torrents against the windows and everything seemed to speak the 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 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 l o north anger abbey 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 e straining with curiosity her � grasped the of a drawer and drew it forth it was entirely empty with less alarm and greater eagerness she seized a second a third a fourth � each was equally empty not one was left and in not one was anything found well read in the art of concealing a treasure the possibility of false to the did not escape her and she felt round each anxious in vain the place in the middle alone remained now and though she had u never from the first had the smallest idea of finding anything in any part of the cabinet and was not in the least disappointed at her ill success thus far it would be foolish not to examine it thoroughly while she was about it it was some time however before she could the door the same difficulty in the management of this inner lock as of the outer but at length it did open and not vain as hitherto was her her quick eyes directly fell on a roll of paper pushed back into the further part of the for concealment and her feelings at that moment � indescribable her heart fluttered her knees and her cheeks grew pale she seized with an hand the precious manuscript for half a glance j to ascertain written and while she with awful sensations this striking ex of what henry had foretold resolved ri y to every line before she attempted to abbey l l the of the light her candle made her turn to it with alarm but there was no danger of its sudden it had yet some hours to bum and that she might not have any greater difficulty in the writing than what its ancient date might occasion she it alas i it was and extinguished m one a lamp could not have expired with more awful effect for a few moments was motionless horror it was done completely not a remnant of light in the could give hope to the breath darkness impenetrable and filled the room a violent gust of wind rising with sudden fury added fresh horror to the moment trembled from head to foot in the pause which succeeded a sound like receding footsteps and the closing of a distant door struck on her ear human nature could support no more a cold sweat stood on her forehead the manuscript fell from her hand and groping her way to the bed she jumped hastily in and sought some of agony by creeping far underneath the clothes to close her eyes in sleep that night she felt must be entirely out of the question with a curiosity so justly awakened and feelings in every way so agitated repose must be absolutely impossible the storm too abroad so dreadful she had not been used to feel alarm from wind but now every blast seemed with awful intelligence the manuscript so wonderfully found so wonderfully the morning s how was it to be accounted for what could it contain to whom could it relate by what means could it have been so long concealed and how singularly strange that it should fall to her lot to discover it till she had made herself mistress of its contents however she could have neither repose nor comfort and with the sun s first rays she was determined to l it but many were the tedious hours which must yet she shuddered tossed about in her bed and envied every quiet the storm still raged and various were the noises more terrific even than the wind which struck at intervals on her startled ear the very curtains of her bed seemed at one moment in motion and at another the lock of her door was agitated as if by the attempt of somebody to enter hollow murmurs seemed to creep along the gallery and more than once her blood was chilled by the sound of distant hour after hour passed away and the wearied had heard three proclaimed by all the in the house before the tempest subsided or she fell fast asleep ji the s folding back her at eight o clock the next day was the sound which first roused and she opened her eyes wondering that they could ever have been closed on objects of cheerfulness her fire was already burning and a bright morning had succeeded the tempest of the night with the consciousness of existence returned her recollection of the manuscript and springing from her bed in the very moment of the maid s going away she eagerly collected every scattered sheet which had burst from the roll on its falling to the ground and flew back to enjoy the luxury of their perusal on her pillow she now plainly saw that she must not expect a manuscript of equal length with the of wliat she had shuddered over in books for 