engraven over the arch, across the wide courtyard past the wide gate with

BE BOLD—­BE BOLD

engraven over it, never stopping, never thinking till she reached her own chamber.  And all the while the hand with the diamond ring lay in her kilted lap.

Now the very next day, when Mr. Fox and Lady Mary’s brothers returned from the lawyers, the marriage-contract had to be signed.  And all the neighbourhood was asked to witness it and partake of a splendid breakfast.  And there was Lady Mary in bridal array, and there was Mr. Fox, looking so gay and so gallant.  He was seated at the table just opposite Lady Mary, and he looked at her and said: 

“How pale you are this morning, dear heart.”

Then Lady Mary looked at him quietly and said, “Yes, dear sir!  I had a bad night’s rest, for I had horrible dreams.”

Then Mr. Fox smiled and said, “Dreams go by contraries, dear heart; but tell me your dream, and your sweet voice will speed the time till I can call you mine.”

“I dreamed,” said Lady Mary, with a quiet smile, and her eyes were clear, “that I went yesterday to seek the castle that is to be my home, and I found it in the woods with high walls and a deep dark moat.  And over the gateway were carven these words: 

BE BOLD—­BE BOLD.”

Then Mr. Fox spoke in a hurry.  “But it is not so—­nor it was not so.”

“Then I crossed the wide courtyard and went through a wide door over which was carven: 

BE BOLD, BE BOLD; BUT NOT TOO BOLD,”

went on Lady Mary, still smiling, and her voice was cold; “but, of course, it is not so, and it was not so.”

And Mr. Fox said nothing; he sate like a stone.

“Then I dreamed,” continued Lady Mary, still smiling, though her eyes were stern, “that I passed through a wide hall and up a wide stair and along a wide gallery until I came to a dark narrow door, and over it was carven: 

    BE BOLD, BE BOLD; BUT NOT TOO BOLD,
     LEST THAT YOUR HEART’S BLOOD SHOULD RUN COLD.

“But it is not so, of course, and it was not so.”

And Mr. Fox said nothing; he sate frozen.

“Then I dreamed that I opened the door and went down a dark narrow passage,” said Lady Mary, still smiling, though her voice was ice.  “And at the end of the passage there was a door, and the door had a chink in it.  And through the chink I saw a wide saloon lit with many candles, and all round it were the bones and bodies of poor dead maidens, their clothes all stained with blood; but of course it is not so, and it was not so.”

By this time all the neighbours were looking Mr. Fox-ways with all their eyes, while he sate silent.

But Lady Mary went on, and her smiling lips were set: 

“Then I dreamed that I ran downstairs and had just time to hide myself when you, Mr. Fox, came in dragging a young lady by the hair.  And the sunlight glittered on her diamond ring as she clutched the stair-rail, and you out with your sword and cut off the poor lady’s hand.”