while his wife hinted with a smile that the happiness of the young people would be yet greater the succeeding night.
“Yes, yes,” said the forester, “I understand you perfectly mother. Hark ye, children, we have invited the priest to visit us to-morrow, and as soon as William has passed his trial”
At this moment a heavy noise and a scream from Katherine startled the others. It was Kuno’s portrait which had again fallen from the wall, and the edge of the frame had wounded Katherine in the forehead. The nail appeared to have been too loosely fixed into the wall, for it came away with the picture, carrying part of the plaister along with it.
“What can this mean?” exclaimed Bertram, with some agitation. This is the second time that picture has alarmed us all. Are you hurt, Katherine?”
“Only scratched,” replied the girl with a smile, as she wiped away the blood, which began to trickle over her forehead, with her hand; “I am not much hurt.”
William was greatly agitated when he beheld Katherine’s pale countenance and bleeding forehead. It was thus that she had appeared to his fancy in his dream; and with the recollection of her visioned form, all the other phantoms of that fearful night crowded upon his memory. The accident greatly damped his spirits, and he would have shrunk from the dreadful task before him, had he not stimulated his sinking courage by the large draughts of wine which he swallowed, till at last, wrought up to a pitch of frantic hardihood, he beheld nothing in the daring enterprise before him, but the noble spectacle of honourable love and manly courage contending with danger in its most threatening and appalling forms.
The clock struck nine. William’s heart beat violently: lessought for a pretext to withdraw,—but what pretext could a young man offer for deserting the company of his bride at such a moment? Still inexorable time hastened
