"I don't believe it myself," said Ormiston, with a desperate face
"but until the plague carries me off I cannot give her up; and
the sooner that happens, the better. Ha! what is this?"

It was a piercing shriek - no unusual sound; and as he spoke, the
door of an adjoining house was flung open, a woman rushed wildly
out, fled down an adjoining street, and disappeared.

Sir Norman and his companion looked at each other, and then at
the house.

"What's all this about?" demanded Ormiston.

"That's a question I can't take it upon myself to answer," said
Sir Norman; "and the only way to solve the mystery, is to go in
and see."

"It may be the plague," said Ormiston, hesitating. "Yet the
house is not marked. There is a watchman. I will ask him."

The man with the halberd in his hand was walking up and down
before an adjoining house, bearing the ominous red cross and
piteous inscription: "Lord have mercy on us!"

"I don't know, sir," was his answer to Ormiston. "If any one
there has the plague, they must have taken it lately; for I heard
this morning there was to be a wedding there to-night."

"I never heard of any one screaming in that fashion about a
wedding," said Ormiston, doubtfully. "Do you know who lives