Evening star., 1896-11-07

dine, as elf-lilSe. immaterial and changeful
as the creation Of Baron Pouque.
There was romance. strangeness. a
wildness about the whole affair which fas-
cinated and enthralled ME- The weird
and almost miraculous way in which had
alghted upon the spot, the feudal castle,
the roaring torrent and the six beautiful
countesses We're like the images of a fairy
tale There was, besides, the charm of
that still and shady glade, and a charm
in the unfathomab,e mystery which en-
veioped the island, the castle and Its occu-
pants And. above ali, there was the
charm of solitude. which the pres
ence of these speechless girls made
greater than if had been alone. / was
IKE an Adam in a garden with six voice
less Ewes. and / would have been immeas-
urabiy content had they not still persisted
in believing me to be the recrean; Non
Dunkelheim
They wandered with ne through The
island and with childish pleasure show ed
me all their favorite hooks and corners.
l lay al length upon the green turf by The
hour, and watched their graceful forms
and lovely faces, they strolled rast me-
or as they sat near by upon a mossy bank.
They plucked for me rare exotic flowers
from the garden, and side by side we gaZed
into the founi ain. where. as j now learned
10 The confusion OF the culprits. Lorelci and
Undine were wont 10 wade barefooted. We
then explored the castle through and
through. We descended into the bottom of
the deepest donjon: we Clambered over the
tops of the highest baltlements: W. climbed
up into every tower. and we perched our
selves within every turret, so that there
was no par; of the strange aid venerable
| pile with which l was not familiar After
the abominabic injuries whicn l had suf-
fered al The hands Of Won Duakelhcim |
naturally felt no longer any cOmpunctions
Of conscience about reading his letter. Be
fore the afternoon had passed, watching
my chance to open ii unobserNcd. | had
made myself master of ats contents. and
the nature of my discoveries made me glad
that L had done The letter was from
Graf Won Schreckenstrohm. 1t was dated
at oldendorf, three days before, and ran
| as follows:
my Dear August: Once more l have had
to imprison my six daught in the Castle
Of Schre.kensI rohm, ard there they shall
stay until they come TO their senses. You
Know, OF course, abont their peculiar in
hrmity. IL has grown upon them since
their mother's death. until | cannot bear
them ioEger in the house with me. 4 am
| determined TO marry them off, come what
Will, and you shall have your choice from
| the half dozen Ii is for this that 1 have
| summoned you to Odendorf. / shall meet
you at the station with my carriage and
take you Immediately to the castle. There
you shall Say Until one of them | care
| not which. consents 10 become your wife.
| l nave certain claims upon you, you
| know, and shall expect you at six on
Thursday night.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
| 1 read this letter with emotions Of min
gled horror and rage. This inhulnan mon
1 ster, SO aDtiy named the wild boar. i'm
| prisoned his inofensive ard lovely chill
dren in this melancholy castle: treated
them like maiei actors. and for what? Sole
| ly, forscOth. because their sad infrmty.
their lack Of speech. annoyed him. | hated
him for il from my Inmcst heart, and also
mated him for the coarse and cruel way
! in which ne had sci this Won Dunkelheim
| uron them. 1t was like opening the gates
| and turning the wolf into the pasture after
| the lambs. The only thing that perDleNed
| ne vas the question: Why had yon Dun
kelneita run away
When the ,iay had almost gone We dined
| together. in the same chamber where |
had ealen The mysterious breakfast. This
was also a strange experience: three
damsels on either side of me at table. and
l doing all the talking. Here II was that 1
discovered that there was still another
| person upon The island. Dame Geiskopf. a
deaf and dumb old woman, half servant,
! half companion or goVerness, who in some
| remote and undiscoverable part OF the
castle c0ncocted and evolved dishes worthy
| of the ''Trois freres provenceauN. Here
! was flaw in my theories: the six count
| esses had not cooked MY breakfast after
all /. however. comforted myself with he
reflection that undoubtedly they might
have Gene so had thcy wished.
Shortly after We had dlned we all re-
| paired to d large and magnifcontly fur
| niSheI salon adjoining the neXagonal tower
of The six bed rooms. and there L passed
most pleasant evening. 1t is true that the
old duenlId. Frau GeiSkopf, stole into the
| room a few minutes after We had taken
| possession of il, and seating herself at
! one end of the chamber, bolt Jprighr aud
| immova able. gdzed upon US with the un-
1 winhine glare OF the basilisk. But il mat
| tered little TO me, for she do af
4 the couatesses were dumb, and before her
very face 4 made The most fiatt5ring and
4 tender speeches to them all: at the same
time. however. singing out as the object
of my most fervid and affectonate atte1-
tions that dark-eyed, statuesque and
| thoughtful beauty. the peerless Brunhilda,
| with whom 4 must confess was. even at
that "a 4: stage of the proceedings, most
deSpefa ieiy in love.
| the salon contained, besides luxurious
oriental furniture and exquisite paintings,
| a number OF musical Instruments -zithers.
| lutes and mandolins-from which al times
| the six maidens. Singly or by twos and
! threes, produced for my entertainment the
most delightful harmonies. What con-
! trast, thought |. Ito the modern func-
! ton, where one hears only the cacklinS of
! a score Of slriil-voiced women" Later in
| the evening Neutrality-suspicious. and cakes
J ard wine-were br ught in and served by
tndlne asiI lSoiGe. and, as 4 sal fhere,
! half reclining upon d huge divan Of SONIC
! eastern material, nnistered to by these
/ ethereal and silent Hebes-while two or
| three others of The Syren band clustered
! around me in tanial:ziag proximity. and
! still others struck from either and mando-
I'm The Elrst GtaNe,aIy strains of Schuatrt
| ana Mend, isschn and Sci.umann-I re-
minded myself of Apou Hassan in the
Ara Dan Nights, where he finds hiuist-le
! suddenly transformed into The Caliph iia-
! roun Al:aSchlI, and Is waited upon and
! entertained Ey the twenty lovely o Ia
! lIsGues OF tie five chambers: Eyes de-
| sire ard Hearts ",light' ana Light OF
! day. ana all the lest OF them.
At Ia O'Clock precisely the old ogre Of a
! chaperon, Dame Geiskopf, arose ai.I ma le
motion of authority, and imT. ltately
! the SIX daughters oil the Graf Won SCn.cCil-
enstrohm dropped their occupations and
! spranS up and prepared to retire. They
gathered round me alid took my hand az
! iecilonately, and, bidding me gour al, mt
! in their mute pantomime, followed lie
| duenna oHt OF small door at one side Of
! ;nc a, al tmeni. Brunhilda was the last to
go. She turned in the doorway and looked
| at ME aith l., ushing glance. l kissed nay
| hand to her, ana 4 thought she iii
same to me nCi she shut the dopr 50
| quickly nat i was not certain Of IL.
Part v.
On th. morning of the next day I arose
! betime and made a hasty toilet 1 hurried
downstairs an search of my hos;esses. L
! found them in The courtyard OF the castle,
| and was pleased to notice that their greet
| ing fully amiable as was Their
| leave-taking the night before. While | WAS
| standing, among them, saying to them all
nA nrt.it IA