, and
the pale, lambent glow of the evening star shot athwart the sky, ere the
bridge was reached. While it was yet twilight in the uplands, it was
night here. The hollow sounds of the horse's feet on the bridge chilled
the hearts of the occupants of the cart, and when the outline of a horse
and rider appeared on the other side, Louder seized Bly by the arm and
gasped:
"God save us! Where did they come from? They were not there a moment
before."
"They rose up out of the ground."
Their horse, which was very much frightened, would have dashed down the
road had not the horseman brought his steed directly across their path.
"Your beast seems affrighted," coolly remarked the horseman.
At sound of his voice, Louder gave utterance to a wild yell of dismay.
The horse stood trembling and refused to move the cart an inch. Louder
rose from the seat and glared through the deepening gloom at the
stranger. That white face, those great, sad eyes once seen could never
be forgotten. He uttered a yell of horror, crying:
"Begone, wizard! The armor of God be between me and thee! Fiend of the
regions of darkness, it was thou who offered me the book to sign. Away!
begone! tempt me no more, for, by the grace of Heaven, I defy you! I
will not sign!"
At this moment, the horse at the cart, seeing an opening in the road,
dashed on to the village, leaving the horseman gazing in mute wonder
after them. His white face wore a puzzled and pained look. He turned his
horse's head into another path, saying:
"It has been some years since I was here, and yet, if I mistake not,
this is surely the path that leads to her house."
Thirty minutes later, the same horseman drew rein in front of the widow
Stevens' cottage and, dismounting, tied his horse to a small tree and
approached the house. A light was shining through the window, and the
whirr of the wheel told that the industrious widow was at her evening
work. He rapped at the door and was bidden enter. On entering, he
discovered that three persons occupied the cottage--the widow, her son
and a beautiful, sunny-haired maiden. The latter started up at his
appearance, crying:
"Father! father!" and, leaping forward, threw her arms about his neck.
The new-comer looked in amazement upon the girl, but made no answer.
"Father, father, why don't you speak?"
"There is some mistake!" he began.
"Are you not my father?"
"I never saw you before, little maid."
Then Cora started back and
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