felt the smallest fatigue from her journey and even then even in moments of or restraint a sense of general happiness and she could think of her in bath without one wish of being with them the night was stormy the wind had been rising at intervals the whole afternoon and by the time the party broke up it blew and rained violently as she crossed the hall listened to the tempest with sensations of awe and when she heard it rage round a comer of the ancient building and close with sudden fury a distant door felt for the first time that she was really in an abbey yes these were characteristic sounds they brought to her recollection a countless variety of dreadful situations and horrid scenes which such buildings had witnessed and such storms ushered in and most heartily did she rejoice in the happier circumstances attending her entrance within walls so solemn she had nothing to dread from midnight or drunken henry had certainly been only in jest in what he had told her that morning in a house so and so guarded she could have nothing to explore or to suffer and might go to her bed room as securely as if it had been her own chamber at thus wisely her mind as she proceeded up stairs she was enabled especially on perceiving that miss slept only two doors from her to enter her room with a tolerably stout heart and her spirits were immediately assisted by the cheerful blaze of a wood fire how much better is this said she as she walked to the much better to find a fire ready lit than to have to wait shivering in the cold till all the family are in bed as so many poor have been obliged to do and then to have a old servant one by coming in with a how glad i am that is what it is if it had been like some other places i do not know that in such a night as this i could have answered for my courage bat now to be sure there is nothing to alarm one she looked round the room the window curtains seemed in motion it could be nothing but the violence of the wind penetrating through the divisions of the shutters and she boldly forward carelessly humming a tune to assure herself of its being so peeped behind each curtain saw on either low window seat to scare her and on placing a hand against the felt the strongest conviction of the wind s force a glance at the old chest as she turned away from this examination was not without its use she scorned the fears of an idle fancy and began with a most happy indifference to prepare herself for bed she should take her time she should not hurry herself she did not care if she were the last person up in the house but she would not make up her fire that would seem cowardly as if she wished for the protection of light after she were in bed the fire therefore died away and having spent the best part of an hour in her arrangements was beginning to think of stepping into bed when on giving a parting glance round the room she was struck by the appearance of a high old fashioned black cabinet which though in a situation conspicuous enough had never caught her notice before henry s words his description of the r abbey cabinet which was to escape her at first rushed across her and though there could be nothing really in it there was something it was certainly a very remarkable coincidence she took her candle and looked closely at the cabinet it was not absolutely and gold but it was black and yellow of the kind and as she held her candle the yellow had very much the effect of gold the key was in the door and she had a strange fancy to look into it not however with the smallest expectation of finding anything but it was so very odd after what henry had said in short she could not sleep till she had examined it so placing the candle with great caution on a chair she seized the key with a very tremulous hand and tried to torn it but it resisted her utmost strength alarmed but not discouraged she tried it another way a bolt flew and she believed herself successful but how strangely mysterious the door was still she paused a moment in breathless wonder the wind roared down the chimney the rain beat in torrents against the windows and everything seemed to speak the at of her situation to retire to bed however on such a point would be vain since sleep must be impossible with the consciousness of a cabinet so mysteriously closed in her immediate vicinity again therefore she applied herself to the key and after moving it in every possible way for some with the determined of hope s last effort the door suddenly yielded to her hand her heart leaped with exultation at such a victory and having thrown open each folding door the second being secured only by of less wonderful construction than the lock though in that her eye could not discern anything unusual a double range of small drawers appeared in view with some larger drawers above and below them and in the centre a small door closed also with lock and key secured in all probability a of importance s heart beat quick but her courage did not fail her with a cheek flushed by hope and an eye straining north abbey with her fingers grasped the handle of a drawer and drew it forth it was entirely empty with less alarm and greater eagerness she seized a second a third a was equally empty not one was left and id not one was anything 