moonlight! Oh! it was Sir Reginald himself, and the wild young
French Squire that fell with him in Spain!"

There was a suppressed exclamation of horror, and a sound of
crowding together, and at that moment, Eustace, drawing aside the
curtain, advanced into the light, and was greeted by a frightful
shriek, which made him at first repent of having alarmed his sister,
but the next glance showed him that her place was empty, and a
thrill of dismay made him stand speechless and motionless, as he
perceived that the curtain he grasped was black, and the hall
completely hung with the same colour.

The servants remained huddled in terror round the hearth, and the
pause was first broken by a fair-faced boy, who, breaking from the
trembling circle, came forward, and in a quivering tone said, "Sir,
are you my father's spirit?"

Gaston's laugh came strangely on the scene, but Eustace, bending
down, and holding out his hand, said, "I am your uncle Eustace,
Arthur. Where is your mother?"

Arthur, with a wild cry of joy, sprung to his neck, and hid his face
on his shoulder; and at the same moment old Ralph, with uplifted
hands, cried, "Blessing on the Saints that my young Lord is safe,
and that mine eyes have seen you once again."

"But where, oh! where is my sister?" again demanded Eustace, as his
eye met that of Father Cyril, who, summoned by the screams of the
servants, had just entered the hall.