"
"No! mother, no, not afraid, not afraid to venture a fall, or meet a
sprinkling of sea spray, and good truth I have enough to do with
fears in doors, here in this grim old mansion, without--"
"Fears?"--
"Yes, fears, dear mother," said the boy, looking archly round at his
attendant, who waited in the back ground, and who vainly sought by
signs to silence her unruly charge.
"Do you know that the figure of King Herod, cruel Herod, the murderer
of his wife, and the slayer of the innocents, stalks down every night
from the tapestry in my sleeping room and wanders through the
galleries at midnight; and than the cross, where the three Jews were
executed a long, long time ago, in the reign of King John I think;
they say that it drops blood on the morning of the Holy Friday;--and
then mother, and this is really true," continued the child, changing
from his playful manner to a tone of great earnestness, "there is
the figure of a lady in rich attire, but pale, very pale, who glides
through the apartments--yes; Herbert and Richard and several of the
serving men have seen it; and mistress Alice, poor old soul once was
seen to address it, but she would allow no one to question her on the
subject; and they say it was her doom, and that she must therefore
die of her present sickness. Ay: 'twas in this very room too--the
lady's chamber."
"Boy," interrupted Lord Greville sternly, "if thou canst find no
better subject for thy prate, than these unbecoming fooleries, be
silent--Helen! why should you encourage his forwardness, and girlish
love of babbling? Go hence, sirrah! take thyself to rest; and you,
Margaret," added he, turning angrily to the woman, "remember that
from this hour I hear no more insolent remarks, on any dwelling it
may suit your betters to inhabit, nor of this imp's cowardly
apprehensions.
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