at the slightest movement, which would not be noticed in
the day time. If his foot stepped upon a grain of sand, its grating
sound went up the winding stairs, and startled him into the supposition
that the whole house was on the alert. Having arrived at the first
floor, he listened again, and heard nothing but the faint cracking of
the dying embers on the hearth of the kitchen. At last he got to his
destination, an expedition upon which he had expended a whole quarter
of an hour's time, which otherwise was an affair but of a moment. He
placed himself in the niche, and drew the wing of the gate closer to
him, so that it fully covered his position. A fissure in the door was
large enough to enable him to see distinctly every thing that passed.
Nothing appeared to move in the castle, though he thought he heard
light footsteps above him, which he supposed might be those of Bertha.

After waiting a tedious long quarter of an hour, the village clock
struck eleven. This being the appointed time of the nocturnal visit,
Albert directed all his attention to hear the stranger's approach. A
few minutes after he heard the dog bark, when at the same time
a deep voice from the other side of the ditch hailed, and said,
"Lichtenstein!"

"Who comes there?" was answered from the castle.

"The man is there," replied the other voice, which sounded familiar to
his ear as being the one he had heard in the cavern.

The watchman, an old man, came forth from a casemate hewn out of the
rock, and opened the lock of the drawbridge with a large curiously
wrought key. Whilst he was thus employed the dog came bounding down the
stairs, whining and wagging his tail, and jumped upon the old man, as
if to assist him in letting fall the bridge for his master to enter.
Bertha shortly after descended with a lantern, and assisted him with
her light, for it appeared he had some difficulty in opening the lock.

"Make haste, Balthaser," she whispered to the old watchman, "he has
been waiting some time, it is cold outside, and the wind blows keen."

"I have now only to unfasten the chain, worthy lady," he answered; "you
shall soon see how well my bridge falls. I have oiled the hinges, as
you ordered me, so that they do not creek any more, and disturb Mrs.
Rosel out of her slumbers."

The chains rattled in their ascent, the bridge sunk gradually into its
place, and the banished man, enveloped in his coarse cloak, came
across. Though his bearing was deeply en