ammed the tower windows shut. As
quickly as possible I hurried Karl down the first two flights, but by
that time Peter was almost upon us. Without thinking of anything except
that Peter mustn't see us, I dragged Karl back into a dark corner,
though it was dusky everywhere. At that moment Peter passed us. He
shuffled along close to us and I could hear how carefully he groped his
way down the stairs.

All at once it flashed over me that he would get down from the tower
before we did, lock the door and go away. I clutched Karl and dragged
him along over the nearly dark stairs, he stumbling, falling and crying
a little. Peter was already in the weapon-room.

"Peter, Peter!" I shouted anxiously. "Don't lock it! Don't lock it! I am
up here."

But do you suppose that Peter heard? Not a bit!

He opened the heavy church door and slammed it shut again. By that time
I was right there, shouting and hammering at the door; but the key
turned in the lock and Peter went his way round the corner.

Yes, he had gone, and there were we!

I was so afraid,--I don't believe I was ever so afraid in my whole long
life! I hammered on the door with my fists, I shouted and screamed.
Nobody heard me. Outside, the storm howled and roared.

No, I knew well enough that in such weather no one would think of coming
to the churchyard, not even a child or a maid with a baby-carriage. And
the church door opened on the churchyard, not on the street. It was
impossible for any one to hear us all the way from the street in such a
storm.

I turned around almost wild with fright. What could I do?
Perhaps--perhaps we could get out through a window.

But if we tried that, we must go into the church itself. And just think!
I got more afraid than ever when I thought of that, for all the ghost
stories I had ever heard came to my mind. Suppose that Mina's
great-grandfather, for instance, whose tomb was in there, should come
walking down the church aisle, stiff and white!

I clutched Karl's hand so tightly that he screamed.

"Karl dear--little man--we must go into the church. You won't be afraid,
will you?"

Karl looked uncertain as he gazed at me and asked:

"Are you afraid?"

Then I realized that I must be brave; and when there is a "must" you
can, you know; and there is no use in whimpering, anyway.

"Are you afraid?" asked little Karl again.

"Oh, no--no, indeed."

So I opened the door of the church and peeped in. Rows upon rows of
empty seat