Year: 1874

said had no language but song. i took
| light and started in search of some posi-
tion where could hear better; but the
! old castle seemed to have been built
from a labyrinthine model. went
through the first story, and up and down
stairs, and along innumerable halls, till
at last l opened door which seemed
familiar and found myself again in my
own room, without knowing how / got
there. | noticed that my bed was re
made, the fire replenished, and that A
thick green curtain was drawn over the
Counts picture at the foot of the bed.
Some one had been herel


While l remained, listening, the song
recommended, but this time it seemed to
be above me.


lay down again and fell into a sleep,
from which i awoke in different frame
of mind. resolved to stay here, to con-
tinue the Counts good work, and to un-
ravel the riddle of the nocturnal song
stress.


After residence of half year had
discovered various means of dealing with
and even decreasing some of the pecul-
iarities of my servants. The honest and
sleeplessly vigilant porter, although
most foolish, gave me least care of all.
The poor Ounce had only one ardent
wish-to wear red coat, such as he
had once seen on fox-hunter. After
that l believe the already devoted fellow
was ready to go through fire and water
for me.


My gamekeeper, though almost dan
gerous if any one else presumed to order
-him-the King of Lapland, as he i'm
| agined himself to be-yet bowed in hum
BILE submission before me, whom | made
him believe to be the Gar of Russia.
My steward was such learned and
useful man that | resolved on heroic
cure of his monomania | brought gas
pipes from Pesth, and endeavored to
bargain with him to supply the castle
with gas from his breath The shock
occasioned by my proposition threw him
into severe illness, but he arose from
it an entirely sane man.


There were only two remaining in the
house who had not been, at least in a
measure, benefited by my system of
cure: one was my invisible siren and the
other was myself, who was in love with
her.


AS soon as daylight was gone her song
began--a song of the lark from human
lips; it came and went, sometimes sooth
ing me to sleep, and sometimes waking
me, but | could never discover whence
it came.


Nay, more-when | slept she came and
went in my room, often remaining hours.
| had several means of knowing this |
always leN lamp burning on my table.
When woke it was always eXtinguished,
and being turned down instead of blown
out had evidently been touched by a hu-
man hand. This was to prevent my see
ing her should suddenly awake. Again,
there was a clock near my bed; this /
wound up myself before retiring. If
fell asleep at eleven o'clock, and awoke
at four or five, the clock would stand at
one or two, and yet it went correctly in
the daytime. My invisible caller stopped
the clock, so that its striking should not
awaken me, and started it again when
she left. BY this means could tell how
long she remained.


And yet could find no trace of her
means of gaining admission. / myself
locked the doors, and left the keys in the
locks on the inside. My windows were
protected with iron grating. There could
be no trap-door in the floor, for the car.
pet was of one piece, and nailed down
around the edges of the wall. l tried the
walls, too, but nowhere was any trace of
hidden door. / took down the picture,
but was rewarded with nothing but cob
webs Then | examined the roof of the
castle, but found only an immense guam
tity of seed corn spread out directly over
my room. Neither could l discover any
door leading to the part of the castle
which she occupied, and her windows
were doubly secured with iron gratings.
What did this strange creature eat and
drink? Is she really spirit that exists
without food or raiment?,


questioned my servants, except the
porter, who l knew beforehand would
only answer, A master is master even
in hell" whereas l was not master in my
own house. The steward knew nothing
of the secret, but he assisted me in my
researches, and was as much astonished
as myself at what l related. The coach
man crossed himself, told a story of "a
ghost, and prayed | would allow masses
to be said for the repose of her soul.
My valet, LOUIS, said it was a wonder
fully beautiful enchanted girl, who
dressed in gold and silver, who drank
only dew, and lived on the nectar of
flowers like butterfly. At her will she
can change into air and pass invisibly
through doors. When it should come
winter l must notice the frost-pictures
on my windows. If l should find
round, melted spot among the flowers,
that would be the point through which
she had vanished. He had, at least,
poetical idea of the matter. Not so the
little gnome-like gamekeeper, who de
| clared it to be no good spirit. At night
she changed into werewolf and ate
little children. He claimed to have met
her often in the forest, and tried to shoot
her, but she seemed bullet-proof.


In vain ] tried feigning sleep. She
| seemed to understand my stratagem, and
/ hap nhf
| where near me, surely, but where?
pictured her tall and graceful, with
| blonde hair reaching to the floor and
| glittering like gold in the sunshine, com
pleXion transparent, long black eyelashes,
and melancholy, lustrous, sapphire eyes,
and the delicate lips marked with faint
line of pink.


My days were spent in the care of my
estate, but they were filed with inn
patience for the return of evening and
my fairy enchantress.


AT last dreamed of sitting with her
under the shade of pomegranate tree,
while the sun, mirrored in the lake be-
| fore us, threw its reflection upon her an
gelic face. In my dream gave her one
of the apples, which she pronounced
sour. then took one myself, and put
ting it between my lips told her it was
sweet and that she must take bite of
it. Oh, the absurd ideas we have in
dreams! She leanebover, smiling looked
at me with her glorious blue eyes, and
came nearer and nearer to take the red
kernel, Then suddenly she passionately
pressed her lips to mine, not like spirit
or dream-picture, but as real human be-
ing, Beside myself with unspeakable
rapture, / quickly threw both arms
around her-and at the instant sharp
outcry awoke me.


No, all that could not be merely a
dream. 1t was a human kiss, real en-


brace, living outcry And yet there
was no one in the rooml


A thought came into my head. l


sprang up and rushed to the chimney


Then was ashamed to have imagined


that my fairy could have come through


the hue! And to render the idea utterly
| oh nd hn IN f.,n . s.lN