How far he had advanced he had not noticed, when he heard a momentary rustling of leaves at some little distance in advance of him.

The faint breeze had died away; the movement among the leaves had been no doubt produced by the creeping or the flying of some creature of the night.

Looking up, at the moment when he was disturbed by this trifling incident, he noticed a bright patch of moonlight ahead as he advanced to a new turn in the path.
The instant afterward he was startled by the appearance of a figure, emerging into the moonlight from the further end of the shrubbery, and rapidly approaching him.

He was near enough to see that it was the figure of a woman.

Was it one of the female servants, hurrying back to the house after an interview with a sweetheart?
In his black evening dress, he was, in all probability, completely hidden by the deep shadow in which he stood.