to do with it.'

"'Well! well! tell us!' they both cried.

"'You will remember,' said Alexander, 'that at that time I left Berlin,
and my house--uncanny though it was to me by reason of my aunt's
"walking" in it at night--greatly against my will. The connection of
all these matters was as follows. One fine morning, after T had been
terribly disturbed the whole of the night by tappings and rappings in
all directions--which came into the room where I was sleeping, this
time--I was lying in the window seat, quite tired and exhausted, and
excessively out of temper and annoyed with the whole affair. I was
looking out into the street mechanically, when, right opposite, in the
big house over the way, a window opened, and a most beautiful girl in a
pretty morning dress looked out. Much as I had admired Pauline, I
thought her whom I then saw more charming still. I couldn't withdraw my
eyes from her. At last she looked down; she couldn't help seeing me. I
made her a greeting, and she returned it with indescribable
pleasantness of manner. I found out from Mistress Anne who the people
who lived there were, and I made up my mind that I must make their
acquaintance somehow, so as to get nearer to her. It was an odd thing
that, as soon as my thoughts were occupied with this young lady, and I
was wholly sunk in sweet love-dreams about her, all the supernatural
noises connected with my aunt ceased. Mistress Anne, whom I made as
much of as ever I could, and who had quite got over her dread of me,
often told me a good deal about my aunt. She was inconsolable because
the poor soul, who had led such a pious, and exemplary life, could find
no rest in her grave, and she laid all the blame upon the man who had
treated her so cruelly, and the insuperable disappointment she had
suffered on her wedding day--that was to have been. I told her, with
much joy, that I never heard anything at night now.

"'"Ah!" she cried, with tears in her voice, "if the Feast of the
Invention of the Cross were only over!"

"'"What is there specially about the Feast of the Invention of the
Cross?" I quickly asked.

"'"Oh, good gracious!" she answered, "don't you know? That was to have
been her marriage day. She died on the third of April, you remember.
That day week she was buried. The executor put seals on all the rooms
except the big drawing-room and the closet off it; so I had to live in
them, though I felt it terribly, I couldn't tell why. When day was
dawni