But scarcely had she emerged fairly into the moonlight, when a low, deep growl startled her, proceeding apparently from the barn. Looking eagerly in that direction, her heart sank, for she saw the ferocious bloodhound, which she had observed on her arrival, slowly rising to his feet from out of the shadow. His huge form, as he stalked into the light, seemed, to the excited nerves of our heroine, to be of even more colossal stature than it was in reality; and with a stifled groan, clasping her hands, she stood transfixed in speechless horror.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
INTERCEPTED
A violet by a mossy stone,
Half hidden from the eye,
Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky. —Wordsworth.
Suddenly a figure glided forth into the moonlight, which, for one moment, Kate almost fancied was a spirit. It was clothed in white, and bore the semblance of a young girl, not more than ten years old; but so sylph-like were its movements, so noiseless its tread, and so pure and innocent was the expression of the face, that it could not, Kate thought, be there, yet be earthly. This transient illusion, however, was instantly dissipated, by a childish voice calling out to the dog, in low tones, as if fearful of awaking the sleepers.
The bloodhound apparently recognized the accents as those of one who had shown him acts of kindness, for he ceased growling immediately, and going up to the young girl, lifted his head as if to be caressed. The child patted the ferocious animal, whispering soothingly to him, on which he crouched down at her feet, like the lion before Una.
Our heroine fully expected that the alarm given by the dog would have aroused the sleepers; and she even fancied, for an instant, that she heard the refugees stirring. She turned, therefore, eagerly to fly, but at the first step the young girl advanced, laying her hand on Kate’s arm and shaking her head in the negative.
Kate glanced affrightedly over her shoulder, sure that she would behold Arrison; but her excited fancy had run ahead of the reality. She drew a deep sigh of relief, and turning to the young girl, said, breathlessly.
“You will not stop me—you will save me from these dreadful men, by letting me go before they awake.”
The child shook her head again.
“I dare not,” she said, but in a low, sweet voice.