"It is like a file," whispered Ellinor: "perhaps--" "You are right," said
Madeline, suddenly rising, "it is a file, and at the bars my father had
fixed against the window yesterday. Let us go down, and alarm the house."

"No, no; for God's sake, don't be so rash," cried Ellinor, losing all
presence of mind: "hark! the sound ceases, there is a louder noise below,
--and steps. Let us lock the door."

But Madeline was of that fine and high order of spirit which rises in
proportion to danger, and calming her sister as well as she could, till
she found her attempts wholly ineffectual, she seized the light with a
steady hand, opened the door, and Ellinor still clinging to her, passed
the landing-place, and hastened to her father's room; he slept at the
opposite corner of the staircase. Aram's chamber was at the extreme end
of the house. Before she reached the door of Lester's apartment, the
noise below grew loud and distinct--a scuffle--voices--curses--and now--
the sound of a pistol!--in a moment more the whole house was stirring.
Lester in his night robe, his broadsword in his hand, and his long grey
hair floating behind, was the first to appear; the servants, old and
young, male and female, now came thronging simultaneously round; and in a
general body, Lester several paces at their head, his daughters following
next to him, they rushed to the apartment whence the noise, now suddenly
stilled, had proceeded.

The window was opened, evidently by force; an instrument like a wedge was
fixed in the bureau containing Lester's money, and seemed to have been
left there, as if the person using it had been disturbed before the
design for which it was introduced had been accomplished, and, (the only
evidence of life,) Aram stood, dressed, in the centre of the room, a