d sea, hiding the
distant objects and obscuring those which were nearer, turning the sea
to a leaden complexion and the heath to a darker brown, began now, by
one or two distant peals, to announce the thunders with which it was
fraught; while two flashes of lightning, following each other very
closely, showed in the distance the grey turrets of Wolf's Crag, and,
more nearly, the rollowing billows of the ocean, crested suddenly with
red and dazzling light.

The horse of the fair huntress showed symptoms of impatience and
restiveness, and it became impossible for Ravenswood, as a man or a
gentleman, to leave her abruptly to the case of an aged father or her
menial attendants. He was, or believed himself, obliged in courtesy to
take hold of her bridle, and assist her in managing the unruly animal.
While he was thus engaged, the old gentleman observed that the storm
seemed to increase; that they were far from Lord Bittlebrains's, whose
guests they were for the present; and that he would be obliged to the
Master of Ravenswood to point him the way to the nearest place of refuge
from the storm. At the same time he cast a wistful and embarrassed
look towards the Tower of Wolf's Crag, which seemed to render it almost
impossible for the owner to avoid offering an old man and a lady, in
such an emergency, the temporary use of his house. Indeed, the condition
of the young huntress made this courtesy indispensable; for, in the
course of the services which he rendered, he could not but perceive that
she trembled much, and was extremely agitated, from her apprehensions,
doubtless, of the coming storm.

I know not if the Master of Ravenswood shared her terrors, but he was
not entirely free from something like a similar disorder of nerves, as
he observed, "The Tower of Wolf's Crag has nothing to offer beyond the
shelter of its roof, but if that can be acceptable at such a moment----"
he paused, as if the rest of the invitation stuck in his throat. But
the old gentleman, his self-constituted companion, did not allow him to
recede from the invitation, which he had rather suffered to be implied
than directly expressed.

"The storm," said the stranger, "must be an apology for waiving
ceremony; his daughter's health was weak, she had suffered much from a
recent alarm; he trusted their intrusion on the Master of Ravenswood's
hospitality would not be altogether unpardonable in the circumstances of
the case: his child's safety must be dearer