing his forbearance to the test. 

The same day an answer was received, briefly as follows:--

 "Though thy person and qualifications be unknown to me, yet have I not been ignorant of the respect and esteem which thy father enjoyed. Shouldst thou win my daughter's favour, thou shall not lack my consent, if thou art as deserving as he whose substance thou hast inherited. "

Leaving to Anthony the irksome task of minuting down the roll of timefor one unlucky month, turn we to another personage with whom it ishigh time the reader should be acquainted. At Turton Tower, a fewmiles distant, dwelt a cavalier of high birth, whose pedigree wassomewhat longer than his rent-roll. To this proud patrician Kate'sfather had long borne a bitter grudge, arising out of some sportingquarrel, and omitted no opportunity by which to manifest hisresentment. Dying recently, he had left an only son, then upon histravels, heir to the inheritance and the feud with Anderton. 

Shortly after his return, Kate, being on a visit in the neighbourhood, saw him; and as nothing is more likely to excite love than thebeholding of some forbidden object, unwittingly, in the firstinstance, she began to sigh; and with each sigh came such a warm gushof feeling from the heart as did not fail to create a crowd ofsensations altogether new and unaccountable. On his part the feelingwas not less ardent, though less inexplicable, at least to himself, and a few more glances fixed them desperately and unalterably in love. Hopeless though it might be, yet did the lovers find a sad andmournful solace in their regrets, the only sentiment they couldindulge. They had met, and in vows of secrecy had often pledgedunintermitting attachment. 

Love at times had prompted some stratagem to accomplish their union, for which the capricious and unforgiving disposition of the oldgentleman seemed to afford a fair excuse. It is a most ingenious andsubtle equivocator that same idle boy, and hath ever at handpalliatives, and even justifications, in respect to all crimes doneand committed for the aiding and comforting of his sworn lieges. Andthus it fell out, Kate's wits were now at work to make Anthony's suitin some way or another subservient to this object. Once committed to apurpose of such duplicity, no wonder that contrivances and plots notaltogether justifiable should ensue; and Kate's natural archness andvivacity, coupled with the mischievous temper of her maid, gave theirproceedings a more ludicrous character than the dignity of the passionwould otherwise have allowed. 

The month was nigh spent when Hodge one morning entered the chamber ofhis master, who sat there dribbling away the time over a treatise onarchery. 

"How now, sirrah?"

"Please ye, master, Mistress Kate is to be wed on the feast of StCrispin; an' I'm a-thinking I've no body-gear fitting for myoccupation. "

"Married, sayest thou?--to whom?"

"Nay, master, an' ye know not, more's the pity if it be not to yourhonour. "

"To me, sayest thou?"

"They ha' so settled it, belike; and I thought, if it would please ye, to order me new boots and a coat for the wedding. "

"Peace!--where gattest thou the news?"

"At the smithy. I was but just getting the mare shoed, and a toothhammered into the garden rake. "

"It is wondrous strange!" replied Anthony, musing; "but women are of asubtle and unsearchable temper. She did appoint me a month'sabstinence. Sure enough, the feast thou hast named happeneth on thevery day of my release. She hath devised this plot for my surprise!Excellent!--and so the rumour hath gotten abroad? Now, o' my troth, but I like her the better for't. Go to; a new suit, with yellowtrimmings, and hose of the like colour, shall be thine: thou shalt bechief servitor, too, at my wedding. "

Anthony seemed raving wild with delight. He resolved that the jadeshould know of his intelligence, and he would attack the citadel by acounterplot of a most rare and excellent device. To this end heresolved on going to the hall the night preceding his appointment; inthe meantime diligently maturing his scheme for the surprise anddelight of the cunning maiden. 

With the evening of an unusually long and tedious day, whose minuteshad been spun to hours, and these hours into ages, did Master AnthonyHardcastle, accompanied by his servant, set forth on this perilousexploit. Upon a rich and comely suit, consisting of a light blueembroidered vest, and a rich coat of peach-coloured velvet, withbag-wig and ruffles, was thrown a dark cloak, partly intended as adisguise, and partly to screen his gay habiliments from dust andpollution. 

They passed slowly on for an hour or two, dropping down to the littlewicket as aforetime, above which the crows were again ready with theusual inquiries. The squires being left with the steeds, MasterAnthony once more scrambled over the garden hedge, and sustained hisperson in a becoming attitude against the pear-tree whence he had sosuccessfully attacked and carried the citadel on his former visit. Henow beheld, with wonder, lights dancing about in the house, friskingand frolicking through the long casements like so manyjack-o'-lanterns. Indeed, the greater part of the mansion seemed alla-blaze, and of an appalling and suspicious brightness. Sounds, moreover, of mirth and revelry approached his ear. He would instantlyhave proceeded to ascertain the cause of this inauspiciousmerry-making had not Kate's injunction kept him aloof. The noise ofminstrelsy was now heard--symptoms of the marriage-feast and thebanquet. More than once he suspected some witchery, some delusion ofthe enemy to beguile him by enchantments. However, he resolved to bequiet; and, for the purpose of a more extended vision, he climbed, orrather stepped into, the low huge fork of the tree. From this tower ofobservation he kept a wary eye, more particularly towards the windowwhence the billet was thrown, expecting to behold some token of hismistress's presence. But this chamber seemed to be the dullest anddarkest in the whole house; not a ray was visible. It seemed shut out, impervious to the gladness which irradiated the bosom of itsneighbours. 

A white cur now came snarling about the bushes; then, cautiouslysmelling his way to the tree, suddenly set up a yell so deafening andcontinuous that he roused some of the revellers within. Two menstaggered from the house, evidently a little the worse in theirarticulation by reason of the potations they had taken. 

"Quiet, Vick! Hang thy neck, what's a matter? Eh! the pear-tree? It'sthe thief again--and before the fruit's ripe. Bodikins! but we'llcatch thee now, 'r lady. We'll have a thong out of his hide; split me, if we ha'n't!"

The men approached as cautiously as their condition would permit;while Anthony, overhearing the latter part of their dialogue, satsomewhat insecurely on his perch. 

"Dan, get th' big cudgel out o' t' barn. I see a some'at black like, an' fearsome, i' th' tree. "

Probably they had imbibed courage with their liquor, otherwise theblack "somewhat" in the tree might have indisposed them for thisdaring attack. 

"I'll have a blow at it, be't mon or devil, hang me. "

Anthony pulled his cloak tightly about him; and while the weapon wasproviding he entertained serious thoughts of surrendering atdiscretion; but the effect which this premature disclosure might haveon his mistress's determination towards him retarded the discovery;and he was not without hope of eluding the drunken valour of thebrutes. 

"Now gie't me, Dan--Tol de rol--

 'An' back and sides go bare, go bare. '"

Approaching to the attack, Barnaby brandished his cudgel to the timeand tune of this celebrated alehouse ditty. The concluding flourishbrought the weapon waving within a very concise distance of the goodlyperson of Master Anthony Hardcastle. 

"Murder!--Villains!" cried the terrified lover, unable to endure themenacing aspect of this fearful invader; "I'm Master Anthony, ye sots, ye unthrifts--your master, is to be; and I--I'll have ye i' the stocksfor this. "

"Bodikins and blunderkins? hear'st him, Dan? Why, thou lyinglackpenny, I'll soon whack the corruption out o' thee. Master Anthony, indeed! he be another guess sort of thing to thee, I trow. Thee be'sthankering after the good things hereabout; but I'll spoil thyliquorish tooth for tasting. Come, unkennel, vermin!"

"I am Master Anthony, friend, as safe as my mother bore me. If thoulackest knowledge, go ask Hodge with the horses at the back gate. "

"Then what be'st thou for i' the pear-tree? Na, na; Master Anthony isgone home a great whiles back. He's to marry young mistress i' themorn, an' we're getting drunk by participation. There's for thee! Italks like ou'd Daniel the schoolmaster. "

Sorely discomposed with the infliction of this vile contumely, Anthonywas forced to descend. Nothing, however, would convince the clowns oftheir mistake. He showed them his glossy raiment; but their intellectswere too confused for so nice a discrimination; they consequentlyresolved to hold him in durance until the morrow, when their masterwould bring him to account for this invasion of his territory. But whoshall depict the horror and consternation of the unhappy lover, onfinding them seriously bent on his incarceration in a filthy den, usedheretofore as a receptacle for scraps and lumber, near the stables. Remonstrance, entreaty, threats, solicitations, were equallyunavailing. He demanded an audience with the justice. 

"Thee'll get it soon enough, I warrant thee. And thee may think wello' the stocks; but th' pillory is no more than I'll be bound for. Thelast we catched, Jem Sludge, we belaboured in such fashion as I verilythink he waur more like a midden' nor a man when he got his neck outo' th' collar. Come along--it's not to th' gallows, this bout, mypretty bird. Lend him a whack behind, Dan, if he do not mend hispace. "

A rude blow was here administered to the unfortunate captive. He criedout lustily for help; but the inquirers from the hall made merry athis captivity, rejoicing that the thief was now safely in the trap. 

On the following morning, the eventful day of his daughter's bridal, the justice rose earlier than he was wont. His features wore a tingeof anxiety as he paced the room with sharp and irregular footsteps. Suddenly he was disturbed by approaching voices, and a sort ofsuppressed bustle along the passage. On opening the door he saw Danieland his doughty companion, Barnaby, whose red eyes and hollow cheeksbetokened their too familiar indulgence in past festivities. 

"We've catched him at last, master. "

"Who? What dost stand agape for?"

"Why, a rogue 'at was robbing the gardens. "

"A murrain light on both of ye! I cannot be chaffed with such likematters now. "

"But your worship, " cautiously spake Dan, "he be the most comicalthing you ever clapped eyes on. He says he be Master Anthony, yourworship's new son that is to be to-day. "

"How sayest thou? I think thy wits are the worse for bibbing o'yesternight. "

"Nay, your worship's grace, but we'll e'en fetch him. He's pranked outgaily; and a gay bird he be for your honour's cage. "

Two or three domestics now entered, leading in their prisoner. Hiswoe-begone looks were angrily bent on his conductors. He shook offtheir grasp, approaching the owner of the mansion where he had been soevil-entreated. His hair, released from its bonds, dangled inprimæval disorder above his shoulders. His goodly raiment, no longerhidden, was rumpled and soiled, like the finery of a stage wardrobe. Indeed, the Squire guessed he was one of the village players that hadbeen foraging for his supper after a scanty benefit. 

"How now, braggart? What evil occupation brings thee about my house?What unlucky hankering, sirrah, brings thee, I say, a-robbing of mygrounds and poultry-yards? Methinks thou hast but a sorry employmentfor thy gingerbread coat. "

"I came, sir, to wed your daughter, " replied Anthony, simpering, andwith great modesty. 

"My daughter!" cried Anderton, in a voice of thunder; "and pray may Iinquire to whom I am beholden for this favour?"

"To Master Anthony Hardcastle, " said the lover, drawing himself upproudly, and casting a glance of triumph and defiance at histormentors. 

"Whew!" cried the other; "why, Master Anthony is no more like thee, thou tod-pate, than thou to St George or the dragon of Wantley. A raredevice, truly--a cunning plot--a stage-trick to set the mob agape!Why, thou puny-legged Tamburlane!--thou ghost of an Alexander!--howdarest thou confront me thus? Now, i' lady, but I've a month's mind tobelabour the truth out o' thee with a weapon something tough andcrabbed i' the tasting. "

Anthony's face lengthened inordinately at this unexpected rebuke, anda latent whimper quivered about the corners of his pale and pursymouth. Sobs and protestations were useless; there seemed a baseconspiracy to rob him even of his name and identity. He vowed, thatthe period of his proscription being past, Kate was hourly expectinghim, and his appearance overnight was but to execute a littlestratagem for her surprise. This explanation but served to aggravate;and in vain did he solicit an interview with the lady, promising toabide by her decision. 

"Why, look thee, " said the justice; "Anthony Hardcastle, whom thylying tongue and figure most woefully defame, hath been our guestoftentimes during the past month, and truly his gallant bearing anddisposition have well won my consent. No marvel at my daughter's love!But thou!--had she stooped from her high bearing to such carrion, I'dhave wrung your necks round with less compunction than those of twobase-bred kestrils. "

Anthony was dumb with astonishment. The whole transaction had theaspect of some indistinct and troubled dream, or rather some delusionof the arch-enemy to entangle and perplex him. At this moment trippedin the pert maiden, whose share in the machinations we beforeintimated. She looked on the bewildered lover with a sly and equivocalglance. Craving permission to speak, she said--

"'Tis even so, your worship; this interloper is none other than thevery person he represents; and here come those who will give theriddle its proper answer. "

Immediately came in the blushing Kate, led in by a tall and comelygentleman, whom her father recognised as the real Anthony. 

"We come but to crave your blessing, " said this personage, bendinggracefully on his knee, whilst Kate seized the hand of her parent. 

"Forgive this deceit:" she looked imploringly at the old man, whoseemed too astonished to reply: "it was but to win my father'sknowledge and esteem for the man to whom my vows are for everplighted. "

"Nay, start not, " said the bridegroom; "I but borrowed this ill-usedgentleman's name, as I knew none other mode of access to your presencethan the disguise that his _suit_ afforded; and from him I now craveforgiveness. "

"And I knew, " said Kate, glancing round towards the real Anthony, "that the man of my choice would be yours, could I but contrive youshould hold a fair judgment between them, as you now do this day. "

A reconciliation was the result; but ere a "little month was old" wereseen at the same altar, and with the same object, Master AnthonyHardcastle and Mistress Bridget Allport. 

 [17] _Vide_ Baines's _Lancashire_, vol. I. P. 78. 

 [18] _Vide_ Baines's _Lancashire_, vol. Ii. P. 504. 

[Illustration THE SKULL HOUSE]

THE SKULL HOUSE. 

 "That skull had a tongue in't that could sing once. " --_Hamlet. _

 Wardley Hall, in the manor of Worsley, is an ancient building about seven miles west from Manchester. It was an old seat of the Downes family, and afterwards of Lord Barrymore. A human skull was formerly shown here, beside the staircase, which the occupiers would not permit to be removed. This grim fixture, it was said, being much averse to any change of place or position, never failed to punish the individual severely who should dare to lay hands on it. If removed or buried, it was sure to return, so that in the end each succeeding tenant was fain to endure its presence, rather than be subject to the terrors and annoyances consequent upon its removal. Its place was a square aperture in the wall; nor would it suffer this opening to be glazed, or otherwise filled up, without creating some disturbance. It seemed as if those rayless sockets loved to look abroad, peradventure on the scenes of its former enjoyments and reminiscences. It was almost bleached white by exposure to the weather, and many curious persons have made a pilgrimage there even in late years. Several young men from Manchester once going on this errand, one of them, unobserved of his fellows, thought he would ascertain the truth of the stories he had heard. For this purpose he privately removed the skull to another situation, and left it to find its way back again. The night but one following, such a storm arose about the house, that many trees were blown down, the roofs were unthatched, and the tenants, finding out the cause, as they supposed, replaced the skull, when these terrific disturbances ceased. 

 The occurrences detailed more fully in the following pages are usually assigned as the origin of this strange superstition. 

"I wonder what that hair-brained brother of mine can be doing. Nofresh brawl, I hope, " said Maria Downes to her cousin Eleanor, as theysat, mopish and disquieted enough, in a gloomy chamber of the old hallat Worsley. 

"I hope not, too, " replied Eleanor; and there was another long andoppressive silence. 

It was in the dusk of a chill, damp November evening. The fire shotforth a sharp uncertain glimmer, and the dim walls threw back theillumination. 

"I know not why, " said Maria, "but my spirits are very sad, andeverything I see looks mistrustful and foreboding!"

So thought her cousin; but she did not speak. Her heart was too full, and a tear started in her eye. 

"Would that Harry had eschewed the frivolities and dissipations ofyonder ungodly city; that he had stayed with us here, in safe andhappy seclusion. I have hardly known pleasure since he went. "

Eleanor's bosom again responded to the note of agony that was wrungfrom her cousin, and she turned her head to hide what she had tooplainly betrayed. 

"Since that unhappy fray in which peradventure an innocent andunoffending victim was the result of Harry's intemperance, the bloodyoffence hath been upon my soul--heavier, I do fear, than upon his own. But unless he repent, and turn aside from his sinful courses, therewill, there must, come a fearful recompense!"

"Do not sentence him unheard, " said Eleanor; but her words werequivering and indistinct. "It was in his own defence, maybe, howeverbitterly the tidings were dropped into your ear. Sure I am, " said she, more firmly, "that Harry was too kind, too gentle, to slay theinnocent, and in cold blood!"

"Nay, Eleanor, excuse him not. It may be that the foul deed was donethrough excess of wine, the fiery heat of debauch, and amid thebeastly orgies of intemperance; but is he the less criminal? I tellthee nay; for he hath added crime to crime, and drawn down, perchance, a double punishment. He is my brother, and thou knowest, if possible, I would palliate his offence; but hath it not been told, and the veryair of yon polluted city was rife and reeking with the deed, thatHarry Downes, the best-beloved of his father, and the child of manyhopes, did wantonly, and unprovoked, rush forth hot and intemperatefrom the stews. Drawing his sword, did he not swear--ay, by thatHeaven he insulted and defied, that he would kill the first man hemet, and--oh, horror!--was not that fearful oath fulfilled?"

Eleanor had covered her face with her hands--a convulsive sob shookher frame; but though her heart was on the rack, she uttered nocomplaint. Maria, inflexible, and, as some might think, rigid, inthose principles of virtue wherein she had been educated, yet sorroweddeeply for her cousin, who from a child had been her brother Harry'splaymate, and the proofs of mutual affection had been too powerful, too early, and too long continued, to be ever effaced. Timid as thefrighted fawn, and tender as the wild flower that scarce bent beneathher step, she lay, a bruised reed; the stem that supported her wasbroken. Her fondest, her only hopes were withered, and the desolatingblast of disappointment had passed upon her earliest affections. Herlittle bark, freighted with all a woman's care and tenderness, layshivered with the stroke, disabled and a wreck!

Just as the short and murky twilight was expiring, and other lightswere substituted, there came a loud summons at the outer gate, where astrong barrier was built across the moat. The females started, asthough rendered more than usually apprehensive that evil tidings wereat hand. But they were, in some measure, relieved on hearing that itwas only Jem Hazleden, the carrier from Manchester, who had brought awooden box on one of his pack-horses, which said box had come all theway from London by "Antony's" waggon. Maria thought it might be somepackage or present from her brother, who had been a year or two intown, taking terms; but a considerable period had now passed sincetidings were sent from him. She looked wistfully at the box, a clumsy, ill-favoured thing, without the least symptom of any pleasantcommunication from such a source; so different from the trim packagesthat were wont to arrive, containing, maybe, the newest London chintz, or a piece of real brocade, or Flanders lace of the rarestworkmanship. 

"No good lurks in that ugly envelope, " thought she; and, stoopingdown, she examined the direction minutely. It was a quaint crabbedhand--not her brother's, that was certain; and the discovery made hermore anxious and uneasy. She turned it over and over, but no cluecould be found, no index to the contents. It would have been easy, methinks, to have satisfied herself on this head, but she really feltalmost afraid to open it, and yet----At any rate, she would put it offtill the morrow. She was so nervous and out of spirits that shepositively had not courage to open a dirty wooden box, tied round witha bit of hempen cord, and fastened with a few rusty nails. She orderedit to be removed to her bed-chamber, and morning, perchance, woulddissipate these idle but unpleasant feelings. She went to bed, butcould not sleep; the wind and rain beat so heavily against thecasement, and the recent excitement kept her restless and awake. Shetried various expedients to soothe and subdue her agitation, butwithout effect. The rain had ceased to patter on the windows, but thewind blew more fiercely and in more violent gusts than before. The skywas clearing, and a huge Apennine of clouds was now visible as shelay, on which the moonbeams were basking gloriously. Suddenly a rayglided like a spirit into the chamber, and disappeared. Her eyes wereat that moment directed towards the mysterious box which lay opposite, and her very hair moved with horror and consternation; for in thatbrief interval of light she thought she saw the lid open, and a grislyhead glare out hideously from beneath. Every hair seemed to growsensitive, and every pore to be exquisitely endued with feeling. Herheart throbbed violently, and her brain grew dizzy. Another moonbeamirradiated the chamber. She was still gazing on the box; but whetherthe foregoing impression was merely hallucinatory, an illusion of thefeverish and excited sense, she knew not, for the box was there, undisturbed, grim, silent, and mysterious as before. Yet she could notwithdraw her eyes from it. There is a fascination in terror. She couldhardly resist a horrible desire, or rather impulse, to leap forth, andhasten towards it. Her brow felt cold and clammy; her eyes grew dim, and as though motes of fire were rushing by; but ere she could summonhelp she fell back senseless on her pillow. 

Morning was far advanced ere she felt any returning recollection. Atfirst a confused and dream-like sensation came upon her. Lookingwildly round, her eyes rested on the box, and the whole interval camesuddenly to her memory. She shuddered at the retrospect; but she wasdetermined, whether it had been fancy or not, to keep the secretwithin her own breast, though more undetermined than ever to breakopen the fearful cause of her disturbance. Yet she durst not seekrepose another night with such a companion. Her apprehensions were noteasily allayed, however disposed she might be to treat them as trivialand unfounded. 

"Will you not open yonder package that came last night?" inquiredEleanor, as they were sitting down to breakfast. Maria shuddered, asthough something loathsome had crossed her. She shook off the reptilethought, which had all the character of some crawling and offensivething as it passed her bosom. 

"I have not--that is, I--I have not yet ordered it to be undone. "

"And why?" said Eleanor, now raising her soft blue eyes with anexpression of wonder and curiosity on her cousin. "It did not use tobe thus when there came one of these couriers from town. "

"'Tis not from Harry Downes; and--I care not just now to have thetrouble on't, being jaded and out of spirits. "

"I will relieve you of the trouble presently, if you will permit me, "said Eleanor, who was not without a secret hope, notwithstandingMaria's assertion, that it was a message of gladness from Harry, withthe customary present for his sister, and perhaps a token of kindnessfor herself. 

"Stay!" said Maria, laying her hand on Eleanor as she rose, whilstwith a solemn and startling tone she cried, "Not yet!" She sat down;Eleanor, pale and trembling, sat down too; but her cousin was silent, evidently unwilling to resume the topic. 

"To-morrow, " said she, when urged; but all further converse on thesubject was suspended. 

Maria, as the day closed and the evening drew on apace, gave ordersthat the box should be removed into a vacant outbuilding untilmorning, when, she said, it might be opened in her presence, as itprobably contained some articles that she expected, but of which shewas not just then in need. 

"It's an ugly cumbersome thing, " said Dick, as he lugged the wearisomebox to its destination. "I wonder what for mistress dunna break itopen. Heigho!"

Here he put down his burden, giving it a lusty kick for sheerwantonness and malice. 

"What is't sent here for, think'st 'ou?" said Betty the housemaid, whohad followed Dick for a bit of gossip and a sort of incipient likingwhich had not yet issued on his part into any overt acts of courtshipand declaration. It was nigh dark, "the light that lovers choose;" andBetty, having disposed herself to the best advantage, awaited thereply of Dick with becoming modesty. 

"How do I know the nature o' women's fancies? It would be far easierto know why there's a change o' wind or weather than the meaning o'their tricks and humours. "

"I know not what thee has to complain on, " said Betty. "They behavenbetter to thee nor thou deserves. "

"Hoity, toity, mistress; dunna be cross, wench. Come, gie's a buss an'so"----

"Keep thy jobbernowl to thysel', " said the indignant Betty, when shehad made sure of this favour. "Thy great leather paws are liker forBecky Pinnington's red neck nor mine, " continued she, bridling up, andgiving vent to some long-suppressed jealousy. 

"Lorjus days; but thou's mighty quarrelsome and peevish; I ne'ertouch'd Becky's neck, nor nought belongin' to her. "

"Hush, " said Betty, withdrawing herself from the approaches of heradmirer. "Some'at knocks!"

Dick hastened to the door, supposing that somebody was dodging them. 

"'Tis somethin' i' that box!" said Betty; and they listened in thelast extremity of terror. Again there was a low dull knock, whichevidently came from the box, and the wooers were certain that the oldone was inside. In great alarm they rushed forth, and at thekitchen-chimney corner Dick and his companion were seen with blanchedlips and staring eyes, almost speechless with affright. 

Next morning the story was bruited forth, with amendments andadditions, according to the fancy of the speaker, so that, in the end, the first promulgers could hardly recognise their own. Thegrim-looking despatch was now the object of such terror that scarcelyone of them durst go into the place where it stood. It was not longere Maria Downes became acquainted with the circumstance, and shethought it was high time these imaginary terrors should be put an endto. She felt ashamed that she had given way to her own apprehensionson the subject, which doubtless were, in part, the occasion of thereports she heard, by the seeming mystery that was observed in hermanner and conduct. She determined that the box should be openedforthwith. It was daylight, be it remembered, when this resolution wasmade, and consequently she felt sufficiently courageous to make theattempt. 

But there was not one amongst the domestics who durst accompany her onthis bold errand--an attack, they conceived, on the very den of someevil spirit, who would inevitably rush forth and destroy them. 

Alone, therefore, and armed with the necessary implements, was sheobliged to go forth to the adventure. 

The terrified menials saw her depart; and some felt certain she wouldnever come back alive; others did not feel satisfied as to their ownsafety, should their mistress be the victim. All was terror anddistress; pale and anxious faces huddled together, and every eyeprying into his neighbour's for some ground of hope or confidence. Some thought they heard the strokes--dull, heavy blows--breakingthrough the awful stillness which they almost felt. These intimationsceased: and a full half-hour had intervened; an age of suspendedhorror, when--just as their apprehensions were on the point of leadingthem on to some desperate measures for relieving the suspense whichwas almost beyond endurance--to their great joy, their mistressreturned; who, though appearing much agitated, spoke to them ratherhastily, and with an attempt to smile at their alarm. 

"Yonder box, " said she, passing by, "is like to shame your sillyfears. Some wag hath sent ye a truss of straw--for a scrubbing wisp, maybe. " But there was, in the hurried and unusual hilarity of herspeech, something so forced and out of character, that it did notescape even the notice of her domestics. Some, however, wentimmediately to the place, and after much hesitation lifted up the lid, when lo! a bundle of straw was the reward of their curiosity. Bydegrees they began to rummage farther into the contents; but the wholeinterior was filled with this rare and curious commodity. They couldhardly believe their eyes; and Dick, especially, shook his head, andlooked as though he knew or suspected more than he durst tell; acommon expedient with those whose mountain hath brought forthsomething very like the product of this gigantic mystery. 

Dick was the most dissatisfied with the result, feeling himself muchchagrined at so unlooked-for a termination to his wonderful story, andhe kept poking into and turning about the straw with great sullennessand pertinacity. His labours were not altogether without success. 

"Look! here's other guess stuff than my lady's bed straw, " said he, atthe same time holding up a lock of it for the inspection of hiscompanions. They looked and there was evidently a clot of blood! Thiswas a sufficient confirmation of their surmises; and Dick, thoughalarmed as well as the rest, felt his sagacity and adroitnesswonderfully confirmed amongst his fellows. They retired, firmlyconvinced that some horrible mystery was attached thereto, which alltheir guessing could not find out. 

At night, as Dick was odding about, he felt fidgety and restless. Hepeeped forth at times towards the outhouse where the box was lying, and as he passed he could not refrain from casting a glance from thecorner of his eye through the half-closed door. The bloody clot he hadseen dwelt upon his imagination; it haunted him like a spectre. Hewent to bed before the usual hour, but could not sleep; he tossed andgroaned, but the drowsy god would not be propitiated. The snoring of aservant in the next bed, too, proved anything but anodyne or oblivionto his cares. He could not sleep, do what he would. Having pinched hisunfortunate companion till he was tired, but with no other successthan a loud snort, and generally a louder snore than ever, in the end, Dick, rendered desperate, jumped out of bed, and walked, or ratherstaggered across the floor. He looked through the window. It waslight, but the sky was overcast, though objects below might readily bedistinguished. The outhouse where the box lay was in full view; and ashe was looking out listlessly for a few minutes he saw a female figurebearing a light, who was gliding down stealthily, as he thought, inthe yard below. She entered the building, and Dick could hardlybreathe, he was so terrified. He watched until his eyes ached beforeshe came out again, when he saw plainly it was his mistress. She boresomething beneath her arm; and as Dick's curiosity was nowsufficiently roused to overcome all fear of consequences, he stolequickly down-stairs, and by a short route got sufficiently on hertrack to watch her proceedings unobserved. He followed into thegarden. She paused, for the first time, under a huge sycamore tree inthe fence, and laid down her burden. She drew something from beneathher cloak, and, as he thought, began to dig. When this operation wascompleted she hastily threw in the burden, and filled up the holeagain; after which, with a rapid step, she came back to the house. Dick was completely bewildered. He hesitated whether or not to examineimmediately into the nature of the deposit which his mistress seemedso desirous to conceal; but as he had no light, and his courage wasnot then screwed up to the attempt, he satisfied himself at presentwith observing the situation, intending to take some other opportunityto explore this hidden treasure. That his mistress's visit had someconnection with the contents of the mysterious box was now certain, and whatever she had concealed was part of its contents, a conclusionequally inevitable; but that she should be so wishful to hide it, wasa problem not easy to be explained without examination. Was it money?The clotted blood forbade this surmise. A horrible suspicion crossedhim; but it was too horrible for Dick to indulge. 

Wondering and guessing, he retraced his steps, and morning dawned onhis still sleepless eyelids. 

Some weeks passed by, but he found none other opportunity forexamination. Somebody or something was always in the way, and heseemed destined to remain ignorant of all that he was so anxious toascertain. 

After the arrival of the box Maria Downes never mentioned her brotherunless he was alluded to; and even then she waived the subject as soonas possible, whenever it happened to be incidentally mentioned. Eleanor saw there was an evident reluctance to converse on thesematters; and, however she might feel grieved at the change, in the endshe forbore inquiry. 

One morning her cousin entered the breakfast-room, where Eleanor wasawaiting her arrival. Her face was pale--almost deathly--and her lipslivid and quivering. Her eyes were swollen, starting out, anddistended with a wild and appalling expression. 

She beckoned Eleanor to follow; silently she obeyed, but with adeadly and heart-sickening apprehension. Something fearful, asconnected with the fate of her cousin Harry, was doubtless the causeof this unusual proceeding. Maria led the way up the staircase, and oncoming to the landing, she pointed to a square opening in the wall, like unto the loophole of a turret-stair. Here she saw something darkobstructing the free passage of the light, which, on a closerexamination, presented the frightful outline of a human skull! Part ofthe flesh and hairy scalp were visible, but the whole was one dark anddisgusting mass of deformity. She started back, with a look ofinquiry, towards her cousin. Hideous surmises crowded upon her whileshe beheld the features of Maria Downes convulsed with some untoldagony. 

"Oh, speak--speak to me!" cried Eleanor, and she threw her arms abouther cousin's neck, sobbing aloud in the full burst of her emotion. Maria wept too. The rising of the gush relieved her, and she spoke. Every word went as with a burning arrow to Eleanor's heart. 

"I have hidden it until now; but--but Heaven has ordained it. Hisoffence was rank--most foul--and his disgrace--a brother'sdisgrace--hangs on me. That skull is Harry's! Believe it as thou wilt, but the truth is no less true. The box, sent by some unknown hand, Iopened alone, when I beheld the ghastly, gory features of him who wasonce our pride, and ought to have been our protection. My courageseemed to rise with the occasion. I concealed it with all speed untilanother opportunity, when I buried this terrible memorial--for ever, as I hoped, from the gaze and knowledge of the world. I thought tohide this foul stain upon our house; to conceal it, if possible, fromevery eye; but the grave gives back her dead! The charnal gapes! Thatghastly head hath burst its cold tabernacle, and risen from the dust, without hands, unto its former gazing-place. Thou knowest, Eleanor, with what delight, when a child, he was accustomed to climb up to thatlittle eyelet-hole, gazing out thereat for hours, and playing many oddand fantastic tricks through this loophole of observation. "

Eleanor could not speak; she stood the image of unutterable despair. 

"In that dreadful package, " continued Maria, "this writing wassent:--'Thy brother has at length paid the forfeit of his crimes. Thewages of sin is death! and his head is before thee. Heaven hathavenged the innocent blood he hath shed. Last night, in the lustyvigour of a drunken debauch, passing aver London Bridge, he encountersanother brawl, wherein, having run at the watchman with his rapier, one blow of the bill which they carry severed thy brother's head fromhis trunk. The latter was cast over the parapet into the river. Thehead only remained, which an eye-witness, if not a friend, hath sentto thee!"

Eleanor fell senseless to the ground, whence her cousin conveyed herto the bed from which she never rose. 

The skull was removed, secretly at first, by Maria herself; butinvariably it returned. No human power could drive it thence. It hathbeen riven in pieces, burnt, and otherwise destroyed; but ever on thesubsequent day it is seen filling its wonted place. Yet was it alwaysobserved that sore vengeance lighted on its persecutors. One whohacked it in pieces was seized with such horrible torments in hislimbs that it seemed as though he might be undergoing the sameprocess. Sometimes, if only displaced, a fearful storm would arise, soloud and terrible, that the very elements themselves seemed to becomethe ministers of its wrath. 

Nor would this wilful piece of mortality allow of the little aperturebeing walled up; for it remains there still, whitened and bleached bythe weather, looking forth from those rayless sockets upon the sceneswhich when living they had once beheld. 

Maria Downes was the only survivor of the family. Her brother's deathand deplorable end so preyed on her spirits that she rejected alloffers of marriage. The estate passed into other hands, and anothername owns the inheritance. 

RIVINGTON PIKE;

OR, THE SPECTRE HORSEMAN. 

 "Are you a man? Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that Which might appal the devil. "

 --SHAKESPEARE. 

 This beacon stands on a conical hill, at an elevation of 1545 feet from the level of the sea. An immense pile of wood was raised here when the alarm of the French invasion prevailed, at the beginning of the present century. 

 Rivington Hall was for many ages the seat of one of the Pilkingtons, of which family Fuller says--"The Pilkingtons were gentlemen of repute in this shire before the Conquest;" and the chief of them, then sought for after espousing the cause of Harold, was fain to disguise himself as a mower; in allusion to which the man and scythe was taken as their crest. James Pilkington, a descendant, and Master of St John's, Cambridge, was one of the six divines appointed to correct the Book of Common Prayer; for which and other services he was in 1560 created Bishop of Durham. After the suppression of the great northern rebellion in 1569, headed by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland, he claimed the lands and goods of the rebels attainted in his bishopric. In support of this claim he brought an action against the queen for a recovery of the forfeited estates; and though his royal mistress was accustomed to speak of unfrocking bishops, the reverend divine prosecuted his suit with so much vigour and success that nothing but the interposition of Parliament prevented the defendant from being beaten in her own courts. 

 The present erection, the scene of our story, was built in the year 1732, by Mr Andrews, the owner of Rivington Hall, whose family have for many generations--with, perhaps, one interruption only--had it in possession. 

The evening was still and sultry. The clear and glowing daylight wasgone, exchanged for the dull, hazy, and depressing atmosphere of asummer's night. The cricket chirped in the walls, and the beetlehummed his drowsy song, wheeling his lumbering and lazy flight overthe shorn meadows. 

[Illustration: RIVINGTON PIKE. _Drawn by G. Pickering. _ _Engraved by Edw^d Finden. _]

It was about harvest-time--the latter end of August. The moors wereclothed in their annual suit of gay and thickly-clustered blossoms, but their bloom and freshness was now faded. Here and there a sadforetokening of dingy brown pervaded the once glowing brilliancy oftheir dye, like a suit of tarnished finery on some withering anddilapidated beau. 

A party of sportsmen had that day taken an unusually wide range uponthe moors, stretching out in wild and desolate grandeur through thevery centre of the county, near the foot of which stands the populousneighbourhood of Bolton-le-Moors. Rivington Pike, an irregularlyconical hill rising like a huge watch-tower from these giant masses ofirreclaimable waste, is a conspicuous and well-known object, crownedby a stone edifice for the convenience of rest and shelter to thosewhom curiosity urges to the fatigue and peril of the ascent. The viewfrom this elevated spot, should the day be favourable, certainlyrepays the adventurer; but not unfrequently an envious mist or apassing shower will render these efforts unavailing, to scan the widecreation--or rather but a circlet of that creation--from aninsignificant hillock, scarcely an atom in the heap of created matter, that is itself but as a grain of dust in the vast space through whichit rolls. But to our tale, or rather, it may be, to our task--for theauthor is now sitting in his study, with the twilight of as dull, hazy, and oppressive an atmosphere about him as beset our adventuroussportsmen at the close of their campaign; enervating and almostparalysing thought; the veriest foe of "soaring fantasy, " which themere accident of weather will prevent from rising into the regionwhere she can reign without control, her prerogative unquestioned andunlimited. 

The party to whom we have just referred consisted of threeindividuals, with their servants, biped and quadruped, from whom theirmasters derived the requisite assistance during their useful andarduous exploits--the results being conspicuous in the death of somedozen or two of silly grouse or red game, with which these hills aretolerably well supplied during the season. But alas! we are notsportsmen ourselves, and bitterly do we lament that we are unable todescribe the desperate conflict, and the mighty issues of thatmemorable day; the hopes, fears, and _fire-escapes_ of the wholeparty: the consumption of powder, and the waste of flint, or thecomparative merits of Moll and Rover, we shall not attempt to setforth in our "_veritable prose_, " lest we draw down the wrath of somedisappointed fowler upon us for meddling with matters about which weare so lamentably ignorant, and we are afraid to say, in some measure, wilfully deficient. To the spoils, when obtained, it may be that weare less indifferent; and we hail, with favourable reminiscences andanticipations, the return of another 12th of August--an era which wewould earnestly and affectionately beseech our friends to rememberlikewise, for purposes too interesting in the history of our domesticarrangements to allow them willingly to forget. 

But the August in which our narrative opens was many years ago--thoughnot precisely in the olden time--when the belief in old-world fanciesand delights was not in danger of being blazed out by "diffusions ofuseful knowledge, " which "useful" knowledge consists in dissipatingsome of our most pleasant dreams, our fondest and most cherishedremembrances. We are afraid a writer of "Traditions" must be lookedupon with inconceivable scorn by those worthies whose aim is to throwopen the portals of Truth to the multitude; or, as the phrase goes, she is to be made plain to the "meanest capacity. " For our own parts, we were never enamoured with that same despotic, hard-favoured, cross-grained goddess, Truth: she "commendeth not" to our fancy; norin reality is she half so worthy of their homage as her ardent andenthusiastic worshippers imagine. We are more than ever inclined tobelieve that imagination is the great source of our pleasures; and inconsequence we look not with an eye of favour on those who wouldpersuade us that our little hoard of enjoyment is counterfeit, notbeing the sterling coin of sovereign and "immutable truth. "

Little did we imagine or anticipate that we should be so deviouslybetrayed from our subject. We never had the temerity to speak ofourselves before. Thoughts, wishes, and opinions were studiouslyconcealed; and if we have been led unwarily and unintentionally fromthe subject in this our concluding effort, that very circumstancealone is a sufficient warranty against a repetition of the offence. 

The day was fast closing when the party had surmounted the last hillon their return to the valley. For the sake of proximity, they hadspent the previous night in a little way-side tavern at the foot ofthe descent; and they now looked down towards the place of theirdestination, still some weary miles distant--their prospect partlyinterrupted by the huge hill called the Pike, of which we have beforespoken. From the elevation whereon they now stood the ascent was butshort to the summit of the beacon, though somewhat abrupt anddifficult of access. When they had gained the ridge overlooking thevalley, with the flat and fertile tract of low lands stretching outinto the dark and apparently interminable vista towards the coast, theelder of the sportsmen exclaimed--

"Now, Mortimer, mayhap you have never seen a storm in our wilds; but, if my judgment err not, this happy event is in a very auspicious trainfor accomplishment. "

The speaker looked towards the south, where the grim clouds werealready accumulated, evidently pouring out a copious blessing in theirprogress. From the direction of the wind they too were threatened witha speedy participation. 

"These summer storms always make for the hills, " continued he; "and, looking yonder, I apprehend that we are precisely in the very line ofits path. "

"I do like to watch the gathering of a storm, Pilkington, " repliedMortimer. "Surely the outpouring vials of its wrath must beterrifically sublime in these regions. I would not miss so glorious asight for the world. "

"In a snug shelter maybe at our hostelrie below, with a mug of theright barley-bree buzzing at our elbow--oat-cake and cheeseconformable thereto. "

"Nay, here; with the sky opening above our heads, and the broad earthreeking and weltering under the wide grasp of the tempest. See! howthe crooked lightning darts between the coiled clouds, like a swiftmessenger from yon dark treasure-house of wrath!"

This was said by a third individual, named Norton, a young man wholived in the neighbourhood; a friend and former school-fellow of thepreceding speakers--only one of whom, Mortimer, resided in a distantcounty, and was on a visit with Norton for the first time. 

"Like a train of gunpowder, perhaps, thou meanest, Norton?" said theless enthusiastic Pilkington, whose residence, too, was but a fewmiles distant; "and, furthermore, I warn ye all, that unless we canhouse, and that right speedily, we shall have the storm about ourheads, and maybe lose our way if the mist comes on, or get soused overhead and ears in some bog-trap. We'll climb yonder hill, Norton, whence we may survey the broil and commotion from our 'watch-tower inthe skies, ' under a tidy roof and a dry skin. Thou mayest tarry herean thou wilt, and offer thyself a sacrifice on these altars of JupiterPluvius. "

The whole party--dogs, helps, and servants--were soon sheltered in thelittle square tower upon the summit, and the predictions of the elderand more experienced of them were soon verified. Almost on theentrance of the last of the group came down the deluge in one broadsheet, an "even-down pour, " so loud and terrible, accompanied by aburst of hail, that they were threatened with an immediate invasion oftheir citadel through several crevices in both roof and windows. 

A peal of thunder, loud, long, and appalling, shook their shelter toits base. The very foundations of the hill seemed to rock with theconcussion. Their lofty tabernacle hung suspended in the very bosom ofthe clouds, big with their forky terrors. The lightning began to hissand quiver, and the sky to open its wide jaws above them, as though todevour its prey. The roar and rattle of the wind and hail, mingledwith the crash and roll of the contending elements, made the stoutestof them tremble, and silenced several loud tongues that were generallythe foremost in jest and banter. 

"Well, Norton, " said Pilkington, "I reckon you are not in the mind totry a berth abroad in this rude atmosphere during such an angry andmerciless disposition of your deity. 'Tis a _mêlée_, I imagine, toyour heart's content. "

"Norton is hearkening to these rude tongues that do speak so lustily!"said Mortimer. "He can, peradventure, interpret their mystic voice. "

Norton was in the attitude of intense and earnest expectation orinquiry; his head slightly turned and depressed on one side, theopposite ear raised, so as to catch the most distinct impressions ofsound. His eyes might have been listening too, yet his vision wasabsorbed, and apparently withdrawn from surrounding objects. He wasstanding near the window, and the workings of his countenancebetrayed a strange and marvellous expression of wonder and anxiety. 

It grew still darker, and the rain came down in torrents. Thethunder-cloud, as though attracted by the height of their situation, kept hovering over the hill, and often seemed to coil round, and wrapthem in its terrific bosom. Night, they knew, was about setting in, but they were still unable to issue forth without imminent danger. Thethick cloud by which they were enveloped would have rendered it ahazardous attempt to proceed under any circumstances. 

"We are in excellent condition for a night's lodging in our goodfortalice, " said Pilkington: "it hath stood many a close siege fromthe elements, and will abide a stouter brush before it yields. "

"But surely the storm is too violent to continue. I hope we mayventure out ere it be long, " said Mortimer, anxiously. 

"Maybe the clouds will either be driven off or disperse. Should abreeze spring up from the west, which is not unusual after such aturbulent condition of the atmosphere, it will clear us rapidly fromthese lumbering masses of almost impregnable vapour. I think Norton isstill in close communion with the elements. I can yet see his outlineby the window. I thought the last flash lighted on his visage asthough it would tarry there a while ere it departed!"

The servants were huddled in a corner by the door, sitting on theground, with the dogs between their legs; the timid animals, terrifiedexceedingly at every thunder-peal, and shivering, as though from coldand distress. Suddenly one of them began to growl; and a short, sharpbark from another, with eyes and ears turned towards the entrance, seemed to announce the approach of an intruder. 

The brutes now stuffed their officious noses in the crevice beneaththe door, but immediately withdrew them, evidently in great terror, asthey slunk back, trembling and dismayed, to the opposite side of thechamber, where they crouched, as if to screen themselves fromcorrection. 

"What ails the cowards?" exclaimed Norton, who had apparently observedtheir proceedings by the scanty light that was yet left. 

"They are witch'd, I think, " said one of the men; "or they've seen, orhaply smelt, a boggart. "

"'Tis o'er soon for such like gear; they stir not abroad before thebats and owls be gone to bed, " said another. 

"Ay! your common everyday sort o' breein' darena' show their bits o'wizen cheeks by daylight; but there be some 'at will abroad at allhours, without fear o' being laid by the parson. The '_SpectreHorseman_' I think they ca' him. I've heard my granam tell as how itfeared neither sunshine nor shade, but"----

Here the speaker's voice failed him, every eye and ear being turnedtowards the entrance. There seemed to come a sound from without, asthough a horse were urged to the utmost of its speed, his clatteringhoofs driven to the very threshold, and there he paused, awaiting somecommunication from those within. 

"Nought living or breathing, " cried Mortimer, "could come that bent. Perch'd as we are on this tall steep summit, 'tis not possiblefor"----

"Hush!" said Norton. "I verily think 'tis some adventure which I mustachieve. What if I should turn giant-killer; this invisible steedbeing sent for mine especial use, whereon I may ride, like Amadis orSir Lancelot, or any other knight or knave o' the pack, deliveringdamsels, slaying dragons and old wicked magicians, by virtue of thisgood right arm alone. "

"Thou art a strange enthusiast, Norton, " said Pilkington. "Thy love ofthe marvellous will sooner or later thrust thee into some ridiculousor perilous scrape, from which not all thy boasted prowess can deliverthee unshent. "

"Hark!" said one of the servants in a whisper. Is not that a knock?"

The loud uproar of the elements had suddenly abated, and the sound, from whatever source it might arise, was distinctly audible to thewhole group. A dull hollow blow seemed to vibrate round the walls, asif they had been struck with some heavy instrument. They seemed tobreathe the very atmosphere of terror. A strange feeling, portentousand unaccountable, pervaded every bosom. The quadrupeds too creptbehind their masters for protection. Fear, like other strong andunreasonable impulses, rapidly becomes infectious. In all likelihood, the mere mention of the Spectre Horseman, together with their noveland somewhat dangerous situation, had disposed their minds for thereception of any stray marvels, however ridiculous or improbable. Yetthis impression could not extend to the trembling brutes, evidentlyunder the influence of alarm, and from a similar source. 

Another blow was heard, louder than before. Those who were nearestcrept farther from the entrance; but Norton, as though bent on somewild exploit, approached the door. He raised the latch, and, as itswung slowly back, most of the party beheld a figure on horseback, motionless before the opening. From the height they occupied thismysterious visitor was depicted in a clear bold outline against a massof red angry-looking clouds, towards the south-east, on the edge ofwhich hung the broad disc of the moon breaking through "Alps" ofclouds, her calm sweet glance fast dissipating the wrath that yetlowered on the brow of Heaven. The intruder wore a dark-colouredvestment; a low-crowned hat surmounted his figure. His steed was blackand heavily built. Probably, from the position whence he was seen, both horse and rider looked almost gigantic. Not a word was spoken. The stranger stood apparently immovable, like some huge equestrianstatue, in the dim and mystic twilight. 

Norton's two friends were evidently astonished and alarmed, but hescarcely evinced any surprise; some superior and unknown source ofexcitement overpowered the fear he might otherwise have felt. Silencecontinued for a few moments, the strange figure remaining perfectlystill. Pilkington approached nearer to his friend, who was yetstanding near the threshold, gazing intently on the vision before him. He whispered a few words over Norton's shoulder. 

"Knowest thou this stranger, Norton?"

"Yes, " he replied with great earnestness and solemnity; "years havegone by since I saw him. Thou never knewest mine uncle; but that ishe, or one sense hath turned traitor to the rest. This very night, twelve years ago--it was just before I left home for school"----Hisvoice now became inaudible to his friend, who observed him, after agaze of inquiry on the stranger, suddenly disappear through theopening. The door was immediately closed by a loud and violent gust. Flying open again with the rebound, the figure of Norton was seenrapidly descending the hill towards the south-east, preceded by themysterious horseman. The light was too feeble for enabling them toascertain the course they took; but it seemed probable that Nortonwas away over the hills with the unknown messenger. Their firstimpulse was to follow; but the impossibility of overtaking thefugitives, and the near approach of night, would have rendered it avain and probably a perilous attempt. Looking anxiously down the darkravine where Norton had so strangely disappeared, Pilkington wasstartled by a voice from behind; turning, he saw it was the man whohad previously dropped those mysterious hints about the "SpectreHorseman, " which now vividly recurred to his memory and imagination. 

"Master, " said this personage, respectfully touching his cap, "you hadbetter not follow. "

"Follow!" said Pilkington, as though bewildered; and the words werebut the echo of his thoughts; "follow!--I cannot--yet why should wenot make the attempt?"

"Step in, if you please, sir. I should not like to speak of it here. "He said this hurriedly, in a tone of deep anxiety and apprehension, looking wistfully around and over the dark hills, fearful, apparently, that others were listening. Pilkington obeyed, but with reluctance. The door was cautiously latched; and to prevent the wind, which nowbegan to rise in louder gusts, from bursting this crazy barrier, aheavy stone was laid to the threshold. 

"It is--let me see"--said Martin, counting the lapse upon his fingers;"ay, --ten--eleven--'tis twelve years ago, on this very night, StBartlemy's Eve, my father, a hale old man at that time of day, some'atgiven, though, to hunting and fowling a bit o' moonlights--and a finepenny he made on't, for many a week, selling the birds at Manchester. Well, as I was saying;--one evening before dusk--the sun had but justcooled his chin i' the water away yonder--he trudged off wi' the dogs, Crab and Pincher--two as cunning brutes as ever ran afore a tail. Theymight ha' known the errand they were going on, sneakin' about wi' suchhang-dog looks, which they always took care to put on when t' ould manbegan to get ready for a night's foraging. They would follow at hisheels, almost on their bellies, for fear o' being seen by the Squire'smen; but when fairly astart for the game, they could show as muchbreeding as the best-trained pointer i' the parish. I am getting sadlywide o' my story, your honour; but I used to like the cubs dearly, andmany a time I have played with 'em when I wasn't a bit bigger thanthemselves. They came to a sad end, sir, like most other rogues andthieves besides, and"----

"But we are not getting an inch nearer the end of the story all thistime, " said Pilkington. 

"True, your honour; but I'll piece to it presently. I was a greatlubberly lad, I know, and tented the cattle then upon the moors. Well, on this same night, as I was saying, my mother and the rest were goneto bed, my father was upon the hills, and I was watching at home, thinkin' maybe of the next Michaelmas fair, and many a fine bit of funthereby. The fire was gone out, but I had lighted a scrap of candle, which sweeled sadly down, I remember, in the socket. Well, just as Iwas getting sleepy I heard a scratch, and then a whine at the door. 'What's to do now, ' thinks I, 'that the dogs are here again so soon?'an' without more ado, I lifted the latch, when, sure enough, it wasthem, dirty draggled beasts, they might ha' bin possed through aslutch-pit. 'Where's yere master?' says I;--the things took no heed tome, but began licking themselves, an' tidying their nasty carcases, till the house verily reek'd again. 'So, friends, ' says I, 'if ye'refor that gait, you may as well take a turn i' the yard, ' an' withoutmore ado, I bundled 'em off, with a sound kick into the bargain. Well, you see, I hearkened till my ears crack'd for my father's foot; but Iheard nought except the crickets, and the little brook that runsbehind the house, for everything was so still I could have heard amouse stir. I opened the door, and looked out, I think, into as clearand mellow a night as ever gazed down from the sky upon our quiethills. Then I went to the gate, and looked up the road which takes youinto the little glen by a short path, away up to the high meadows; butI could neither see him, nor hear any likelihood of his coming. Icould ha' told his footstep amongst a thousand, and his cough, too, for that matter. I felt myself growing all of a shake, an' the veryhairs seemed crawling over my head; a pea might have knocked me down, and, for the life of me, I durst not venture farther--it was somethingso strange that the dogs should come back without their master--I wassure some mischief had happened to him. All at once it jumped into myhead that he had stuck fast in some of these bogs or mosses, and therascal curs had left him there instead of their own pitiful carcases;but that my father should be so forefoughten as to let himself benabbed in one of these bog-traps I could hardly believe. Yet thedogs--ay, there was the mischief--and the lurching ne'er-do-weelscoming back in such dismal pickle. I went back to the house, for Idurst not stay abroad; and yet, when I was indoors, I could not bidethere neither; so I walked up and down the house-flags, like as I waurdazed. I durst not go to bed; so there I was, and for a couple ofhours too, in a roarin' pickle, that I would not be steeped in againfor a' the moorgates between here and Chorley. "

"Go on;--we've no loitering time now, " said Pilkington; "thy storysticks fast, I fear, like thy father i' the bog. "

"Why, I was but rincing the evil thoughts out of my mind, as it were, for they come about me like a honey-swarm at the thoughts on't; and Idon't just like their company at present, it minds me o' the time whenthis plaguy chance befell my father. "

"He did not tarry away for good and all, I reckon?"

"You shall hear, sir, if you but gie me a taste o' the flask; for Ifeel just like to go into a swoon, or some tantrum or another. "

Martin took a strong pull at the bottle, and, thus refreshed, heresumed his story. 

"Well, you see as how I waited, and my mind was like as it might ha'been set on a pismire hillock, I waur so uneasy. The dogs, too, beganto howl pitifully at the door, so I let the poor things in for a bito' company. I had not waken'd mother; for I kept thinking I'd wait awhile longer, and a while longer, as I never in all my life liked tobring bad news. Well, it might be about two or three hours I went onat that gait, an' just as I was pondering as to whether I should goup-stairs or not, I heard something come with a quick step through thegate and up the flags to the door. It was not like father's foot, neither; it was so terrible sharp and hasty. I felt as if I'd beenstrucken of a heap. My knees shook an' dither'd as if I'd had theague. Up goes the latch; for I could not stir--I was holden fast tothe floor. The door bangs open in a fearfu' hurry, and in comes myfather, as though 'Legion' had been at his heels. He looked pale, andalmost fleered out of his wits, so I made sure he had seen the boglethat my granam used to frighten us with. 'Father, father, ' says I, assoon as I could speak, 'what's happened? ha' ye seen it?' He did notsay a word, but sat down in the big rocking-chair by t' hob-end, whenhe tilted his head back, and began swingin' back'ard and for'ard, moaning all the while as if he waur in great trouble. I looked at him, as well as I could, for I had lighted a whole candle a while before. Isat down, too, and not another word could I say. But, my conscience!what a racket the dogs made when they saw him! They jumped, andfrisked, and almost cried for joy, as though they had gi'en him up forlost, and were desperately fain, poor things, at his return. The firstword he spoke was to these dummies; for they whined, wriggled, andwagged their tails, and licked his fingers, enough to have drawn wordsfrom a stone wa'. 'Ay, ay, ye sneaking rascals, ' said he, 'ye left mewi' yere tails down low enough, and as fast as your legs could lilt yeoff, when I was forefoughten wi''----Here he looked round, with a faceso dismal and disturbed that I verily think I should not forget it ifI waur at my last shrift. Taking this opportunity, as I may say, Iventured a word or so. The old man gave me another of those terriblelooks before he spoke--'Eh, me!' said he, 'my days are but few now, Ireckon. I've seen the'----He stopped and looked round again; then hesaid, almost in a whisper--'I've seen him, Martin!' 'I thought so, 'says I. 'I've seen the ould one, I believe, ' says he; 'an' that's morenor I'll like to do again, or thee either. We've done wi' ournight-work now, an' the dogs may just go where they can get an honestbellyful. ' You may be sure I was sadly fear'd. I durst not ask him howit happened that he should have snappered upon old Sootypaws; but in awhile he saved me the speerin', and, as well as I can think, this wasthe account of his misadventure:--

"'I was goin' up by the Pike, ' said he, 'and a brave shower ofmoonlight there was, weltering on the side of the hill, when, just asI got behind it there in the shadow, I thought I saw somethin' big andblack standing among a little clump of gorses afore me. I felt starteda somehow, but I rubb'd my forehead and eyes, and looked again. It didnot shift, so I thought I might as well make the best o' the matter, an' went for'ard without altering my speed. Well, what should I seewhen I got nearer, but a great spanking black horse, and a littleishman upon it, who seemed just waiting till I came up. I stood stillwhen I got within a yard or two, expecting he would speak first, for Ithought as how it might be some poor body belike that had lost hisway in crossing the moors. But he did not say a word, which I thoughtmighty uncouth and uncivil. So making my best speech for the once, though fearful it was some fellow watching to waylay me, I asked himcivilly how he did, and so on. Then I asked if he waur in want of aguide over the hills any way. The thing here set up a great rollickin'horse laugh, that frightened my father worse than anything he said;but he durst not turn back for fear he might follow, and happen tocatch him as he ran, so he stood still, dithering like a top all thewhile. 

"'Canst show me the road to the Two Lads?'[19] he ask'd, as soon as hehad gotten his laugh out. 

"'That can I, ' says my father, 'as well as anybody i' the parish. ' 'Onwith thee, then, ' says the devilkin, 'and don't mind picking your way, friend, for my horse can tread a bog without wetting a hair of hisfoot. ' My father walked on, but the dogs kept a wary eye towards thestranger, he thought, and hung their tails, an' slunk behind, like asthey were mightily afeard on him. But it wasn't long afore my fatherbegan to wonder within himself what this unlikely thing could wantthere at the Two Lads, which, as you know, is scarcely two miles offyonder, and on the highest and ugliest part of the whole commoning; aplace, too, which is always said to have a bad name sticking to it. Hedurst not ask him his business though, and they went on withoutspeaking, until the Two Lads were just peeping out before them intothe clear soft moonlight. 'There they are, ' said my father; 'and nowI'll bid your honour good-night. ' 'Stay, ' said his companion: 'I maywant you a little while yet, so budge on, if you please. ' Somehow myfather felt as though he durst not refuse, and however loth to suchcompany, he trudged away till they came together to the spot. 'Now, 'says the little gentleman, 'lift up that big heap of stones there, andI'll tell you what to do with them. ' 'Sir, ' says my father, 'you arein jest, belike. ' 'Not a bit of it, ' replied the other; 'see, 'tiseasy as flying. ' Wi' that he leaps off his horse, and at one stroke ofhis switch, up they went, jump, jump, jump, like a batch of crows froma corn-field. The dogs set up a fearful howl, and, without onceturning to see what was behind them, set off helter-skelter throughbog and bush for the nearest, and left my father to himself with thefoul fiend. All at once it popped into his head the tales he had onceheard about the '_Spectre Horseman_, ' that was said to ramble aboutthese hills, sometimes in the air, sometimes on the ground, like thedark clouds and their shadows upon the soft grass, without ever afootprint. My poor father could have wished the ground to gape andswallow him, he said, he was so frightened. Where the stones had beenthere was a great hole gaping, like one of the mouths of thebottomless pit, and try how he would, he could not turn away his eyesfrom it. 'That's the place, ' said this fearful thing; but my fatherwas ready to cower down with terror. He could not speak, but hethought he saw a great long black arm thrust out of the hole. 'Takewhat he gives thee, ' says Blackface, 'and make haste. ' But he mightas well have spoken to the whins and gorses, for the chance of beingobeyed. 'Take it!' said this ill-tongued limb of Old Harry, in a voicelike thunder. But my father could not stir, and then there waurshrieks, yells, and moans, and such noises as he had never heard. Thecreature looked angry, and full of venom as a toad. 'I shall miss mytime, ' said he; and with that he began to listen, for there came thesound of footsteps on the dark heather, and then the ugly thing didlaugh for very gladness. 'Go, fool, ' he cried, 'here comes one betterthan thee;' and with that he lent my father a kick that might havesent him across the valley, at a moderate calculation, had he notremembered an old witch charm which he mumbled as he fell. How long helay there, and what happened the while, he did not know, but when heawoke, he saw the heap was in its place again, the moon looking downbright and beautiful as ever, as if she thought nothing particular hadtaken place. He could hardly persuade himself that he had not dreamedan ugly dream, until he remembered the spot, and how he had beenenticed, or rather forced there against his will. You may be sure hemade the best of his way home again, where he came in the condition Ihave just told you. Not many days after we heard that a gentleman ofno mean condition, that lived not many miles off--I have forgottenhis name--and who was supposed to be crossing the hills on that verynight, was lost. He never appeared afterwards. It was generallythought he was swallowed up in some bog, but my father always believedthat he had fallen into the clutches of that Evil One, from whom hehimself had escaped but with the skin of his teeth. From that time tohis dying day was he never known to ramble on the moors again; analtered man he became, sure enough, and our big Bible, with thepictures in it, was brushed fro' the dust. He might be seen with thebook upon his knee at the doorstone on a summer's night, and thethird bench from the Squire's pew at Blackrod church never missed atenant till my father was laid quietly down in the churchyard. "

During this recital there had been a close and almost breathlessattention. As he concluded a buzz of agitation pervaded the group; nota word was spoken for a little while until Pilkington exclaimed, slowly passing one hand over his brow--

"A marvellous delivery, which I might have been disposed to treat likeother marvels, had not our own senses in some measure left with us ashow of truth, or probability at least, about the adventure, which, for my own part, I find it difficult to throw off. Exaggerated andfull of improbabilities, I admit, yet the story hath some substratumof truth, no doubt by which it is supported. What it is, would bedifficult to ascertain, but the mystery or misapprehension, whateverit be, shall be cleared up, and that speedily. "

"Doubtless, " said Mortimer; "but first let us return to our lodging. Marvels, being in the inverse ratio to truth, always appear greatestat a distance; and when the explanation comes, we may perhaps smile atour present embarrassment. The riddle is easy when solved. "

"True; but how is that to be accomplished?"

"Let us return to our quarters; we may perhaps find that our companionhas arrived there before us. "

Pilkington shook his head incredulously. Indeed the whole affair hadmade a much greater impression upon him than he was willing to allow, even to himself. 

The moon lighted them on their path as they took the nearest route totheir temporary sojourn. Many a cautious glance was cast behind, andmany a dark stone or bush--many a grotesque shadow--assumed the formthey feared to encounter. They arrived at their dwelling withoutmolestation, but--Norton was not there!

"Here is foul play somewhere, " said Mortimer thoughtfully. "Think you, Pilkington, that we could find out our way in this quiet moonshine tothat same 'Two Lads' which Martin pointed out? I fancy the louts wehave about us durst not venture thither. Indeed I think it may beprudent to go unattended on several accounts. "

"That is my opinion, " said Pilkington; "and as for poking out the way, I can do that readily. I cannot rest without making the attempt, atany rate. "

"Let us not create any alarm, but steal quietly off when we haverefreshed ourselves, " said Mortimer; "we need not tell them of ourintent. "

"It were best, " replied Pilkington, "that we give these knaves acaution first that they bruit not forth the adventure at present, oruntil we have more exact information as to the nature of theproceedings it may be needful to adopt. "

It was not long ere they commenced their journey, traversing thehill-path in the requisite direction. By day, the pillars are easilyseen from some parts of the valley below, and Pilkington hadfrequently passed them in crossing the moors. A pretty accurate notionof their bearing was thus formed from the point whence they started. 

The greater part of the way was trodden in silence. The rivulets wereswollen with the heavy rains, and great care was necessary to attaintheir object in safety. The path was not devoid of danger at any time, by reason of the spongy and uncertain nature of the bogs, accumulatedmasses of spumous unhealthy vegetation, showing patches of brightgreen verdure, holding water often to an unknown depth, and sometimesproving fatal to those who dare to venture upon this deceitful andperilous surface. By using great caution, and carefully ascertainingthe nature of the ground before them, they passed on, without furtherinconvenience than that of wading through bogs and ditches, climbingstone-walls and embankments, aided by the uninterrupted light of ablazing harvest-moon. 

They had now accomplished the most fatiguing part of the ascent, thedark heathery crown of the mountain, whereon the moonbeams lay sobeautiful, as though nature were one vast region of universalsilence, for ever unbroken and undisturbed. It was like gazing on astatue--there was the semblance of life, but all was silent andmotionless, the very stillness startling like a spectre. 

Soon they had passed through the creaking heather-bushes on thesummit, when they saw two rude pillars peeping up from the dark lineof the horizon before them. A sensation, not unallied to fear, passedwith a sudden thrill across the deep, unseen sources of feeling--thesealed fountains of the spirit. They felt as though entering onmysterious or forbidden ground. The hour--the circumstances which ledto their present situation--their companion's recent and unaccountabledisappearance, and the prevalent superstitions connected with thissolitary spot--all contributed to their present alarms with a forceand poignancy unusual, and even appalling. They almost expected the"_Spectre Horseman_" to rush by, or to rise up suddenly before them, and forbid their further progress into his domains. 

"I am not prone to pay much heed either to marvels or superstitions, and yet"----said Mortimer, again pausing after a long silence. 

"Why, " said Pilkington, "the very air feels rank with mystery. Whatever may be the cause, I never felt more i' the mood for an hourof devotion in my life. "

"We may both have need for the exercise ere we depart hence, or mythoughts misgive me, " replied Mortimer. 

"It may be the mystery connected with our expedition which operates inits own nature upon the mind, " said Pilkington. "I feel, as it were, every faculty impressed with some fearful and indissoluble spell. Anatmosphere, impervious, and almost impalpable, seems to oppress thespirit. Surely we are on the trail of some demon, and his subtleinfluence is about us. "

"Ah!" said Mortimer, starting aside with a shudder, as though aserpent stung him. 

"Heardest thou aught, Mortimer?"

"I thought there was a rushing past my ear. "

"I heard it too, " replied Pilkington, in a low and agitated tone; "butI heard more, Mortimer. A voice, methought, distinct as thine own, swept by: '_Go not_, ' was faintly uttered. I am sure I heard thewords. "

"This place affects me strangely, " said Mortimer; "but I will not goback, though the very jaws of the pit were to interpose. "

Suddenly a mist gathered about them, not an unusual circumstance inthese mountain regions, but a sufficiently portentous one to fastenstrongly upon their imaginations, already predisposed to invest everyappearance, however trivial, or according to the common course ofevents, with supernatural terrors. A gust of wind soon curled thevapour into clouds, which swept rapidly on; sometimes with themoonlight through their shattered rifts, then dark and impervious, shutting out the whole hemisphere, and wrapping them as with a cloak. Still they kept on their way, slowly, but in the direction, as near asthey could ascertain, towards the place where they hoped to find someclue to their search. They felt convinced, though neither of themcould state the nature of their convictions, that the mystery wouldhere terminate. 

The wind came on now in heavier and more continuous gusts, like thedistant rumble of the ocean. They fancied other sounds were audible inthe blast; yells and howlings that seemed to approach nearer withevery successive impulse. A sound, like the rush of wings, brushedpast them, and, instinctively, they grasped each other by the arm. Amoan was distinctly heard; then another, louder and more terrible. Acry of agony succeeded, then a shriek, so loud and appalling that acry of horror involuntarily burst from their lips. 

"Save us, Father of Mercy!"

It was the cry of faith; a look fixed upon Him "who is not slow tohear, nor impotent to save. " The cloud rolled suddenly away, unfolding, as though for the disclosure of some mighty pageant. Theysaw before them, and within a very few paces, the dark, heavy pillars, looking more black and hideous in the garish light by which they wereseen. A cloud or mist seemed to have rolled, as suddenly, from theirmental vision; a weight was removed from their apprehensions. Theyfelt as though scarcely acting, previously, as free agents, butimpelled by some unseen power, to which every faculty and everythought was in thraldom. 

Beside one of the heaps lay a figure, prostrate and motionless. It wasthe death-like form of Norton! He was, to all appearance, lifeless, with hands clenched, and his whole attitude betokening some recentlydesperate and painful struggle. They tried to arouse him, and acordial with which they moistened his lips produced some slightsymptoms of returning consciousness; but the spark disappeared withthe breath that fanned it. The safest plan was evidently to attempthis removal. With as little delay as possible they bore him gentlybetween them; and as the first streak of daylight was dawning over thehills, they had the satisfaction to see him safely disposed of intheir little hostelrie, whither a surgeon was speedily summoned fromthe adjacent village. He was yet insensible, but life was not extinct;the medical attendant pronouncing him in great jeopardy, from someviolent struggle and exertion, both of body and mind. Rest, and themost careful attention, were absolutely necessary, lest, withreturning consciousness, reason should be disturbed, and the mindremain bewildered from the agitation previously undergone. 

For several weeks this unfortunate victim, as they supposed, to hisown vague and supernatural terrors, lay without showing the slightestsymptom of recognition. Groans and incoherent murmurs, after longintervals of silence, proclaimed that life was yet lingering on thethreshold of the tabernacle, unwilling for her flight. A cry of terrorwould sometimes break forth, and his whole frame become violentlyconvulsed, while he seemed to exhaust himself in struggles to escape. 

We will not prolong the recital, nor is it needful to relate how thefirst light glimpse broke through the clouds that had so long veiledhis spirit. Fearful were the first awakenings of the soul. Like thelast dread summons, it was not an awakening from oblivion. Everyfaculty wore the dark impress of terror, though he remained apparentlyunconscious of the interval that had passed. 

Pilkington and his friend were unremitting in their attentions. Theissue was long doubtful; but in the end he recovered from the dreadhallucination under which he laboured. 

With restored health, he disclosed, to them only, the events which hadoccurred in the brief interval of their separation. 

"I think I before told you, " said he, reluctantly commencing thenarrative, "that the figure who appeared so mysteriously at the doorof our temporary shelter on the hill wore the very image of my uncle, whom you never knew, Pilkington. You may conceive that my surprise wasexcessive, though I cannot say that I felt so; but it will, in somemeasure, account for my apparent rashness and eager determination tofollow, when I inform you that it was just twelve years previously, onthat self-same night, the eve of St Bartlemy, when his unaccountabledisappearance on these moors, of which I have before spoken, threwconsternation and distress into the hitherto peaceful and happycommunity with which he was associated. I need not recount the familydisasters and disagreements which his mysterious absence hasoriginated. No trace was left of his disappearance; nor could his bodyever be discovered. The night prior to our excursion I saw him; but itwas in a dream. This circumstance, together with the place and thevery time, twelve years since his departure, was the cause of myapparent thoughtfulness and abstraction prior to the appearance of ourmysterious visitor. I felt an apathy; and, at the same time, a loadupon my spirits for which I could not account. I remember that I wasscarcely alarmed, or even surprised, when he presented himself; andthat I felt as though I had been waiting for his arrival--more underthe bewildering influence of a dream than the sober conceptions ofwaking truth. I made no doubt but that the mystery would now beelucidated. I followed the retreating horseman, who, I saw, beckonedme forward, and occasionally seemed to chide my tardiness and want ofspeed. I could not hear his voice, but I thought he pronounced myname. He descended the hill with considerable haste, and it was withdifficulty that I could now keep him in sight. Fully bent on thediscovery, I resolved, if possible, let the consequence be what itmight, that I would follow. The storm had suddenly abated, and theclouds were rolling off in broken masses through the calm ether, fromwhich the moon crept out, by whose aid I hoped to keep in view theobject of my pursuit. 

"The path he now took led up the ascent on the opposite hill. Iclambered up with some difficulty, but the flying horseman before meseemed to accomplish the work without either hesitation orinconvenience. He waited for me when he had surmounted the steepestpart of the acclivity, and I grew more and more convinced that it wasmy uncle's form, as I had seen him in my boyhood. Memory wassufficiently tenacious on this head; and knowing the great need, as itconcerned family affairs, that his fate should be clearly ascertained, I braved all hazards, and still followed this mysterious conductor. Ido not recollect I felt any apprehension that I was following asupernatural guide; or that it might possibly be a phantom who wasluring me on to misery and destruction. The mild, benevolent aspectof my relative was before me, and I could not associate an idea ofdanger with the guide and protector of my youth. 

"As I gained the brow of the hill I saw the dark form of the horsemandilated upon the wide, bare, uninterrupted horizon, in almost giganticproportions. It might be the distance that caused this illusion, butthe huge black horse appeared to wax in magnitude with every step, andto become more fiend-like and terrible. Still I followed, and ere longI beheld the two pillars unto which our course was evidently tending. They seemed to rise up from the earth like huge giants waiting fortheir prey. My guide, whom I had previously attempted to overtake, stood still when he reached them, awaiting my approach. With feelingsstrangely akin to those of an ill-fated victim, urged by someresistless fascination into the very jaws of his destroyer, I drewnearer to the object of my hopes and apprehensions. I recognised thevery dress my uncle wore on ordinary occasions, and the strongsquare-built form that in my childhood I was accustomed to view with aparental regard. Yet was I disquieted with alarm and agitation. Horrible images rushed upon my brain. I seemed to be the sport andprey of some power I could not withstand--a power that apparentlymight wield my very faculties at his will, and had already taken thereins of self-government into his own keeping. I began to fancy thatit was some terrible vision by which I was harassed; and I wellremember it was the precise feeling that haunts us in our dreams whena horrible doom is approaching from which apparently there is noescape; and yet we feel as though assured some way will be opened forour deliverance. While we endure all the horrors of our situation, weknow of a surety that our miseries shall soon terminate. Yet a cloudwas gathering upon my soul, and objects assumed another hue seenthrough its wild and chaotic elements. With all the vagueness anduncertainty of a dream, I felt that I was awake!

"'Dost thou know me?' said the mysterious inquirer, in a tone which Iimmediately recognised. Still there was an awful and thrillingemphasis in the expression which alarmed me more than before. 

"'I know you, ' I replied, 'as the friend and guardian of my youth;but--to what end am I called hither, and why are you thus?'

"'My path is hidden!' said he, in a voice terrible and foreboding. 

"'Tell me, where have you been? Is this your habitation?unless'--shuddering, I added in a low but energetic tone--'unless youare some evil one that hath ta'en his semblance to lure me to myhurt. '

"'When the moon rides o'er the blue south 'tis midnight; I will thenreveal what thou hast desired, and the purpose of my coming. '

"'Art thou really he whose form thou bearest? Answer truly, as thoudost hope for my stay. '

"'I am!' he replied, in a tone so like that of my uncle that I was nowsatisfied his very form was before me. Conjecture was vain as to themotives that prompted this long and extraordinary concealment. 

"'Promise, Norton, that thou wilt tarry here until my return!'

"'I will; but give me some pledge, some proof that thy being is real;that thou comest not as a phantom to delude my hopes. '

"He stretched out his hand. I again felt the warm pressure of myearliest friend, whom I had so long mourned as dead. I would haveembraced him, but he shrunk back, and I saw the black steed againpreparing and impatient to depart. 

"'Remember, ' said he, in a hollow voice, 'at midnight I will return. '

"I leaned against the stone, determined to await the arrival of mymysterious relative, who would, I was convinced, on his returnsatisfactorily elucidate his proceedings. Occupied with vain surmisesand reflections, time passed on almost unperceived; and ere I wasaware the black steed was at my side. The rider suddenly dismounted. Idrew back, instinctively, as he approached; for I saw, in the stillclear light of the unclouded moon, his countenance hideously distortedand almost demoniacal in its expression. 

"'Thou art mine!' said he, laying one hand upon my shoulder; 'and thoushall know too soon my terrible secret. ' He came nearer; I felt hisbreath upon my face; it was hot and even scorching; I was unable toresist; he clung round me like a serpent; his eyes shot livid fire, and his lips--hideous, detestable thought--his lips met mine! Hiswhole spirit seemed diffusing itself throughout my frame. I thought mybody was destined to be the habitation of some accursed fiend--that Iwas undergoing the horrid process of demoniacal possession! Thoughgasping, almost suffocating, for I could not disengage myself from hisdeadly fangs, I exerted my utmost strength. One cry was to Heaven, butit was the last; the soul seemed to have exhausted herself with theeffort. All subsequent and sensible impressions vanished; and Iremember nothing save horrible incoherent dreams, wherein I was thesport and prey of demons, or my own body the dwelling-place of someever-restless and malicious fiend! From the long night ofinsensibility that ensued I would be thankful that reason has awakedwithout injury; and though fearful beyond the common lot of mortalshas been my destiny, yet I would render homage to that Power whosemight rescued me from the very grasp of the Evil One!"

The listeners were appalled, horror-struck beyond measure, at thisfearful narrative. Its mysteries they could not solve by any referenceto the usual course of natural events; no key that nature holds wouldunlock this dark and diabolical mystery. To his dying day Nortonfirmly believed that his uncle's body was the abode of some foulspirit, permitted to sojourn upon earth only on the fearful conditionthat he should effect his entrance, at stated periods, into a livinghuman frame, whose proper occupant he might be able to dispossess forthis horrible purpose. Many circumstances would seem to corroboratethis belief. The adventure of the old poacher, in particular, happening precisely on the night of his uncle's disappearance, ledNorton to conclude that the foul fiend was obliged to renew hishabitation upon every twelfth return of the holy festival of StBartholomew. That a solution so inconsistent with our belief in theconstant care and control of an all-wise and an all-powerfulProvidence was incorrect, we need not be at any pains to prove in thisera of widely-disseminated knowledge and intelligence. Still, amystery, inscrutable under the ordinary operations of nature, appearsto hang over the whole proceeding, and though a legend only, yet theevents bear a wonderful semblance and affinity to truth, even in theirwildest details. 

It is said that the "_Spectre Horseman_" appeared no more, and thathaving failed in fulfilling the terms by which his existence uponearth was, from time to time, permitted and prolonged, he was drivento his own place, where he must abide for ever the doom of thosekindred and accursed spirits whose aim it is continually to seduce andto destroy. 

 [19] The Two Lads are heaps of loose stones, about ten or twelve feet in height, set up, as the story goes, to commemorate the death of two shepherd boys, who were found on the spot after a long search, missing their way during a heavy fall of snow. The tale is most probably incorrect; these mural monuments have been gradually accumulated by the passers-by;--a custom handed down from the most remote ages, and still observed as an act of religious worship in the East. There is little doubt but they are remnants yet lingering amongst us of the "altars upon every high hill, " once dedicated to Baal, or Bel, the great object of Carthaginian or Phoenician worship, from which our Druidical rites were probably derived. 

MOTHER RED-CAP; OR, THE ROSICRUCIANS. 

A LEGEND OF THE NORTH. 

PART THE FIRST. 

In the wild and mountainous region of East Lancashire, at the foot ofthe long line of hills called Blackstonedge, and not far from the townof Rochdale, stood one of those old grim-looking mansions, the abodeof our Saxon ancestors; a quiet, sheltered nest, where ages andgenerations had alike passed by. The wave of time had produced nochange; the name and the inheritance were the same, and seeminglydestined to continue unaltered by the mutations, the common lot of allthat man labours to perpetuate. This state of things existed at thedate of our story; now, alas! the race of its former possessors isextinct, their name only remains a relic of things that were--theirformer mansion standing, [20] as if in mockery, amidst the hum ofwheels, and in melancholy contrast with the toil and animation of thismanufacturing, money-getting district. 

Buckley Hall, to which we allude, is still an object of interest tothe antiquary and the lover of romance, telling of days that are forever departed, when the lords of these paternal acres were theoccupants, not impoverishers, of the soil from unrecordedages--constituting a tribe, a race of sturdy yeomanry attached totheir country and to the lands on which they dwelt. But they are nighextinct--other habits and other pursuits have prevailed. Profusehospitality and rude benevolence have given place to habits ofbusiness as they are called, and to a more calculating andenterprising disposition. The most ancient families have becomeabsorbed or overwhelmed by the mighty progress of this new element, this outpouring of wealth as from some unseen source; and in manyinstances their names only are recognised in these old and ricketymansions, now the habitation of the mechanic and the plebeian. 

Many of these dwellings remain--a melancholy contrast to the trimerections, the symbols of a new race, along with new habits and formsof existence, sufficiently testifying to the folly and the vainexpectations of those who toil and labour hard for a long lease withposterity. 

This mansion, like the rest of our ancestral dwellings of the bettersort, was built of wood, on a stone basement. The outside structurecuriously vandyked in a zigzag fashion with wooden partitions, theinterstices were filled with wicker-work, plastered with well-temperedclay, to which chopped straw imparted additional tenacity. When newlyembellished, looking like the pattern, black and white, of somediscreet magpie perched on the wooden pinnacles terminating eachgable, or hopping saucily about the porch--that never-failing adjunctto these homely dwellings. Here, on a well-scoured bench, the masterof the house would sit in converse with his family or his guests, enjoying the fresh and cheering breeze, without being fully exposed toits effects. The porch was universally adopted as a protection to thelarge flagged hall called the "house-part, " which otherwise might havebeen seriously incommoded by the inclement atmosphere of these bleakdistricts. On one side of the hall, containing the great fireplace, was the "guest parlour. " Here the best bed was usually fixed; andhere, too, all great "occasions" took place. Births, christenings, burials--all emanated from, or were accomplished in, this familychamber. Every member was there transmitted from the cradle to thegrave. The low wide oaken stairs, to the first bending of which anactive individual might have leaped without any such superfluousmedia. The naked gallery, with its little quaint doors on each side, hatched in the usual fashion, this opening into the store-room, thatinto the servants' lodging, another into the closet where the choicestconfections were kept. Opposite were the bed-chambers, and at theextremity of the gallery a ladder generally pointed the way to a loft, where, amongst heaps of winter stores, dried roots, and othervegetables, probably reposed one or two of the male servants on astraw mattress, well fortified from cold by an enormous quilt. 

Our description will apply with little variation to all. We lovethese deserted mansion-houses that speak of the olden time, its goodcheer and its rude but pleasant intercourse; times and seasons thatare for ever gone, though we crave pardon for indulging in what mayperhaps find little favour in the eyes of this generation, whose hopesand desires are to the future, who say the past is but the childhoodof our existence: it is gone, and shall not return. But there are yetsome who love to linger on the remnants, the ruins of a former state, who look at these time-honoured relics but as links that bring theminto closer communion with bygone ages, and would fain live in thetwilight of other years rather than the meridian splendour of thepresent. But we must not be seduced any further by these reflections;our present business concerns the legend whose strange title stands atthe head of this article. 

In one of the upper chambers at Buckley Hall before named, and notlong ago, was an iron ring fixed to a strong staple in the wall; andto this ring a fearful story is still attached. The legend, as it isoften told, is one of those wild improbable fictions, based on factsdistorted and embellished to suit the taste of the listener or thefancy of the narrator. It will be our task to make out from theseimaginative materials a narrative divested as much as possible of themarvellous, but at the same time retaining so much as will interestand excite the reader and lover of legendary lore. 

It was in one of those genial, mellow, autumnal evenings--so dear toall who can feel their influence, and so rare a luxury to theinhabitants of this weeping climate--when all living things wear thehue and warmth of the glowing atmosphere in which they are enveloped, that two lovers were sauntering by the rivulet, a "wimpling burn"that, rising among the bare and barren moorlands of this uncultivatedregion, runs past Buckley Hall into the valley of the Roch. 

It was near the close of the sixteenth century, in the days of goodQueen Bess, yet their apparel was somewhat homely even for this era ofstuffed doublets and trunk-hose. Such unseemly fashions had hardlytravelled into these secluded districts; and the plain, stout, woollenjacket of their forefathers, and the ruffs, tippets, stays, andstomachers of their grandmothers, formed the ordinary wear of thebelles and beaux of the province. Fardingales, or hooped petticoats, we are happy to say, for the sake of our heroine, were unknown. 

"Be of good cheer, " said the lover; "there be troubles enow, believeme, without building them up out of our own silly fears--like boyswith their snow hobgoblins, terrible enough in the twilight of fancy, but a gleam of sunshine will melt and dissipate them. Thou art sadto-night without reason. Imaginary fears are the worst to cope withal;having nor shape nor substance, we cannot combat with them. 'Tis hard, indeed, fighting with shadows. "

"I cannot smile to-night, Gervase; there's a mountain here--aforeboding of some deadly sort. I might as soon lift 'Robin Hood'sBed' yonder as remove it. "

"No more of this, my dearest Grace; at least not now. Let us enjoythis bright and sunny landscape. How sharply cut are those cragsyonder on the sky. Blackstonedge looks almost within a stride, or atleast a good stone's-throw. Thou knowest the old legend of Robin Hood;how that he made yonder rocks his dormitory, and by way of amusementpitched or quoited huge stones at a mark on the hill just above us, being some four or five miles from his station. It is still visiblealong with several stones lying near, and which are evidently from thesame rock as that on which it is said he slept. "

"I've heard such silly tales often. Nurse had many of these oldstories wherewith to beguile us o' winter nights. She used to tell, too, about Eleanor Byron, who loved a fay or elf, and went to meet himat the fairies' chapel away yonder where the Spodden gushes throughits rocky cleft, --'tis a fearful story, --and how she was deliveredfrom the spell. I sometimes think on't till my very flesh creeps, andI could almost fancy that such an invisible thing is about me. "

With such converse did they beguile their evening walk, ever and anonmaking the subject bend to the burden of their own sweet ditty ofmutual _unchanging_ love!

Grace Ashton was the only daughter of a wealthy yeoman, one of thegentry of that district, residing at Clegg Hall, a mile or twodistant. Its dark low gables and quiet smoke might easily bedistinguished from where they stood. It was said that the Cleggs, itsoriginal owners, had been beggared and dispossessed by vexatious andfraudulent lawsuits; and the Ashtons had achieved their purpose bydishonesty and chicane. However this might be, busy rumour gavecurrency and credit to the tale, though probably it had none otherfoundation than the idle and malevolent gossip of the envious and theunthinking. 

[Illustration "THE THRUTCH, " NEAR ROCHDALE. _Drawn by G. Pickering. __Engraved by Edw^d Finden. _]

They had toiled up a narrow pathway on the right of a woody ravine, where the stream had evidently formed itself a passage through theloose strata in its course. The brook was heard, though hidden by thetangled underwood, and they stopped to listen. Soothing but melancholywas the sound. Even the birds seemed to chirp there in a sad andpensive twitter, not unnoticed by the lovers, though each kept thegloomy and fanciful apprehensions untold. 

Soon they gained the summit of a round heathery knoll, whence anextensive prospect rewarded their ascent. The squat, square tower ofRochdale Church might be seen above the dark trees nestling under itsgrey walls. The town was almost hidden by a glowing canopy of smokegleaming in the bright sunset--towards the north the bare bleak hills, undulating in sterile loneliness, and associating only with images ofbarrenness and desolation. Easterly, a long, level burst of lightswept across meadow, wood, and pasture; green slopes dotted withbright homesteads, to the very base apparently of, though at somedistance from, Blackstonedge, now of the deepest, the most intenseblue. Such a daring contrast of colour gave a force and depth to thelandscape, which, had it been portrayed, would, to critical eyesperhaps, have outraged the modesty of Nature. 

The sky was already growing cold and grey above the ridge opposed tothe burning brightness of the western horizon, and Grace Ashtonpointed out the beautiful but fleeting hues of the landscape aroundthem. Her companion, however, was engrossed by another object. Beforethem was an eminence marking the horizon to the north-west, though notmore than a good bowshot from where they stood. Between this andtheir present standing was a little grassy hollow, through which thebrook we have described trickled rather than ran, amidst moss andrushes, rendering the ground swampy and unsafe. On this hill stood"Robin Hood's coit-stones;" and on the largest, called the"marking-stone, " a wild-looking and haggard figure was crouched. Hergarments, worn and tattered, were of a dingy red; and her cap, or_coiffure_ as it was then called, was of the same colour. Her head wasbent forward beyond the knee, as though she were listening towardsthe ground, or was expecting the approach of the individuals who nowcame suddenly, and to themselves unexpectedly, in view. Her figure, inthe glow of that rich autumnal sky, looked of the deepest crimson, andof a bloody and portentous aspect. 

"What strange apparition is yonder, " said Gervase Buckley, "on thehill-top there before us? Beshrew me, Grace, but it hath an evil and arancorous look. "

But Grace, along with a short scream of surprise, betrayed, too, herrecognition of the object, and clung with such evident terror to hercompanion that he turned from the object of his inquiries to gaze onhis mistress. 

"What!" said he, "hath yonder unknown such power? Methinks it hathmoved thee strangely. Speak, Grace; can that hideous appearance in anyway be linked with our destiny?"

"I am ignorant as thou. But its coming, as I have heard, alwaysforebodes disaster to our house. Hast not heard of a Red Woman thatsometimes haunts this neighbourhood? I never saw her until now, butI've heard strange and fearful stories of her appearing some yearsago, and blighting the corn, poisoning the cattle, with many otherdiabolical witcheries. She is best known by the name of 'MotherRed-Cap. '"

"I've heard of this same witch in my boyhood. But what should we fear?She is flesh and blood like ourselves; and, in spite of the prevailingbelief, I could never suppose power would be granted to some, generally the most wicked and the most worthless, which from the restof mankind is capriciously withholden. "

"Hush, Gervase; thou knowest not how far the arch-enemy of mankind maybe permitted to afflict bodily our guilty race. I could tell thee suchtales of yonder creature as would stagger even the most stubborn ofunbelievers. "

"I will speak to her, nevertheless. Tarry here, I prithee, Grace. Itwere best I should go alone. "

"Oh, do not--do not! None have sight of her, as I've heard, butmischief follows. What disaster, then, may we not expect from her eviltongue? I shudder at the anticipation. Stay here. I will not be left;and I cannot cross this dangerous swamp. "

Buckley was, however, bent on the adventure. His natural curiosity, inflamed by forbidden longing after the occult and the mysterious, towhich he was too prone, even though sceptical as to their existence, rendered him proof against his mistress' entreaties. 

Probably from situation, or rather, it might be, the distance wasjudged greater than in reality it proved, but the form before themlooked preternaturally enlarged, and as she raised her head her armswere flung out high above it like withered and wasted branches on eachside. Trembling in every limb, Grace clung to her lover, and it wasafter long persuasion that she suffered him to lift her over themorass, and was dragged unwillingly up the hill. As though she werethe victim of some terrible fascination, her eyes were constantlyriveted on the object. A raven wheeled round them, every momentnarrowing the circle of its flight, and the malicious bird lookedeager for mischief. 

As they approached nearer to the summit, this ill-omened thing, afterhaving brushed so close that they felt the very breath from its wings, alighted beside the Red Woman, who hardly seemed to notice, thoughwell aware of their proximity. 

They paused when several paces distant, and she rose up suddenly, extending both arms, apparently to warn them from a nearer approach. Her skinny lips, rapidly moving to and fro, and her dark withered, bony, and cadaverous features, gave her more the appearance of aliving mummy or a resurrection from the charnel-house than aughtinstinct with the common attributes of humanity. 

Buckley was for a moment daunted. The form was so unlike anything hehad ever seen. He was almost persuaded of the possibility that itmight be some animated corpse doomed to wander forth either forpunishment or expiation. Her lips still moved. A wild glassy eye wasfixed upon them, and as she yet stood with extended arms, Gervase, almost wrought to desperation, cried out--

"Who art thou? Thy business here?"

A hollow sound, hardly like the tones of a human voice, answered in aslow and solemn adjuration--

"Beware, rash fools! None approach the Red Woman but to theirundoing. "

"I know no hindrance to my free course in this domain. By whoseauthority am I forbidden?" said he, taking courage. 

"Away--mine errand is not to thee unless provoked. "

"Unto whom is thy message?"

"To thy leman--thy ladye-love, whom thou wilt cherish to thine hurt. Leave her, ay, though both hearts break in the separation. "

"I will not. "

"Then be partaker of the wrath that is just ready to burst upon herdoomed house. "

"I told thee, " said Grace, "she is the herald of misfortune! What woedoes she denounce? What cruel judgment hast thou invoked upon ourrace?" cried she to this grim messenger of evil. 

"Evil will--evil must! I will cling to ye till your last sustenance bedried up, and your inheritance be taken from ye. "

"Her fate be mine, " said Buckley, indignantly. "Her good or evilfortune I will share. "

"Be it so. Thou hast made thy choice, and henceforth thou canst notcomplain. "

She stretched out her two hands, one towards Clegg Hall, the abode ofthe maiden, and the other towards Buckley, her lover's paternal roof, from which a blue curl of smoke was just visible over the risinggrounds beneath them. 

"A doom and a curse to each, " she muttered. "Your names shall depart, and your lands to the alien and the stranger. Your honours shall betrodden in the dust, and your hearths laid waste, and your habitationsforsaken. "

In this fearful strain she continued until Buckley cried out--

"Cease thy mumbling, witch. I'll have thee dealt with in such wise thytongue shall find another use. "

Turning upon him a look of scorn, she seemed to grow fiercer in hermaledictions. 

"Proud minion, " she cried, "thou shall die childless and a beggar!"

The cunning raven flapped his great heavy wings and seemed to croak anassent. He then hopped on his mistress' shoulder, and apparentlywhispered in her ear. 

"Sayest thou so?" said the witch. "Then give it to me, Ralph. "

The bird held out his beak, and out popped a plain gold ring. 

"Give this to thy mother, Dame Buckley. Say 'tis long since theyparted company; and ask if she knows or remembers aught of the RedWoman. Away!"

She threw the ring towards them. Both stooped to pick it up. Theyexamined it curiously for a short space. 

"'Tis a wedding-ring, " said Buckley, "but not to wed bride of mine. Where was this"----

He stopped short in his inquiry, for lifting up his eyes he found thedonor was gone!

Neither of them saw the least trace of her departure. The stonewhereon she sat was again vacant. All was silent, undisturbed, savethe night breeze that came sighing over the hill, moaning andwhistling through the withered bent and rushes at their feet. 

The shadows of evening were now creeping softly around them, and thevalley below was already wrapped in mist. The air felt very chill. They shuddered, but it was in silence. This fearful vision, for suchit now appeared to have been, filled them with unspeakable dread. 

Gervase yet held the ring in his hand. He would have thrown it fromhim, but Grace Ashton forbade. 

"Do her bidding in this matter, " said she. "Give it thy mother, andask counsel of the sage and the discreet. There is some fearfulmystery--some evil impending, or my apprehensions are strangelymisled. "

They returned, but he was more disturbed than he cared to acknowledge. He felt as though some spell had been cast upon him, and cowed hishitherto undaunted spirit. 

They again wound down beside the rivulet into the meadows below, wherethe mist alone pointed out the course of the stream. The bat and thebeetle crossed their path. Evil things only were abroad. All they sawand felt seemed to be ominous of the future. As they passed through alittle wicket to the hall-porch, Nicholas Buckley the father met them. 

"Why, how now, loiterers? The cushat and the curlew have left thehill, and yet ye are abroad. 'Tis time the maiden were at home andlooking after the household. "

"We've been hindered, good sir. We will just get speech of our dame, and then away home with the gentle Grace. Half-an-hour's good speedingwill see her safe. "

"Ay--belike, " said the old man. "Lovers and loiterers make micklehaste to part. Our dame is with the maids and the milkpans i' thedairy. "

The elder Buckley was a hale hearty yeoman, of a ruddy and cheerfulcountenance. A few wrinkles were puckered below the eyes; the rest ofhis face was sleek and comfortably disposed. A beard, once thick andglossy, was grown grey and thin, curling up short and stunted roundhis portly chin. Two bright twinkling eyes gave note of a stirring andrestless temper--too sanguine, maybe, for success in the great andbusy world, and not fitted either by education or disposition for itssuspicions or its frauds. Yet he had the reputation of a clevermerchant. Rochdale, even at that early period, was a well-known martfor the buyers and sellers of woollen stuffs and friezes. Many of themost wealthy merchants, too, indulged in foreign speculations andadventures, and amongst these the name of Nicholas Buckley was not theleast conspicuous. 

They passed on to the dairy, where Dame Eleanor scolded the maids andskimmed the cream at the same moment, by way of economy in time. 

"What look ye for here?" was her first inquiry, for truly her temperwas of a hasty and searching nature; somewhat prone, as well, tocavilling and dispute, requiring much of her husband's placidity tofurnish oil for the turbulent waters of her disposition. 

"Thou wert better at thy father's desk than idling after thineunthrifty pleasures: to-morrow, maybe, sauntering among the hills withhound and horn, beating up with all the rabble in the parish. "

"Nay, mother, chide not: I was never made for merchandise andbarter--the price of fleeces in Tod Lane, and the broad ells atManchester market. "

"And why not?" said the dame, sharply; "haven't I been the prop andstay of the house? Haven't I made bargains and ventures when thou hastbeen idling in hall and bower with love-ditties and ladies' purfles?"

She was now moved to sudden choler, and Gervase did not dare to thwarther further--letting the passion spend itself by its own efforts, ashe knew it were vain to check its torrent. 

Now Dame Eleanor Buckley was of a sharp and floridcountenance--short-necked and broad-shouldered, her nose and chinalmost hiding a pair of thin severe lips, the two prominences beingclose neighbours, especially in anger. In truth she guided, or rathermanaged, the whole circle of affairs; aiding and counselling thespeculations of her husband, who had happily been content with theproduce and profit of his paternal acres, had not his helpmate, whoinherited this mercantile spirit from her family, urged her partner tosuch unwonted lust and craving for gain. 

A huge bundle of keys hung at her girdle, which, when more thanusually excited, did make a most discordant jingle to the tune thatwas a-going. Indeed, the height and violence of her passion might bepretty well guessed at by this index to its strength. 

When the storm had in some degree subsided, Gervase held up the ring. 

"What's that, silly one? A wedding-ring!"

She grew almost pale with wrath. "How darest thou?--thee!--a ring!--towed ere thou hast a home for thy pretty one. Ye may go beg, for hereye shall not tarry. Go to the next buckle-beggar! A pretty weddingtruly! When thou hast learned how to keep her honestly 'twill be timeenough to wed. But thou hast not earned a doit to put beside herdower, and all our ready moneys, and more, be in trade; though, forthe matter o' that, the pulling would be no great business either. ButI tell thee again, thy father shall not portion an idler like thyselfand pinch his trade. Marry, 'tis enough to do, what with grievous sumslost in shipwrecks, and the time we have now to wait our returns fromo'er sea. "

She went on at this rate for a considerable space, pausing at last, more for lack of breath than subject-matter of discourse. 

"Mother, " said he, when fairly run down; "'tis not a purchase--'tis agift. "

"By some one sillier than thyself, I warrant. "

"I know not for that; I had it from a stranger. "

"Stranger still, " she replied sharply, chuckling at her own conceit. 

"Look at it, mother. Know you such a one?"

The dame eyed it with no favour, but she turned it over with a curiouslook, at the same time lifting her eyes now and then towards theceiling, as some train of recollection was awakening in her mind. 

"Where gat ye this?" said Dame Eleanor, in a subdued but stillquerulous tone. 

"On the hill-top yonder. "

"Treasure-trove belongs to Sir John Byron. [21] The lord of the manorclaims all from the finders. "

"It was a gift. "

"Humph. Hast met gold-finders on the hills, or demons or genii thatguard hidden treasure?"

"We've seen the Red Woman!"

Had a sudden thunder-clap burst over them, she could not have beenmore startled. She stood speechless, and seemingly incapable of reply. Holding the ring in one hand, her eyes were intently fixed upon it. 

"What is it that troubles you?" said Gervase. "Yon strange woman bademe give you the ring, and ask if so be that you remembered her. "

The dame looked up, her quick and saucy petulance exchanged for asubdued and melancholy air. 

"Remember thee! thou foul witch? ay long, long years have passed; Ithought thy persecutions at an end; thy prediction was nigh forgotten. It was my wedding-ring, Gervase!"

"More marvellous still. "

"Peace, and I'll tell thee. Grace Ashton, come forward. I know thineears are itching for the news. Well, well, it was when thou wast but aboy, Gervase, and I remember an evening just like this. I was standingby the draw-well yonder, looking, I now bethink me, at the dovecot, where I suspected thieves; and in a humour somewhat of the sharpest, Itrow. By-and-by comes, what I thought, an impudent beggar-woman for analms. Her dress was red and tattered, with a high red cap to match. Ichided her it might be somewhat harshly, and I shall not soon forgetthe malicious look she put on. 'I ask not, I need not thy benison, 'she said; 'I would have befriended thee, but I now curse theealtogether:' and stretching out her shrivelled arm, dry and bare, sheshook it, threatening me with vengeance. Suddenly, or ere I was aware, she seized my left hand, drew off my wedding-ring; breathing upon itand mumbling a spell, she held it as though for me to take back, butwith such a fiendish look of delight that I hesitated. All on a suddenI remembered to have heard my grandmother say that should a witch orwarlock get your wedding-ring, and have time to mutter over it acertain charm, _so long as that ring is above ground_ so long miseryand misfortune do afflict the owner. Lucky it was I knew of this, forinstead of replacing it I threw it into the well, being the nearesthiding-place. And happy for me and thee it was so near; for, would youbelieve, though hardly a minute's space in my hand, the black heiferdied, the red cow cast her calf, and a large venture of merchandisewas wrecked in a fearful gale off the gulf. I had no sooner thrown itinto the well than the witch looked more diabolical than ever. 'Itwill come again, dame, ' said she, 'and then look to it;' and with thisthreat she departed. But what am I doing? If it be the ring, which Idoubt not, I've had it o'er long in my keeping. Even now disaster maybe a-brewing; and is there not a richly-freighted ship on its passagewith silks and spices? I'll put it out of her reach this time anyhow. No! I'll hide it where never a witch in Christendom shall poke itout. "

Dame Eleanor went to the little burn below. Stooping, she scooped ahole in the gravel under water; there she laid the ring, and coveredit over with stones. 

"Thou'rt always after some of thy megrims, dame, " said the elderBuckley, who had been watching her from the porch. "Some spell orcounter-charm, I'se warrant. "

With a look of great contempt for the incredulity of her spouse, shereplied--

"Ay, goodman, sit there and scoff your fill. If't hadn't been for mycare and endeavours you had been penniless ere now. But so it is, Imay slave night and day, I reckon. The whole roof-tree, as a body maysay, is on my shoulders, and what thanks? More hisses than thanks, more knocks than fair words. "

Never so well pleased as when opportunity was afforded for grumbling, the dame addressed herself again to her evening avocations. 

Pondering deeply what should be the issue of these things, Gervase setout with Grace Ashton to her house at Clegg Hall, a good mile distant. Evening had closed in--a chill wind blew from the hills. The west hadlost its splendour, but a pure transparent brightness filled itsplace, across which the dark wavy outline of the high moorlands restedin deep unvarying shadow. In these bright depths a still brighter starhung, pure and of a diamond-like lustre, the precursor, the herald ofa blazing host just rising into view. 

As they walked on, it may well be supposed that the strangeoccurrences of the last few hours were the engrossing theme of theirdiscourse. 

"My mother is a little too superstitious, I am aware, " said Gervase;"but what I have witnessed to-night has rendered me something morecredulous on this head than aforetime. "

"I don't half like this neighbourhood, " said his companion, lookinground. "It hath an ill name, and I could almost fancy the Red Womanagain, just yonder in our path. "

She looked wistfully; it was only the mist creeping lazily on with thestream. 

They were now ascending the hill towards Beil or Belfield, where theKnights Templars had formerly an establishment. Not a vestage nowremains, though at that period a ruinous tower covered with ivy, agateway, and an arch, existed as relics of their former grandeur. 

"Here lived the Lady Eleanor Byron, " said Grace, pointing to the oldhall close by, and as though an unpleasant recollection had crossedher. She shuddered as they passed by the grim archway beneath thetower. Whether it was fancy or reality she knew not, but as she lookedcuriously through its ivied tracery she thought the Red Woman waspeering out maliciously upon them. She shrank aside, and pointed tothe spot; but there was nothing visible save the dark and crumblingruins, from which their steps were echoed with a dull and sullensound. 

The night wind sighed round the grey battlements, and from its hiddenrecesses came moans and whispers--at least so it seemed to theirheated imaginations. 

"Let us hasten hence, " said Grace; "I like not this lonely spot. Therewas always a fear and a mystery about it. The tale of the invisiblesylphid and Eleanor Byron's elfish lover haunts me whenever I pass by, and I feel as though something was near, observing and influencingevery movement and every thought. "

"Come, come, a-done I pray. Let not fear o'ermaster reason, else weshall see bogles in every bush. "

Above the gateway, in the little square tower now pulled down, was aloophole, nearly concealed by climbing shrubs, which rendered it easyfor a person within to look out without being observed. As they passeda low humming din was heard. Then a rude ditty trolled from some notunskilful performer. The lovers stayed to listen, when a dark figureissued out of the gateway singing--

 "The bat haunts the tower, And the redbreast the bower, And the merry little sparrow by the chimney hops, Good e'en, hoots master owl, To-whoo, to-whoo, his troll, Sing heigho, swing the can with"----

"What, thee, Tim! Is that thy stupid face?" said Gervase, breaking inupon his ditty, and right glad to be delivered from supernaturalfears, though the object of them proved only this strolling minstrel. "Thou might as well kill us outright as frighten us to death. "

He that stood before them was one of those wandering musicians thathaunt fairs and merry-makings, wakes, and such like pastimes; playingthe fiddle and jewtrump too at weddings and alehouses; in short, anysort of idleness never came amiss to these representatives of the oldTroubadours. A tight oval cap covered his shaggy poll; he was clad ina coarse doublet or jerkin slashed in the fashion of the time, whilehis nether integuments were fastened in the primitive mode by a woodenskewer. He could conjure too, and play antics to set the folks agape;but as to his honesty, it was of that dubious sort that few cared tohave it in trust. He was apt at these alehouse ditties--many of themhis own invention. He knew all the choicest ballads too, so that hisvocation was much akin to the _jogleurs_ or _jongleurs_ of moreancient times, when Richard of the Lion's Heart and other renownedmonarchs disdained not "_the gentle craft of poesie_. "

Wherever was a feast, let it be a wedding or a funeral, Tim, like theharpies of old, scented the meat, and some of his many vocations weregenerally in request. 

This important functionary now stood whistling and singing by turnswith the most admired unconcern. 

"What's thy business here?" cried Gervase, approaching him. 

 "The maid was fair, and the maid was coy, But the lover left, and the maid said 'Why?' Sing O the green willow!"

"Answerest thou me with thy trumpery ditties? I'll have thee put i'the stocks, sirrah. "

"Oh, ha' mercy, master! there's naught amiss 'at I know. I'm buttakin' roost here wi' the owls an' jackdaws a bit, maybe for want o'better lyin'. "

"It were hard to have a better knack at lying than thou hast already. Hast gotten the weather into thy lodgings? When didst flit to thy newquarters?"

"Th' hay-mow at Clegg is ower savoured wi' the new crop, an' I wantfresh air for my studies. "

"Now art thou lying"----

"Like a lover to his sweetheart, " said Tim, interrupting him, andfinishing the sentence. 

"Peace, knave! There's some mischief i' the wind. Thou'rt after nogood, I trow. "

"What te dickons do I ail here? Is't aught 'at a man can lift off butstone wa's an' ivy-boughs? Marry, my little poke man ha' summut elseto thrive on nor these. "

"There's been great outcry about poultry an' other farmyardappendances amissing of late, besides eggs and such like dainties enowto furnish pancakes and fritters for the whole parish. Hast gottencompany in thy den above there?"

"Jacks an' ouzles, if ye like, Master Gervase. Clim' up, clim' up, lad, an there'll be a prial on us. Ha, ha! What! our little sweetheartthere would liefer t' be gangin. ' Weel, weel, 'tis natural, as a bodymay say--

 "One is good, and two is good, But three's no company. "

"Answer me quick, thou rogue. Is there any other but thyself yonderabove?"

"When I'm there I'm not here, an' when I'm here"----

"Sirrah, I'll flog the wind out o' thy worthless carcase. Hast anypilfering companions about thee? I do smell a savouryrefection--victuals are cooking, or my nose belies its office. "

"Fair speech, friend, wins a quiet answer; a soft word and a smoothtongue all the world over. What for mayn't I sup as well as mybetters?"

"As well?--better belike. There's no such savour in our hall ateventide, nor in the best kitchen in the parish. "

"It's not my fau't, is't?"

"By'r lady, there's somebody in the chamber there. I saw the leavesfluttering from the loophole. Villain, who bears thee company?"

"Daft, daft. What fool would turn into roost wi' me? Clean gone crazy, sure as I'm livin'. "

"Nay, nay, there's some plot here--some mischief hatching. I'll see, or"----

He was just going to make the attempt; but Tim withstood him, and in aperemptory manner barred the way. 

"How! am I barred by thee, and to my face?"

"It's no business o' thine, Master Gervase. What's hatching thereconcerns not thee. Keep back, I say, or"----

"Ha! Thou jingle-pated rascal, stand off, or I'll wring thy neck roundas I would a Jackdaw. "

"Do not, do not, Gervase!" said Grace Ashton, fearful of some unluckystrife. "Let us begone. We are too late already, and 'tis no businessof ours. "

"What! and be o'erfoughten by this scurvy lack-wit. Once more, who isthere above?"

"An' what if I shouldn't tell thee?"

"I'll baste thy carcase to a mummy; I'll make thee tender for thehounds. "

"Another word to that, master, an' it's a bargain. "

"Let me pass. "

"Not without my company. "

He whistled, and in a moment Gervase felt himself pinioned frombehind. Looking round, he saw two stout fellows with their facescovered; and any other possibility of recognition was impracticable inthe heavy twilight. 

"Who's i' t' stocks now?" cried the malicious rogue, laughing. 

"Unhand me, or ye'll rue that ever ye wrought this outrage. "

"Nay, nay, that were a pretty stave, when we've gotten the bird, toopen the trap, " said Tim. 

Gervase immediately saw that another party had seized Grace Ashton. Heraved and stamped until his maledictions were put an end to by aneffectual gag, and he did not doubt but she had suffered the sametreatment, for a short sharp scream only was heard. Being immediatelyblindfolded, he could only surmise that her usage was of a similarnature. 

He was so stupefied with surprise that for a short period he washardly sensible to their further proceedings. When able to reflect, hefound himself pinioned, and in a sitting posture. A damp chill was onhis forehead. He had been dragged downwards, and, from the motion, steps were the medium of descent. A door or two had been raised oropened, a narrow passage previously traversed, and a short time onlyelapsed from the cool freshness of the evening air to the damp andstifling atmosphere that he now breathed. What could be the cause ofhis seizure he was quite incompetent to guess. He could not recollectthat he had either pique or grudge on his hands; and what should bethe result he only bewildered and wearied himself by striving toanticipate. 

It was surely a dream. He heard a voice of ravishing sweetness; suchpure and silvery tones, that aught earthly could have produced it wasout of the question; it was like the swell of some Æolian lyre--words, too, modifying and enhancing that liquid harmony. It was a hymn, butin a foreign tongue. He soon recognised the evening hymn to theVirgin--

 "Mater amata, intemerata, Ora, ora, pro nobis. "

So sweetly did the music melt into his soul, that he quite forgot histhrall, and every sense was attuned to the melody. When the soundceased he made an effort to get free. He loosened his hands, andimmediately tore off the bandage from his eyes. A few seconds elapsed, when he saw a light streaming through a crevice. Looking through, hesaw a taper burning before a little shrine, where two females in whiteraiment, closely veiled, were kneeling. 

The celebration of such rites, at that time strictly prohibited, sufficiently accounted for their concealment, and plainly intimatedthat the parties were not of the Reformed faith. 

By the light which penetrated his cell from this source he saw it wasfurnished with a stone bench, and a narrow flight of steps in onecorner communicated with a trap-door above. 

The old mansion at Belfield, contiguous to these ruins, once belongingto the Knights of St John, had been for some years untenanted, and, asoften happens to the lot of deserted houses, strange noises, sights, and other manifestations of ghostly occupants were heard and seen bypassers-by, rendering it a neighbourhood not overliked by those whohad business that way after nightfall. 

Gervase Buckley was pretty well assured that he had been conveyed intosome concealed subterranean chamber, but for what purpose he could notcomprehend. He was not easily intimidated; and though in a somewhatsorry plight, he now felt little apprehension on the score ofsupernatural visitations: but his seizure did not hold out animmunity as regards corporeal disturbers. He had not long to indulgethese premonitory reflections ere a door was opened. A figure, completely enveloped in a black cloak, on which a red cross wasconspicuously emblazoned, stood before him. He carried a torch, andGervase saw a short naked sword glittering in his belt. 

"Follow me, " said the intruder; and, without further parley, pointedto where another door was concealed in the pavement. This beingopened, Gervase beheld, not without serious apprehension, a flight ofsteps evidently communicating with a lower dungeon. His conductorpointed to the descent, and it would have been useless folly todisobey. A damp and almost suffocating odour prevailed, as though fromsome long-pent-up atmosphere, which did not give the prisoner anyincreasing relish or affection for the enterprise. He looked at hisconductor, whose face and person were yet covered. Had he been afamiliar of the Holy Inquisition, he could not have been more carefulof concealment. Gervase looked now and then with a wistful glancetowards his companion's weapon. Being himself unarmed, it would havebeen madness to attempt escape. He merely inquired in his descent--

"Whence this outrage? I am unarmed, defenceless. " But there was noreply. The guide, with an inclination of the head, pointed with historch to the gulf his victim was about to enter. There was little usein disputation where the opposite party had so decided an advantage, and he thought it best to abide the issue without further impediment. He accordingly descended a few steps. His conductor fastened the dooroverhead, and they soon arrived at the bottom, at a low archedpassage, where his guide dashed his flambeau against the wall, and itwas immediately extinguished. 

Gervase was left once more in doubt and darkness. There was littlespace for explanation. He felt himself seized by an invisible hand, hurried unresistingly on, till, without any preparation, a blaze oflight burst upon him. 

It was for a moment too overpowering to enable him to distinguishobjects with any certainty. Soon, however, he saw a tolerably spaciousvault or crypt, supported by massy pillars. He had often heard thereexisted many unexplored subterranean passages reaching to anincredible distance, made originally by the Knights Templars for theirprivate use. One of these, it was said, extended even to the chantryjust then dissolved at Milnrow, more than a mile distant. Manystrange stories he had been told of these warrior monks. But centurieshad elapsed since their suppression. For a moment he almost believedthey were permitted to reappear, doomed at stated periods to re-enacttheir unhallowed orgies, their cruelties, and their crimes. Thechamber was lighted by three or four torches, their lurid unsteadylife giving an ever-varying character to the surrounding objects. 

Opposite the entrance was a stone bench, occupied by several figuresattired in a similar manner to his conductor. An individual in thecentre wore in addition a belt covered by some cabalistic devices. Thescene was sufficiently inexplicable, and not at all elucidated by thefollowing interrogation:--

"Thou hast been cited to our tribunal, " said the chief inquisitor. 

"I know ye not, " said Gervase, with great firmness, though hardlyaware of the position he occupied. 

"Why hast thou not obeyed our summons?"

"I have not heard of any such; nor in good sooth should I have beencareful to obey had your mandate been delivered. "

"Croix Rouge, " said the interrogator, "has this delinquent beencited?"

The person he addressed arose, bowed, and presented a written answer. 

"I have here, " continued the chief, "sufficient proof that our summonshath been conveyed to thee, and that hitherto thine answer hath beencontumaciously withheld. What sayest thou?"

"I have yet to learn, firstly, " said Gervase, with more indignationthan prudence, "by what authority you would compel me to appear; andsecondly, how and in what form such mandate had been sent?"

"Bethink thee, is our answer to the last: the first will be manifestedin due time. We might indeed leave thee ignorant as to what werequire, but pity for thy youth and inexperience forbids. Clegg Hallis, thou knowest, along with the estate, now unlawfully holden by theAshtons. "

"I know that sundry Popish recusants, plotting the overthrow of ourmost gracious Queen, do say that other and more legitimate rights arein abeyance only; but the present owners are too well fortified to bedispossessed by hearsay. "

"In the porch at Clegg thou wast accosted not long ago by a mendicantwho solicited an alms. "

"Probably so. "

"Did he not hold out to thee the sign of the Rosy Cross, the token ofour all-powerful fraternity of Rosicrucians?"

"I do remember such a signal; and furthermore, I drove him forth as animpostor and a pretender to forbidden arts. "

"He showed thee the sign, and bade thee follow?"

"He did. "

"And why was our summons disobeyed?"

"Because I have yet to learn what authority you possess either for mysummons or detention. "

"The brotherhood of the Red Cross are not disobeyed with impunity. "

"I have heard of such a fraternity--as well too that they be idlecheats and lying impostors. "

"We challenge not belief without sufficient testimony to the truth ofour mission. In pity to man's infirmity this indulgence is permitted. We unfold the hidden operations, the very arcana of Nature, whom weunclothe as it were to her very nakedness. Our doctrines thereby carrycredence even to the most impious and unbelieving. Ere we command thysubmission, it is permitted to behold some manifestation of our power. By means derived from the hidden essences of Nature, the firstprinciples which renovate and govern all things, the very elements ofwhich they consist, we arrive at the incorporeal essence calledspirit, holding converse with it undebased, uninfluenced by theintervention of matter. Thus we converse in spirit with those that beabsent, even though they were a thousand leagues apart. "

"And what has this jargon to do with my being despatched hither?"

"Listen, and reply not; the purport will be vouchsafed to thee anon. We can compel the spirits even of the absent to come at our bidding bysubtle spells that none have power to disobey. We too can renew andinvigorate life, and by the universal solvent bring about therenovation of all things--renovation and decay being the twoantagonist principles, as light and darkness. As we can make darknesslight, and light darkness at our pleasure, so can we from decay bringforth life, and the contrary. Seest thou this dead body?"

A black curtain he had not hitherto observed was thrown aside, and hebeheld the features of Grace Ashton, or he was strangely deceived. Shewas lying on a little couch, death visibly imprinted on her collapsedand sunken features. 

"Murderers! I will have ye dealt with for this outrage. " Maddenedalmost to frenzy, he would have rushed towards her, but he was firmlyholden by a power superior to his own. 

"She is now in the first region of departed spirits, " said the chief. "We have power to compel answer to our interrogatories. Listen, perverse mortal. We are well assured that a vast treasure is concealedhereabouts, hidden by the Knights of St John. 'Tis beyond ourunassisted power to discover. We have asked counsel of one whom wedare not disobey, and she it is hath commanded that we cite thee andGrace Ashton to the tribunal of the Rosy Cross. This corporealsubstance now before us, by reason of its intimate union with thespirit, purged from the dross of mortality, will answer any questionthat may be propounded, and will utter many strange and infallibleprophecies. It will solve doubtful questions, and discourse of thingspast, present, and to come, seeing that she is now in spirit where allknowledge is perfect, and hath her eyes and understanding cleared fromthe gross film of our corruption. But as spirit only hath power overthose of its own nature by the law of universal sympathy, so sheanswers but to those by whom she is bidden that are of the sametemperament and affinity, which is shown by your affiance and lovetowards each other. "

The prisoner heard this mystic harangue with a vacant and fixedexpression, as though his mind were wandering, and he hardlyunderstood the profundity of the discourse. Every feeling was absorbedin the conviction that some horrid incantation had for ever deprivedhim of his beloved. Then he fancied some imposition had been practisedupon him. Being prevented from a closer examination, at length he feltsome relief in the idea that the form he beheld might possibly be acounterfeit. He knew not what to say, and the speaker apparentlywaited his reply. Finding he was still silent, the former continuedafter a brief space:--

"Our questions to this purport must necessarily be propounded by thee. Art thou prepared?"

"Say on, " said Gervase, determined to try the issue, however repugnantto his thoughts. 

Two of them now arose and stood at each end of the couch. The superiorfirst made the sign of the cross. He then drew a book from his girdle, and read therein a Latin exorcism against the intrusion of evilspirits into the body, commanding those only of a heavenly and benigninfluence to attend. He lighted a taper compounded of many strangeingredients emitting a fragrant odour, and as the smoke curled heavilyabout him, flickering and indistinct, he looked like some necromancerabout to perform his diabolical rites. 

The occupant of that miserable couch lay still as death. 

"The first question, " cried out the chief; and he looked towards theprisoner, who was now suffered to approach within a few paces of thebed. 

"Is there treasure in this place?"

Gervase tried to repeat the question, but his tongue clave to hismouth. For the first time probably in his life he felt the sensationof horrible, undefined, uncontrollable fear--that fear of the unknownand supernatural, that shrinking from spiritual intercourse even withthose we have loved best. It seemed as though he were in communionwith the invisible world--that awful, incomprehensible state ofexistence; and with beings whose power and essence are yet unknown, armed, in imagination, with attributes of terror and of vengeance. 

With a desperate effort, however, he repeated the question. Breathless, and with intense agony, he awaited the response. It came!A voice, not from the lips of the recumbent victim, but as though itwere some inward afflatus, hollow and sepulchral. The lips did notmove, but the following reply was given:--

"There is. "

Even the guilty confederates started back in alarm at the success oftheir own experiment. All was, however, still--silent as before. 

Taking courage, the next question was put in like manner. 

"In what direction?"

"Under the main pillar of the south-eastern corner of the vault. "

After another pause, the following questions were asked:--

"How may we obtain the treasure sought?"

"By diligence and perseverance. "

"At what time?"

"When the moon hath trine to Mercury in the house of Saturn. "

"Is it guarded?"

"It is. "

"By whom?"

"By a power that shall crush you unless propitiated. "

"Show us in what manner. "

"I may not; my lips are sealed. That power is superior to mine; therest is hidden from me. "

The treasure-seekers were silent, as though disappointed at thisunexpected reply. Another attempt was, however, made. 

"Shall we prosper in our undertaking?"

"My time is nigh spent. I beseech you that I may depart, for I am ingreat torment. "

"Thou shall not, until thou answer. "

"Beware!"

But this admonition was from another source, and in a differentdirection. The obscurity and smoke from the torches made it impossibleto judge with any certainty whence the interruption proceeded. 

Gervase started and turned round. It might be fancy, but he wasconfident the features of the Red Woman were present to hisapprehension. Horrors were accumulating. Even the united brotherhoodseemed to tremble as though in the presence of some being of whom theystood in awe. They awaited her approach in silence. 

"Fool! Did I not warn thee to do _my_ bidding only? And thou arthankering again, pampering thy cruel lust for gold. How darest thouquestion the maiden for this intent? Hence, and thank thy stars thouart not even now sent howling to thy doom!"

This terrible and mysterious woman came forward in great anger, andthe Rosicrucian brotherhood were thereby in great alarm. "The maid ismine--begone!" said she, pointing the way. 

Like slaves under their master's frown, they crouched before thisfearful personification of their unhallowed and forbidden practices, and departed. 

"Gervase Buckley, " she cried, "thou art betrothed to the heiress ofyon wide possessions. "

"I am, " said he, roused either to courage or desperation, even in thepresence of a being whose power he felt conscious was not derived fromone common source with his own. 

"Dost thou confirm thy troth?"

"I do; in life and in death she is mine. "

"Pledge thyself, body and soul, to her. "

"I am hers whilst I live, body and soul. Nothing but death shall partus. "

"On thy soul's hope thou wilt fulfil this pledge!"

"I will. " Gervase looked wistfully towards his beloved. The inanimateform was yet pale and still; but a vague hope possessed him that thewitch would again quicken her. 

"'Tis enough. But it must be sealed with blood!"

He felt her clammy hand on his arm, and a sharp pain as though from apuncture. He quickly withdrew it, and a blood-drop fell on the floor. 

"Thou art mine--for ever!"

A loud yell rang through the vaults, and Gervase felt as though thedoom of the lost spirits were his--that a whole troop of fiery demonshad assailed him, and that he was borne away to the pit of torment. Happily his recollection forsook him, and he became unconscious offuture suffering. 

PART THE SECOND. 

Morning rose bright and ruddy above the hills. The elder Buckley wasup and stirring betimes. Agreeably to his usual practice, he hadretired early to bed, leaving the household cares and duties to hishelpmate. He was sitting in the porch when his dame, with a disturbedand portentous aspect, accosted him:--

"I know not what hath come to the lad. "

"Gervase--what of him?" said Nicholas, carelessly. 

"He came home very late yesternight. But he did not speak, and helooked so wan and woe-begone that I verily thought he had seen a ghostor some uncanny thing yonder on his road home. I've just now been torouse him, but he will not answer. Prithee go and get speech of him, good or bad. I think i' my heart the lad's bewitched. "

Nicholas Buckley was a man of few words, especially in the presence ofhis helpmate, so he merely groaned out an incredulous wonder, and wentoff as he was bidden. He saw Gervase evidently under the influence ofsome stupefying spell. His eyes were open, but he noticed neither thequestion nor the person who accosted him. There was something sohorrible and mysterious in his whole appearance that the good man feltalarmed, and went back to his dame with all possible expedition. What_could_ have happened? They guessed, and made a thousand odd surmises, improbable enough the greater part, but all merging in the prevailingbugbear of the day--witchcraft, which was resorted to as asatisfactory explanation under every possible difficulty. Had hismalady any connection with the unexpected appearance of the Red Womanand the ring? It was safe buried, however, and that was a comfort. Butafter all, her thoughts always involuntarily recurred to thisunpleasant subject. She could not shake off her suspicions, and therewas little use in attempting further measures unless she could fightthe Evil One with his own weapons. To this end, she began to castabout for some cunning wizard who might countervail the plots of thismalicious witch. 

Now at this period, Dr Dee, celebrated for his extraordinaryrevelations respecting the world of spirits, had been promoted byQueen Elizabeth (a firm believer in astrology and other reconditepursuits) to the wardenship of the Collegiate Church at Manchester. His fame had spread far and wide. He had not long been returned fromhis mission to the Emperor Rodolph at Prague, and his intercourse withinvisible things was as firmly believed as the common occurrences ofthe day, and as well authenticated. 

The character of Dee has both been underrated and misunderstood. Bymost, if not all, he has been looked upon merely as a visionary and anenthusiast--credulous and ambitious, without the power, though he hadsufficient will, to compass the most mischievous designs. But underthese outward weaknesses and superstitions, tinctured and modified bythe prevailing belief in supernatural interferences, there was a boldand vigorous mind, frustrated, it is true, by circumstances which hecould not control. Dee aimed at the entire change and subjugation ofaffairs, ecclesiastical and political, to the dominion of an unseenpower--a theocracy or millennium--himself the sole medium ofcommunication, the high priest and lawgiver. To this end he sought thealliance and support of foreign potentates; and his diary, publishedby Casaubon, the original of which is in the British Museum, is aremarkable and curious detail of the intrigues resorted to for thispurpose. His mission to the Emperor Rodolph, offering him the sceptreof universal dominion, is told with great minuteness; and there islittle doubt that Elizabeth herself did not disdain to converse andconsult with him on this extraordinary project. Her visits to hishouse at Mortlake are well known. He had been consulted as to afavourable day for her coronation, and received many splendidpromises of preferment that were never realised. At length, disappointed and hopeless as to the success of his once daringexpectations, he settled down to the only piece of preferment withinhis reach--to wit, the wardenship of the Collegiate Church ofManchester, where he arrived with his family in the beginning ofFebruary 1596. His advice and assistance were much resorted to, andparticularly in cases of supposed witchcraft and demoniacalpossession--articles of unshaken belief at that period with all butspeculatists and optimists, the Sadducees of their day and generation. His chief colleague throughout his former revelations had been oneEdward Kelly, born at Worcester, where he practised as an apothecary. In his diary Dee says they were brought together by the ministrationof the angel Uriel. He was called Kelly the Seer. This faculty of"_seeing_" by means of a magic crystal not being possessed by theDoctor, he was obliged to have recourse to Kelly, who had, orpretended to have, this rare faculty. Afterwards, however, he foundout that Kelly had deceived him; those spirits which ministered at hisbidding not being messengers from the Deity, as he once supposed, butlying spirits sent to deceive and to betray. 

Kelly was an undoubted impostor, though evidently himself a believerin magic and the black art. Addicted to diabolical and mischievouspractices, he was a fearful ensample of those deluders given up totheir own inventions to believe the very lies wherewith they attemptedto deceive. 

He was a great treasure-hunter and invoker of demons, and it is saidwould not scruple to have recourse to the most disgusting brutalitiesfor the gratification of his avarice and debauchery. In Weaver's_Funereal Monuments_, it is recorded that Kelly, in company with onePaul Waring, went to the churchyard of Walton-le-Dale, near Preston, where a person was interred at that time supposed to have hidden alarge sum of money, and who had died without disclosing the secret. They entered precisely at midnight, the grave having been pointed outto them the preceding day. They dug down to the coffin, opened it, andexorcised the spirit of the deceased, until the body rose from thegrave and stood upright before them. Having satisfied their inquiries, it is said that many strange predictions were uttered concerningdivers persons in the neighbourhood, which were literally andremarkably fulfilled. 

At the date of our legend Kelly had been parted from the Doctor for aconsiderable time. The Doctor having found out his proneness to theseevil courses, Kelly bore no good-will to his former patron andassociate. 

We have not space, or it would be an interesting inquiry, as connectedwith the superstitions of our ancestors, to trace the character andcareer of these individuals--men once famous amongst theircontemporaries, forming part of the history of those times, andexerting a permanent influence immediately on the national character, and remotely on that of a future and indefinite period. 

Dame Eleanor Buckley was morally certain, firstly, that her son waswitched; and secondly, that no time should be lost in procuringrelief. Nicholas therefore took horse for Manchester that veryforenoon, with the intention of consulting the learned Doctorabove-named on his son's malady. Ere he left, however, there cametidings that Grace Ashton had not returned home, and was supposed tohave tarried at Buckley for the night. 

Trembling at this unexpected news, the dame once more applied to herson. He was still wide awake on the couch, in the same position, andapparently unconscious of her presence. In great anxiety she conjuredhim to say if he knew what had befallen Grace Ashton. 

"She is dead!" was his reply, in a voice strangely altered from hisusual careless and happy tone. Nothing further, however, could bedrawn from him, but shortly after there came one with additionaltidings. 

"Inquiry has been set on foot, " said the messenger, "and Tim, wellknown at wakes and merry-makings, doth come forward with evidencewhich justifies a suspicion that is abroad--to wit, that she has metdeath by some unfair dealing; and further, he scruples not to throwout dark and mysterious hints that implicate your son as being privyto her disappearance. "

At this unlooked-for intelligence the mother's fortitude gave way. Tribulation and anguish had indeed set in upon them like a flood. Thering, so unaccountably brought back by the Red Woman, was beyond doubtthe cause of all their misfortunes--its reappearance, as sheanticipated, being the harbinger of misery. What should be the nextarrow from her quiver she trembled to forebode. But in the midst ofthis fever of doubt and apprehension one hope sustained her, and thatwas the result of her husband's mission to Dr Dee, who would doubtlessfind out the nature of the spell, and relieve them from its curse. 

Let us follow the traveller to Dee's lodgings in the Deanery, where atthat time this renowned astrologer was located. Nicholas Buckley foundhim sitting in a small dismal-looking study, where he was introducedwith little show either of formality or hesitation. The Doctor was nowold, and his sharp, keen, grey eyes had suffered greatly by reason ofrheum and much study. Pale, but of a pleasant countenance, his manner, if not so grave and sedate as became one of his deep and learnedresearch, yet displaying a vigour and vivacity the sure intimation ofthat quenchless ardour, the usual concomitant of all who are destinedto eminence, or to any conspicuous part in the age on which they arethrown;--not idle worthless weeds on the strand of time, but landmarksor beacons in the ocean of life, to warn or to direct. 

He was short in stature, and somewhat thin. A rusty black velvet cap, without ornament, surmounted his forehead, from which a few stragglinggrey hairs crept forth, rivalling his pale, thoughtful brow inwhiteness. 

He sat in a curiously embossed chair, with a brown-black leatherncushion, beside an oaken table or tressel, groaning under the weightof many ponderous volumes of all hues and subjects. Divers and occultwere the tractates there displayed, and unintelligible save to theinitiated. Alchemy was just then his favourite research, and he wasvainly endeavouring to master the jargon under which its worthlessnessand folly were concealed. 

Nicholas Buckley related his mishap, and, as far as he was able, thecircumstances connected with it. The Doctor then erected a horoscopefor the hour. After consulting this, he said--

"I will undertake for thee, if so be that my poor abilities, hithertosorely neglected, and I may say despised, can bring thee any succour. Indeed the land groans by reason of the sin of witchcraft--a noisomeplague now infesting this afflicted realm, and a grievous scandal tothe members and ministers of our Reformed Church. The ring is of asurety bewitched, and by one more powerful and wicked than thou canstpossibly imagine. I tell thee plainly, that unless the charm bebroken, the recovery of the young man were vain--nay, in alllikelihood, thine own ruin will be the result. "

The merchant groaned audibly at this doleful news. He thought upon hismerchandise and his adventures o'er sea--his treasures and hisargosies, committed to the tender mercies of the deep; and herecounted them in brief. 

"Cannot these be rescued from such disaster?" inquired he dolefully. 

"I know not yet, " was the reply. "Saturn, that hath his location here, governing these expected treasures, now beholds the seventh house ofthe figure I have just erected with a quartile aspect. They be eviltokens, but as regards this same Mother Red-Cap or the Red Woman, whohath doubtless brought you into grievous trouble, I know her. Nay, look not incredulous. How, it is not needful to inquire. Suffice itthat she hath great power, through from a different source from mine. She is of the Rosicrucian order, one of the sisters, of which thereare five throughout Europe and Asia. They have intercourse withspirits, communicating too with each other, though at never so great adistance, by means of this mystical agency. She hath been here, ay, even in the very place where thou sittest. "

The visitor started from his chair. 

"And I am not ignorant of her devices. She is of a papistical breed;and the recusant priests, if I mistake not, are at the working of somediabolical plot; it may be against the life and government of ourgracious Queen! They would employ the devil himself, if need were, tocompass their intent. She hath travelled much, and doubtless hathlearned marvellous secrets from the Moors and Arabian doctors. It is, however, little to the purpose at present that we continue thisdiscourse. What more properly concerns thee is how to get rid of thisgrievous visitation, which, unless removed, will of a surety fall outto thine undoing. By prayer and fasting much may be accomplished, together with the use of all lawful means for thy release. "

"Alas!" said Buckley, "I fear me there is little hope of a favourableissue, and I may not be delivered from this wicked one!"

"Be of good heart; we will set to work presently, and, if it bepossible, counterplot this cunning witch. But to this end it isneedful that I visit the young man, peradventure we may gather tidingsof her. I know not any impediment to my journey this very day. Ay!even so, " said he, poring over some unimaginable diagrams. "Good!there is a marvellous proper aspect for our enterprise thirty minutesafter midnight. Thou hast doubtless taken horse with thy servanthither. I will take his place and bear thee company. "

The Doctor was soon equipped for travel, much to the comfort of theafflicted applicant, who was like to have taken his departure with asorry heart, and in great disquietude. On their arrival at Buckley, Dee would needs see the patient instantly. No change had taken placesince morning, and he still refused any sustenance that might beoffered. The Doctor examined him narrowly, but refrained frompronouncing on his case. 

It was now evening. The sun shot a languid and fitful ray athwart thevapours gathering to receive him, and its light shone on the fullcouch of the invalid. The astrologer was sitting apart, in profoundmeditation. Dame Eleanor suddenly roused him. 

"He has just asked for the Red Woman, " said she, "and I heard himbemoaning himself, saying that he is betrothed to her, and that shewill come ere long to claim his pledge. Hark, he mutters again!"

Dee immediately went to the bedside. 

"I did not kill her, " said the victim, shuddering. He dashed the coldsweat from his forehead with some violence. He then started up. "Isshe come?" said he in a low, hollow voice, and he sat up in theattitude of intense expectation. "Not yet, not yet, " he uttered withgreat rapidity, and sank down again as though exhausted. 

A stormy and lowering sky now gathered above the sun's track, and thechamber suddenly grew dark. The inmates looked as though expectingsome terrific, some visible manifestation of their tormentor. Deelooked out through the window. There was nothing worthy of remark, save an angry heap of clouds, rolling and twisting together--the sureforerunner of a tempest. 

"The whole country is astir, " said Dame Eleanor. "They are seeking forthe body of Grace Ashton in pits and secret places. Woe is me that Ishould live to see the day;--the poor lad there is loaden with curses, and fearful threatenings are uttered against us. We are verily injeopardy of our lives. "

Hereat she fell a-weeping, and truly it was piteous to behold. 

"We must first get an answer from him, " said the Doctor, "ere measurescan be devised for his recovery. "

"'Tis said there will be a warrant for his apprehension on themorrow, " said the elder Buckley. 

"There is some terrible perplexing mystery, if not knavery, in thismatter, " said Dee; "and I have been thinking--nay, I more thansuspect--that rascal Kelly hath a hand in it. He is ever hankeringafter forbidden arts, and many have fallen the innocent victims to hisdiabolical intrigues. He hath become a great adept of late, too, as Iam told, in this Rosicrucian philosophy; and if we have here a clue toour labyrinth, depend on it we'll get to the end speedily. To spiteand frustrate that juggling cheat I will spare neither pains norstudy; though of a surety we only use lawful and appointed means. Prayers and exorcisms must be resorted to, and help craved from ahigher source than theirs. "

At length the forms and usages generally resorted to on such occasionswere entered upon. Loud and fervent were the responses, continuingeven to a late hour, but without producing any change. 

The wind, hitherto rushing only in short fierce gusts through thevalley, now gathered in loud heavy lunges against the corner of thehouse, almost extinguishing the solitary light on the table near towhich Dee sat; the casements rattled, and the whole fabric shook asthey passed by. At length there came a lull, fearful in its verysilence, as though the elements were gathering strength for one mightyonslaught. On it came like an overwhelming surge, and for a momentthreatened them with immediate destruction. Dust, pebbles, and deadbranches were flung on the window, as though bursting through, to thegreat terror of the inmates. Again it drew back, and there wasstillness so immediate, it was even more appalling than the loudestassaults of the tempest. The household, too, were silent. Even Dee wasevidently disturbed, and as though in expectation of someextraordinary occurrence. 

A sharp quick tapping was heart at the casement. 

"What is that?" was the general inquiry. Gervase evidently heard ittoo, and was apparently listening. 

Dee arose. He went slowly towards the window, as if carefullyscrutinising what might present itself. He put his face nearly closeto the glass, and manifestly beheld some object which caused him todraw back. His forehead became puckered by intense emotion, eitherfrom surprise or alarm. He put one finger on his brow, as thoughtaking counsel from his own thoughts, deliberating for a moment whatcourse to pursue. At length, much to the astonishment of hiscompanions, he opened the latch of the casement, when, with a dismalcroak, a raven came hopping in. With outstretched wings he jumped downon the floor, and would have gone direct to the bed, but the Doctorcaught him, and by main force held him back. 

Fluttering and screaming, the bird made every effort to escape, butnot before Dee was aware of a label tied round his neck. This hequickly detached; after which the winged messenger flew back throughthe open window, either having finished his errand, or not liking hisentertainment. Dee opened the billet--a bit of parchment--and outdropped the ring! In the envelope was a mystical scroll, encompassedwith magic emblems, wherein was written the following doggerel, eitherin blood or coloured so as to represent it:--

 "By this ring a charm is wound, Rolling darkly round and round, Ne'er beginning--ending never; Woe betide this house for ever! Thou art mine through life--in death I'll receive thy latest breath. Plighted is thy vow to me, Mine thy doom, thy destiny, Sealed with blood; this endless token, Like the spell, shall ne'er be broken. "

Alarm was but too legible on the Doctor's brow. He was evidently takenby surprise. He read it aloud, while fearful groans responded from thevictim. 

"'Tis a case of grievous perplexity, " said he, "and I am soredistraught. If he have sworn his very soul to her, as this rhyme dothseem to intimate, I am miserably afflicted for his case. Doubtless'tis some snare which hath unwillingly been thrown about him. Nevertheless, I will diligently and warily address myself to the task, and Heaven grant us a safe deliverance. Yet I freely own there is bothdanger and extremity in the attempt. She will doubtless appear andclaim the fulfilment of his pledge. But I must cope with her alone;none else may witness the conflict. It is not the first time that Ihave battled with the powers of darkness. "

"But what motive hath she for this persecution? it is not surely outof sheer malice, " said the dame, weeping. 

"Belike not, " replied Dee thoughtfully. "It doth savour of thoseincantations whereof I oft read in diverse tractates, whereby sheexpects to gain advantage or deliverance if she sacrifice anothervictim to the demon whereunto she hath sold herself. Indeed, we hearof some whose tenure of life can only be renewed by the yearlysubstitution of another; and it is to this possible danger that ourfeeble efforts must be directed. But I trust in aid stronger than theunited hosts of the Prince of Darkness. This very night, I doubt not, will come the final struggle. "

The wind was now still, but ever and anon bursts of hail hurtled onthe window. Thunder growled in the distance, waxing louder and louder, until its roar might have appalled the stoutest heart. 

With many anxious wishes and admonitions the distressed parents leftthe Doctor to himself. 

He took from his pocket an hour-glass, a Bible, and a Latintranslation from the Arabic, being a treatise on witches, genii, demons, and the like, together with their symbols, method ofinvocation, and many other subjects equally useful. Intent on hisstudies, he hardly looked aside save for the purpose of turning theglass, when he immediately became absorbed as before. 

Now and then he cast a glance towards the bed. His patient layperfectly quiet, but the Doctor fancied he was listening. 

About midnight he heard a groan; he shut his book, and, looking aside, beheld the terrible eye and aspect of the Red Woman glaring fiercelyupon him. She had in all likelihood been concealed somewhere withinhearing; for a closet-door, on one side of the chamber, stood open asthough she had just issued from it. 

With great presence of mind he adjured her that she should declare hererrand. 

"I am here on my master's business; mine errand concerns not thee, "was the reply. Her terrible eyes glanced, as she spoke, towards thebed where the unfortunate Gervase Buckley lay writhing as though intorment. 

"By what compact or agreement is he thine, foul sorceress? Knowestthou not that there are bounds beyond which ye cannot prevail?"

"He hath sworn--the compact is sealed with blood, and must befulfilled. I am here to claim mine own; and it is at thy peril thouprevent me. "

"I fear thee not, but am prepared to withstand _thee_ and all thyworks. "

"Beware! There's a black drop in thine own cup, " said she. "Thouthyself hast sought counsel by forbidden arts, and I can crush thee ina moment. "

Dee looked as though vanquished on the sudden. He was not altogetherclear from this charge, having, though at Kelly's instigation, beenled somewhat farther than was advisable into practices which in hisheart he condemned. He, however, now felt convinced that Kelly hadsome hand in the business, knowing, too, that he would associate withthe most wicked and abandoned, if so be that he might compass hisgreedy and unhallowed desire. 

"Depart whilst thou may, " she continued. "I warn thee. Yonderinheritance is mine, though the silly damsel they have lost be thereputed heir. Aforetime I have told thee. Wronged of our rights, Ihave sold myself--ay, body and soul--for revenge! By unjustpersecutions we have been proscribed, those of the true faith havebeen forced to fly, and even our lands and our patrimony given to yongraceless heretics. "

"But why persecute this unoffending house?--they have not done _thee_wrong. "

"It is commanded--the doom must be fulfilled. One condition only wasappointed. A hard task, to wit--but what cannot power and ingenuitycompass?--'When one shall pledge himself thine and for ever, then theinheritance thou seekest is thine also, which none shall take fromthee. But he too must be rendered up to me. ' This was the doom! 'Tisfulfilled. He hath pledged himself body and soul, and that ring, ifneed be, is witness to his troth. "

"Is Grace Ashton living or dead?" inquired Dee, with a firm andpenetrating glance. 

"When he hath surrendered to his pledge it shall be told thee. "

"Wicked sorceress, " said the Doctor, rising in great anger, "he shallnot be thy victim; thine arts shall be countervailed. The powers ofdarkness are not, in the end, permitted to prevail, though for a timetheir devices seem to prosper. Listen, and answer me truly, or I willcompel thee in such wise that thou darest not disobey. Was there noneother condition to thy bond?"

The weird woman here broke forth into a laugh so wild and scornfulthat the arch-fiend himself could hardly have surpassed it in malice. 

"Fret not thyself, " she said, "and I will tell thee. Know, then, I amscathless from all harm until that feeble ring shall be able to bindme; none other bonds may prevail. "

"This ring bind thee?"

"Even so; and as a blade of grass I could rend it! Judge, then, of mysafety. Fire, air, and water--all the elements--cannot have the powerto hurt me; I hold a charmed life. The price is paid!"

Dee looked curiously round the little thin ring which he held, andindeed it were hopeless to suppose so frail a fetter could restrainher. 

"Thou hast told me the truth?"

"I have--on my hope of prospering in this pursuit of our patrimony. "

"And what is thy purpose with the lad?"

"I have need of him. He is my hostage to him whom I serve. "

"Thou wilt not take him by force!"

"I will not. He will follow whithersoever I lead. He has neither willnor power to disobey. "

"Grant a little space, I prithee. 'Tis a doleful doom for one soyoung. "

"To-morrow my time hath expired. Either he or I must be surrenderedto"----Here she pointed downwards. 

"Agreed. To-morrow at this hour. We will be prepared. "

The witch unwillingly departed as she came. The closet-door was shutas with a violent gust of wind, after which Dee sat pondering deeplyon the matter, but unable to come to any satisfactory conclusion. Henever suspected for one moment what in this evil and matter-of-factgeneration would have occurred even to the most credulous--to wit, that either insanity or fanaticism, aided by fortuitous events, if wemay so speak, was the cause of this delusion, at least to the unhappywoman now the object of Dee's most abstruse speculations. Histhoughts, however, would often recur to his quondam associate, Kelly, and, if in the neighbourhood, which he suspected, an interview withhim might possibly be of use, and afford some clue to guide theirproceedings. 

Committing himself to a short repose, he determined to make diligentsearch for this mischievous individual--having comforted in somemeasure the unhappy couple below stairs, who were in a state of greatapprehension lest their son had already fallen a victim, and wereready to give up all for lost. 

Early on the ensuing day the Doctor bent his steps towards Clegg Hall, whence the old family of that name had been dispossessed, and fromwhom that mysterious individual, the Red Woman, claimed descent. 

The air was fresh and bracing after the night's tempest. Traces ofits fury, however, were plainly visible. Huge trees had been sweptdown, as though some giant hand had crushed them. Rising the hilltowards Belfield, he stayed a moment to look round him. There wassomething in the loneliness and desertion of the spot that wascongenial to his thoughts. The rooks cawed round their ancientinheritance, but all was ruin and disorder. His curiosity was excited;he had sufficient local knowledge to remember it was once anestablishment of the Knights of St John some centuries before, and heremembered too, that according to vulgar tradition, great riches wereburied somewhere in the vaults. A thought struck him that it was notan unlikely spot for the operations of Master Kelly. Impressed withthis idea, a notion was soon engendered that his errand need not carryhim farther. He drew near to the ivied archway beneath the tower. Themavis whistled for its mate, and the sparrow chirped amongst thefoliage. All else was silent and apparently deserted. He entered thegateway. Inside, on the right hand, was a narrow flight of steps, and, impelled by curiosity, he clambered, though with some difficulty, intoa dilapidated chamber above. Here the loopholes were covered with ivy, but it was unroofed, and the floor was strewn with rubbish, theaccumulation of ages. Through a narrow breach at one corner he sawwhat had once been a concealed passage, evidently piercing the immensethickness of the walls, and leading probably to some secret chambersnot ordinarily in use. He now heard voices below, and taking advantagethereby, crept into the passage, probably expecting to gather somenews by listening to the visitors if they approached. Two of theseascended the broken steps, and every word was audible from his placeof concealment. He instantly recognised the voice of Kelly. The otherwas a stranger. 

"Ah, ah! old Mother Red-Cap, I tell thee, says we can never get thetreasure. By this good spade, and a willing arm to wit, the gold ismine ere two hours older, " said Kelly. 

"I am terribly afeard o' these same boggarts, " replied his companion. "T'owd an--'ll come sure enough among us, sure as my name's Tim, sometime or another. "

"Never fear, nunkey; thee knows what a lump I've promised thee; an' asfor the old one, trust me for that; I can lay him in the Red Sea atany time. Haven't I and that old silly Doctor, who pretends, forsooth, to have conscience qualms when there's aught to be gotten, though asfond o' the stuff as any of us--haven't we, I say, by conjurationsand fumigations, raised and laid a whole legion o' them? Why, man, I'mas well acquainted with the kingdom of Beelzebub, and his ministers toboot, as I am with my own. "

"Don't make sich an ugly talk about 'em, prithee, good sir. I thoughtI heard some'at there i' the passage, an' I think i' my heart I darnaface 'em again for a' th' gowd i' th' monk's cellar. "

"Tush, fool! If we get hold on 't now it shall be ours, and none o'the rest of our brethren o' the Red Cross need share, thee knows. Butthou be'st but newly dubbed an' hardly initiated yet in our sublimemysteries. Nevertheless, I will be indifferent honest too, and for thygreat services to us and to our cause I do promise thee a largess whenit comes to our fingers--that is to say, one-fifth to thee, andone-fifth to me; the other three shares do go to the generaltreasure-house of the community, of which I take half. "

"A goodly portion, marry--but I'd liefer 't not gang ony farther. "

"Villain! thou art bent on treachery; if thou draw back I'll ha' theehanged or otherwise punished for what thou hast done. Remember, knave, thou art in my power. "

The guilty victim groaned piteously, but he was irretrievablyentangled. The toils had been spread by a master-hand. He saw the gulfto which he was hurried, but could not extricate himself. 

"Yonder women, plague take 'em, " said Tim; "what's up now? I know thisowd witch who's sold hersel' to--to--Blackface I'm afeard, is th'owner o' many a good rood o' land hereabout, an' t'owd Ha' too, wi'its 'purtenances. But she's brought fro' Spain or Italy, as I betou'd, a main lot o' these same priest gear; an' they're lurkin'hereabout like, loike rabbits in a warren, till she can get rid o'these Ashtons. Mony a year long past I've seen her prowling about, butshe never could get her ends greadly till now. "

"By my help she shall, " said Kelly; "it's a bargain between us. She'sbrought her grandchildren too, who left England in their youth, beingeducated in a convent o'er seas. They're just ready to drop intopossession. "

"But poor Grace Ashton; she's gi'en me mony a dish of hot porritch an'bannocks. She shauna be hurt if I can help it. "

"Fool!--the wench must be provided for. Look thee--if she get away, she'll spoil all. When dead, young Buckley must be charged with themurder. "

"Weel, weel; but I'll ha' nought more to do wi 't. E'en tak' your ownfling--I'll wash my hands on't altogether, an' so"----

"I want help, thou chicken-faced varlet--come, budge--to thy work; wemay have helpers to the booty, if time be lost. "

"Mercy on us!" said Tim, in great dolour, "I wish I had ne'er hadaught to do wi' treasure-hunting an' sich-like occupation. If ever Iget rid of this job, if I don't stick to my old trade, hang me up todry. "

"Hold thy peace, carrion! and remember, should a whisper even escapethee, I will have thee hanged in good earnest. "

"Ay, ay; just like Satan 'ticing to iniquity, an' then, biggest rogueal'ays turns retriever. "

"None o' thy pretences: thou hast as liquorish a longing after thegold as any miser in the parish, and when the broad pieces and thesilver nobles jingle in thy fob, thoul't forget thy qualms, and thankme into the bargain. Now to work. Let me see, what did the sleepingbeauty say? Humph--'Under the main pillar at the south-east corner. 'Good. Nay, man, don't light up yet. Let us get fairly undergroundfirst, for fear of accidents. "

To the great alarm of Dr Dee, who heard every word, these two worthiescame straight towards the opening. He drew on one side at a venture. Luckily it proved the right one; they proceeded up the passage in theopposite direction. He heard them groping at the further end. Atrap-door was evidently raised, and he was pretty well convinced theyhad found the way to the vaults; probably it had been blocked up forages until recently, and in all likelihood Tim had pointed it out, aswell as the notion that treasure was concealed somewhere in theselabyrinths. 

How to make this discovery in some way subservient to his mission wasthe next consideration; and with a firm conviction, generally theforerunner of success, he determined to employ some bold stratagem fortheir detection. They were now fairly in the trap, and he hoped tomake sure of the vermin. For this end he cautiously felt his way tothe opposite extremity of the passage, where he found the flooremitted a hollow sound. This was assuredly the entrance; but he triedin vain--it resisted every effort. Here, however, he determined tokeep watch and seize them if possible on their egress, trusting to hisgood fortune or his courage for help in any emergency that mightensue. At times he laid his ear to the ground, but nothing wasaudible as to their operations below. This convinced him they were ata considerable distance from the entry, but he felt assured that erelong they must emerge from their den, when, taken by surprise, heshould have little difficulty in securing the first that came forth, keeping fast the door until he had made sure of his captive. 

He watched patiently for some time, when all on a sudden he heard arumbling subterraneous noise, and he plainly felt the ground trembleunder his feet. A loud shriek was heard below, and presently footstepsapproaching the entrance. He had scarcely time to draw aside ere thedoor was burst open, and some one rushed forth. The Doctor seized himby the throat, and ere he had recovered from his consternation, dragged him out of the passage. 

"Villain! what is it ye are plotting here about? Confess, or I'll havethee dealt with after thy deserts. "

"Oh!--I'll--tell--all--I will"--sobbed out the delinquent, gaspingwith terror. Tim, for it was none other, fell on his knees crying formercy. "Whoever thou art, " continued he, "come and help--help for onethat's fa'n under a heavy calamity. Bad though he be, we maunna lethim perish for lack o' lookin' after. "

"Hast got a light, knave?"

"I'll run an' fetch one. "

"Nay, nay; we part not company until better acquainted. Is there not acandle below?"

"Alas! 'tis put out--and--oh! I'd forgotten; here's t' match-box i' mypocket. "

He drew forth the requisite materials, and they were soon equipped, exploring the concealed chambers we have before described. Withdifficulty they now found their way, by reason of the dust arisingfrom the recent catastrophe. Dee followed cautiously on, keeping awary eye on his leader lest some deceit or stratagem should beintended. 

They now approached a heap of ruins almost choking the entrance to thelarger vault. He thought groans issued from beneath. 

"He's not dead yet, " said Tim. "Here, here, good sir; help me to shiftthis stone first. "

They set to work in good earnest, and, with no little difficulty anddelay, at length succeeded in releasing the unfortunatetreasure-hunter. Eager to possess the supposed riches, they hadincautiously undermined one of the main supports of the roof, andKelly was buried under the ruins. Fortunately he lay in the hollow hehad made, otherwise nothing but a miracle could have saved him fromimmediate death. He was terribly bruised, nevertheless, and presenteda pitiable spectacle. Bleeding and sore wounded, he was hardlysensible as they bore him out into the fresh air. Apparently unable tomove, they laid him on the ground until help could be obtained. In awhile he recovered. 

"Thou art verily incorrigible, " said the Doctor to his formerassociate. "Where is the maiden ye have so cruelly conveyed away?"

But Kelly was dogged, and would not answer. 

"I have heard and know all, " continued Dee; "so that, unless thou wiltconfess, assuredly I will have thee lodged in the next jail onaccusation of the murder. Thy diabolical practices will sooner orlater bring thee to punishment. "

"Promise not to molest me, " said Kelly, who feared nothing but thestrong arm of the law, so utterly was he given over to a reprobatemind, even to commit iniquity with greediness. 

"What! and let thee forth to compass other and maybe more heinousmischief! I promise nothing, save that thou be prevented from suchpursuits. Thou hast entered into covenant with the woman whom it isour purpose in due time to deliver up to the secular arm. You think tocompass your mutual ends by this compact; but be assured your schemesshall be frustrated, and that speedily. "

At this Kelly again fell into a sulky mood, maimed and helpless thoughhe was; and revenge, dark and deadly, distorted his visage. 

Tim here stepped forward. 

"I do repent me of this iniquity, an' if ever I'm catched meddling wi'sich tickle gear again, I'll gie ye leave to hang me up without judgeor jury. "

"The best proof of repentance is restitution, " said the Doctor. "Knowest thou aught of the maiden?"

"I'll find her, if ye can keep that noisome wizard frae hurting me. Heswears that if I tell, e'en by nods, winks, or otherwise, he'll sendme to ---- in a whirlwind. "

"I will give thee my pledge, not a hair of thy head shall be damaged. "

"He has the key in his pocket. "

"What of that?"

"It's the key to the old house door yonder, an' she's either there orbut lately fetched away. "

The Doctor proceeded, though not without opposition, to the search. The key was soon produced, and accompanied by the repentantballad-monger, he approached the mansion, which, as we have beforenoticed, was near at hand, apparently untenanted. 

"Yonder knave, I think, cannot escape, " said Dee. 

"No, no, " said his conductor, "unless some'at fetches him; he's toowell hampered for that. His legs are aw smashed wi' that downfa'. "

They entered a little court almost choked up with leaves and longgrass. The door was unlocked, and a desolate scene presented itself. The hall was covered with damp and mildew--all was rotting in ruin anddecay. Tim led the way up-stairs. The same appearances were stillmanifest. The dark shadow of death seemed to brood there--aninterminable silence. They entered a small closet, nearly dark; andhere, on a miserable pallet, lay the form of Grace Ashton, now, alas!pale and haggard. She seemed altogether unconscious of their presence. The horrible events of the preceding night had brought on mental aswell as bodily disease. It was the practice of these treasure-seekerseither to raise up a dead body for the desired information, or tothrow the living into such a state of mental hallucination that theyshould answer dark and difficult questions whilst in that condition. It not unfrequently happened, however, that the unfortunate victims tothese horrid rites either lost their lives or their reason during theexperiment. 

We will not pursue the recital in the present case: suffice it to say, that Grace Ashton was immediately removed and placed under the care ofher friends; the Doctor went back to Kelly for further disclosures, but what was his surprise to find that by some means or another he hadescaped. He now lost no time in returning to Buckley, communicatingthe painful, though in some degree welcome, intelligence that GraceAshton had been rescued from her persecutors. 

It was now time to adopt measures for their reception of the witch, who would doubtless not fail in her appointment. 

Dee was yet in doubt as to the issue, and he thought it needful toacquaint them with the only method by which the spell could be broken. How it were possible that the ring should ever bind her was a mysterythat at present he could not solve. Dame Eleanor listened veryattentively, then sharply replied--

"I have heard o' this charm aforetime, or----By'r lady, but I haveit!"

She almost capered for joy. 

We will not, however, anticipate the result, but entreat our readersto suspend their guesses, and again accompany us to the chamber wherelay the heir of Buckley, still grievously tormented. 

Midnight again approached. Dee was sitting at the table, apparently indeep study. He had examined the closet, and found it communicated byanother passage to an outer door; and it was through this that the RedWoman had contrived to enter without being observed. The learnedDoctor was evidently awaiting her approach with no little anxiety. Once or twice he fancied some one tapped at the casement, but it wasonly the wind rushing by in stormy gusts, increasing in strength andfrequency as the time drew nigh. 

Hark! was not that a distant shriek? It might be the creaking of theboughs and the old yew-tree by the door, thought Dee; and again, in awhile, he relapsed into a profound reverie. Another! He heard thejarring of rusty hinges; a heavy step; and--the Red Woman stood besidehim; but with such a malevolent aspect that he was somewhat startledand uneasy at her presence. 

"I am beguiled of my prey!--mocked--thwarted. But beware, old man; thymeddling may prove dangerous. I will possess the inheritance, thoughevery earthly power withstood me! That boy is mine. He hath swornit--sealed it with his heart's blood--and I demand the pledge. " Thevictim groaned. "Hearest thou that response? 'Tis an assent. He ismine in spite of your stratagems. "

This was probably but the raving of a disordered intellect, but Deewas too deeply imbued with the superstitions of the age to suppose fora moment that it was not a case of undisguised witchcraft, or thatthis wicked hag was not invested with sufficient power to executewhatever either anger or caprice might suggest. 

"What is thy will with the wretched victim thou hast ensnared?" heinquired. 

"I have told thee. "

"Thou wilt not convey him away bodily to his tormentors?"

"Unless they have a victim the inheritance may not be mine. " She saidthis with such a fiendish malice that made even the exorcist tremble. His presence of mind, however, did not forsake him. 

"The ring--I remember--there was a condition in the bond. In all suchcompacts there is ever a loophole for escape. "

"None that thou canst creep through, " she said, with a look of scorn. 

"It is not permitted that the children of men be tempted abovemeasure. "

"When that ring shall have strength to bind me, and not till then. Allother bonds I rend asunder. Even adamant were as flaming tow. "

"Here is a ring of stout iron, " said Dee, pointing to an iron ringfixed by a stout staple in the wall. "I think it would try thy boastedstrength. "

"I could break it as the feeble reed. "

The Doctor shook his head incredulously. 

"Try me. Thou shall find it no empty boast. "

She seemed proud that her words should be put to the test; and evenproposed that her arms should be pinioned, and her body fastened withstout cords to the iron ring which had been prepared for this purpose. 

"Thou shalt soon find which is the strongest, " said she, exultingly. "I have broken bonds ere now to which these are but as a thread. "

She looked confident of success, and surveyed the whole proceedingwith a look of unutterable scorn. 

"Now do thy worst, thou wicked one, " said Dee, when he had finished. 

But lo! a shriek that might have wakened the dead. She was unable toextricate herself, being held in spite of the most desperate effortsto escape. With a loud yell she cried out--

"Thou hast played me false, demon!"

"'Tis not thy demon, " said Dee; "it is I that have circumvented thee. In that iron ring is concealed the charmed one, wrought out by acunning smith to this intent--to wit, the deliverance of a persecutedhouse. "

The Red Woman now appeared shorn of her strength. Her charms and herdelusions were dispelled. She sank into the condition of a hopeless, wretched maniac, and was for some time closely confined to thischamber. 

Buckley, recovering soon after, was united to Grace Ashton, who, it isconfidently asserted, and perhaps believed, was restored to immediatehealth when the charm was broken. 

 [20] Within the last few years, since this story was written, the old house itself has been levelled with the ground. 

 [21] In the 39th of Eliz. Sir John Biron held the manor of Rochdale, subsequently held by the Ramsays; but in the 13th of Charles I. It was reconveyed. The Biron family is more ancient than the Conquest. Gospatrick held lands of Ernais de Buron in the county of York, as appears by Domesday Book. Sir Nicholas Byron distinguished himself in the civil wars of Charles I. ; and in consequence of his zeal in the royal cause the manor of Rochdale was sequestered. After the Restoration it reverted to the Byrons. Sir John, during these troubles, was made a peer, by the title of Baron Byron of Rochdale. In 1823 the late Lord Byron sold the manor, after having been in possession of the family for nearly three centuries. 

THE DEATH-PAINTER;

OR, THE SKELETON'S BRIDE. 

"This will hardly keep body and soul together, " said Conrad Bergmann, as he eyed with a dissatisfied countenance some score of dingykreutzers thrust into his palm by a "patron of early genius, "--one ofthose individuals who take great merit to themselves by just keepingtheir victims in that enviable position between life and death, between absolute starvation and hopeless, abject poverty, whicheffectually represses all efforts to excel, controls and quenches allbut longings after immortality--who just fan the flame to let it smokeand quiver in the socket, but sedulously prevent it rising to anydegree of steadiness and brilliance. 

Conrad that morning had taken home a picture, his sole occupation fortwo months, and this patron, a dealer in the "fine arts, " dwelling inthe good, quiet city of Mannheim, had given him a sum equivalent tothirty-six shillings sterling for his labour. Peradventure, it was notin the highest style of art; but what Schwartzen Bären or WeisseRösse--Black Bears, White Horses, Spread Eagles, and the like, themeanest, worst-painted signs in the city--would not have commanded ahigher price?

In fact, Conrad had just genius enough to make himself miserable--towit, by aspiring after those honours it was impossible to attain, keeping him thereby in a constant fret and disappointment, instead ofbeing content with his station, or striving for objects within hisreach. Could he have drudged on as some dauber of sign-posts, or takento useful employment, he might doubtless have earned a comfortablesustenance. He had, however, like many another child of genius, a soulabove such vulgarities; yearning after the ideal and the vain; havingtoo much genius for himself and too little for the world; suspended ina sort of Mahomet's coffin between earth and heaven--contemned, rejected, by "gods, men, and columns. "

Conrad Bergmann was about two-and-twenty, of good figure andwell-proportioned features, complexion fair, bright bluish-grey eyes, whiskers well matched with a pale, poetical, it might be sickly hue ofcountenance, and an expression more inclining to melancholy thanpersons of such mean condition have a right to assume. His father hadbrought him up to a trade--an honest thriving business--to wit, thatof _knopfmacher_ (button-maker). But Conrad, the youngest, and hismother's favourite, happened to be indulged with more idle time thanthe rest, which, for the most part, was laudably expended in scrawlingsundry hideous representations--all manner of things on walls andwainscots. Persevering in this occupation he was forthwith pronounceda genius. About the age of fifteen, Conrad saw a huge "StChristopher, " by a native artist, and straightway his destiny wasfixed. He struggled on for some years with little success save beingpronounced by the gossips "marvellously clever. " His performanceswanted that careful and elaborate course of study indispensable evento the most exalted genius. They were not only glaring, tawdry, andill-drawn, but worse conceived; flashy, crude accumulations of colouronly rendering their defects more apparent. He was in a great measureself-taught. His impetuous, ardent imagination could not endure thelabour requisite to form an artist. He would fain have read ere he hadlearned to spell; and the result might easily have been foretold. 

His father died, and the family were but scantily provided for. Conradwas now forced to make, out a livelihood by what was previously anamusement, not having "a trade in his fingers;" and he toiled on, selling his productions for the veriest trifle. He had now no leisurefor improvement in the first elements of his art. 

"Better starve or beg, better be errand-boy or lackey, than waste mytalents on such an ungrateful world. I'll turnconjurer--fire-eater--mountebank; set the fools agape at fairs andpastimes. Anything rather than killing--starving by inches. Why, thecriminals at hard labour in the fortress have less work and betterfare. I wish--I wish"----

"What dost wish, honest youth?" said a tall, heavy-eyed, beetle-browed, swarthy personage, who poked his face round frombehind, close to that of the unfortunate artist, with great freedomand familiarity. 

"I wish thou hadst better manners, or wast i' the stocks, where everyprying impertinent should be, " replied Conrad, being in no veryplacable humour with his morning's work. The stranger laughed, not atall abashed by this ill-mannered, testy rebuke, replyinggood-humouredly--

"Ah, ah! master canvas-spoiler. Wherefore so hasty this morning? Mylegs befit not the gyves any more than thine own. But many a manthrusts his favours where they be more rare than welcome. I would dothee a service. "

"'Tis the hangman's, then, for that seems the only favour that befitsmy condition. "

"Thou art cynical, bitter at thy disappointment. Let us discoursetogether hard by. A flask of good Rhenish will soften and assuage thyhumours. A drop of _kirchenwasser_, too, might not be taken amiss thischill morning. "

Nothing loth, Conrad followed the stranger, and they were soonimbibing some excellent _vin du pays_ in a neighbouring tavern. 

"Conrad Bergmann, " began the stranger. "Ay, thou art surprised; but Iknow more than thy name. Wilt that I do thee a good office?"

"Not the least objection, friend, if the price be within reach. Nothing pay, nothing have, I reckon. "

"The price? Nothing. At least nothing thou need care for. Thou artthirsting for fame, riches; for the honours of this world;for--for--the hand--the heart of thy beloved. "

Amongst the rest of Conrad's calamities he had the misfortune to be inlove. 

"Thou art mighty fluent with thy guesses, " replied he, not at allrelishing these unpleasant truths; "and what if I am doomed to pineafter the good I can never attain? I will bear my miseries, if notwithout repining, at least without thy pity;" and he arose to depart. 

"All that thou pinest after is thine. All!" said the stranger. 

"Mine! By what process?--whose the gift? Ha, ha!" and he drained thebrimming glass, waiting a solution of his interrogatory. 

"I will be thy instructor. Behold the renowned Doctor Gabriel RasMousa, who hath studied all arts and sciences in the world, who hathunveiled Nature in her most secret operations, and can make hersubmissive as a menial to his will. In a period incredibly short Iengage to make thee the most renowned painter in Christendom. "

"And the time requisite to perform this?"

"One month! Ay, by the wand of Hermes, in one month, under myteaching, shalt thou have thy desire. I watched thy bargain with thedealer yonder, and have had pity on thy youth and misfortunes. "

"Humph--compassion! And the price?" again inquired Conrad, with ananxious yet somewhat dubious expression of tone. 

"The price? Once every month shalt thou paint me a picture. "

"Is that all?"

"All. "

Now Conrad began to indulge some pleasant fancies. Dreams of hope andambition hovered about him; but he soon grew gloomy and desponding asheretofore. He waxed incredulous. 

"One month? Nothing less than a miracle! The time is too short. Impossible!"

"That is my business. I have both the will and the power. Is it abargain?"

Conrad again drained the cup, and things looked brighter. He feltinvigorated. His courage came afresh, and he answered firmly--

"A bargain. "

"Give me thy hand. "

"O mein Herr--not so hard. Thy grip is like a smithy vice. "

"Beg pardon of thy tender extremities. To-morrow then, at this hour, we begin. " Immediately after which intimation the stranger departed. 

Conrad returned to his own dwelling. He felt restless, uneasy. Apprehensions of coming evil haunted him. Night was tenfold moreappalling. Horrid visions kept him in continual alarm. 

He arose feverish and unrefreshed. Yesterday's bargain did not appearso pleasant in his eyes; but fear gave way apace, and ere theappointed hour he was in his little workroom, where the mysteriousinstructor found him in anxious expectation. He drew the requisitematerials from under his cloak, a well-primed canvas already prepared. The pallet was covered, and Conrad sat down to obey his master'sdirections. 

"What shall be our subject?" inquired the pupil. 

"A head. Proceed. "

"A female?"

"Yes. But follow my instructions implicitly. "

Conrad chalked out the outline. It was feebly, incorrectly drawn: butthe stranger took his crayon, and by a few spirited touches gave life, vigour, and expression to the whole. Conrad was in despair. 

"Oh that it were in my power to have done this!" he cried, putting onehand on his brow, and looking at the picture as though he would havedevoured it. 

"Now for colour, " said the stranger; and he carefully directed hispupil how to lay in the ground, to mingle and contrast the differenttints, in a manner so far superior to his former process, that Conradsoon began to feel a glow of enthusiasm. His fervour increased, thelatent spark of genius was kindled. In short, the unknown seemed tohave imbued him with some hitherto unfelt attributes--invested himeither with new powers, or awakened his hitherto dormant faculties. Asbefore, by a few touches, the crude, spiritless mass became living andbreathing under the master's hand. Not many hours elapsed ere a prettyhead, respectably executed, appeared on the canvas. Conrad was in highspirits. 

He felt a new sense, a new faculty, as it were, created within him. Heworked industriously. Every hour seemed to condense the labour andexperience of years. He made prodigious advances. His master camedaily at the same time, and at length his term of instruction drew toa close. The last morning of the month arrived; and Conrad, unknown tohis neighbours, had attained to the highest rank in his profession. His paintings, all executed under the immediate superintendence of thestranger, were splendid specimens of art. 

 * * * * *

In the year ----, all Paris was moved with the extraordinaryperformances of a young artist, whose portraits were the mostwonderful, and his miniatures the most exquisite, that eyes everbeheld. They looked absolutely as though endowed with life--real fleshand blood to all appearance; and happy were those who could get apainting from his hand. The price was enormous, and the marvellousfacility with which they were despatched was not the leastextraordinary part of the business. There was a mystery, too, abouthim, provokingly delightful, especially to the female portion of thecommunity. In place of living in a gay and fashionable part of thecity, his lodging was in a miserable garret, overlooking one of thegloomiest streets of the metropolis. His manners, too, were forbiddingand reserved. Instead of exhibiting the natural buoyancy of his years, he looked careworn and dejected; nor was he ever known to smile. 

After a period whispers got abroad that several of his female subjectscame to strange and untimely deaths. They were seized with somedangerous malady, accompanied by frightful delusions. In general theyfancied themselves possessed. Wailings, shrieks, and horribleblasphemies proceeded from the lips of the sufferers. These reportswere doubtless exaggerated, the marvellous being a prodigiouslyaccumulative and inventive faculty; yet enough remained, apparentlyauthentic, to justify the most unfavourable suspicions. 

About this time a young Italian lady of a noble house arrived on avisit to her brother in the suite of the Florentine embassy. Thisprincely dame, possessed of great wealth and beauty, was not longunprovided with lovers; one especially, a handsome official in theroyal household, De Vessey by name, and as gallant a cavalier as everlady looked upon. But her term of absence being nigh expired, thelovers were in great perplexity; and nothing seemed so likely tocontribute to their comfort during such unavoidable separation as aminiature portrait of each from the hands of this inimitable painter. Leonora sat first, and the lover was in raptures. Hour by hour hewatched the progress of his work in a little gloomy chamber, where theartist, like some automaton fixture, was always found in the sameplace, occupied too as it might seem without intermission. 

"The gaze of that strange painter distresses me inexpressibly, " saidLeonora to her companion, as they went for the last time to hisapartment. "I have borne it hitherto without a murmur, but wordscannot describe the reluctance with which I endure his glance; yetwhile I feel as though my very soul abhorred it, it penetrates--nay, drinks up and withers my spirit. Though I shrink from it, someinfluence or fascination, call it as thou wilt, prevents escape; Icannot turn away my eyes from his terrible gaze. "

"Thou art fanciful, my love, " said De Vessey; "the near prospect ofour parting makes thee apt to indulge these gloomy impressions. Be ofgood cheer; nothing shall harm thee in my presence. 'Tis the lastsitting; put on a well-favoured aspect, I beseech thee. Remember, thisportraiture will be my only solace during the long long hours of thineabsence. "

As they entered the artist's chamber, the picture lay before him, which he seemed to contemplate with such absorbing intensity that hewas hardly aware of their entrance. He did not weep, but grief andpity were strangely mingled in his glance. It was but for a moment; hequickly resumed his usual attitude and expression. Whether theprevious conversation had made her lover liable to take the tone andcharacter of her own thoughts, we know not; but for the first time hefancied Leonora's apprehensions were not entirely without excuse. Helooked on the artist, and it excited almost a thrill of apprehension. But speedily chiding himself for these untoward fancies, he felt thatlittle was apparent either in look or manner but what the painter'speculiar and unexampled genius might sufficiently explain. 

Suddenly his attention was riveted on the lady. He saw her lips quiverand turn pale as though she would have swooned. In a moment he was ather side. The support seemed to re-animate the fainting maiden, herhead drooping on his shoulder. Almost gasping for utterance, shewhispered, "Take me hence, I want breath--air, air!" De Vessey liftedher in his arms and bore her forth into the open doorway. Trembling, shuddering, and looking round, the first words she uttered were--

"We are watched--by some unseen being in yonder chamber, I ampersuaded. Didst not mark an antique, dismal-looking ebony cabinetimmediately behind the painter?"

"I did, and admired its exquisite workmanship, as though wrought bysome cunning hand. "

"As I fixed my eyes on those little traceries, it might be fancy, butmethought I saw the bright flash of a human eye gazing on me. "

"Oh! my Leonora, indulge not these gloomy impressions. Throw off thywayward fancies. 'Tis but the reflex image the mind mistakes foroutward realities. When disordered she discerns not the substance fromthe shadow. Thou art well-nigh recovered. Come, come, let us in. To-day is the last of our task; prithee take courage and return. "

"On one condition only; if thou take the chair first, and note well anopen scroll to the right where those fawns and satyrs are carved. "

"Agreed. And now shake off thy fears, my love. "

De Vessey led her again to the apartment, and as though withoutconsideration sat down, his face directly towards the cabinet. Hefixed his eyes thereon a few seconds only, when Leonora saw him startup suddenly with a troubled aspect and grasp the hilt of his sword. Then turning to the painter he said, sternly--

"So!--We have intruders here, I trow. "

"Intruders? None!" was the artist's reply, without betraying eithersurprise or alarm. 

"That we'll see presently, " said the cavalier, hastening to thecabinet; which, with hearty good-will, he essayed to open. 

"Why this outrage?" inquired the painter, colouring with a hecticflush. 

"Because 'tis my good pleasure, " was the haughty reply. The doorresisted his utmost efforts. "Doubtless held by some one within. Open, or by this good sword I'll make a passage through both door andcarcase. "

The hinges slowly gave way, the folding-doors swung open, anddisplayed a grinning skeleton. 

"Ah! what lodger is this?"

"Mine art requires it, " said the painter, with a ghastly smile; but inthat smile was an expression so fearful, yet mysterious, that even DeVessey quailed before it. Another miniature portrait, a precise copyof the one in hand, hung from the neck of the skeleton. 

Leonora, with a loud shriek, covered her face; but the lover, thoughfar from satisfied himself, strove to assure his mistress, andbesought her not to indulge any apprehension. 

"You are disturbed, lady, " said the artist. "'Tis but a harmless pieceof earth, a mouldering fabric of dust, a thing, a form we must all oneday assume. But to-morrow, to-morrow, if you will, we resume ourwork. "

Leonora, relieved by the intimation, gladly consented, fain for awhile to escape from this terrible chamber. 

"Nought living was there, of a truth, " said the cavalier, in evidentperplexity, as they regained their coach. "But I saw plain enough, orimagination played me the prank, a semblance of a bright and flashingeye on the spot pointed out. Something incomprehensible hangs aboutthe whole!"

Leonora agreed in this conclusion, expressing a fear lest harm shouldhappen to themselves thereby. They were not ignorant of the whispersafloat, but hitherto treated them either with ridicule orindifference. Suspicion, however, once awake, mystery onceapprehended, every circumstance, even the most trivial, is seizedupon, the mind bending all to one grand object which haunts andexcites the imagination. 

Having left his companion at her brother's dwelling, De Vessey came tohis own, moody and dispirited. A vague sense of some grievous butimpending misfortune hung heavily upon him. Night brought nomitigation of his fears. Spectres, skeletons, and demon-paintershaunted his slumbers. He awoke in greater torment than ever. Theduplicate portrait was brought to his remembrance with a vividness, anintensity so appalling, that he almost expected to behold the skeletonwearer at his bedside. 

Involved in a labyrinth of inextricable surmises, and not knowing whatcourse to pursue, he arose early, and walked forth without aim ordesign towards the church of Notre Dame. 

The red sun was just bursting through a thick atmosphere of mist, illuminating its two dark western towers, which looked even moregloomy under a bright and glowing sky, like melancholy in immediatecontrast with hilarity and joy. 

He passed the Morgue, or dead-house, where bodies found in the Seineare exposed, in order that they may be owned or recognised. Impelledby curiosity, he entered. One space alone was occupied. He could notsurely be deceived when he saw the body of the unfortunate painter!Those features were too well remembered to be mistaken. Here was newground for conjecture, fresh wonder and perplexity. He left thismelancholy exhibition and entered the cathedral. Mass was celebratingat one of the altars. De Vessey joined in adoration, strolling awayafterwards towards the vaults: one of them was open. From some vague, unaccountable impulse, he thus accosted the sexton:--

"Whose grave is this, friend?"

"A maid's--mayhap. "

"Her name?"

"The only remaining descendant of the Barons Montargis. "

"I have some knowledge of that noble gentlewoman; she was just aboutto be married. What might be the nature of her malady?"

"Why, verily there be as many guesses as opinions. The doctors wereall at fault, and, 'tis said, even now in great dispute. The king'sphysician tried hard to save her. Old Frère Jeronymo, the confessor, will have it she was possessed; but all his fumigations, exorcisms, paters, and holy water could not cast out the foul fiend. She diedraving mad!"

"A miserable portion for one so young and high-born. Was there novisible cause?"

"Cause!--Ay, marry; if common gossip be not an arrant jade. Herportrait had been taken by that same limner who, they say, has beentaught in the devil's school, and can despatch a likeness with thetwirl of his brush. "

"And what of that?" cried De Vessey, in an agony of impatience. 

"Why, the same fate has happened to several of our city dames. That isall. "

"What has happened?"

"They have gone mad, and either felt or fancied some demon had gottenthem in keeping. For my part, I pretend not to a knowledge of thematter. But you seem strangely moved, methinks. "

The cavalier was nigh choking with emotion. Sick at heart, and with afearful presentiment of impending evil, he turned suddenly away. 

His next visit, as may be supposed, was to his mistress. He found herin great agitation. The portrait had been sent home the precedingnight, and completely finished, lay before her--an exquisite--nay, marvellous--specimen of art. She was gazing on her own radiantcounterpart as he entered. They both agreed that something more thanordinary ran through the whole proceedings, though unable tocomprehend their meaning. De Vessey related his discovery in theMorgue, but not his subsequent interview with the sexton. 

Ere night, Leonora was seized with a strange and frightful disease. Symptoms of insanity were soon developed. She uttered fearful cries;calling on the painter in language wild and incoherent, but ofterrific import. 

The lover was at his wits' end. He vowed to spare no efforts to saveher, though scarcely knowing what course to pursue, or in what quarterto apply for help. 

His first care was to seek the dwelling of a certain renowned doctor, a German, whose extraordinary cures and mode of treatment had won forhim great wealth and reputation. Though by some accounted a quack andimpostor, nevertheless De Vessey hoped, as a last resource, so cunninga physician might be able to point at once to the source and cure ofthis occult malady. 

Doctor Herman Sichel lived in one of those high, antique, dreary-looking habitations, now pulled down, situate in the Rued'Enfer. A common staircase conducted to several suites of apartments, tenanted by various occupants, and at the very summit dwelt thisexalted personage. 

A pull at the ponderous bell-handle gave notice of De Vessey'sapproach, when, after due deliberation, it might seem, and a longtrial to the impatient querent, a little wicket was cautiously slidback, behind a grating in the door. A face, partially exhibited, demanded his errand. 

"Thy master, knave!"

"He is in the very entrails of a sublime study. Not for my beard, greythough it be, dare I break in upon him. "

"Mine errand is urgent, " said De Vessey; "and, look thee, say a noblecavalier hath great need of succour at his hands. "

"Grammercy, Sir Cavalier, and hath not everybody an errand of likemoment?--thy business, peradventure, less urgent than fifty otherswhose suit I have denied this blessed day. I tell thee, my master maynot be disturbed!"

De Vessey held up a coin temptingly before the grating. It would notgo through, and the crusty Cerberus gently undid a marvellous array ofchains, bars, and other ingenious devices, opening a slit wide enoughfor its insertion. 

"Wider! thou trusty keeper, " said the artful suitor outside. "I cannotfly through a key-hole!"

A hand was carefully protruded. The cavalier, espying his opportunity, thrust first his sword, afterwards himself, through the aperture, inspite of curses and entreaties from the greedy porter. He wasimmediately within a dark entrance or vestibule; the astonished andangry menial venting his wrath in no measured phrases on the intruder. De Vessey, in a peremptory tone, demanded to be led forthwith into thedoctor's presence. The old man delayed for a while, almost speechlessfrom several causes. His breath was nigh spent. Wrath on the one hand, fear of his master's displeasure on the other, kept him, likeantagonistic forces, perpetually midway between both. 

"Lead the way, knave, or, by the beard of St Louis, I'll seek himthrough the house! Quick! thou hast legs; if not, speak! Mine errandis urgent, and will not wait. "

A stout and determined cavalier, with a strong gripe, and a sword noneof the shortest, was not to be trifled with; and, after manyexpostulations, warnings, threats, had failed of their effect, he atlength doggedly consented. 

"Thou wilt give me the coin, then, Sir Cavalier?"

"Ay, when thou hast earned it. Away!"

Passing through a narrow passage, lighted from above, his conductorpaused before a curiously-carved oaken door, at which three tapsannounced a message. 

"Now enter, and pray for us both a safe deliverance. But, prithee, tell him it was not my fault thou hast gotten admission. "

The door slowly opened, as though without an effort, and De Vessey wasimmediately in the presence of the physician, evidently to thesurprise of the learned doctor himself, who angrily demanded hisbusiness and the ground of his intrusion. 

"Mine hour is not yet come, young man. Wherefore shouldst thou, eitherby stratagem or force, thrust thyself, unbidden, into our presence?"

"To buy or beg thine aid, if it be possible. The case admits not ofdelay. I crave thy pardon, most reverend doctor, if that content thee;and, rest assured, no largess, no reward shall be too great, if thourestore one, I fear me, beyond earthly aid. "

"Thus am I ever solicited, " replied the sage, with a portentous scowl. He was clad in a gown of dark stuff, with slippers to match; his pollsurmounted by a small black velvet skull-cap, from which his white, intensely white, hair escaped in great profusion. His visage was notswarthy, but of a leaden, pale complexion, where little could bediscerned of the wondrous misrocosm within. Books, and manuscripts ofancient form and character, emblazoned in quaint and mystic devices, lay open on a long oak table, on which rested one elbow of the wiseman; the other was thrown over an arm of the high-backed chair whereonhe sat. The room contained plenty of litter in the shape of phials, boxes, and other strange furniture. A cupola furnace was just heated, the doctor apparently concocting some subtle compound. 

"I am expected to wrest these helpless mortals even from the raveningjaws of the grave! My skill never tried until beyond other aid!"

"But this disorder is of a sudden emergency. A lady of high birth andlineage, a few hours since, was seized with a raging frenzy. "

"A female, then?"

"Ay, and of such sweet temper and excellent parts, there be none tomatch with her, body or mind, in Christendom. "

"When did this malady attack her?"

"Almost immediately after a portrait, made by the celebrated painter, was finished. Of him thou hast doubtless heard. "

"The painter--ay! There be more than thou have rued his skill. Youngman, thy pretty one is lost!"

"Lost? Oh, say not so! I will give thee thine utmostdesire--riches--wealth thou hast never possessed, if thou restoreher!"

"She is beyond my skill. Hast visited him since?"

"I have seen him. She is the last victim, if such be her fate. Thisvery morning, betimes, I saw his body in the Morgue. "

"They have found him, then?" said the doctor, sharply. "Yet our bodiesare but exuviæ. When cast off, this thinking, sentient principlewithin has another tabernacle assigned to it, until the greatconsummation of all things. But these are fables, idle tales, to theunlearned. Nevertheless, I pity thy cruel fate, and, if aid can beafforded, will call another to thine help. Hence! Thou shalt hear fromme anon. "

"And without loss of time; for every moment, methinks, our succour maycome too late. "

"I will forthwith seek out one whom I have heretofore taken knowledgeof. Every science has its votaries--its adepts; and this evil casehath its remedy only by those skilled in arts called, however falsely, supernatural. Even now there be intelligences around us which thecorporeal eye seeth not, nor can see, unless purged from the dross, the fumes of mortality. Some, peradventure, by long and patient study, have arrived on the very borders, the confines that separate visiblefrom invisible things, and become, as it were, the medium ofintercourse for mortals, who are by this means mightily aided inmatters beyond ordinary research. Put thine ear to this shell. Markits voice, like the sound of many waters. Are not these the invisiblesource, the essence of its being? Has not everything in like manner, even the most inanimate, a tongue, a language, peculiar to itself--asoul, a spirit, pervading its form, which moulds and fashions everysubstance according to its own nature? Now, this voice thou canst notinterpret, being unskilled--knowing not the languages peculiar toevery form and modification of matter; else would this beautiful typeof the ever-rolling sea discourse marvellously to thine ear. But thouhast not the key to unclose its mystic tongue; hence, like any otherunknown speech, 'tis but a confused jumble of unmeaning sound. I havelittle more knowledge than thyself, but there be those who caninterpret. Vain man--presumptuous, ignorant--scoffs at knowledgebeyond his reach, and thinks his own dim, nay, darkened reason, glimmering as in a dungeon, the narrow horizon that circumscribes hisvision, the utmost boundary of all knowledge and existence, whilebeyond lies the infinite and unknown, utterly transcending hiscapacity and comprehension. "

De Vessey drank up every word of this harangue; and something akin tohope rose in his bosom as he withdrew. 

"Thou wilt have a message ere nightfall. An awful trial awaits theeere the spell can be countervailed. "

The cavalier withdrew, suffering many wistful remarks from the olddoorkeeper, who marvelled greatly at the interview so graciouslyconceded by his master; while at the same time holding out his palmfor the promised largess. 

De Vessey waited impatiently at his own dwelling for the expectedmessage. Evening drew on, dark and stormy. The wind roared along thenarrow streets in sharp and irregular gusts; while, pacing his chamberin an agony of suspense, he fancied every sound betokened theapproaching communication. At length, when expectation was almostweary, a louder rumbling was heard; a coach drew up at the door; ahasty knock, and a heavy tramp; then footsteps ascending thestaircase. The door opened, and two _gens-d'armes_ entered. 

"We have authority and instructions for the arrest of one Sigismund deVessey, on a charge of murder, made this day by deposition before theMayor and Prefecture of the Ville de Paris. The individual so named, we apprehend, is before us. "

"The same; though assuredly there is some mistake. Of whose death am Iaccused?"

"Of one Conrad Bergmann, a painter, whose body, last night thrown intothe Seine, was to-day exposed in the Morgue. The rest will beexplained anon. "

"But an engagement--one, too, of a most important nature--demands mypresence. "

"No discretion is allowed us in this matter. The carriage waits. "

However reluctant, De Vessey was forced to obey. Though confident of aspeedy release, this arrest at so important a juncture was provokingenough. Leonora's recovery might probably depend on his exertions forthe next few hours, which were now suddenly wrested from him. 

Leaving word that he would shortly return, the cavalier stept into thevehicle, which immediately drove off. 

In a little space the coach stopped, and De Vessey was invited toalight. He was led up a narrow staircase; a door flew open. Heentered. Could it be; surely imagination betrayed his senses! He couldscarcely believe himself once more in the apartment of the painter!Yet there was no mistaking what he saw. The ebony cabinet, the easel, table, chair--all left as he saw them yesterday. But the livingoccupants were strangely diverse. Two or three functionaries of thecivil power; and in one corner a black cloth, spread on the floor, concealed some unknown object. The whole was lighted by a feeble lampfrom the ceiling. A dusky haze from the damp, foggy atmosphererendered objects ill-defined, indistinct, almost terrific to anexcited imagination. In addition to the usual articles of furniturewas a desk, with writing materials, at which one of the officers ofjustice appeared dictating something to his secretary. 

On De Vessey's entrance, the scribe made some minute preparatory tohis examination, which commenced as follows:--

"Sigismund de Vessey?"

"The same. "

"Being accused upon oath before us of murder, thou art brought hitherto confront thine accusers, and to answer this heinous charge. First, let the body be produced. "

The cloth was removed, and De Vessey beheld the corpse lying on amattress. 

"Knowest thou this body?"

"I do, " said the cavalier, firmly. 

"When was he seen by thee alive, the last time?"

"Yesterday, about noon. "

"Where?"

"In this chamber. "

"Not since?"

"Yes, but not living. "

"Dead, sayest thou?"

"This morning in the Morgue. "

"Not previously?"

"I have not. But pray to what purport this examination?"

"This will appear presently. When taken out of the river marks werefound upon the throat, as though from strangulation. Knowest thouaught of these?"

"I do not, " said the accused, indignantly. 

This answer being written down, the examination was resumed. 

"We have testimony that the unfortunate victim and thyself were seentogether about midnight; and, further, a short but violent strugglewas heard, and a heavy plunge; afterwards an individual, with whomthou art identified, was seen departing in great haste, and enteringthe house well known as thy residence in the Rue de" ----

"A most foul and wicked fabrication, for purposes of which as yet I amignorant. Of such charges I hardly need affirm that I am innocent. "

"Let the accuser stand forth. "

To the surprise and horror of De Vessey there appeared from a recessthe German doctor, Hermann Sichel, who, without flinching, recapitulated the foregoing accusation. Moreover, he swore in the mostpositive terms to his identity, and that not a doubt rested on hismind but De Vessey was the murderer. 

"In this very apartment, " said the witness, "he, De Vessey, drew hissword upon the painter yesterday, doubtless either from grudge orjealousy; being enamoured of a fair Italian dame, Leonora da Rimini. "

"Most abominable of liars!" said the accused, eyeing him with afurious look. "How darest thou to my face bring this foul accusation. Thou shalt answer for it with thy blood!"

"Hear him! What need of further testimony? His own betrays him, " saidthe doctor, with unblushing effrontery. 

"We have other witness thou wilt not dare to gainsay, " said thepresiding officer. "This learned person is amply corroborated byevidence that must effectually silence all denial. He hath referred usto her who was present, Leonora da Rimini. "

"Leonora! what, my own--my betrothed? She my accuser?"

"Spare thy speech and listen. We could not bring the maiden hither, insomuch as the nature of her malady admits not of removal: but herevidence and accusation are duly attested, taken at her own request, not many hours ago. The substance of her deposition is as follows:--Aconfession to her of thine intention to murder Conrad Bergmann, theartist aforesaid, being jealous of his attentions; and furthermore, inthe agony of guilt, thou didst confess in her presence, having firststrangled, and afterwards thrown him into the river, hoping thereby toconceal thy crime; then forcing her to swear she would keep the mattersecret, and threatening her life in case it were divulged. Thisoutrage, and this alone, hath nigh driven her frantic; her life beingin jeopardy from thy violence. What sayest thou, Sigismund deVessey?"

"A lie, most foul and audacious, trumped up by that impostor! Leonora?Impossible. I would not believe though it were from her own lips. Somedemon hath possessed her. This disorder is more than common madness. "

He looked around. The whole was like the phantasma of some terribledream. Bewildered, and hardly knowing what course to pursue, in vainhe attempted to shake the testimony of the hoary villain before him;and having at present none other means of rebutting the accusation, hewas ordered into close custody until the morrow. 

Utterly unprepared with evidence, he knew not where to apply. That hewas the victim of some foul plot so far appeared certain; but for whatpurpose, and at whose instigation, was inexplicable. 

Ere an hour had elapsed De Vessey found himself in one of the cells ofa public dungeon, with ample leisure to form plans for proving hisinnocence. He determined early on the morrow to acquaint his friends, and employ a celebrated advocate to expose this villainous doctor, whono doubt had designs either on his purse or person. 

In a while the prisoner fell asleep from fatigue and exhaustion. Hewas awakened by a sudden glare across his eyelids. At first, imagininghe was under the influence of some extravagant dream, he made littleeffort to arouse himself. A figure stood beside the couch, a lamplifted above his head. A friar's cowl concealed his features; hisperson, too, was enveloped in a coarse garment, with a huge rosary athis girdle. 

"Mortal, awake and listen, " said the unknown visitor. "Art weary oflife, or does this present world content thee?"

"Who art thou?" said De Vessey, scarcely raising himself from thepallet. 

"I am thy friend, thy deliverer, an' thou wilt. "

"Thanks!" said the knight, springing from his recumbent posture. 

"Stay!" replied the intruder; "there be conditions ere thou passhence. Miserable offspring of Adam, ye still cling to your prison andyour clay. Wherefore shrink from the separation, afraid to shake offyour bonds, your loathsome carcase, and spring forth at once to life?Art thou prepared to fulfil one--but one condition for thy release?"

"Name it. Manifest my innocence; and if it be gold, thou shalt havethy desire. No hired advocate e'er yet held such a fee. "

"Keep thy gold for baser uses; it buyeth not my benefits. Butremember, thy life is not worth a week's purchase, neither is thymistress's, forsooth, shouldest thou be witless enough to refuse. Anignominious death, a base exit for thyself--for her, madness and aspeedy grave. One fate awaits ye both. Life and health, if thouconsent, are yours. "

"Thou speakest riddles. It were vain trying to comprehend theirimport. Name thy conditions. Aught that honour may purchase will Igive. "

The stranger threw back his cowl, displaying the features of therenowned Doctor Hermann Sichel. A gleam of lurid intelligence lightedhis grim grey eyes, that might betoken either insanity or excitement. 

Without reflecting for one moment on the hazard or imprudence of hisconduct, De Vessey immediately rushed forward, grappled with hisadversary, and threw him. 

"Now will I have deadly vengeance, fiend! Take that!" said he, drawingforth a concealed poniard and thrusting with all his might. Scornpuckered the features of the pretended monk. The weapon's point wasdriven back, refusing to enter, as though his enemy held a charmedexistence. 

"Put back thy weapon; thou wilt have need of it elsewhere, silly one. "

De Vessey was confounded at this unlooked-for result. His foe seemedinvulnerable, and he slunk back. 

"I forgive thee, poor fool! Put it back, I say. There--there; now towork--time hastens, and there is little space for parley. "

"What is thy will?"

"Thy welfare, thy life: listen. Yonder unhappy wretch I have loadenwith benefits, rescued from poverty, disgrace; lifted him to thepinnacle of his ambition--the highest rank in art. Base ingrate, hethreatened to betray, to denounce, and I crushed the reptile. He isnow what thou shalt be shortly unless my power be put forth for thyrescue. Not all the united efforts of man can deliver thee. Beyondearthly aid, thou diest the death of a dog!"

"Why dost thou accuse me of a crime, knowing that I am innocent?"

"To drive thee, helpless, into my power. Think not to escape save onone condition. "

"Name it, " said De Vessey. 

"Self-preservation is the great, the paramount law of our nature; themost powerful impulse implanted in our being. All, all obey thisimpulse; and who can control or forbid its operation? Will not themost timid, the most scrupulous, if no alternative be afforded, slaythe adversary who seeks his life; and does not the law both of earthand heaven hold him guiltless? Thou art now denounced. Innocent, thylife must be sacrificed. Thou diest, or another; there is no choice. "

"But shall _I_ murder the innocent?"

"And suppose it be. What thinkest thou? Two persons, equallyguiltless, one of them must die. Self-preservation will promptinstinctively to action. Does not the drowning man cling to hiscompanions; nay, rescue himself at the expense of another's life?"

De Vessey felt bewildered, if not convinced. Need we wonder if heyielded. Life or death; honour, disgrace. His mistress restored; hisinnocence proved. Life, with him, had scarcely been tasted. A gloriouscareer awaited him; his lady-love smiling through the bright vista ofthe future; and----The tempter prevailed!

But who must be the victim? The appalling truth was not thendisclosed. De Vessey promised to obey. 

"But remember, no power, not even flight, can screen thee from myvengeance shouldst break thy vow. Take warning by the painter; thepoor fool but hesitated, and his doom was swift as it was sure. Takethis cowl and friar's garment; I was admitted by the jailer for thyshrift. The lamp will guide thee. Be bold, and fear not. I willremain; to-morrow they will find out their mistake, but I have othermeans of escape. "

"And Leonora. How shall she be recovered?"

"That is a work of peril, and will need thine utmost vigilance. Rememberest thou the skeleton?"

"In the ebony cabinet?" inquired the cavalier, with a cold shudder. 

"He hath her portrait, and will not lightly be persuaded to give hisprey. _Every month I am bound to furnish him a bride!_ My own lifepays the forfeit of omission. Leonora is the next victim, unless thouprevail, betrothed to that grisly type of death!"

"Oh, horrible! Mine the bride of a loathsome skeleton! Of an atomy! Afiend! Monster, I will denounce thee. I care not for my own life. Ofwhat worth if torn from hers. Wretch, give back my bride or"----

"Spare these transports. I am now thine only friend. Thou art now cutoff from thy kin, shunned by mankind. To whom, then, wilt thou turnfor help? Mine thou art for ever!"

De Vessey gasped for utterance. 

"Nevertheless, " continued his tormentor, "I will direct and help theein this matter also. But 'tis a fearful venture. Hast thou courage?"

"If to rescue her, aught that human arm can achieve shall be done. "

"He holds the portrait, I tell thee, with a steady gripe. Thoseskeleton fingers will be hard to unloose. "

"I will break them or perish. This good"----

"Touch them not for thy life. Death, sure but lingering, awaitswhomsoever they fasten upon. Take this key. It will admit thee to theapartment. To-night the deed must be accomplished, or to-morrow themaiden is beyond succour. "

"And how is this charmed picture to be wrested from him?"

"An ebony wand lies at his feet; he will obey its touch. Butwhatsoever thou seest, be nothing daunted, nor let any silly terrorscare thee from thy purpose. Now to thy task. But keep these marvelsto thyself. If thou whisper--ay, to the winds--our compact, thou artnot safe. "

Soon De Vessey, enveloped in his disguise, found egress withoutdifficulty. Once outside the prison, he hurried on, scarcely givinghimself time for reflection. 

The night was dark and stormy. Torches, distributed about the streets, rocked and swung to and fro in their sockets, the flames, with astrange and flickering glare, giving an unnatural distorted appearanceto objects within reach; and to some solitary individual, at this latehour hurrying alone, the grim aspect of a demon or a spectre to thedisturbed imagination of the lover. His courage, at times on the pointof deserting him, revived when he remembered that another's life, dearer than his own, depended on his exertions. The streets, almostdeserted, swam with continually accumulating torrents; but he felt notthat terrible tempest; the turmoil, the conflict within, was louderthan the roar and tumult of outward elements. 

Almost ere he was aware he found himself opposite the entrance of thepainter's habitation; a shudder, like a death-chill, shot through hisframe. He applied his key. A distant gleam, a dim lurid light, seemedto quiver before him. He heard the quick jar, the withdrawing bolt, that gave him admittance, as though it were a spectral voice warninghim to desist. 

The unknown dangers he anticipated, rendered more terrific by theirvague indefinite character, were enough to appal a stouter bosom. DeVessey would have faced and defied earthly perils, but these werealmost beyond his fortitude to endure. Love, however, gave excitement, if not courage, and he resolved either to succeed or perish in theattempt. The stairs were partially illumined by an uncertain glimmerfrom a narrow window into the street. He felt his way, and every stepsent the life-blood curdling to his heart. He reached the topmoststair; laid one hand on the latch. He listened; all was still save thehollow gusts that rumbled round the dwelling. 

With a feeling somewhat akin to desperation he entered. A lamp, yetburning, emitted a feeble glare, but was well-nigh spent, giving amore dismal aspect to this lonely chamber. It was apparentlyunoccupied. The chair, the black funeral pall left by the officers ofjustice over the pallet, the mysterious cabinet, the desk where thepainter usually sat, all remained undisturbed. De Vessey's attentionwas more particularly directed towards the cabinet; there alone, according to his instructions, were the means of deliverance. A cold, clammy perspiration, a freezing shiver, came upon him as heapproached. He laid one hand on the latch; it resisted as before. Hetried force, a loud groan was heard in the chamber. Every fibre of hisframe seemed to grow rigid; every limb stiffened with horror; and hedrew back. 

This was a sorry beginning to the adventure, and he inwardly repentedof his rashness. Looking round in extreme agony, his eyes rested onthe black pall. Could it be, or was it from the expiring glimmer ofthe lamp? The drapery appeared to move. Another and a deeper groan! DeVessey for a space was unable to move; but his courage came apace, inasmuch as it was some relief, and a diversion from the awfulmysteries of that grim cabinet. He approached the pallet hastily, throwing off the heavy coverlet. The recumbent body was yet beneath, but convulsed, as though struggling to free itself from an oppressiveburden. De Vessey watched, while his blood froze with terror. Gradually these convulsive movements extended to the features. Thelips quivered as though essaying to speak; the eye-balls rollingrapidly under their lids. A slight flush dawned upon the cheek; thehands were tightly closed, and another groan preceded one desperateattempt to throw off the load which prevented returning animation. Atlength the eyes opened with a ghastly stare; but evidently conveyingno outward impression to the inward sense. With a loud shriek the bodystarted up; then, uttering a wild and piercing cry, rolled on thefloor, foaming and struggling for life as though with some powerfuladversary. 

"Save me!--save me!" was uttered in a tone so harrowing and dreadful, more than mortal agony, that De Vessey would have fled, but his limbsrefused their office. 

"He strangles me! Fiend--have--have mercy! Wilt thou not? Oh, mercy, mercy, Heaven!" His senses, though evidently bewildered, resumed theirfunctions. With a glare of intense anguish he appeared as thoughsupplicating help and deliverance. 

"Who art thou?" was the first inquiry and symptom of returning reason. "I know thee, De Vessey. But why art thou here? Another victim. Yes, to torture me. Where am I? In my own chamber! Oh--that horrid cabinet!Yet--yet these cruel torments. Will they never end?"

De Vessey immediately perceived there was no delusion; the mortal formof the artist was really before him. Terrible though it were, yet itwas a relief to have companionship with his kind, a being of flesh andblood beside him. He might now peradventure accomplish his task. Providence, maybe, had opened a way for his deliverance, and hope oncemore dawned on his spirit. He helped the miserable artist to regainhis couch, and sought to soothe him, beseeching the helpless victimnot to give way to frenzy, doubtless resulting from his strange andemaciated condition. A miracle or a spell had been wrought for hisresuscitation; but the events of the last few hours were alikeenigmas, beyond the common operations of nature to explain. 

"Yesterday I attempted suicide, " said the artist, "taking poison toescape a life insupportable to me. Fain would I have broken the chainwhich binds me to this miserable existence. But yon tyrant hath givenme a charmed life. I cannot even die!"

"Thy body was dragged from the Seine. "

"How?" inquired the artist, with an incredulous look. 

"And exposed this morning in the Morgue, " continued De Vessey. 

"When will my sufferings cease? How have I prayed for deliverance fromthis infernal thraldom!"

"Yon deceiver hath doubtless thrown thee into the river, and supposingthou wert dead, he designs me to supply thy place; to carry on thedark mystery of iniquity, a glimpse of which hath already beenrevealed. "

"Would that I had been left to perish--that my doom were ended. Avarice--ambition--how enslaved are your victims! How have I longedfor my miserable cottage, my poverty, my obscurity--cold and pinchingwant, but a quiet conscience to season my scanty meal! I bartered allfor gold, for fame and--misery! A cruel bondage! compared to which Icould envy the meanest thing that crawls on this abject earth. In mytrance I dreamed of green fields and babbling streams; of my brethren, my playmates, my days of innocence and sport, when all was freshnessand anticipation--life one bright vista beyond, opening to sunnyregions of rapture and delight. And now, what am I?--a wretch, degraded, undone--a spectacle of misery beyond what human thought canconceive. Doomed to years, ages it may be, of woe--to scenes of horrorsuch as tongue ne'er told, and even imagination might scarce endure, and my miseries but a foretaste of that hereafter!"

Here the guilty victim writhed in a paroxysm of agony; his veinsswollen almost to bursting. Whether real or imaginary, whether avictim to insanity or of some supernatural agent, its influence wasnot the less terrible in its effects. Starting suddenly from hisgrovelling posture, he cried, fixing his eyes on De Vessey with asearching glance--

"What brings thee hither?"

"Leonora is in jeopardy by your spells. I seek her deliverance. "

"She is beyond rescue. Leonora da Rimini is THE SKELETON'S BRIDE. "

Here the painter threw such a repulsive glance towards the cabinetthat the cavalier shrank back as though expecting some grisly spectrefrom its portals; yet, himself the subject of an extraordinaryfascination, he could not withdraw his gaze. 

"Fly, fly, or thou art lost! My tormentor will be here anon--I wouldhave saved her, and he fixed his burning gripe here, I feel it still;not a night passes that he comes not hither. Away! shouldest thou meethim thy doom is fixed, and for ever. I would not that another fellinto his toils. Couldest thou know, ay, but as a whisper, the secretsof this prison-house, thy spirit would melt, thy flesh would shrink asthough the hot wind of the desert had passed over it. What I haveendured, and what I must endure, are alike unutterable. "

"Thy keeper comes not to-night. He hath sent me to this chamber ofdeath instead. He knows not thou art alive. "

"Thee!--to--but I must not reveal; my tongue cleaves to my mouth. Nay, nay, it cannot be; none but a fiend could do his behest. Away! for thylife, away!"

De Vessey related the events of the last few hours. The artistruminated awhile, then abruptly exclaimed--

"He hath some diabolical design thereupon which I am not yet able tofathom. That it is for thine undoing, Sir Knight, for thy misery hereand hereafter, doubt not. Thou hast promised, but not yet offered hima victim. Thus far thou art safe; but he will pursue thee; and thinknot to escape his vengeance. How to proceed is beyond my counsel. Should midnight come, thou wouldest see horrors in this chamber thatmight quail the stoutest heart. Thou art bereft of life or reason ifthou tarry. "

"I leave not without an attempt, even should I fail, to wrench her, who is dearer to me than either, from that demon's grasp. I will nothence alone. "

"Alas! I fear there is little hope; yet shall he not escape yonderprison before to-morrow. Even his arts cannot convey him through itswalls; the magician's body, if such he be, is subject to likeimpediments with our own. This night, for good or ill, is thine. "

"To work, then, to work, " said De Vessey, as though inspired with newenergy, "to the rescue, and by this good cross, " kissing the handle ofhis sword, "I defy ye!"

By main force he attempted, and in the end tore open the door of thecabinet. The grinning skeleton was before him, the miniature in itsgrasp. A moment's pause. The cavalier carefully surveyed his prize. Suspended by an iron chain, the links entwined round its bony arm, rendered the picture difficult, if not impossible, to detach withouttouching the limbs. Gathering fresh courage from the countenance andsmile of his beloved, he snatched the portrait, but the wearer was tootenacious of the charmed treasure, and resisted his utmost efforts. Hethought a savage, a malicious grin crept upon his features. A smilemore than usually hideous mocked him. From those hollow sockets too, or his imagination played strange antics, a faint glare shot forth. Adizzy terror crept over him. His brain reeled. His energies werebecoming prostrate; and unless one desperate attempt could be made, all hopes of rescue were past. He sought the ebony wand, but forgetfulor incautious, laid hold of the chain which encircled the skeleton'swrist. A bell answered to the pressure, --a deep hollow reverberation, like a death-knell, in his ear. 

"Hark! that iron tongue--lost--lost! Oh! mercy, mercy!" shrieked thedeath-painter, covering his eyes. 

At this moment De Vessey heard a noise like the jarring of bolts andhinges. Ere he was aware the skeleton's arms were fastened round him;the doors closed; the floor gave way under his feet. He felt thepressure relaxing; he fell; the hissing wind rushed in his ears. Stunned with his fall, he lay for a while in the dark, scarcely ableto move. It was not long ere he was able to grope about. Rottingcarcases and bones met his touch--a noisome charnel-house gorged withhuman bodies in all the various stages of decay. His heart sickenedwith a fearful apprehension that he was left to perish by a lingeringdeath, like those around him. Despair for the first time benumbed hisfaculties. His courage gave way at the dreadful anticipation, and hegrasped the very carcase on which he trod for succour. 

Suddenly, a loud yell burst above him. A blaze of burning timbersflashed forth--crackling, they hissed, and fell into the vault. Through an opening overhead he saw the skeleton seized by devouringflames. They twined, they clung round it. Their forky tongues lickedthe bones that appeared to writhe and crawl in living agony. 

Soon the chain which held the portrait gave way, and it dropped at hisfeet unhurt. A shriek issued from the flaming cabinet, and he saw thepainter with a burning torch above. A maniac joy lighted up hisfeatures; he shouted to De Vessey, and with frantic gestures beckonedthat he should escape. 

"If thou canst climb yonder stair, " he cried, "before the flames cutoff thy retreat, thou art safe. See, Leonora is already free. Haste--this way--there--there--now leap--mind thy footing--'tis toofrail--creep round--those rafters are unbroken; another spring, andthou mayest reach them in safety. "

The flames were close upon him. He was nigh suffocated. A perilousattempt; but at length he gained the upper floor, and his delivererexclaimed--

"Thanks, thanks, he is safe! By this good hand, too, that wrought yourmisery. Oh! that a life of penitence and prayer might atone for myguilt. It was a thought inspired by Heaven, prompted me to set on firethat insatiate demon, to whom my taskmaster offered those wretchedvictims, and every month a bride, on pain of his own destruction. Whatmight be the nature of that skeleton form, or their compact, thoucanst neither know nor understand. Even I, though nightly witnessinghorrors which have given to youth the aspect and decrepitude of age, cannot explain. A connection, if not inseparable, yet intimate as bodyand soul, existed between those demon-haunted bones and yon monsterwho sought and accomplished my ruin. What I have seen must not, cannotbe told. My lips are for ever sealed. But the flames are fast gainingon us. Let us hasten ere they prevent our retreat. The whole fabricwill shortly be enveloped, and every record of this diabolicalconfederacy consumed. Go to thy lady-love. She is recovered, and asone newly-awakened from some terrific dream. With the earliest dawnhie thee to the prison lest _he_ escape. Let him be instantly secured. When summoned, I will not fail to confront, to denounce the wretch. Hecannot penetrate yonder walls save by fraud or stratagem. How I haveescaped death is one of the mysteries which time perchance may neverdevelop. One might fancy the cunning leech who supplied the drug didplay me false. Instead of poison, mayhap, one of those potions ofwhich we have heard, that so benumb and stupify the faculties that fora space they mimic death, nor can anything rouse or recover from itsinfluence until the appointed time be past. "

They hurried away as he spoke. De Vessey could scarcely wait untildaylight. His first care was to secure the old sorcerer. He sought aidfrom the police, and, as far as might be, revealed the dreadfulsecret. 

An immediate visit was made to the cell. On entering, its inmate wasin bed--a scorched, a blackened corpse!

It may be supposed the lover was not long in attending on hismistress. She was free from disorder, and happily unconscious of whathad passed during the interval, save that an ugly dream had troubledher. Nor was she aware that more than one night had elapsed. In a fewdays afterwards De Vessey led her to the altar. 

The mystery was never fully penetrated. That imposture and partialinsanity might be involved, and have the greatest share in itsdevelopment, is beyond doubt; but they cannot explain the whole ofthese diabolical proceedings. That the powers of darkness may havepower over the bodies of wicked and abandoned men cannot be denied. 

Whether this narration discloses another instance of such mysteriousagency our readers must determine. 

What the painter knew was buried in eternal silence. The monks of LaTrappe received a brother whose vows were never broken!

THE CRYSTAL GOBLET. 

A TALE OF THE EMPEROR SEVERUS. [22]

It was midnight--yet a light was burning in a small chamber situatedin one of the narrowest and least frequented streets of Eboracum, thenthe metropolis of the world. York at that period being the residenceof the Emperor Severus, his court and family were conveyed hither; andthe government of the world transferred to an obscure island in thewest, once the _ultima Thule_[vi] of civilisation, its native inhabitantshardly yet emerged from a state of barbarism, and addicted to the mostgross and revolting superstitions. 

A lamp of coarse earthenware was fastened on a bronze stand, havingseveral beaks, and of a boat-like shape. Near it stood the oil-vasefor replenishing, almost empty--while the wicks, charred and heavywith exuviæ, looked as though for some time untrimmed. On the sametable was a Greek and a Coptic manuscript, an inkhorn, and the half ofa silver penny, the Roman _symbolum_. Breaking a peace of money as akeepsake between two friends was, even at that period, a very ancientcustom. A brass rhombus, used by magicians, lay on a _cathedra_ oreasy chair, which stood as though suddenly pushed aside by itsoccupier in rising hastily from his studies. An iron chest was near, partly open, wherein papers and parchments lay tumbled about inapparent disorder. Vellum, so white and firm as to curl even with thewarmth of the hand; purple skins emblazoned in gold and silver, andmany others, of rare workmanship, were scattered about with unsparingprofusion. It was evidently the study, the _librarium_ of somedistinguished person, and consisted of an inner chamber beyond thecourt, having one window near the roof, and another opening into asmall garden behind. From the ceiling there hung a dried ape, alizard, and several uncouth, unintelligible reptiles, put together inshapes that nature's most fantastic forms never displayed. Vases ofointments, and unguents of strange odours, stood in rows upon a marbleslab on one side of the apartment. _Scrinia_, or caskets for theadmission of rolls and writing materials, were deposited on shelves, forming a library of reference to the individual whose _sanctum_ weare now describing: it was apparently undisturbed by any livingoccupant save a huge raven, now roosting on a wooden perch, his headburied under a glossy tissue of feathers, and to all appearanceimmovable as the grinning and hideous things that surrounded him. Amagpie, confined in a cage above the door, was taught to salute thosewho entered with the word "chaire" (Greek letters transcribed) aGrecian custom greatly in vogue amongst the most opulent of theRomans. 

Ere long there came a footstep and a gentle summons at the door. Thebird gave the usual response; and straightway entered a stout muscularfigure, wrapped in a _chlamys_, fastened on the shoulder with arichly-embossed _fibula_. Beneath was the usual light leatherncuirass, covered with scales of shining metal; the centre, over theabdomen, ornamented with a gorgon's head and other warlike devices; ashort sword being stuck in his girdle. From the lowest part hungleathern straps, or _lambrequins_, highly wrought and embellished. Hewore breeches or drawers reaching to the knees, and his feet and thelower part of the leg were covered with the _cothurnus_, a sort oftraveller's half-boot. A sumptuous mantle, made of leopard skin, wasthrown carelessly about his head, hardly concealing his features, forthe folds, relaxing in some measure as he entered, showed a youthfulcountenance, yet dark and ferocious, indicating a character of daringand vindictive energy, and a disposition where forgiveness or remorserarely tempered the fiercer passions. As he looked round the ravenraised his head on a sudden, and peering at him with that curious andfamiliar eye so characteristic of the tribe, gave a loud and hollowcroak, which again arrested the notice of the intruder. 

"Most auspicious welcome truly, ill-omened bird. Is thy mastervisible?"

There was no reply; and the inquirer, after a cautious glance roundthe chamber, sat down, evidently disconcerted by this unexpectedreception. Scarcely seated, he felt the clasp on his shouldersuddenly risen, as though by an intruder from behind. Looking round, he saw the raven with the bauble in his beak, hopping off with greatalacrity to his perch. The magpie set up a loud scream, as thoughvexed he was not a participator in the spoil. The owner, angry at hisloss, pursued the thief, who defied every attempt to regain it, getting far above his reach; ever and anon the same ominous croaksounding dismally through the gloom by which he was concealed. Findingit fruitless, the stranger gave up the pursuit, and again sat down, examining carelessly the papers which lay open for perusal. But itmight seem these feathered guardians were entrusted with the care oftheir master's chamber during his absence. 

"Beware!" said the same querulous voice that before accosted him. Looking up, he saw the magpie, his neck stretched to the utmostthrough the bars of his cage, and in the act of repeating theinjunction. 

"'Tis an ill augur to my suit, " he muttered, hastily. "Destiny!"Starting up at the word, which he spoke aloud, he clenched his hand. 

"The inexorable gods may decree, but would it not be worthy of mypurpose to brave them; to render even fate itself subservient to me!"

He hurried to and fro across the chamber with an agitated step. Suddenly he stood still in the attitude of listening. He drew thefolds of his mantle closer about his head, when, by another entrance, there approached a tall majestic figure, clad in dark vestments, who, without speaking, came near and stood before him. A veil of richnet-work fell gracefully below his mantle, being in that era thedistinctive garb of soothsayers and diviners. His hair, for he was anAsiatic, was twisted in the shape of a mitre, investing his form withevery advantage from outward appearances. 

"I would know, " said he, "by what right thou art at this untimely houran intruder on my privacy?"

"By a will which even thou darest not disobey, " was the answer. 

"It is past midnight. Knowest thou of my long watching, and the darkportents of the stars?"

"Nay. But passing, I saw the door of the vestibule partly open. Thefates are propitious. I crossed the court, intending to consult themost famous soothsayer in the emperor's dominions. "

"Peradventure 'tis no accidental meeting. To-night I have read thestars, the book of heaven. Comest thou not, blind mortal, at theirbidding?"

"I have neither skill nor knowledge in the art"----

The stranger hesitated, as though he had as lief the conversation wasresumed by the diviner himself. 

"Thy father. What of him?" said the Chaldean, with a look as though hehad penetrated his inmost thoughts. 

"True, 'tis mine errand, " said the intruder. "But the event?"

"The augury is not complete!"

"Thine auguries are like my good fortune--long in compassing. The bestaugur, I trow, is this good steel. I would sooner trust it than thebest thou canst bestow. "

"Rash mortal! Impatience will be thy destruction. Listen!"

The raven hopped down upon his shoulder. A low guttural sound appearedto come from this ill-omened bird. The augur bent his ear. Soundsshaped themselves into something like articulation, and the followingcouplet was distinctly heard:--

 "While the eagle is in his nest, the eaglet shall not prevail; Nor shall the eagle be smitten in his eyrie. "

"Azor, " said the warrior, clenching his sword, "these three times hastthou mocked me, and by the immortal gods thou diest!"

"Impious one! I could strike thee powerless as the dust thou treadeston. Give me the bauble, " said he, addressing the raven. The birdimmediately gave the clasp he had purloined into his master's hand. 

"This shall witness between us, " continued he. "Dare to lift thy hand, the very palace shall bear testimony to thy treason--that thou hastsought me for purposes too horrible even for thy tongue to utter. Hence! When least expected I may meet thee. If it had not been for thymother's sake, and for my vow, the emperor ere this had been privy toit. "

Stung with rage and disappointment, he put back his weapon, and withthreats and imprecations departed. 

On a couch inlaid with ivory and pearl, within a vaulted chamber inthe Prætorian Palace of the royal city, lay the emperor, in a coverlidof rich stuff. Disease had crushed his body, but the indomitablespirit was unquenched. Tossing and disturbed, at length he startedfrom his bed. Calling to his chamberlain, he demanded if there had notbeen footsteps in the apartment. The ruler of the world, whose nodcould shake the nations, and whose word was the arbiter of life ordeath to millions of his fellow-men, lay here--startled at the passingof a sound, the falling of a shadow! His face, whose chiefcharacteristic was power--that strength and determination of spiritwhich all acknowledge, and but few comprehend--was furrowed withdeeper marks than care had wrought. Sixty years had moulded the steadyand inflexible purpose of his soul in lines too palpable to bemisunderstood. His beard was short and grizzled; and a swarthy hue, betraying his African birth, was now become sallow, and even sickly inthe extreme; but an eagle eye still beamed in all its fierceness andrapacity from under his scanty brows. His nose was not of the Romansort, like the beak of that royal bird, but thick and even clumsy, lacking that sharp and predacious intellect generally associated withforms of this description. 

Such was Septimus Severus, then styled on a coin just struck"BRITANNICVS MAXIMVS, " in commemoration of a great victory gained overthe Caledonians, whom he had driven beyond Adrian's Wall. Thoughsuffering from severe illness, he was carried in a horse-litter; and, marching from York at the head of his troops, penetrated almost to theextremity of the island, where he subdued that fierce and intractablenation the Scots. Returning, he left his son Caracalla to superintendthe building of a stone wall across the island in place of the earthenramparts called Adrian's; a structure, when completed, thateffectually resisted the inroads of those barbarians for aconsiderable period. 

He called a third time to Virius Lupus, one, the most confidential ofhis attendants, to whom many of the most important secrets of thestate were entrusted. 

"Thrice have I heard it, Virius. Again and again it seems to mock andelude my grasp. " He paused, the officer yet listening with becomingreverence. The emperor continued, more like one whose thoughts hadtaken utterance than as if he were addressing the individual beforehim. 

"When I led the Pannonian legions to victory; when Rome opened hergates at my command; when I fought my way through blood to thethrone--I quailed not then! Now--satiated with power, careless offame, the prospects of life closed, and for ever--when all that isleft for me to do is to die--behold, I tremble at the shaking of aleaf! I start even at the footstep that awakes me!"

"Long live the emperor!" said the cringing secretary. Interruptinghim, as he would have proceeded with the customary adulations, theemperor again continued as though hardly noticing his presence--

"Caracalla yet remains with the army. Once I censured the misguidedclemency of Marcus, who by an act of justice might have prevented themiseries that his son Caligula brought upon the empire; and yet I, even I, " said the haughty monarch, bitterly, "nourish the veryweakness that in others I despise!"

He dashed away the sweat from his brow, ashamed of the weakness hecould not quell. 

"He hath sought your life, " said the wily sycophant. 

"He hath. Traitor! parricide! the distinctions he would have earned. But my better genius triumphed, and history hath been spared thisinfamy. It may be, this temporary exile from our court with thenorthern army shall tame his spirit to submission. My life or his, once the bitter alternative, may yet be avoided. "

"But may not his presence with the army be impolitic, should he turnthe weapon wherewith you have girded him to your own hurt?"

"'Tis an evil choice; whichever way I turn, mischief is before me. "

"Were it not best that he be recalled?"

"What? To plot and practise against my life! To mount upon my reekingbody to the throne! He will not reign with Geta. The proud boydisdains a divided empire. And was not mine own soul fashioned in thesame mould? When Niger would have ruled in Syria, and Albinus inBritain, I scattered their legions to the winds, and levelled theirhopes with their pride. 'Tis nature; and shall I, the author of hisbeing, punish him for mine own gift?"

He raised himself on his couch. The fierce blaze of ambition broke thedark cloud of bodily infirmities, and the monarch and the tyrant againdilated his almost savage features. 

The secretary, used to these fiery moods, stood awaiting his commands. The emperor, as though exhausted, sank down on his pillow, exclaiming--

"I have governed the world, but I cannot govern a wayward heart!"

Thus did he often lament, and provoke himself the more with these vainregrets; forgetting that, if he had exercised the same firmness in hisprivate as public capacity, the government of his own house would havebeen easy as the government of the world. 

"Virius Lupus, there is danger--and to-night. As I have told thee, thestars do betoken mischief. But the peril is at my threshold. LetCaracalla remain; so shall we avert his weapon. Should the assassincome, it will not be with the blow of a parricide. Thou mayest retireto thy couch, but first let the guards be doubled, the watchword andcountersign changed. And, hark thee, tell the tribune that he lookwell to the _tessera_, and have the right count from the inspectors. Should despatches come from Rome, let the messenger have immediateaudience. "

Again the emperor stretched himself on the couch, and again hisslumbers were interrupted. A murmur was heard along the halls andpassages where the guards were stationed. The noise grew louder, approaching the very door of the royal chamber. The monarch started asfrom a dream, and the door at that moment opened. The Chaldeansoothsayer stood before him. 

"Azor!" said the emperor, "at this hour? What betides such unseemlygreeting?"

"Cæsar trembles on his throne; but the world quakes not! The angel ofdeath is at thy door. Caracalla hath returned. "

"Returned? Surely thy wits are disturbed. Caracalla! Ay, evenyesterday, we had despatches from the camp. "

"Howbeit, he is at thy threshold. The sound of his feet is behind me. "

"Impossible! the mischief is not from him. "

"Even now I looked in the crystal, and behold"----The soothsayerpaused. Horror was gathering on his features. The light suspendedabove him began to quiver; and as it waved to and fro his countenanceassumed a tremulous and distorted expression. 

Severus watched the result with no little anxiety. The magician drew acrystal cup from his girdle. Looking in apparently with great alarm, he presented it at arm's length to the emperor, who beheld a milkycloud slowly undulating within the vessel. 

"Take this, " said the soothsayer, "and tell me what thou seest. "

The monarch took it at his bidding. The cloud seemed to be clearingaway, as the morning mist before the sun. 

"I see nothing, " said the emperor, "but a silver clasp at the bottom. "

"And the owner?"

"As I live, " said the astonished parent, drawing forth acuriously-embossed clasp from the goblet, and holding it out to thelight, "this token of rare workmanship did the empress present toCaracalla ere he departed. Whence came it? and wherefore hast thoubrought it hither?"

"A silent witness to my word. Within the hour thy son returns;and"----The seer's voice grew more ominous whilst he spake. "Beware!there's mischief in the wind. The raven scents his prey afar off!"

"If in this thou art a true prophet I will give thee largess; but if alying spirit of divination possess thee, my power is swift to punishas to reward. "

"I heed not either. Do I serve thee for lucre? Look thee, in less timethan I would occupy in telling thee on't I could fill thy palace withgold and silver!--and do I covet thy paltry treasures? The kingdoms ofthis world are his whom I serve, and shall I seek thy perishinghonours? Behold, I leave this precious goblet as my pledge. I mustaway. Thou shalt render it back on my return. I would not part withthat treasure for the dominion of the Cæsars. Beware thou let it notforth from thy sight, for there be genii who are bound to serve itspossessor, and peradventure it shall give thee warning when evilapproaches. "

The soothsayer departed, and the emperor laid the crystal goblet on atable opposite his couch. He clapped his hands, and the chiefsecretary approached. 

"What said our messenger from the north? Read again the despatch theybrought yesterday. "

The secretary drew forth a roll from his cabinet, and read asfollows:--

"Again the supreme gods have granted victory to our legions. Favouredby the darkness and their boats, the barbarians attacked us from threeseparate points. Led on by Fingal and his warriors, whom beforetime weerroneously reported to be slain, they crossed over to the stationwhere we had pitched our tents. But the Roman eagle was yet watchful. Though retreating behind our last defences, we left not the fielduntil a thousand, the choicest of our foes, bit the dust. Morningshowed us the red-haired chief and his bards, but they were departing, and their spears were glittering on the mountains. "

"Enough!" said the emperor. "Caracalla tarries yet with the camp. Ourperson is not menaced by his hand. Prithee, send a brasier hither. Thenight is far spent, and slumber will not again visit these eyelids. "

A bronze tripod was brought supported by sphinxes, the worship of Isisbeing a fashionable idolatry at that period. Charred wood was thenplaced in a round dish pierced with holes, and perfumes thrown in tocorrect the smell. The emperor commanded that he should be left alone. Covering his shoulders with a richly-embroidered mantle, he took frombehind his pillow a Greek treatise on the occult sciences, to thestudy of which he was passionately addicted. 

It is said of him by historians that he was guided by his skill injudicial astrology to the choice of the reigning empress, having losthis first wife when governor of the Lyonnese Gaul. Finding that a ladyof Emesa in Syria, one Julia Domna, had what was termed "a royalnativity, " he solicited and obtained her hand, thus making theprophecy the means of its accomplishment. 

A woman of great beauty and strong natural acquirements, she was atthe same time the patron of all that was noble and distinguished inthe philosophy and literature of the age. It was even said thatsecretly she was a favourer of the Christians. Be this as it may, wedo not find she ever became a professor of the faith. 

Sleep, that capricious guest which comes unbidden but not invited, wasjust stealing over the monarch's eyelids when the roll fell from hisgrasp. The unexpected movement startled him. His eye fell on thebright crystal opposite. He thought a glimmer was moving in the glass. He remembered the words of the sage, and his eye was riveted on themystic goblet. A sudden flash was reflected from it. He startedforward, when a naked sword fell on the couch: the stroke he onlyescaped by having so accidentally changed his place! The glass hadrevealed the glitter of the blade behind him, and he was indebted to afew inches of space for his life!

Looking round, he beheld a masked figure preparing to repeat thestroke. Severus, with his usual courage and presence of mind, threwhis mantle across the assassin's sword. He cried out, and the chamberwas immediately filled with guards; but whether from treachery orinadvertence, the traitor was nowhere to be found. He had escaped, leaving his weapon entangled in the folds of the mantle. Onexamination, the emperor's surprise was visibly increased when herecognised the sword as one belonging to Caracalla! The soothsayer'sprediction was apparently fulfilled. To the emperor's superstitiousapprehensions the crystal goblet was charged with his safety. But lo!on being sought for, the charmed cup was gone!

 * * * * *

The next morning, as the sun was just rising over the green wolds, andthe fresh air came brisk and sharply on the traveller's cheek, astranger was noticed loitering through the narrow streets of theimperial city. He had passed the great Galcarian or western gate, fromwhich the statue of the reigning emperor on that memorable morning wasfound razed from its pedestal. The outer and inner faces of the gatewere whitened for the writing of edicts and proclamations by thegovernment scribes, and likewise for the public notices of minorimport, these being daubed on the walls with various degrees of skill, in red or black pigments, according to the nature of the decrees thatwere issued by the prætor, and the caprice of the artist. 

On that morning a number of idlers had assembled about the gate. Thestatue of the emperor, fallen prostrate, had been removed, and anedict promptly supplied, to the purport that an impious hand, havingattempted the life of the monarch, a reward of one hundred thousand_sestertia_ would be the price of his apprehension. Another reward ofthe like sum was offered for the discovery of a crystal goblet stolenfrom the emperor's chamber. 

The individual we have just noticed wore the common sleeved tunic ofcoarse wool; over it was a cloak buckled on the right shoulder, theyarn being dyed in such wise that, when woven, it might resemble theskin of a brindled ox--such was the dress of the ancient Britons. Hishead was covered with a close cap, but his feet were naked; and theonly weapon he bore was a two-handed sword, stuck in his girdle. 

Ere he passed the gate it might be supposed that his business andcredentials would have been rigidly scrutinised by the guards; but hemerely showed a large signet-ring to the superior officer, and wasimmediately allowed to pass. He soon came to the wooden bridge overthe river, now kept by a body of the Prætorian guards. Here, onattempting to pass, he was immediately seized. With an air of stupidor affected concern, the prisoner drew the same signet from his hand, the sight of which again procured him immediate access. The bridge wascrossed, and after passing along the narrow winding streets he came toa small triumphal arch leading into the Forum. This was an area of butmean extent, surrounded by a colonnade, serving as a market for allsorts of wares, and the trades carried on under its several porticoes. The outer walls behind the columns were painted in compartments, blackand red, and here a number of citizens were assembled. There washurrying to and fro. Soldiers and messengers, even so early, werebustling about with ominous activity. The stranger looked on for awhile with a vacant sort of curiosity, then, turning to the left hand, went forward towards the gate of the palace. On a corner of thebuilding he saw another edict to the same purport as before. Near itwas the announcement of a spectacle at the theatre, the gift of awealthy patrician for the amusement and gratification of the people. Still the stranger passed on, apparently uninterested by all, until hecame to the outer gate, where he merely paused a few moments, asthough to observe the movements of the soldiers and the changing ofthe guard. The sound of the trumpet seemed to attract especial noticefrom this barbarian, whose uncouth air and rude manners drew upon himthe gaze of many as they passed by. He now turned into a narrowerstreet behind the palace, and here he sought out a common tavern, where the chequers newly painted on the door-posts betokened goodentertainment for travellers. Having entered, the hostess, whosetucked-up dress and general appearance Martial, in his epigrams, socunningly describes, brought him a vase or flagon of wine. It was notof the true Falernian flavour, as may be readily surmised, but amixture of stuff which can hardly be described, of nauseous taste, smelling abominably of resin or pitch, and flavoured with myrrh andother bitters. Both hot and cold refections solicited the taste andregaled the sight of the visitor. Flitches of bacon were suspendedfrom above, and firewood stuffed between the rafters, black and smokywith the reeking atmosphere below. At his own request, the strangerwas installed in a small chamber behind the public room, where stood acouch, a three-footed table, and a lavatory. Here he was served withradishes, cheese, and roasted eggs in earthen vessels, with a relishof cornels in pickle. Ere this refection was brought in the table wasrubbed over with a sprig of mint, and the coarse pottery betrayed anexquisite odour of thyme and garlic. 

After the needful refreshments and ablutions he sallied forth, firstinquiring for the residence of the Chaldean soothsayer, before whosedoor, in due time, he arrived. The gate leading to the vestibule wasopen, and he entered by a narrow passage terminated by a small innercourt. He paused, and looked round. No fountain played in the centre;a clump of rank, unwholesome grass was the only decoration; but theobject of his search was a crooked wooden staircase, which led to asort of gallery above. After a little hesitation he ascended; hiscountry manners showing a determination to persevere, until fairlydelivered of his errand. A door at the extremity of the gallery stoodajar, and through this he made bold to enter. A Numidian slave, dwarfish and deformed, was sweeping his master's chamber. He stoppedshort as the barbarian, with a stupid and wondering look, entered theapartment. After surveying the new comer with an air of deliberatescrutiny, the dwarf burst forth into a violent fit of laughter. 

"Mercury hath sent us precious handsel this morning, truly, " said he, when his diversion was concluded. "A pretty hound to scent outmaster's lost goods. The gods do verily mock us in thy most graciousperson. "

The visitor looked on with dismay during this ungracious and tauntingspeech. At length he stammered forth--

"Thy master, is he not the Chaldean to whom my mistress, knowing I wasbound for the city, hath sent me privily with a message?"

The Briton spoke this in a sort of guttural and broken Latin, whichthe apish dwarf mimicked in the most mischievous and provoking wayimaginable. The messenger, irritated beyond endurance, placed bothhands on his weapon, but his antagonist, with little ado, tripped uphis heels, and the poor aborigine was completely at the mercy of thisgrotesque specimen of humanity. 

Grinning over him with spite and mischief in his looks, the dwarfstamped on the floor; presently there came two slaves, who, withoutfurther notice than a blow now and then when resistance was offered, bound him with stout cords, and bade him lie there until he should befurther disposed of. Inquiry was vain as to the cause of thistreatment. Bound hand and foot, he was then tossed with littleceremony and less compunction into a corner of the room, and thereleft to bemoan his hard fate. Perched just above his head sat thecunning raven, who eyed him as though with serious intentions ofpecking at him in his present defenceless condition. He was soon awareof this additional source of alarm, and as the bird's eye brightenedand twinkled with greedy anticipation, he rubbed his rapacious beak onthe perch, apparently whetting it for the feast. He then jumped downon the floor, and hopping close to his victim, gave a hoarse anddismal croak, a death-warning, it might be, to the unfortunatecaptive. He tried to burst his bonds, and shrieked out in theextremity of his alarm. His struggles kept the bird at a distance, butit continued to survey him with such a longing, liquorish eye, thatthe poor culprit felt himself already writhing, like anotherPrometheus, under the beak of his destroyer. His terror increased. Itmight be some demon sent to torment him; and this convictionstrengthened when he saw the dismal and hideous things that surroundedhim. Just as his agony was wrought to the highest pitch he heardfootsteps. Even the sound was some relief. He knew not what furtherindignities--not to say violence--he might expect; but at all eventsthere would be a change, and it was hailed as an alleviation to hismisery. 

The soothsayer presented himself, attended by the ugly dwarf. 

"A stupid barbarian thou sayest the Fates have sent us?" said theChaldean, as he entered. "Bridle thine impious tongue, Merodac; whatthe dweller in immortal fire hath decreed will be accomplished, thoughby weak and worthless creatures such as these. What ho! stranger, whence art thou? and why art thou moved so early across ourthreshold?"

"My lord, " said the prisoner, in a tone of entreaty, "these bonds areunlawful--I am a freed man. Though a Briton, I am no slave; and Ibeseech you to visit this indignity on that rogue who hath so scurvilyentreated me. "

"I was privy to it, else would he not have dared this. "

"And to what end, good master?"

"That we may have an answer propitious to our suit. "

"What! are ye about to sacrifice me to your infernal deities?" criedthe captive, almost frantic with the anticipation. 

"My friend, thou art bound for another purpose--to wit, that throughthy instrumentality we may discover the divining cup the emperor hathlost. Knowest thou aught of this precious crystal?" inquired theChaldean, with a searching look. 

But it were vain to describe the astonishment of the victim. He lookedalmost in doubt of his own identity, or as if he were trying to shakeoff the impression of some hideous dream. At length he replied--

"'Tis some device surely that ye may slay me!"

He wept; and the tears trickling down his cheek were indeed piteous tobehold. "I know not, " said he, "your meaning. Let me depart. "

"Nay, said the soothsayer, "thou mayest content thyself as thou list, but the cup shall be found, and that by thy ministry. The emperor hathoffered rewards nigh to the value of three silver talents for therecovery, and assuredly thou shalt be held in durance until it beregained. "

"And by whose authority?" inquired the Briton. 

"Why, truly, it becometh thee to ask, seeing thou art a partyinterested in the matter. The emperor in whose care the jewel wasleft, hath sworn by the river Styx that unless the cup be brought backto the palace ere to-morrow's dawn, he will punish the innocent withthe guilty, and that with no sparing hand. He hath already laid handson some of the more wealthy citizens, and amerced them in divers sums;others are detained as hostages for suspected persons who are absentfrom the city. The loss of this cup being connected with a daringattempt on the emperor's life by some unknown hand, he doth suspectthat the very palace wants purging from treason; yet where to begin, or on whom to fasten suspicion, he knoweth not. Mine art has hithertofailed me in the matter. The tools they work with baffle my skill, save that the oracle I consult commanded that I should lay hold on thefirst male person that came hither to-day, and by his ministry thelost treasure should be restored. Shouldst thou refuse, thou art lost;for assuredly the emperor will not be slow to punish thy contumacy. "

The miserable captive fell into great perplexity at this discourse. Hevowed he knew no more of the lost cup than the very stones he trod on;that he had come since nightfall from his master, Lucius Claudius, lieutenant and standard-bearer of the sixth legion, then atIsurium, [23] on a mere casual errand to the city; and that hismistress, who was a British lady of noble birth, had instructed him, at the same time, to consult the soothsayer on some matters relativeto her nativity, which the sage had calculated some years back. Almosta stranger in these parts, how could he pretend to begin the search?He begged piteously for his release; promising, and with greatsincerity, that he would never set foot in this inhospitable regionagain. The magician inquired his name. 

"Cedric with the ready foot, " was the reply. Unmoved by hisentreaties, the soothsayer said he had the emperor's command for theuse of every method he could devise for the recovery of this preciousand priceless jewel; and that, furthermore, the safety and even livesof many innocent persons depended on the stranger's exertions, and thespeedy execution of his mission. But how to begin, or in what quarterto commence the search, was a riddle worthy of the Sphinx. A mostunexpected and novel situation for this rude dweller in woods andmorasses, to be suddenly thrust forth into a mighty city, withoutguide or direction, more ignorant of his errand than any of itsinhabitants. Besides, he was not without a sort of incipient andinstinctive dread that the catastrophe might procure him an interviewwith the emperor; and he was filled with apprehension lest his owncarcase might afford a special treat, a sacrifice to the brutalappetite of the spectators in the amphitheatre, after the manner ofthe _bestiarii_, or gladiators, of whom he had often heard. Even couldhe have gotten word of this mishap to his master, he was by no meanscertain it would be attended with any beneficial result. The time wastoo short, and the will and mandate of the emperor would render futileany attempt to obtain deliverance from this quarter. 

A few moments sufficed for these considerations. The glance of themind, when on the rack for expedients, is peculiarly keen, and hath aneagle-like perception that appears as though it could pierce to thedim and distant horizon of its hopes and apprehensions. 

"Unbind these withes, " said the captive; "I cannot begin the search inthis extremity. "

"Merodac, undo these bonds; and see thou guard thy prisoner strictly;thy life answers for his safe keeping. "

The dwarf, who seemed never so well pleased as when tormenting themore fortunate and better shapen of his species, unloosed the cordswith something of the like feeling and intention as a cat whenliberating some unfortunate mouse from her talons. 

"There's a chance of rare sport i' the shows to-morrow, " said the uglyjailer. "We are sure of _thee_, anyhow. Didst ever see the criminalsfight with wolves, Hyrcanian bears, and such like? I would not missthe sight for the best feather in my cap. "

The cruel slave here rubbed his hands, and his yellow eyes glistenedwith the horrible anticipation. His victim groaned aloud. 

"I'll tell thee a rare device, " continued he, "whereby thou mayestescape being eaten at least a full hour; and we shall have the longersport. Mind thee, the beasts do not always get the carcases fordinner. If they be cowardly and show little fight, we give the deadbestiarii to the dogs. I remember me well the last we threw into theemperor's kennel, the dogs made such a fighting for the carrion thathe ordered each of us a flagellation for the disturbance. Let me see, there was--ay"----Here the knave began to count the number of showsand human sacrifices he had seen, recounting every particular with themost horrible minuteness. Cedric felt himself already in the gripe ofthe savages, and his flesh verily quivered on his bones. 

Brutal and demoralising were those horrid spectacles. The people ofRome, it has been well observed by a modern writer, were generallymore corrupt by many degrees than has been usually supposed possible. Many were the causes which had been gradually operating towards thisresult, and amongst the rest the continual exhibition of scenes wherehuman blood was poured forth like water. The continual excitement ofthe populace demanded fresh sacrifices, until even these palled uponthe cruel appetites of the multitude. Even the more innocentexhibitions, where brutes were the sufferers, could not but tend todestroy all the finer sensibilities of the nature. "Five thousandwild animals, torn from their native abodes in the wilderness and theforest, " have been turned out for mutual slaughter in one singleexhibition at the amphitheatre. Sometimes the _lanista_, or person whoexhibited the shows and provided the necessary supplies, by way ofadministering specially to the gratification of the populace, made itknown, as a particular favour, that the whole of these should beslaughtered. These, however, soon ceased to stimulate the appetite forblood. From such combats "the transition was inevitable to those ofmen, whose nobler and more varied passions spoke directly, and by theintelligible language of the eye, to human spectators; and from thefrequent contemplation of these authorised murders, in which a wholepeople--women as much as men, and children intermingled withboth--looked on with leisurely indifference, with anxious expectation, or with rapturous delight, whilst below them were passing the directsufferings of humanity, and not seldom its dying pangs, it wasimpossible to expect a result different from that which did, in fact, take place--universal hardness of heart, obdurate depravity, and atwofold degradation of human nature, the natural sensibility and theconscientious principle. " "Here was a constant irritation, a system ofprovocation to the appetite for blood, such as in other nations areconnected with the rudest stages of society, and with the mostbarbarous modes of warfare. "

"Whither wilt thou that we direct our steps?" inquired Merodac, withmock submission, when the cords were unloosed. 

"Lead the way--I care not, " said his moody victim; "'tis as well thatI follow. "

A bitter and scornful laugh accompanied the reply of the dwarf. 

"That were a pretty device truly--to let thee lag behind, and withoutthy tether. Ah, ah, " chuckled the squire as they left the chamber, "Diogenes and his lantern was a wise man's search compared with ours. "

How the slave came to be so learned in Grecian lore we know not. Hisfurther displays of erudition were cut short by the soothsayer, whocried out to him as they departed--

"Remember, thy carcase for his if he return not. "

Now, in York, at this day, may be observed, where an angle of thewalls abuts on the "Mint Yard, " a building named "the MultangularTower, " and supposed to have been one of the principal fortificationsof the city. However this might be, its structure has puzzled not alittle even those most conversant with antiquities. The area was notbuilt up all round, but open towards the city. The foundations of awall have latterly been discovered, dividing it lengthwise through thecentre, and continued for some distance into the town; so that thewhole may not inaptly be represented by a Jewtrump--the tongue beingthe division, the circular end the present Multangular Tower, continued by walls on each side. This building, we have every reasonto conjecture, was the Greek _stadium_ or Roman circus, which authorstell us was a narrow piece of ground shaped like a staple; the roundend called the barrier. The wall dividing it lengthwise is the_spina_, or flat ridge running through the middle, which was generallya low wall, and sometimes merely a mound of earth. This was usuallydecorated with statues of gods, columns, votive altars, and the like. As a corroboration of this opinion, there have been found here severalsmall statues, altars, and other figures, betokening a place of publicresort or amusement. 

The circus was not used merely for horse and chariot races, butlikewise for wrestling--the _cæstus_, and other athletic games. It wasnoted as the haunt of fortune-tellers, and thither the poorer peopleused to resort and hear their fortunes told. [24]

Near this place stood the barracks, or _castra_. Long ranges of roomsdivided into several storeys, the doors of each chamber opening intoone common gallery, ascended by a wooden staircase. 

Hither we must conduct our readers at the close of the day on whoseinauspicious morning "Cedric with the ready-foot" was placed in suchjeopardy. 

The whole city meanwhile had been astir. The emperor's wrath anddesire of revenge were excited to the utmost pitch. He suspectedtreachery even amongst the Prætorian guards--his favourite andbest-disciplined troops; and there was an apprehension of someterrible disgrace attaching even to them. Still, nothing furthertranspired implicating the soldiery, save that the assassin hadescaped, and apparently through the very midst of the guard; yet noone chose to accuse his fellow, or say by whose means this mysteriousoutlet was contrived. Not even to his most confidential minister didthe emperor reveal the discovery of his son's weapon. Neither thatson, nor his guilty accomplices, if any, could be found; and the daywas fast closing upon the monarch's threat, that on the morrow hisvengeance should have its full work unless the crystal goblet wasrestored. 

There had been a public spectacle at the theatre, but the emperor wasnot present; and such was the consternation of the whole city that theperformance was but scantily attended. The city was apparently on theeve of some sad catastrophe, and the whole population foreboding somefearful event. 

In the circus were yet some stray groups, who, having littleemployment of their own, were listening for news, and loitering abouteither for mischief or amusement. 

In one part was exhibited a narrow wooden box, not unlike to ourpuppet-show, wherein a person was concealed having figures made ofwood and earthenware that seemed to act and speak, to the great wonderand diversion of the audience. 

As the rays of the declining sun smote upon the city walls and thewhite sails of the barks below, there came into the circus the dwarfwho had charge of Cedric. The captive now looked like a sort ofappendage to his person--being strapped to his arm by a stout thong ofbull's hide, such as was used for correcting refractory slaves. Thehours allotted for search were nearly gone. Day was drawing to aclose, and Cedric had done little else than bemoan his hard fate. Thewhole day had been spent in wandering from place to place, urged on bythe scoffs and jeers of his companion. Some furtive attempts to escapehad been the cause of his present bondage. Hither, at length, theyarrived. Tired and distressed, he sat down on one of the vacantbenches, and gave vent to his sorrows in no very careful or measuredlanguage. 

"What can I do?" said he, "a stranger in this great city--to set mea-finding what I never knew? A grain of wheat in a barn full of chaff, mayhap--a needle in a truss of hay--anything I might find but what wassheer impossible. And now am I like to be thrown to the dogs, like aheap of carrion!"

"But the oracle, friend. "

"Plague on the oracle, for"----Here his speech was interrupted; forhappening to look up, he saw, as he fancied, the eyes of one of thelittle figures in the show-box ogling him, and making mouths in suchwise as to draw upon him the attention of the spectators, now roaringwith laughter at his expense. Reckless of consequences, and almostfurious from sufferings, he suddenly jumped up, and dragging the dwarfalong with him, made a desperate blow at the mimic, which, in amoment, laid sprawling a whole company of little actors, together withthe prime mover himself, and the showman outside to boot. The fray, asmay readily be conceived, waxed loud and furious. The owners andbystanders not discriminating as to the main cause of the attack, would have handled both the keeper and the captive very roughly, hadnot the noise awakened the attention of the soldiers in theneighbouring barracks. Hearing the affray, a party ran to ascertainthe cause of the disturbance, and seeing two men whom a whole crowdhad combined to attack, concluded they were culprits, and forthwithhaled them before the captain of the guard, a centurion, DiogenesVerecundus by name. 

Cedric and the dwarf being rescued from a sound beating, began toabuse one another as the cause of the disturbance; but the officer, bydint of threats and inquiries, soon learned the truth of the matter. 

"Thank the stars, I shall be rid of this pestilence to-morrow, " saidMerodac; "my master could not have found me such another; and how theFates could pitch upon such a sorry cur for the business seems passingstrange. If he find the cup I'll be beaten to a jelly in it. Thycarcase will be meat for the emperor's hounds to-morrow. "

"If, as thou sayest, " said the centurion, "thou art so mightily wearyof thy charge, leave him to my care; I would fain have some discoursewith him privily touching what thou hast spoken. "

The slave hesitated. 

"On the word of a Roman soldier he shall be forthcoming. Tell thymaster that Verecundus the centurion hath taken thy prisoner captive. Here is money for thee. "

The Ethiop showed his teeth like ivory studs on a coral band, whilethe rings shook in his wrinkled ears as he took the largess. Yet hisbrow contracted, and he hung his head. He hesitated to unloose thebonds. 

"By what token?" he at length inquired. 

"By this!" said the centurion, taking up a thong for his correction. "Stay, " continued he, laying it down, "I will not punish theeundeservedly. Take these; they will bear thee harmless with thymaster. "

The dwarf took the writing thankfully, and made the best of his way tothe dwelling of the soothsayer. 

The officer now beckoned Cedric that he should follow. In a low roomby the guard-chamber at the gate the following conversation tookplace. 

"There is evil denounced us of a truth, " said Verecundus; "but it maybe the gods have sent thee hither for our rescue, as the oracle hathsaid. "

The Briton fixed his wondering eyes on the soldier whilst hecontinued. 

"I have pondered the words well, and if thou prove trusty, ere thisnight pass the plot shall be discovered and the ringleaders secured. We have need of such a one as thou--a stranger, whom they will notsuspect, and will use the intelligence he obtains with a vigilant andcunning eye. There is work for thee, which, if well done, may bringthee to great wealth and honour. If thou fail, we fall together in thesame ruin. There is a plot against the emperor; and one which hath itsbeing, ay in the very secrets of the palace. Those nearest him I amwell assured are the chief movers in the conspiracy. 'Tis this makesit so perilous to discover, and without a fitting agent the mischiefwill not be overcome. I have thought to throw myself at the emperor'sfeet, but having no proof withal to support my suspicions, I should inall likelihood fall a sacrifice to my own fidelity. "

"But how, " asked the bewildered Cedric, "shall I discover them? Verilyit doth seem that to-day I am destined to work out impossibilities. How it comes to pass that a poor ignorant wretch like myself shouldcompass these things, it faileth my weak fancy to discover!"

"The soothsayer's speech is not lightly to be regarded. Hark thee, knave! Is life precious unto thee?"

"Yea, truly is it. I have a wife and children, besides a few herds andother live stock, likewise sundry beeves i' the forest. But unless Ican find favour in your eyes, my goods, alas! I am not like to seeagain. "

"Nor wilt thou peradventure again behold the light of yon blessed sunwhich hath just gone down. The shades of evening are upon us, and theshadows of death are upon thine eyelids; for, hark thee, I do suspectsome treasonable message in thine errand to the city. "

Cedric, with a look of terror and incredulity, stammered out--

"As I live, I know not thy meaning!"

"Thou art in my power; and unless thou servest me faithfully, thoudiest a cruel and fearful death. What was the exact message wherewiththou was entrusted?"

The Briton's countenance brightened as he replied--

"I give it to thee with right good-will. No treason lurks there, Itrow. 'Take this, ' said my master, yesternight, giving me a signetring; 'take it to York by daybreak. At the gate show it to the guard. If they let thee pass, well. If not, return, for there is mischief inthe city. At the bridge, shouldest thou get so far, again show it, where, I doubt not, thou shalt find thereby a ready passage. Seek theeout some by-tavern where thou mayest refresh; then about mid-day gointo the street called the Goldsmiths', and there inquire for oneCaius Lupus, the empress' jeweller. Show him the signet, and mark whathe shall tell thee. '"

"Thou hast given him the signet, then?" said the centurion, sharply. 

"Nay. For my mistress, as ill-luck would have it, hearing of myjourney, and she having had some knowledge of the soothsayer's artaforetime, bade me consult him ere my errand was ready with thegoldsmith, and deliver a pressing request for the horoscope which hadbeen long promised. What passed then, as thou knowest, is the cause ofmy calamity. "

"But didst thou not search out the dwelling of this same Caius, and dothine errand?"

"I did. But in the straits which I endured I was not careful to notethe time. An hour past mid-day I sought out his dwelling; but he wasgone to the palace on urgent business with the empress, nor was itknown when he might return. "

"Sayest thou so, friend? I would like to look at this same potenttalisman. "

Cedric drew forth the ring. It was a beautiful onyx, on which, engraven with exquisite workmanship, was a head of the youthfulCaracalla encircled by a laurel wreath, showing marks of the mostconsummate skill. 

"Was thine errand told to the soothsayer?" was the next inquiry. 

"Verily, nay, " said the messenger; "there was little space for parleyere I was thrust forth. "

"He saw not the signet, then?"

"Of a truth it has not been shown save to the guards for my passport. "

"Now, knave, thy life hangs on a thread so brittle that a breath shallbreak it. This same goldsmith I do suspect; but thou shalt see him, and whatsoever he showeth I will be at hand that thou mayest tell meprivily. I will then instruct thee what thou shalt do. If thou failnot in thy mission, truly thou shalt have great rewards from theemperor. But if thou whisper--ay to the walls--of our meeting, thoudiest! Remember thou art watched. Think not to escape. "

The poor wretch caught hold on this last hope of deliverance, andpromised to obey. 

There was a narrow vault beneath the women's apartments in the palace, communicating by many intricate passages with an outlet into theForum. Here, on this eventful night, was an unusual assemblage. Thevault was deep, even below the common foundations of the city, andwhere the light of day never came. An iron lamp hung from one of themassy arches of the roof; the damp and stagnant vapours lending anawful indistinctness to the objects they surrounded. Chill drops layon the walls and on the slippery floor. The stone benches were greenwith mildew; and it seemed as though the foot of man had rarely passedits threshold. 

In this chamber several individuals were now assembled in earnestdiscourse, their conversation whispered rather than spoken; yet theirintrepid and severe looks, and animated gestures, ever and anonbetrayed some deep and resolute purpose more than usually portentous. 

"An untoward event truly, " said one of the speakers, Virius Lupushimself, the emperor's private secretary. "If the old magician couldhave been won, it had been well. "

"He might have saved the encounter and hazard we must now undergo. Butlet him hold his fealty. We have stout hearts and resolute hands enowto bring the matter to a successful issue. " Thus spoke Caracalla, theunnatural eldest born of his father. 

"And yet, " replied the secretary, "he hath a ready admittance to hisperson, and a great sway over thy father's councils. "

"I heed him not, now that brave men work. It were time that our trustyservant, the commander at Isurium, had sent the message, with thetoken I left him on my departure. Ere this we ought to have known thehour we may expect his troops to move on the capital. I had thought tohave made all safe--to have put it beyond the power of fate tofrustrate our purpose; but I was foiled like a beardless boy at hisweapons. " He gnashed his teeth as he spoke; and this monster ofcruelty breathed a horrible threat against the life even of a parentand a king. 

"Here is the roll, " said one, who from his inkhorn and reed-pen seemedto be the scribe, and whose ambition had been lured by a promise thathe should have the office of sextumvir in the imperial city. 

"Here be the names and disposition of the troops; the avenues andgates to which they are appointed. "

"We but wait a messenger from Isurium to make our plans complete, "said Caracalla. "By the same courier I send back this cypher. Examineit, Fabricius. The troops of Lucius Claudius are to march directly onthe Forum, and slay all who attempt resistance. Thou, Virius Lupus, wilt guide them through the secret passage into the palace. "

The secretary bowed assent. 

"Though the empress knows not our high purpose, it is by herconnivance we are here, safe from the emperor's spies. Under hermantle we are hidden. Suspicion hath crossed her that I am about tohead the troops; that my father, oppressed with age and infirmities, will retire to Rome; and that I, Caracalla, rule in Britain. "

"Then she knows not the mishap of yesternight?"

"She knows of the attempt, but not the agent. I would the messengerwere come. 'Tis an unforeseen delay. I pray the gods there be nottreachery somewhere. The officers and guards at the Calcarian gate andthe bridge are ours; they were instructed to obey the signet. "

"We will vouch for the fidelity, " said two or three of theconspirators. 

"Should he not arrive before midnight we must strike, " said Fabricius. 

"Ay, as before, " said the more cautious secretary. "But we may now geta broken head for our pains. "

"The time brooks not delay, " said Caracalla. "Every moment now is bigwith danger to our enterprise. "

"Be not again too hasty, " replied the secretary; "there be none thatwill divulge our plans. Let every part be complete before we act. Wecannot succeed should there be a disjointed purpose. "

Caracalla, vehement, and unused to the curb, was about to reply, whenthe door opened and a dumb slave slowly entered. He crossed his hands, and pointed to the door. 

"A messenger, " said they all. 

"The gods are at last propitious, " said Caracalla. "Let him approach. "

Soon one was led in by the sentinel, blindfolded, and the latterimmediately withdrew. 

"The sign, " cried the secretary. 

The stranger, without hesitation, presented a ring. 

"'Tis the same, " said Caracalla. He touched a concealed spring in thesignet, and from underneath the gem drew forth a little paper with ascrap of writing in cypher. It was held before the lamp, and theintelligence it contained rendered their plot complete. Ere break ofday, the deed would be accomplished. The morning would see Caracallaproclaimed, and Severus deposed. 

"Have ye any token to my master?" inquired the messenger. 

"Take back this writing, " said Virius Lupus. "Thou wilt find him notfar from the city. We wait his coming. "

"This leaden-heeled Mercury should have a largess, " said the chief, "but in this den we have not wherewithal to give him. Hold! here is agood recompense, methinks, " continued he, taking the crystal gobletfrom a recess. "Take this to thy mistress, and tell her to buy it fromthee. We will see her anon. That charmed cup hath foiled me once, butI will foil thee now, and the powers thou servest. Thou shall notagain cross my path!"

Cedric took the gift, wrapping it beneath his cloak. 

"Thou mayest depart. "

The dumb sentinel again took charge of him, and led him away by manyintricate passages towards the entrance, where it seems the goldsmithhad directed him on presenting the signet of Caracalla. The person whotook charge of him was a dumb eunuch, a slave in the service of theempress. 

But the terrors of death were upon the wretched victim. He knew thecenturion would assuredly be at hand to receive his report, and hecould not escape. He had not brought back one word of intelligence;and being blindfolded, he knew not whither he had been taken. Thewriting he carried would assuredly be unintelligible save to those forwhom it was intended. His mission, he could perceive, had utterlyfailed. The centurion would not be able to profit by anything he hadbrought back, and must inevitably, according to his pledge, at oncerender him up to the soothsayer. Whilst ruminating on his hard fate asudden thought crossed him. There was little probability of success, but at all events it might operate as a diversion in his favour, andthe design was immediately executed. Skulking for a moment behind theslave, he tore off the bandage, and tripped up the heels of hisconductor. Before the latter could recover himself the Briton's gripewas on his throat. 

"Now, slave, thou art my prisoner! Lead on, or by this good sword, thou diest!"

The torch he carried was luckily not extinguished in the fall. Theeunuch, almost choking, made a sign that he would obey. With the drawnblade at his throat, the slave went on; but Cedrick, ever wary, andwith that almost instinctive sagacity peculiar to man in hishalf-civilised state, kept a tiger-like watch on every movement of hisprisoner, which enabled him to detect the fingers of the slavesuddenly raised to his lips, and a shrill whistle would have consignedhim over to certain and immediate destruction; but he struck down theuplifted hand with a blow which made his treacherous conductor crouchand cringe almost to the ground. 

"Another attempt, " said Cedric, "and we perish together!"

The wily slave looked all penitence and submission. Silentlyproceeding, apparently through the underground avenues of the palace, Cedric was momentarily expecting his arrival at the place where thecenturion kept watch. A flight of steps now brought them to a spaciouslanding-place. Suddenly a lamp was visible, and beneath it sat anumber of soldiers, the emperor's body-guard. They gave way as theeunuch passed by, followed by Cedric, his sword still drawn. Severalof these groups were successively cleared: the guide, by acountersign, was enabled to thread his way through every obstacle thatpresented itself. The Briton's heart misgave him as they approached avestibule, before which a phalanx of the guards kept watch. Here hethought it prudent to sheath his weapon, though he still followed theeunuch, as his only remaining chance of escape. Even here they wereinstantly admitted, and without any apparent hesitation. The doorturned slowly on its pivot, and Cedric found himself in arichly-decorated chamber, where, by the light of a single lamp, andwith the smell of perfumed vapour in his nostrils, he saw a figure incostly vestments reclining on a couch. The slave prostrated himself. 

"What brings thee from thy mistress at this untimely hour? A messagefrom the empress?"

Here the speaker raised himself from the couch, and the slave, withgreat vehemence, made certain signs, which the wondering Britonunderstood not. 

"Ah!" said the emperor, his eyes directly levelled at the supposedculprit; "thou hast found the thief who, in the confusion ofyesternight, bore away the magic cup. Bring him hither that I mayquestion him ere his carcase be sent to the beasts. "

The doomed wretch was now fairly in the paws of the very tyrant he hadso long dreaded. The death which by every stratagem he had striven toavoid was now inevitable. He was betrayed by means of the very devicehe had, as he thought, so craftily adopted; but still his naturalsagacity did not forsake him even in this unexpected emergency. As heprostrated himself, presenting the cup he had stowed away safely inhis cloak, he still kept a wary eye on the slave who had betrayed him. He saw him preparing to depart; and knowing that his only hope ofdeliverance lay in preventing his guide from giving warning to theconspirators they had just left, Cedric, with a sudden spring, leapedupon him like a tiger, even in the presence of the monarch. 

The latter, astounded at this unexpected act of temerity, was for afew moments inactive. This pause was too precious to be lost. Desperation gave him courage, and Cedric addressed the dread ruler ofthe world even whilst he clutched the gasping traitor. 

"Here, great monarch, here is the traitor; and if I prove him notfalse, on my head be the recompense!"

He said this in a tone of such earnestness and anxiety that theemperor was suddenly diverted from his purpose of summoning hisattendants. He saw the favourite slave of the empress writhing in thegripe of the barbarian; but the events of the last few hours hadawakened suspicions which the lightest accusations might confirm. Heremembered his son's guilt; the facility of his escape; and it mightbe that treason stood on the very threshold, ready to strike. Hedetermined to sift the matter; and the guard now summoned, the partieswere separated--each awaiting the fiat of the monarch. 

"Where is Virius Lupus?" was the emperor's first inquiry. 

"He hath not returned from the apartments of the empress. "

"Let this slave be bound, " cried Cedric. "Force him to conduct youeven to the place whence, blindfold, he hath just led me; and if youfind not a nest of traitors, my own head shall be the forfeit. "

Dark and fearful was the flash that shot from the emperor's eye on thedevoted eunuch. Pale and trembling he fell on his knees, supplicatingwith uplifted hands for mercy. He knew it was vain to dissemble. 

"And what wert thou doing in such perilous company?" inquired theemperor, turning to Cedric, and in a voice which made him shrink. 

"Let the centurion, Diogenes Verecundus, be sought out. He waits myreturn by the Forum gate. To him the city owes a discovery of thisplot, and Rome her monarch!"

The faithful centurion was soon found. The eunuch conducted themsecretly to the vault. The conspirators were seized in the very heightof their anticipated success. The roll containing the names of theleaders, the plan of attack, and the disposition of the rebellioustroops, was discovered; and the morning sun darted a fearful ray onthe ghastly and bleeding heads uplifted on the walls and battlementsof the imperial palace. 

But with misplaced clemency the monster Caracalla was again pardoned. The centurion Diogenes Verecundus was raised to the dignity ofSexumvir. The only reward claimed by the generous and sturdy Britonwas an act of immunity for his master, who was merely dismissed fromhis post and banished the kingdom. 

 [22] This tale was written for the _Traditions of the County of York_. It appeared by permission in an Annual entitled _The White Rose of York_: but having only had a local circulation at the time, and having been carefully revised by the author during the last winter of his life, it finds a place here. 

 [23] Aldborough

 [24] Lubinus in Juven. P. 294. 

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 [i] Pile or Peel of Foundrey, both names are used. 

 [ii] This seems to be a slight misquote. Oliver Goldsmith's poem starts with "For still I tried each fickle art" and not "And". 

 [iii] The usual present-day form seems to be: "Non omnes qui habent citharam sunt citharoedi. "

 [iv] According to the OED one definition of "prog" could conceivably apply: a slang term for food. It also may be a typo for "grog". 

 [v] Probably "coranto": a baroque/renaissance dance style according to Wikipedia. 

 [vi] The spelling of "ultima Thule" instead of "Ultima Thule" has been noted, but not corrected. 

END OF VOL. II. 

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