she upped and ran for
dear life--through the wide door with

_BE BOLD, BE BOLD; BUT NOT TOO BOLD_

engraven over the arch, across the wide courtyard past the wide gate
with

_BE BOLD--BE BOLD_

engraven over it, never stopping, never thinking till she reached her
own chamber. And all the while the hand with the diamond ring lay in her
kilted lap.

Now the very next day, when Mr. Fox and Lady Mary's brothers returned
from the lawyers, the marriage-contract had to be signed. And all the
neighbourhood was asked to witness it and partake of a splendid
breakfast. And there was Lady Mary in bridal array, and there was Mr.
Fox, looking so gay and so gallant. He was seated at the table just
opposite Lady Mary, and he looked at her and said:

"How pale you are this morning, dear heart."

Then Lady Mary looked at him quietly and said, "Yes, dear sir! I had a
bad night's rest, for I had horrible dreams."

Then Mr. Fox smiled and said, "Dreams go by contraries, dear heart; but
tell me your dream, and your sweet voice will speed the time till I can
call you mine."

"I dreamed," said Lady Mary, with a quiet smile, and her eyes were
clear, "that I went yesterday to seek the castle that is to be my home,
and I found it in the woods with high walls and a deep dark moat. And
over the gateway were carven these words:

_BE BOLD--BE BOLD._"

Then Mr. Fox spoke in a hurry. "But it is not so--nor it was not so."

"Then I crossed the wide courtyard and went through a wide door over
which was carven:

_BE BOLD, BE BOLD; BUT NOT TOO BOLD,_"

went on Lady Mary, still smiling, and her voice was cold; "but, of
course, it is not so, and it was not so."

And Mr. Fox said nothing; he sate like a stone.

"Then I dreamed," continued Lady Mary, still smiling, though her eyes
were stern, "that I passed through a wide hall and up a wide stair and
along a wide gallery until I came to a dark narrow door, and over it was
carven:

_BE BOLD, BE BOLD; BUT NOT TOO BOLD,
LEST THAT YOUR HEART'S BLOOD SHOULD RUN COLD._

"But it is not so, of course, and it was not so."

And Mr. Fox said nothing; he sate frozen.

"Then I dreamed that I opened the door and went down a dark narrow
passage," said Lady Mary, still smiling, though her voice was ice. "And
at the end of the passage there was a door, and the door had a chink in
it. And through the chink I saw a wide saloon lit with