ared at
the foot of the steps an old crone, so seamed and bowed with age, so
weird and threatening of aspect, that we all started back appalled, and
were about to draw Mrs. Urquhart out of her path, when the unknown
creature raised her voice, and pointing with one skinny hand straight
into the bride's face, shrieked:

"'Beware of oak walls! Beware of oak walls! They are more dangerous to
you than fire and water! Beware of oak walls!'

"A shriek interrupted her. It came, not from the bride, but from the
interior of the well-nigh forsaken hall behind us.

"Instantly the old crone drew herself up into an attitude more
threatening and more terrible than before.

[Illustration]

"'And you,' she cried, pointing now beyond us toward a figure which I
could feel shrinking in inexplicable terror against the wall. 'And you
cannot trust them either! There is death within oak walls. Beware!
beware!'

"A curse, a rush, and Edwin Urquhart had flung himself at the old
witch's throat. But he fell to the pavement without touching her. With
the utterance of her last word, she had slipped from before our eyes and
melted into the crowd which curiosity and interest had drawn within the
gates, to watch this young couple's departure.

"'Who was that creature? Let me have her! Give her up, I say!' leaped
from the infuriated bridegroom's lips, as he rushed up and down before
the crowd with threatening arms and flashing eyes.

"But there was no response from the surging throng; while from his
frightened wife such an appealing cry rung out that he returned from the
vain pursuit, and regaining his place at Honora's side, put her into the
carriage. But as he did so he could not refrain from casting a stealthy
look behind him, which betrayed to me, if to no one else, that his anger
was more on account of the words uttered to Marah than to the tender
being clinging to his arm. And a jealous fury took hold of me also, and
I should not have been sorry if I had seen him fall then and there, the
victim of a thunderbolt more certain, if not more terrible, than that
which had just overwhelmed the two women nearest to our hearts.

"'Good-by! good-by! good-by!' came again from the bride's pale lips; and
this time I felt that the words were for me, and I waved my hand in
response, but could not speak. And so they rode away, followed by the
lamentations of the servants, from whom the old crone's ominous outburst
had torn the last semblance of self-co