r. The guide lifted up this door by means of a ponderous ring of
rusty iron, and let Mr. George and the children look down. It was a dark
and dismal dungeon.

"_Prison,_" said the guide.

This, it seemed, was the only English word that he could speak.

"Yes," said Mr. George, speaking to Rollo and Minnie. "He means that
this was the prison of the castle."

The guide shut down the trap door, and the children, after gazing around
upon the room a few minutes longer, were glad to go away.

Just before reaching the hotel on their way home, Rollo told Minnie that
he and Mr. George were going down the next day to see Rheinstein, a
beautiful castle down the river, and he asked her if she would not like
to go too.

Mr. George was walking on before them at this time, and he did not hear
this conversation.

"No," said Minnie, "I believe not. It makes me afraid to go and see
these old ruins."

"But this one that we are going to see is not an old ruin," said Rollo.
"It has been all made over again as good as new, and is full of
beautiful rooms and beautiful furniture. Besides, it stands out in a
good clear place on the bank of the river, and you will not be afraid at
all. I mean to ask uncle George if I may ask you to go."

That evening, in reflecting on the adventures of the day, Rollo wondered
that Minnie, who seemed to have so much courage about going out in a
boat on the water, and in clambering about into all sorts of dangerous
places, should be so afraid of old ruins; but the fact is, that people
are in nothing more inconsistent than in their fears.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XV.

RHEINSTEIN.

Rollo determined to ask his uncle George at breakfast if he might invite
Minnie to accompany them on their visit to the castle of Rheinstein. He
was sorry, however, when he came to reflect a little, that he had not
first asked his uncle George, before mentioning the subject to Minnie at
all.

"For," said he to himself, "if there _should_ be any difficulty or
objection to prevent her going with us, then I shall have to go and tell
her that I can't invite her, after all; and that would be worse than not
to have said any thing about it."

When, at length, Rollo and Mr. George were seated at table at breakfast,
Rollo asked his uncle if he was willing that Minnie should go with them
to the castle.

"I told her," said he, "last night, that we were going, and I said I
intended to ask you if she might go with us. But