e
he will send her away at once." She soliloquized thus until the
candles were brought, and the curtains drawn to shut out the storm,
and she sat beneath her maid's hands heeding naught save her bitter
thoughts. "What had become of Adrian? Why had he not been in to see
her; surely by this time he had learned something being out the
whole afternoon hunting, perhaps side by side with Cedric." Thus
she fretted, and scolded her maid until it was time to go to the
drawing-room. It was a picturesque scene; the ancient castle with
its crenellated tower, from which now pointed a tall flag-pole,
the British Royal Ensign bound closely about it, its colours being
distinctly visible through its casing of ice; for an immense
quadruple-faced light was placed high up in the fork of a tree
opposite the great window of the vaulted saloon, casting its beam to
the very pinnacle of the ensign-staff; lighting the castle from end to
end upon its northern side, where the great avenues converged. A shaft
reluctantly and gloomily effused the near density of the forest;
another ray gladdening the expectant eyes of the guest from Londonway;
while yet another broad gleam sped the departing traveler over the
threshold of the forest into the gloom-environed pathway beyond. Upon
every shelving projection of the unhewn stone structure was ice. The
entire walls scintillated with a fairy brilliancy, and the trees as
they swayed back and forth propelled by the unceasing wind caused such
a coruscation of sparkles it fairly blinded the spectator. Beneath
the spreading branches were a host of men, horses and dogs. The gay
costumes of the huntsmen showing resplendent in the ice-bespangled
light. The horns were lowered, and there was a confusion of tongues
between groomsmen and lackeys; and there were shouts of welcome from
the wide-open doorway of the servants' hall; for 'twas here the game
was brought and laid upon the stone floor or hung upon pegs on the
wall for the inspection of the guests. Lord Cedric leapt from his
horse, throwing the reins to a waiting groom; strode into the hall
with rattling spurs and flung through the rooms and up the stairway to
his Lady Katherine's bower, and rapped smartly upon the panelling of
the door. The vision that met his amorous eyes sent him hot and cold;
and 'twas with difficulty he restrained himself from encircling her
full, glowing body.

"The hours I have been from thee have seemed weeks, and I was of no
use in th