He smiled and nodded, but made no reply.

“Now,” said he, “my old crone, come and let me hear what you have to say for me;” and as he spoke another coin was dropped into her withered and skinny hand.

“Bring me a candle,” said she, in a voice that whistled with age, and if one could judge by her hag-like and repulsive features, with a malignity that was a habit of her life.  After having inspected his palm with the candle, she uttered three eldrich laughs, or rather screams, that sounded through the room as if they were more than natural.

“Ha, ha, ha!” she exclaimed; “look here; there’s the line of life stopped by a red instrument; that’s not good; I see it, I feel it; your life will be short and your death violent; ay, indeed, the purty bonfire of your life, for all so bright as it burns, will be put out wid blood—­and that soon.”

“You’re a d—­d old croaker,” said Woodward, “and take delight in predicting evil.  Here, my good woman,” he added, turning to the other, “there’s an additional half-crown for you, and I won’t forget your words.”

He and Charles then joined their friends in the other room, and as it was getting late they all resolved to stroll once more through the town, in order to take a parting look at the bonfires, to wish the people good-night, and to thank them for the kindness and alacrity with which they got them up, and manifested their good feeling upon so short a notice.  The large fire was again blazing, having been recruited with a fresh supply of materials.  The crowd were looking on; many were staggering about, uttering a feeble huzza, in a state of complete intoxication, and the fool of the parish was attempting to dance a hornpipe, when large, blob-like drops began to fall, as happens at the commencement of a heavy shower.  Lindsay put his hand to his face, on which some few of them had fallen, and, on looking at his fingers, perceived that they were spotted as if with blood!

“Good God!” he exclaimed, “what is this?  Am I bleeding?”

They all stared at him, and then at each other, with dismay and horror; for there, unquestionably, was the hideous and terrible fact before them, and legible on every! face around them—­it was raining blood!

An awe, which we cannot describe, and a silence, deep as that of the grave, followed this terrible prodigy.  The silence did not last long, however, for in a few minutes, during which the blood fell very thickly, making their hands and visages appear as if they had been steeped in gore—­in a few moments, we say, the heavens, which had become one black and dismal mass, opened, and from the chasm issued a red flash of lightning, which was followed almost immediately by a roar of thunder, so loud and terrific that the whole people became fearfully agitated as they stood round the blaze.  It was extremely difficult, indeed, for ignorant persons to account for, or speculate upon, this strange and frightful phenomenon.