he, stroking his beard, "but you're in mighty grace.
The Welshman always mounts his he-goats for guard on them he delighteth
to honour." With one of his more than ordinarily elvish and malicious
shouts he scampered past the enraged sentinels, and was heard rapidly
ascending the steps of the great tower, beneath the massive foundations
of which lay the dark and cheerless abode so unexpectedly destined for
the reception of its owner.

Whilst these occurrences were passing within the walls Grim's curiosity
was in prodigious exercise without. His anxiety increased in a compound
ratio with the time elapsed, and inversely as the hope of intelligence
was decreasing. Every spare moment his eye was directed towards the
hall; but no tidings came, no scout, no messenger from the scene of
action, from whom the slightest inkling of the result could be gathered.
It seemed as though all intercourse had ceased, all transit and
communication were cut off. It was mighty strange! some rare doings were
afloat, no doubt, and not a soul would remember honest Grim in his
thrall. He tied and untied his apron, beat the iron when it was cool,
and let it cool when it was hot. "It will be noon presently." He looked
at the sun; it seemed to have crept backward for the last half-hour: at
any rate, he was morally certain that useful appendage to this great and
troublesome world had stood still, if not retrograded. The mendicants
were all gone--no tidings to be gained from them--matters were more than
usually contrary and provoking--and if it had not been for some recent
disgrace which his prying disposition had occasioned at the hall, he
would long ago have satisfied himself by a personal inquiry into the
present posture of affairs.

"Hope deferred" was just on the point of being attended with the usual
consequences, when, taking another peep through a crevice, constructed
for putting into effect a more efficient system of examination, he
beheld a phenomenon as unlooked for as it was incomprehensible. He
rubbed his eyes, strongly persuaded that some rigorous discipline was
necessary. He pinched his fingers, shook himself--was he really awake?
or--he took another peep, still it was there; nor crossings,
ejaculations, nor other established contrivances had any effect. The
vision that caused all this disturbance was the great banner of the
Bradshaigh on the tower, curling full and stately in the breeze. Wonders
and misfortunes rarely come unattended. G