“It’s all very well for you, girls,” said she merrily; “but my fate is fixed!”
“Yes, we know; but do try just to see if there is any truth it,” pleaded her companions.
Helen’s good nature was not proof against their mingled entreaties, and laughingly suffering herself to be blindfolded, she approached the magic spot, and thrusting out her hand at random, placed it in the empty dish 1 Mrs. Stewart changed colour, while many a young heart began to waver in its first wild faith in the supernatural, and Helen looked round triumphant in her superior wisdom.
“Are you satisfied, now?” said she.
“Oh! not yet; you must try twice more-three times is the magic number.”
“As you will,” said the girl, tossing back her bright curls, and kneeling down before Mrs. Stewart in order to have the handkerchief securely refastened about her eyes; a task of some little difficulty, for the old lady’s hands trembled strangely. The position of the luggies was changed, and again the bride elect put forth her white hand with the same result; while her merry laughter sounded fearfully distinct in the silence that followed.
“Let me see; I have one more chance,” said Helen, glancing archly towards the pale and wondering faces of her companions, who drew closer to her, holding their very breath for fear, as she again approached the ordeal, and, this time, placed her hand in the clear water; while the widow uttered a fervent ejaculation of thankfulness, and all looked relieved but the bride herself, who carelessly removing the bandage from her eyes, went back with the same glad smile to her seat by the open casement, and began to wonder what Willie was doing now; but, whatever it was, she felt quite sure that his thoughts were all her own.
And now the long gathering storm bursting forth at length, the little party rapidly dispersed to their various homes, to dream, perchance, a thousand wild, vain fantasies, that haunt us none the less because we know them to be such; and that, unless a miracle be worked in our behalf, they may never come to pass. While as they went they spoke of the bride’s strange beauty, and shook their heads and sighed, and wished she had not laughed quite so much at what seemed to them a sure omen of evil.
“And yet all ended well at last,” said one of the girls.
“Yes; she will be a bride, but not yet-not so soon as she thinks for-perchance not even his!” A vivid flash of lightning followed the words of the last speaker, and seemed, to her credulous companions, to confirm them.
“What a fearful night I” said Mrs. Stewart, as she closed the door upon their departing guests, and came and sat down by Helen’s side. “Are you not frightened at our wild mountain storms?”
“No indeed, I was only rejoicing that he is safe. In my selfish love I have no other fear.”
Oh! can devotion such as this be termed selfishness? We think not; and the widow agrees with us in spite of her harshness, which we often suspect to be more than half assumed, for there are tears gathering in her eyes, which she vainly endeavours to twinkle away unobserved.
“Now you are grieving about something,” said Helen, caressingly; for it was sufficient that Mrs. Stewart was Willie’s only relative, to make her love the old woman dearly, notwithstanding her occasional ill-humour; “and I dare not think it is at the idea of so soon losing one who has only been a plague and a trouble to you.”
“I was thinking, just then, less of the past than the future,” replied her companion, dreamily.
“Ah! the happy, happy future!” exclaimed the girl, clasping her hands joyfully together.
“Heaven send it may be so!”
“Amen,” said Helen, more calmly. “But what is it that you fear?”
“Nothing-nothing; and now let us to bed, for you must be up early in the morning.”
It was, as Mrs. Stewart had said, a fearful night; but Heleu thought less of the heavy rain, which came driving against the casement, or the vivid lightning flash, than a certain wreath, laid out so temptingly against the morning, that she could not resist placing it, for a moment, amidst ber jetty curls; smiling, as she did so, less in pride at ber own beauty-of which she was by no means unconscious than that he might well be proud of her. And then retiring to her simple bed, slept as soundly as most maidens do on the eve of their wedding day, rocked by the fierce tempest from without.
Towards morning, however, all grew bright and clear; and even had it not been so, Helen would have had no fears for her lover’s safety, so well did he know every inch of ground which he had to pase over; it was only the darkness that she had dreaded. And now the white robes were donned, and the bridal wreath once again and this time in sober earnestness-encircled her sunny brow; while her bridesmaids could not but praise and wonder at her rare beauty. And still they said among themselves they wished she would not laugh quite so much-that she were not quite so gay. But Helen was no hypocrite; hitherto courted and admired as she had been, her life for the most part was a lonely one, while henceforth as Willie Graham’s wife, it would be one of love, and joy, and bappiness. What marvel, then, that she should rejoice? For Helen had no home, or friends to grieve at quitting, but only him in the wide world!
It had been agreed that if Willie returned in time, he should call at the cottage of his aunt, and accompany the bridal procession to church; but otherwise he was to meet them there and after waiting a brief period, Helen was the first to propose their starting without him. Mrs. Stewart, who looked unusually pale and grave, instantly acquiesced; and, two and two, in their white robes, and each carrying a bouquet of flowers, the bridal party quitted the cottage, and wound slowly up the green mountain paths which led to the ancient and time-hallowed kirk, passing as they did so Helen’s future home, which she pointed joyously out to her companions. Just at that moment appeared another party approaching the same from an opposite direction, whose attention being
