swiftly his eyes surveyed the windings of the road, he caught a glimpse of some horsemen, who were soon hid from his sight by the grey livery of evening. One of his servants at the same instant declared that he had observed something white before one of the men, and Ricardo cheered himself with the hopes of soon overtaking Louisa. His horses, however, being jaded with the fatigues of the day, proceeded but slowly, and the night closed on them soon after they had left the lofty hills, and were proceeding on the plains below. The east wind now began to rush mournfully along the face of the country, while its attendant vapours became every moment more dense. Ricardo oft cast a supplicating look toward the heavens, in hopes of seeing the moon brightly rising in the vaulted arch, but he looked in vain, for the clouds darkly clustered around, and the distant thunder rolled mournfully above. Thus situated, and unable at times to discern the road, the party wandered far out of its beaten tract ere they had had observed their error, to rectify which became impossible, and every moment increased their dif ficulties ficulties and the agitation of Ricardo. All hope of continuing his journey that night was at an end, and he had only to pray that the same weather which detained him would do the like to the party who were carrying off his adored Louisa. The domestics now alighted from their wearied horses and waited for the coming dawn, when a horn was distinctly heard to wind amongst the far distant hills, and a response was shortly after made to it in still fainter sounds. Ricardo sprung on his horse, and bidding his domestics do the same, B4 without without being able to see whither they were going, save when the flashes of lightning darting through the vapours partially illumined the scene around them, and was their only guide over an unknown tract of country. Ricardo often listened in hope of hearing the horn again, but all was silent; he however still continued in the direction of the sound till the horses were hardly able to proceed; for in addition to their fatigue, the ground they were now passing over was an uncultivated heath, and the briars and long trailing brambles entangled their feet. Ricardo was at length on the point of reining in his his steed, when the waving of a torch and the sound of a horn, which appeared not far off, made him determine to proceed; fearful, however, of meeting with banditti, which in those wild secluded and desert regions was not improbable, he ordered his people to preserve the strictest silence. A light gleaming from a casement, which from its height apparently belonged to a large edifice, directed Ricardo to the portals of what appeared to be an ancient castle. He took hold of the horn which hung by their side, but ere he applied it to his mouth, he deliberated on the step he B 5 was |