"I did," said I; "but though the whole thing appears somewhat strange
I cannot see any thing in the matter to agitate you so excessively.

"It's for no good you saw that, my lady," said the crone; "something
terrible is coming; it's a sign, my lady--a sign that never fails."

"Explain, explain what you mean, my good woman," said I, in spite of
myself, catching more than I could account for, of her superstitious
terror.

"Whenever something--something _bad_ is going to happen to the
Glenfallen family, some one that belongs to them sees a black
handkerchief or curtain just waved or falling before their faces; I
saw it myself," continued she, lowering her voice, "when I was only
a little girl, and I'll never forget it; I often heard of it before,
though I never saw it till then, nor since, praised be God; but I
was going into Lady Jane's room to waken her in the morning; and sure
enough when I got first to the bed and began to draw the curtain,
something dark was waved across the division, but only for a moment;
and when I saw rightly into the bed, there was she lying cold and
dead, God be merciful to me; so, my lady, there is small blame to me
to be daunted when any one of the family sees it, for it's many's the
story I heard of it, though I saw it but once."

I was not of a superstitious turn of mind; yet I could not resist a
feeling of awe very nearly allied to the fear which my companion had
so unreservedly expressed; and when you consider my situation, the
loneliness, antiquity, and gloom of the place, you will allow that
the weakness was not without excuse. In spite of old Martha's boding