Henderson was a respectable man; and although not affluent, was in tolerably easy circumstances. The night on which our story opens, which was in the September of the year 1530, was a remarkably wild and stormy one. The ancient oaks of the Torwood were bending and groaning beneath the pressure of the storm; and, ever and anon, large portions of the dark forest were rendered visible, and a wild light thrown into its deepest recesses by the flashing lightning. The night, too, was pitch-dark; and to add to its dismal character, a heavy drenching rain, borne on the furious blast, deluged the earth, and beat with violence on all opposing objects. "A terrible night this, goodwife," said Henderson to his helpmate, as he double-barred the outer door, while she stood behind him with a candle to afford him the necessary light to perform this operation. "I wish these streamers that have been dancing all night in the north may not bode some ill to poor Scotland. They were seen, I mind, just as they are now, eight nights precisely before that cursed battle of Flodden; and it was well judged by them that some serious disaster was at hand." "But I have heard you say, goodman," replied David Henderson's better-half, who--the former finding some difficulty in thrusting a bar into its place--was still detained in her situation of candle-holder, "that the fight of Flodden was lost by the king's descending from his vantage-ground." "True, good wife," said David; "but was not his doing so but a means of fulfilling the prognostication? How could it have been brought about else?" The door being now secured, Henderson and his wife returned without further colloquy into the house; and shortly after, it being now late, retired to bed. In the meantime, the storm continued to rage with unabated violence. The rush of the wind amongst the trees was deafening; and at first faintly, but gradually waxing louder, as the stream swelled with the descending deluge of rain, came the hoarse voice of the adjoining river on the blast as it boiled and raged along. Henderson had been in bed about an hour--it was now midnight--but had been kept awake by the tremendous sounds of the tempest, when, gently jogging his slumbering helpmate-- "Goodwife," he said, "listen a moment. Don't you hear the voice of some one shouting without?" They now both listened intently; and loudly as the storm roared, soon distinguished the tramp of horses' feet approaching the house. In the next moment, a rapid succession of thundering strokes on the door, as if from the butt end of a heavy whip, accompanied by the exclamations of-- "Ho! within there! house, house!" gave intimation that the rider sought admittance. "Who can this be?" said Henderson, making an attempt to rise; in which, however, he was resisted by his wife, who held him back, saying-- "Never mind them, David; let them just rap on. This is no time to admit visitors. Who can tell who they may be?"