plant themselves at the great hall door to be in
readiness to receive the welcome wanderers.

Slowly drove the vehicle up the avenue, but so eagerly did they watch
its approach, that they remarked not at the time that Gabriel was not
attending it. At length it stopped; but what was their surprise and
dismay, when, instead of springing into the arms of their parents, as
they were preparing to do, they saw only Gabriel, looking more dead
than alive, and clad in deep mourning, alight from it!

Gazing on him in speechless terror, they mechanically followed his
footsteps into the hall, without one of them having the power to
inquire the cause of his extraordinary and alarming appearance.
The poor old man dropped into the first seat that offered itself,
overcome by his emotions. There he was instantly surrounded by
Ursula, and the rest of the household, who, at the same time,
and in loud voices, beset him with a multitude of questions. It
was some time before he could recover himself sufficiently to
answer them, or look up; at last after wiping his swollen eyes,
and heaving a deep sigh, he began his narrative.

"Dreadful, my beloved children, is the tale I have to relate! I
attended my ever-honoured master and mistress, as you know, on their
journey. Tedious and wearisome it proved, for the roads were bad, the
weather unfavourable, and horses sometimes not to be had, so that it was
two days later than the time we had calculated upon when we reached the
fatal sea-port. Would to heaven we had never entered its gates! The
place and the few inhabitants we saw looked gloomy, as we did so; and on
arriving at the inn, from whence my master's friend had dated his
letter, we were informed, with little ceremony or preparation, that he
expired the day but one after he had despatched the messenger to the
castle. Too soon we learned the direful cause, a malignant epidemic
disorder was raging in the place, and daily sweeping off scores of its
inhabitants. The poor gentleman, they told us, when he found himself
dying, sent for a priest to pray by him, to whose care he consigned a
parcel, with a charge to deliver it in safety to the friends who would
come to inquire for him. I was sent in search of this priest, as soon as
we could procure his direction. Alas! the poor man had himself soon
after fallen a victim to the distemper, and none of his household knew
any thing of a parcel, or had ever heard of the gentleman. The people of
the inn