nge swoons. But instead of the
death-like air which her features usually assumed, a lovely smile
lighted them up, and an expression of ecstasy made her beauty appear for
the moment almost superhuman. Slowly she raised her right hand, and
pointed in the direction of the setting sun. 'He is coming,' she said in
soft, clear tones; 'life and light are coming with him,--life and light
and liberty!'

"Her hand fell gently by her side; the rapt expression faded from her
countenance, and the usual death-like blank overspread it. This trance
passed away like others, and by midnight the house was profoundly still.
Soon after that hour a vociferous peal at the great hall-bell roused
most of the inmates from sleep. My rooms were in a distant quarter of
the house, and a door opposite to that of my bedroom led to the haunted
wing, but was always kept locked. I started up on hearing a second ring,
and looked out, in hopes of seeing a servant pass, and ascertaining the
cause of this unusual disturbance. I saw no one, and after listening for
a while to the opening of the hall-door, and the sound of distant
voices, I made up my mind that I should be sent for if wanted, and
re-entered my room. As I was closing the door, I was rather startled to
see a tall object, of grayish-white color and indistinct form, issue
from the gallery whose door, as I said before, had always been locked in
my recollection. For a moment I felt as though rooted to the spot, and a
strange sensation crept over me. The next, all trace of the appearance
had vanished, and I persuaded myself that what I had seen must have been
some effect of light from the open door of my room.

"The cause of the nightly disturbance appeared at breakfast on the
following morning in the shape of a remarkably handsome young man, who
was introduced by Sir James as his nephew, Don Luis de Cabral, the son
of an only sister long dead, who had married a Spaniard of high rank.
Don Luis showed but little trace of his southern parentage. If I may so
express it, all the depth and warmth of coloring in that portion of his
blood which he inherited from his Spanish ancestors came out in the
raven-black hair and large lustrous dark eyes, which impressed you at
once with their uncommon beauty. For the rest, he was a fine well-grown
young man, no darker in complexion than an Englishman might well be, and
with a careless, happy boyishness of manner, which won immediately on
the regard of strangers, and