was something in this reply ht which it was uttered that made the heart him but he his his hospitable entreaties the strange shook his head silently but positively at y and waving his farewell to the company stalked slowly out of the the maiden the bride hung her head and a tear stole to her eye the baron followed die stranger to the great court of the castle where the stood the earth and with when they had the whose deep was dimly lighted by a he strange paused and addressed die baron in a of voice which the roof rendered still now that we are alone said he i will impart to you the reason of my going t hare a solemn an indispensable engagement why the baron you send some one in your place i it admits of no i must attend it must away to cathedral � aye said the baron up spirit not until to morrow � to morrow you shall bride there � no not replied the stronger with solemnity my engagement is with � d � � t� ft the worms expect me i am a dead mm jl have been slain by robbers � my body lies at at midnight i am to be buried � the grave is waiting for i must my appointment he sprang on his black dashed over the and the of his horse s were lost in the whistling of the night blast the baron returned to the hall in the utmost consternation and related what had passed two ladies fainted outright others at the idea of having with a it was the of some that this might be the wild famous in german legend some talked of mountain of wood and of other beings with which the good people of germany have been so harassed since time one of the poor relations ventured to suggest that it might be some of the young and that the very of the caprice seemed to accord with so melancholy a personage this however drew on him the indignation of the whole company and especially of the baron who looked upon him as little better than an so that he was fain to his as speedily as possible and come into die faith of the true but whatever may have been the doubts enter hb re tamed they were completely put to an end by the arrival next day of regular the intelligence of the young count s murder and his in cathedral � the dismay at the castle may well be imagined the baron shut himself up in his chamber the guests who had come to rejoice with him could not think of him in his distress they wandered about the courts or collected in in the hall shaking their heads and their shoulders at the troubles of so good a man and sat longer than ever at table and ate and drank more stoutly than ever by way of keeping up their spirits but the situation of the bride was the most pitiable to have lost husband before she had even embraced � and a husband if the very could be so gracious and noble what must have been the living she filled the house with � � on the might of the second day of her hood she had retired to her chamber accompanied by one of her who insisted on sleeping with hen the aunt who was one of the best of ghost stories in all germany had just been r one of her longest and had fallen asleep in the very midst of it the chamber was remote and overlooked a small garden the niece gazing at the of the rising the s they trembled on the leaves of sin tree before the the castle clock had just midnight when a soft strain of music stole up from the garden she rose hastily from her bed f and stepped lightly to the window a tall figure stood among the shadows of the trees as it raised its head a beam of moonlight fell upon the countenance heaven and earth she beheld the bridegroom a loud shriek at that mo ment burst upon her ear and her aunt who been awakened by the music and had followed her silently to the window fell into her arms when � he looked again the had disappeared of the two females the aunt now required the most soothing for she was perfectly beside herself with terror as to the young lady there something even in the of her lover that seemed there was still the semblance of manly beauty and though the shadow of a man is but little calculated to satisfy the affections of h love sick girl yet where the substance is not to be had even that is the aunt de she would never sleep in that chamber again the niece for once was and declared as strongly that she would sleep in no other in the castle the consequence was that she had to sleep in it alone but she drew a promise from her aunt not to relate the story of the lest vol i t the bridegroom should he denied the only melancholy pleasure left her on earth � that of the chamber over which the guardian shade of her lover kept its nightly how long the good old lady would have observed this promise is uncertain for she dearly loved to talk of the marvellous and there is a in being the first to tell a frightful story it is however still quoted in the neighbourhood as a memorable instance of female secrecy that she kept it to herself for a whole week when she was suddenly from all further restraint by in brought to the breakfast table one ing that the young lady was not to be found her room was empty � the bed had not been slept iii the 