lock below reached that
chamber.

"Hush!" cried Lucilla, starting. "Hush!" and just at that moment,
through the window opposite, the huge clouds, breaking in one spot,
discovered high and far above them a solitary star.

"Thine, thine, Godolphin!" she shrieked forth, pointing to the lonely
orb; "it summons thee;--farewell, but not for long!"

* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *

The Moor rushed forward with a loud cry; she placed her hand on
Lucilla's bosom; the heart was still, the breath was gone, the fire had
vanished from the ashes: that strange unearthly spirit was perhaps with
the stars for whose mysteries it had so vainly yearned.

Down fell the black rain in torrents; and far from the mountains you
might hear the rushing of the swollen streams, as they poured into the
bosom of the valleys. The sullen, continued mass of cloud was broken,
and the vapours hurried fast and louring over the heavens, leaving now
and then a star to glitter forth ere again "the jaws of darkness did
devour it up." At the lower verge of the horizon, the lightning flashed
fierce, but at lingering intervals; the trees rocked and groaned beneath
the rain and storm; and, immediately above the bowed head of a solitary
horseman, broke the thunder that, amidst the whirl of his own emotions,
he scarcely heard.

Beside a stream, which the rains had already swelled, was a gipsy
encampment; and as some of the dusky itinerants, waiting perhaps the
return of a part of their band from a predatory excursion, cowered over
the flickering fires in their tent, they perceived the horseman rapidly
approaching the stream.

"See to yon gentry cove," cried one of the band; "'tis the same we saw
in the forenight crossing the ford above. He has taken a short cut, the
buzzard! and will have to go round again to the ford; a precious time to
be gallivanting about!"

"Pish!" said an old hag; "I love to see the proud ones tasting the
bitter wind and rain as we bear alway; 'tis but a mile longer round to
the ford. I wish it was twenty."

"Hallo!" cried the first speaker; "the fool takes to the water. He'll be
drowned; the banks are too high and rough to land man or horse yonder.
Hallo!" and with that painful sympathy which the hardest feel at the
imminent peril of another when immediately subjected to their eyes, the
gipsy ran forth into the pelting storm, shouting to the traveller
to halt. For one mo