on him, her cheek
resting upon one white, rounded arm. In the weird moonlight her pale
beauty startled him, and almost unconsciously, he stretched forth his
hand to touch her. His fingers, resting lightly upon the counterpane,
came in contact with something cold; it caused a shudder to pass
through him, a nameless terror, and for an instant he forgot the four
men waiting in the room below. Bending lower, his eyes rested upon the
object which had so startled him. 'Twas a silver crucifix which had
fallen from the sleeper's fingers, and lay upon her breast. At the
sight great emotion and agitation swept through his heart, rough
soldier though he was; for the moment he was well nigh overpowered.
The silence of the chamber, the white face so near his own, and the
emblem of his faith placed unconsciously upon the breast of the
beloved one who lay there, filled him with superstitious awe. 'Twas
thus the dead slept, ere they were carried to the grave.

A movement of the white arm broke the influence of the spell. The girl
turned uneasily, a few incoherent words escaping her lips. Fawkes drew
back noiselessly. "She sleeps!" he muttered, and passing from the
room, closed the door softly, and descended to those who awaited him
below.

Scarce had his footsteps ceased to echo on the stairs, when Elinor
awoke. Though wrapped in deep slumber, that inexplicable mystery, a
consciousness that she was not alone, startled her. Sitting upright,
her eyes fell upon an object lying at the side of the bed; a doe-skin
gauntlet which she recognized as belonging to her father.

Surprised that he should thus have entered her chamber, a feeling of
alarm possessed her. The crackling of the fire in the room below, the
tell-tale glove upon the floor, and the faint murmur which she felt
assured must be the voices of men engaged in earnest conversation,
aroused her apprehension as well as her curiosity, and it seemed no
ill thing that she should discover the meaning of so unusual an
occurrence, for their dwelling was situated in a quiet part of London
and 'twas not the wont of any to visit it at such an hour. Then, the
thought came to her that perhaps certain companions of her father,
rough soldiers like himself, had come together to partake of his
hospitality. Calmed for the moment, she would have sought sleep again,
had not a sentence, uttered with clear distinctness, reached her ear.

"Ah, good Master Fawkes! Thou hast found all quiet, and thy hou