t he offered to take his
oath, that the very night they said she died, he saw her come out at the
garden gate into the fields; that she often stopped, like a person in
pain, and then went forward again until he lost sight of her. Now it is
certain that her time was out, and she expected to lie down every day;
and they did not pretend that she died in child-bed. I thought upon
what I heard, but nothing I said. Roger told the same story to another
servant; so he was called to an account, the story was hushed up, and
the foolish fellow said, he was verily persuaded it was her ghost that
he saw. Now you must take notice that, from this time, they began to
talk about, that this apartment was troubled; and not only this, but
at last the new Lord could not sleep in quiet in his own room; and this
induced him to sell the castle to his brother-in-law, and get out of
this country as fast as possible. He took most of the servants away with
him, and Roger among the rest. As for me, they thought I knew nothing,
and so they left me behind; but I was neither blind nor deaf, though I
could hear, and see, and say nothing."

"This is a dark story," said Oswald.

"It is so," said Edmund; "but why should Joseph seem to think it
concerns me in particular?"

"Ah, dear Sir," said Joseph, "I must tell you, though I never uttered it
to mortal man before; the striking resemblance this young man bears to
my dear Lord, the strange dislike his reputed father took to him, his
gentle manners, his generous heart, his noble qualities so uncommon in
those of his birth and breeding, the sound of his voice--you may smile
at the strength of my fancy, but I cannot put it out of my mind but that
he is my own master's son."

At these words Edmund changed colour and trembled; he clapped his hand
upon his breast, and looked up to Heaven in silence; his dream recurred
to his memory, and struck upon his heart. He related it to his attentive
auditors.

"The ways of Providence are wonderful," said Oswald. "If this be so,
Heaven in its own time will make it appear."

Here a silence of several minutes ensued; when, suddenly, they were
awakened from their reverie by a violent noise in the rooms underneath
them. It seemed like the clashing of arms, and something seemed to fall
down with violence.

They started, and Edmund rose up with a look full of resolution and
intrepidity.

"I am called!" said he; "I obey the call!"

He took up a lamp, and went to the d