I have no taste for antiquity--at least I should
not choose a house to reside in because it is old. Indeed, I do not
recollect that I was even so romantic as to overcome my aversion to
rats and rheumatism, those faithful attendants upon your noble relics
of feudalism; and I much prefer a snug, modern, unmysterious bedroom,
with well-aired sheets, to the waving tapestry, mildewed cushions, and
all the other interesting appliances of romance. However, though I
cannot promise you all the discomfort generally belonging to an old
castle, you will find legends and ghostly lore enough to claim your
respect; and if old Martha be still to the fore, as I trust she is,
you will soon have a supernatural and appropriate anecdote for every
closet and corner of the mansion. But here we are--so, without more
ado, welcome to Cahergillagh!" We now entered the hall of the castle, and while the domestics were
employed in conveying our trunks and other luggage which we had
brought with us for immediate use, to the apartments which Lord
Glenfallen had selected for himself and me, I went with him into a
spacious sitting-room, wainscoted with finely-polished black oak, and
hung round with the portraits of various worthies of the Glenfallen
family. This room looked out upon an extensive level covered with the softest
green sward, and irregularly bounded by the wild wood I have before
mentioned, through the leafy arcade formed by whose boughs and trunks
the level beams of the setting sun were pouring. In the distance a group
of dairy-maids were plying their task, which they accompanied throughout
with snatches of Irish songs which, mellowed by the distance, floated
not unpleasingly to the ear; and beside them sat or lay, with all the
grave importance of conscious protection, six or seven large dogs of
various kinds. Farther in the distance, and through the cloisters of the
arching wood, two or three ragged urchins were employed in driving such
stray kine as had wandered farther than the rest to join their fellows. As I looked upon the scene which I have described, a feeling of
tranquillity and happiness came upon me, which I have never experienced
in so strong a degree; and so strange to me was the sensation that my
eyes filled with tears. Lord Glenfallen mistook the cause of my emotion, and taking me kindly
and tenderly by the hand, he said:

"Do not suppose, my love, that it is my intention to _settle_ here. Whenever you desire to leave this, you have only to let me know your
wish, and it shall be complied with; so I must entreat of you not to
suffer any circumstances which I can control to give you one moment's
uneasiness. But here is old Martha; you must be introduced to her, one
of the heirlooms of our family." A hale, good-humoured, erect old woman was Martha, and an agreeable
contrast to the grim, decrepit hag which my fancy had conjured up, as
the depositary of all the horrible tales in which I doubted not this old
place was most fruitful. She welcomed me and her master with a profusion of gratulations,
alternately kissing our hands and apologizing for the liberty; until at
length Lord Glenfallen put an end to this somewhat fatiguing ceremonial
by requesting her to conduct me to my chamber, if it were prepared for
my reception. I followed Martha up an old-fashioned oak staircase into a long, dim
passage, at the end of which lay the door which communicated with the
apartments which had been selected for our use; here the old woman
stopped, and respectfully requested me to proceed. I accordingly opened the door, and was about to enter, when something
like a mass of black tapestry, as it appeared, disturbed by my sudden
approach, fell from above the door, so as completely to screen the
aperture; the startling unexpectedness of the occurrence, and the
rustling noise which the drapery made in its descent, caused me
involuntarily to step two or three paces backward. I turned, smiling
and half-ashamed, to the old servant, and said,--

"You see what a coward I am." The woman looked puzzled, and, without saying any more, I was about to
draw aside the curtain and enter the room, when, upon turning to do so,
I was surprised to find that nothing whatever interposed to obstruct the
passage. I went into the room, followed by the servant-woman, and was amazed to
find that it, like the one below, was wainscoted, and that nothing like
drapery was to be found near the door. "Where is it?" said I; "what has become of it?" "What does your ladyship wish to know?" said the old woman. "Where is the black curtain that fell across the door, when I attempted
first to come to my chamber?" answered I. "The cross of Christ about us!" said the old woman, turning suddenly
pale. "What is the matter, my good friend?" said I; "you seem frightened." "Oh no, no, your ladyship," said the old woman, endeavouring to conceal
her agitation; but in vain, for tottering towards a chair, she sank into
it, looking so deadly pale and horror-struck that I thought every moment
she would faint. "Merciful God, keep us from harm and danger!" muttered she at length. "What can have terrified you so?" said I, beginning to fear that she had
seen something more than had met my eye. "You appear ill, my poor
woman!" "Nothing, nothing, my lady," said she, rising. "I beg your ladyship's
pardon for making so bold. May the great God defend us from misfortune!" "Martha," said I, "something _has_ frightened you very much, and I
insist on knowing what it is; your keeping me in the dark upon the
subject will make me much more uneasy than anything you could tell me. I desire you, therefore, to let me know what agitates you; I command you
to tell me." "Your ladyship said you saw a black curtain falling across the door when
you were coming into the room," said the old woman. "I did," said I; "but though the whole thing appears somewhat strange, I
cannot see anything in the matter to agitate you so excessively." "It's for no good you saw that, my lady," said the crone; "something
terrible is coming. It's a sign, my lady--a sign that never fails." "Explain, explain what you mean, my good woman," said I, in spite of
myself, catching more than I could account for, of her superstitious
terror. "Whenever something--something _bad_ is going to happen to the
Glenfallen family, some one that belongs to them sees a black
handkerchief or curtain just waved or falling before their faces. I saw
it myself," continued she, lowering her voice, "when I was only a little
girl, and I'll never forget it. I often heard of it before, though I
never saw it till then, nor since, praised be God. But I was going into
Lady Jane's room to waken her in the morning; and sure enough when I got
first to the bed and began to draw the curtain, something dark was waved
across the division, but only for a moment; and when I saw rightly into
the bed, there she was lying cold and dead, God be merciful to me!