She stood at the altar quite unconscious of the awful rite that was in progress: she did not hear a word--she did not see a thing that was passing: her whole sense and energy--her very principle of life, were bound in the torpor of despair. The priest took up her hand. The fearful horror and utter hopelessness of her situation, to which she had for a moment appeared insensible, now burst upon her again. Her heart seemed to leap to her mouth, and to force her, in spite of herself, to say aloud--“O, God! hast thou forsaken me?” The words had hardly escaped her, when a loud and prolonged knocking, that made the building ring, was inflicted on the chapel-door. “’Tis he! ’tis he!” screamed Evaline. So speaking, she broke away from the priest, and darted towards the chapel-door. Before she could reach it, however, Sir Edgar, who was scarcely less agitated than she was, sprang after her, and arrived at the door first. “Who knocks?” he demanded. “In the name of our sovereign lady the Queen, open the door,” was the reply. The voice was Bernard Gray’s. CHAPTER IX. Master Shedlock, on fastening the lower door of the hall behind him, in the manner set forth heretofore, resumed his progress, and passed on to the kitchen. There, as was already made manifest, he found Abigail and Zedekiah, whom his appearance quite diverted from their design of ejecting the cut onion. Abigail was the first to recover herself. “What ails thee, master?” she cried. “She’s dead!” answered Shedlock. “I have seen her spirit.” “Mean’st thou mistress?” demanded Abigail, earnestly. “She’s dead!” repeated Shedlock. “Go to! she was a good mistress!” cried Abigail, bursting into tears. “I will go see her.” Shedlock seized her by the arm. “Woman, she’s dead, I tell thee!” he cried. “Go get some neighbours to lay her out.” Abigail made no reply, but, as he dropped his hold of her arm, stepped towards the rearward door, and proceeded on the errand he had charged her with. He remained stationary himself, with his eyes fixed on the open door, in evident abstraction and bewilderment, for upwards of half an hour. After that interval, Abigail returned, accompanied by two other women, tenants of a neighbouring cottage, whom she had brought to assist her in laying out her mistress. “Shall we go see her now?” she asked of Shedlock. “Ay,” replied the Puritan. “And let some one stay with her till her burying.” Zedekiah, who had hitherto stood perfectly still, as if he had not understood what was passing, here gave a slight start. “Look you this be minded,” continued Shedlock: “so shall my heart be at rest.”