s
she looked down upon him with marvellous scorn, and she appeared to him
as the hideous little Master. The youth had no better means of calming
his distracted mind than to throw the sword and scarf of Gabrielle over
his shoulders, and to hasten forth under the solemn starry canopy of the
wintry sky. He walked in deep thought backwards and forwards under the
leafless oaks and the snow-laden firs which grew on the high ramparts.

Then he heard a sorrowful cry of distress sound from the moat; it was
as if some one were attempting to sing, but was stopped by inward grief.
Sintram exclaimed, "Who's there?" and all was still. When he was silent,
and again began his walk, the frightful groanings and moanings were
heard afresh, as if they came from a dying person. Sintram overcame the
horror which seemed to hold him back, and began in silence to climb down
into the deep dry moat which was cut in the rock. He was soon so low
down that he could no longer see the stars shining; beneath him moved
a shrouded form; and sliding with involuntary haste down the steep
descent, he stood near the groaning figure; it ceased its lamentations,
and began to laugh like a maniac from beneath its long, folded, female
garments.

"Oh ho, my comrade! oh ho, my comrade! wert thou going a little too
fast? Well, well, it is all right; and see now, thou standest no higher
than I, my pious, valiant youth! Take it patiently,--take it patiently!"

"What dost thou want with me? Why dost thou laugh? why dost thou weep?"
asked Sintram impatiently.

"I might ask thee the same questions," answered the dark figure, "and
thou wouldst be less able to answer me than I to answer thee. Why dost
thou laugh? why dost thou weep?--Poor creature! But I will show thee a
remarkable thing in thy fortress, of which thou knowest nothing. Give
heed!"

And the shrouded figure began to scratch and scrape at the stones till
a little iron door opened, and showed a long passage which led into the
deep darkness.

"Wilt thou come with me?" whispered the strange being; "it is the
shortest way to thy father's castle. In half-an-hour we shall come out
of this passage, and we shall be in thy beauteous lady's apartment. Duke
Menelaus shall lie in a magic sleep,--leave that to me,--and then thou
wilt take the slight, delicate form in thine arms, and bring her to the
Rocks of the Moon; so thou wilt win back all that seemed lost by thy
former wavering."

Sintram trembled visibly, fe