ome neighboring street now became so
evident and continual, that Robin's curiosity was strongly excited. In
addition to the shouts, he heard frequent bursts from many instruments
of discord, and a wild and confused laughter filled up the intervals.
Robin rose from the steps, and looked wistfully towards a point whither
people seemed to be hastening.

"Surely some prodigious merry-making is going on," exclaimed he "I have
laughed very little since I left home, sir, and should be sorry to lose
an opportunity. Shall we step round the corner by that darkish house
and take our share of the fun?"

"Sit down again, sit down, good Robin," replied the gentleman, laying
his hand on the skirt of the gray coat. "You forget that we must wait
here for your kinsman; and there is reason to believe that he will pass
by, in the course of a very few moments."

The near approach of the uproar had now disturbed the neighborhood;
windows flew open on all sides; and many heads, in the attire of the
pillow, and confused by sleep suddenly broken, were protruded to the
gaze of whoever had leisure to observe them. Eager voices hailed each
other from house to house, all demanding the explanation, which not a
soul could give. Half-dressed men hurried towards the unknown commotion
stumbling as they went over the stone steps that thrust themselves into
the narrow foot-walk. The shouts, the laughter, and the tuneless bray
the antipodes of music, came onwards with increasing din, till
scattered individuals, and then denser bodies, began to appear round a
corner at the distance of a hundred yards.

"Will you recognize your kinsman, if he passes in this crowd?" inquired
the gentleman.

"Indeed, I can't warrant it, sir; but I'll take my stand here, and keep
a bright lookout," answered Robin, descending to the outer edge of the
pavement.

A mighty stream of people now emptied into the street, and came rolling
slowly towards the church. A single horseman wheeled the corner in the
midst of them, and close behind him came a band of fearful wind
instruments, sending forth a fresher discord now that no intervening
buildings kept it from the ear. Then a redder light disturbed the
moonbeams, and a dense multitude of torches shone along the street,
concealing, by their glare, whatever object they illuminated. The
single horseman, clad in a military dress, and bearing a drawn sword,
rode onward as the leader, and, by his fierce and variegated
countenance, a