ternately appeared and vanished. Emily wished to speak,
to end her doubts, whether this figure were human or supernatural; but
her courage failed as often as she attempted utterance, till the light
moved again under the casement, and she faintly demanded, who passed.

'A friend,' replied a voice.

'What friend?' said Emily, somewhat encouraged 'who are you, and what is
that light you carry?'

'I am Anthonio, one of the Signor's soldiers,' replied the voice.

'And what is that tapering light you bear?' said Emily, 'see how it
darts upwards,--and now it vanishes!'

'This light, lady,' said the soldier, 'has appeared to-night as you see
it, on the point of my lance, ever since I have been on watch; but what
it means I cannot tell.'

'This is very strange!' said Emily.

'My fellow-guard,' continued the man, 'has the same flame on his arms;
he says he has sometimes seen it before. I never did; I am but lately
come to the castle, for I have not been long a soldier.'

'How does your comrade account for it?' said Emily.

'He says it is an omen, lady, and bodes no good.'

'And what harm can it bode?' rejoined Emily.

'He knows not so much as that, lady.'

Whether Emily was alarmed by this omen, or not, she certainly was
relieved from much terror by discovering this man to be only a soldier
on duty, and it immediately occurred to her, that it might be he,
who had occasioned so much alarm on the preceding night. There were,
however, some circumstances, that still required explanation. As far
as she could judge by the faint moon-light, that had assisted her
observation, the figure she had seen did not resemble this man either
in shape or size; besides, she was certain it had carried no arms. The
silence of its steps, if steps it had, the moaning sounds, too, which
it had uttered, and its strange disappearance, were circumstances of
mysterious import, that did not apply, with probability, to a soldier
engaged in the duty of his guard.

She now enquired of the sentinel, whether he had seen any person besides
his fellow watch, walking on the terrace, about midnight; and then
briefly related what she had herself observed.

'I was not on guard that night, lady,' replied the man, 'but I heard of
what happened. There are amongst us, who believe strange things. Strange
stories, too, have long been told of this castle, but it is no business
of mine to repeat them; and, for my part, I have no reason to complain;
our Chief do