cumstance, she was deliberating whether she ought to proceed or retire, when the door was again closed, and she was left in total darkness.
Resolved not to be baffled in the desire to penetrate this mystery, she groped her way to the door; and determined to ascertain what was the secret object of this numerous assembly at such an hour, she placed her ear to the key-hole. It was some minutes before she could catch any distinct word; but as her ear became accustomed to the whispers in which the members spoke, it was not long before she became acquainted with the nature of the plot in which they were engaged; and it was with inexpressible horror that she heard her uncle himself, addressing the assembly, name the day and hour when every man, woman, and child of purely Dutch parentage was to fall by the sword or by fire. Putting her eye to the key-hole, she then distinctly saw every man in the room place his hand on his kriss; and after kissing the hand which had
