le, and bring his weapons into the saloon. I beg
pardon, worthy sir, that these carles should have kept you so long
waiting; but there is no beating sense into their thick heads. Will you
follow me?"

He led on over the bridge, followed by Albert, whose heart beat in full
expectation and longing desire to see and surprise his beloved. But
recollecting the adventures of the preceding night, and the feeling
which first prompted him to come to this spot, he blushed in shame for
having suspected her fidelity. His eye sought all the windows in the
hopes of seeing her; his ear was sharpened to catch if possible the
sound of her voice: but in vain did his eye search the windows; in vain
did his ear listen.

They had now reached the inner gate. It was strongly built, according
to the ancient manner, with a portcullis, and openings above, to throw
down boiling oil and water; and provided with all the other means of
defence made use of in the olden times to repel a besieging enemy,
should he have made himself master of the bridge. But it was not to the
massive walls and fortifications alone which surrounded the castle that
Lichtenstein was indebted for its security; nature claimed her share
also in it. The rock itself formed a principal part of the habitation,
having large roomy stables, and apartments which served as cellars,
hewn out of it. A winding staircase led to the upper part of the
castle, where military defences were likewise not less thought of than
elsewhere. On the landing place, leading to the different rooms, and
generally appropriated in similar habitations to the purposes of
keeping the household utensils, were now to be seen match-guns, large
chests containing shot, and divers other warlike weapons.[1] The old
knight's eye rested with a peculiar expression of pride upon this
singular species of household furniture; and it is a fact that, in
those days, the possessor of heavy artillery was accounted a man of
opulence and wealth, for it was not every one who could afford to
defend his castle with four or six such pieces as were possessed by the
lord of the castle.

Another staircase led to the second story, upon which the knight of
Lichtenstein showed his guest into a fine large saloon, lighted by
several windows. He gave a sign to a servant who had followed them up,
to withdraw.

FOOTNOTE TO CHAPTER XX.:

[Footnote 1: There is a description, in an old chronicle, of
Lichtenstein, as it existed at the end of