round the
open window on the stairs to hear the chimes ring out from the village
church.

We were all listening breathlessly as the hall-clock struck twelve, when
a piercing cry suddenly echoed through the house, causing us all to
start in alarm. I knew that it could only proceed from Catherine's room,
for the servants were all assembled at the window beneath us, listening,
like ourselves, for the chimes. Thither therefore I flew, followed by
Ella, and we found poor Catherine in a truly pitiable state.

She was deadly pale, in an agony of terror, and the perspiration stood
in large drops upon her forehead. It was some time before we could
succeed at all in composing her, and her first words were to implore us
to take her into another room.

She was too weak to stand, so we wrapped her in blankets, and carried
her into Ella's bedroom. I noticed that as she was taken through the
laundry she shuddered, and put her hands before her eyes. When she was
laid on Ella's bed she grew calmer, and apologized for the trouble she
had caused, saying that she had had a dreadful dream.

With this explanation we were fain to be content, though I thought it
hardly accounted for her excessive terror. I had observed, however, that
any allusion to what had passed caused her to tremble and turn pale
again, and I thought it best to refrain from exciting her further.

When morning came I found Catherine almost her usual self again; but I
persuaded her to remain in bed until the evening, as her cold was not
much better. Ella's curiosity to hear the dream which had so much
excited her friend could now no longer be restrained; but whenever she
asked to hear it, Catherine said, "Not now; another time, perhaps, I may
tell you."

When she came down to dinner in the evening, we noticed that she was
peculiarly silent, and we endeavored to rally her into her usual
spirits, but in vain. She tried to laugh and to appear merry, poor
child; but there was evidently something on her mind.

At last, as we all sat round the fire after dinner, she spoke. She
addressed herself to my husband, but the tone of her voice caused us all
to listen.

"Mr. Fanshawe, I have something to ask of you," said she, and then
paused.

"Ask on," said Mr. Fanshawe.

"I know that you will think the request I am going to make a peculiar
one; but I have a particular reason for making it," continued she. "It
is that you will have the wooden dais in front of the laundry wind