il tidings were
at hand. But they were, in some measure, relieved on hearing that it
was only Jem Hazleden, the carrier from Manchester, who had brought a
wooden box on one of his pack-horses, which said box had come all the
way from London by "Antony's" waggon. Maria thought it might be some
package or present from her brother, who had been a year or two in
town, taking terms; but a considerable period had now passed since
tidings were sent from him. She looked wistfully at the box, a clumsy,
ill-favoured thing, without the least symptom of any pleasant
communication from such a source; so different from the trim packages
that were wont to arrive, containing, maybe, the newest London chintz,
or a piece of real brocade, or Flanders lace of the rarest
workmanship.

"No good lurks in that ugly envelope," thought she; and, stooping
down, she examined the direction minutely. It was a quaint crabbed
hand--not her brother's, that was certain; and the discovery made her
more anxious and uneasy. She turned it over and over, but no clue
could be found, no index to the contents. It would have been easy,
methinks, to have satisfied herself on this head, but she really felt
almost afraid to open it, and yet----At any rate, she would put it off
till the morrow. She was so nervous and out of spirits that she
positively had not courage to open a dirty wooden box, tied round with
a bit of hempen cord, and fastened with a few rusty nails. She ordered
it to be removed to her bed-chamber, and morning, perchance, would
dissipate these idle but unpleasant feelings. She went to bed, but
could not sleep; the wind and rain beat so heavily against the
casement, and the recent excitement kept her restless and awake. She
tried various expedients to soothe and subdue her agitation, but
without effect. The rain had ceased to patter on the windows, but the
wind blew more fiercely and in more violent gusts than before. The sky
was clearing, and a huge Apennine of clouds was now visible as she
lay, on which the moonbeams were basking gloriously. Suddenly a ray
glided like a spirit into the chamber, and disappeared. Her eyes were
at that moment directed towards the mysterious box which lay opposite,
and her very hair moved with horror and consternation; for in that
brief interval of light she thought she saw the lid open, and a grisly
head glare out hideously from beneath. Every hair seemed to grow
sensitive, and every pore to be exquisitely endued wi