"Mr. McRath showed him into the library, Miss."
"Quite right. None of our guests have left their rooms yet?"
"No, Miss, they be all busy a dressing of themselves, as I think."
"Ah! then go before me and open the door, and tell his lordship that I shall be with him in a moment," said Miss Levison.
The girl dropped another courtesy and preceded her mistress down stairs.
In going down the great upper hall, Miss Levison pa.s.sed the door of the dark, narrow pa.s.sage at right angles with the hall, and leading to the tower stairs, where she had seen the apparition of the night before. She shivered and hurried on. She paused a moment before the door leading to the ante-room of her father"s bed-chamber, and listened to hear if he were stirring; but all within seemed as still as death. She went on and descended the stairs and reached the library-door, just as Kitty opened it and said:
"Miss Levison, my lord," and retired to give place to the young lady.
Miss Levison entered the library.
Lord Arondelle, in his wedding dress, stood by the central book-table. As his costume was the regulation uniform of a gentleman"s full dress, it needs no description here. Gentlemen array themselves much in the same style for a dinner or a ball, a wedding or a funeral--the only difference to mark the occasion being in the color of the gloves.
Lord Arondelle advanced to meet his bride.
"My love and queen! this meeting is a grace granted me indeed! How beautiful you are!" he exclaimed, taking both her hands and carrying them to his lips. "But you are shivering, sweet girl! You are cold!" he added anxiously, as he looked at her more attentively.
"I have been shivering all the morning. I sat at my open window late last night and got a little chilled; but it is nothing," she answered, smiling.
"You shall not do such suicidal things, when I have the charge of you, my little lady," he said, half jestingly, half seriously, as he led her to a sofa and seated her on it, taking his own seat by her side.
"Come, now," he gayly continued, "was that indiscreet star-gazing which has resulted in a cold the little sin for which you wish me to give you absolution?"
"No, my lord. My sin was an evil dream."
"A dream!"
"Ay, a dream."
"But a dream cannot be a sin!"
"Hear it, and then judge. But first--tell me--were you in the castle late last night?" she gravely inquired.
He paused and gazed at her before he replied:
"_I_ in the castle late last night? Why, most certainly not! Why ever should you ask me such a question, my love?"
"Because if you were not in the castle last night--"
"Well?"
"I met your "fetch," as the country people would call it."
"My--I beg your pardon."
"Your "fetch," your double, your spectre, your spirit, whatever you may call it."
"Whatever do you mean, Salome?"
"Shall I tell you all about it?"
"Of course--yes, do."
Miss Levison began and related all the circ.u.mstances in detail of her night visit to her father"s room, and her meeting with an appearance which she took to be that of her betrothed husband, but which, on being called by her, instantly vanished.
Lord Arondelle mused for awhile. Miss Levison gazed on him in anxious suspense for a few minutes, and then inquired:
"What do you think of it?"
"My love, if I were a transcendental visionary, I might say, that at the hour you saw my image before you, my thoughts, my mind, my spirit, whatever you choose to call my inner self, was actually with you, and so became visible to you; but--" he paused.
"But--what?" she inquired.
"Not being a transcendentalist or a visionary, I am forced to the conclusion that what you thought you saw, was, really nothing but an optical illusion!"
"You think that?"
"Indeed I do!"
"I a.s.sure you, that the image seemed as real, as substantial, and as solid to me then as you do now."
"No doubt of it! Optical illusions always seem very real--perfectly real."
"It was an optical illusion then! That is settled! And now!" exclaimed Salome. Then she paused.
"Yes, and now! About the sinful dream! What did you dream of? Throwing me over at the last moment and marrying a handsomer man?" gayly inquired the young marquis.
"I will tell you presently what I dreamed; but first tell me, were you in our grounds last night?" she gravely inquired.
"Yes, my little lady; but how did you know of it?" inquired the young marquis in surprise.
"I did not know it. Were you under my window?" she asked, in a low, tremulous tone.
"Yes, love. How came you to suspect me?" he inquired, more than ever astonished.
"I did not suspect you. Had you a companion with you?" she murmured.
"No, Salome. Certainly not. Why, sweet, do you ask me?"
"I thought I heard your voice speaking to some one who answered you under my window."
"But, love, there was no one with me. I was quite alone. And I did not speak at all--not even to myself. I am not in the habit of soliloquizing."
"Please tell me, if you can, at what hour you were under my window."
"It was between ten and eleven o"clock. I was walking in the grounds, and I went under your wall and looked up. I saw three shadows pa.s.s the lighted windows, which I took to be those of yourself and your attendants, and then suddenly the lights were turned off and all was dark. I knew then that you had retired to rest, and of course I turned away and walked back to the hamlet. But, love, instead of telling the little story you promised, it seems that you have put me through a very sharp examination," said his lordship, laughing. "Now, what do you mean by it? There is something behind all this," he added, gravely.