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The page's mouth revealed a slight smile, but he replied, after a little reflection, "I do not know, your highness; I never saw one yet; but I believe that if a shadowless being were to cross my path, I should avoid it, could I do so with honour."

"But if the spectre were to meet you when on duty?" the duke inquired further.

The page blushed, and was silent.

"I would not insult you, young man. A thing which is surprising can move the heart of the bravest, and you yourself confess that you do not yet know the invisible net in which mortals are entangled," "the duke said, very seriously.

"I dare not say anything to the contrary, for only a trial would prove the truth of my words," the page replied. "In the end, a man can only die once, and I do not think that my heart would quake more at invisible hands, than at the bullet whose path I cannot see either."

The duke regarded him kindly. "You are in the right. Good nerves and a good conscience render a man cold blooded. I believe what you say of yourself. We will, however, render it certain for you will be posted to-night in the corridor--you already know the reason. You will not be annoyed by company: I have withdrawn all the sentinels from this part of the palace. No one, however, must know what you have

to do."

Joy beamed in the young man's eyes; a weight was taken off his overburdened heart, for he had, during the last eight days, been yearning to meet the ghost, which disappeared in the princess's apartments. But he had nearly always been on duty, and on those nights when he was disengaged, and had been on the watch, the spectre had accidentally not made its appearance.

He uttered his thanks to the prince for the confidence he placed in him, but remained in the room, although the duke had appeared to dismiss him with the words:

"At eleven o'clock, then, to your post, baron. From now till then you have leave to prepare yourself. The countersign in the old palace is Calmness,' and to-morrow morning at six report yourself to me. But stay," he added, as the page remained standing before him; "you have perfect carte blanche-if it is an impostor-dead or alive. If it is a shadow, you must ban it, for it must not come again. Well?"

"I have two requests yet to make, if your highness will grant them," the page at length said. "I have already carefully examined the path the apparition follows several times: on the upper corridor there is not space enough to stand man to man; I would prefer taking my post on the broad passage on the first floor, where the apparition must come down the narrow staircase. And in the next place, I should wish your highness to allow me to wear a common grenadier's uniform; it will be safer, for the ghost will not be able to recognise me at a distance." "Consented," the duke said, after reflecting a little e; "a good idea!" He even offered him his hand, and called to him as he quitted the room: "Bilgram, do not forget; you will do me a great service, and can employ any method-any-but no disturbance.”

Soon after, I saw the young man come towards the old palace and enter

my room.

He seemed quite delighted, had regained his ruddy cheeks, and he saluted me in his old hearty way.

"Can any one hear us ?" he inquired.

"How could they through these walls?" I said.

Well, then, Mathies, the duke has sent me. You must bring me a grenadier's uniform, with the accoutrements and musket, into the little anteroom before the apartments his highness formerly resided in, by halfpast ten. A light is not required; I shall see as much as I want by the lamps in the broad passage. It will cost us our heads, though, if any one but yourself learns anything about it."

"At your service," I said.

A minister might have come to me, and I would not have done it without the duke's written order. But the young man's word was worth more to me than a hundred pieces of paper. Consequently I did what he requested, and no one knew anything about it, so cleverly had I contrived to procure the uniform; and I carried it in broad daylight, when no one would be surprised at seeing me enter the palace with a bundle, to the duke's former apartments.

Afterwards, on my return, I stopped to speak to the page. He pretended, however, not to be at home, and only opened the door when I mentioned my name; he then double locked it behind us.

He had a damascened dagger and his pistol-case before him, and was cleaning the arms most carefully. We examined every screw-bolt, and employed at least a quarter of an hour in selecting the best flints. At last we had finished our task.

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So," he said, "now I will sleep for a few hours, and then eat and drink, that I may have all my strength, for I have a troublesome task tonight."

"I can think it," I interrupted him.

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"But you must not think," he said, "and then none of your thoughts will rise to your lips; but you can listen. Something may happen to me-is not that the expression when running a mortal risk?—well, then, I have no fortune, so I need not make a will; but shall have my pistols, and you can tell the duke that I leave my debts to him; my mother thinks of me at all times, but to the princess you canpaused for a time: "Well, then, you can tell her frankly that her name will be the last word on my lips. And now make haste and be off," he added, merrily, and pushed me out of the door as if I had been a child -so powerful was the young baron.

"He

Precisely at eleven the page went from the ducal apartments, dressed as a grenadier, into the broad passage, which was only dimly lighted, for the lamps were at some distance apart.

In the first place, he again examined the ground, and tried, for at least the tenth time, whether the stairs down which the apparition must descend were not wider than to allow him to touch both walls with his outstretched arms, if he placed himself on the lowest stair.

Then, however, his only care was to keep himself warm and awake, for it had become bitterly cold. He placed his musket in the corner, as it would be of no service to him, and walked up and down. At times he stopped before the flight of stairs which led from the upper floor, and looked up; then he walked twenty or thirty steps further than there was

any occasion to do down the broad passage towards the apartments in which the princess resided, and thought all sorts of possibilities and impossibilities, just as such a young man is wont to do.

The princess, however, was not in the palace, but at a party at the French ambassador's, who, at that time, and there were good grounds for it, was the most important of all the foreign envoys.

Shortly before twelve her carriage drove up. When I had torn the gates open, he heard the sound of the horses' hoofs re-echo from the gateway below, and he smiled at his own folly as he quickly seized his musket, for he had wished the doors of empty apartments to open before him.

As he feared that the princess, who was now coming up the passage with her ladies, might recognise him, he pulled the collar of his cloak higher up, and pressed his bearskin schako more firmly over his eyes. He grounded his musket, and drew up close to the wall, in the manner prescribed when the royal family passed a sentry in the passages, for presenting arms would have been awkward.

He had no necessity to conceal himself, for the princess hurried past, without even looking at the sentry, or hearing his heart beat. She seemed to be vexed, and in a great hurry, for dark rings shaded her eyes, and her mouth was contracted, as if she were more ready to weep than laugh.

The page heard several doors open and shut, and when he looked out into the court-yard, saw the last lights extinguished in the garret-rooms. All was quiet: he could only hear the clang of his own footsteps.

In this way midnight was long passed. The page thought at one moment on the princess, at another on his annoyance if the apparition did not present itself, and the long looked-for opportunity be deferred.

Fortunately the cold always aroused him from his reveries, and compelled him to think, before all, how he should keep his hands and feet

warm.

Still he did not take his eye off the stairs, and that which he expected really took place, when he had nearly resigned all hope.

And yet a cold shudder seized upon him when, without the slightest previous sound, a white figure appeared at the stair-head, and began descending, without the least noise.

The page quickly roused himself, loosed the dagger in the sheath, threw his cloak behind him, walked to the stairs, and stood with outstretched arms in such a position that the apparition must necessarily walk into his arms, unless it turned back.

It came down slowly, step by step, without a moment's hesitation, though it must have seen the grenadier at the foot of the stairs long before. The page repeatedly told me that all the blood in his body seemed to have rushed to his head, and a shower of sparks dazzled his eyes. He did not, however, quit his position.

When the figure was six steps above him, he cried, "Halt! in the duke's name!"

The figure stopped, and motioned to him with its hand. He did not trouble himself about this, for he had regained his self-possession and his coolness. "You will not pass me," he exclaimed, "until I know who or what you are!"

The page must have been well prepared, for he had scarce uttered the

words before the figure leaped upon him like a tiger on its prey, and tried to hurl him to the ground.

It did not succeed, however. The page seized the man in his arms, almost without yielding a step, and a silent struggle commenced, about which he never liked to speak afterwards, for he felt from the commencement that his assailant was the stronger, and determined on having his enemy's life for his own; he did not hope to gain the victory, and he was too proud to call for assistance.

His only good fortune was, that his assailant must have walked some distance in the cold, so that his fingers were benumbed, and he was not able to draw his dagger, which the baron plainly felt beneath his dress, when he pressed him closely to him in the death-struggle.

Thus they at length fell to the ground, one above the other alternately, so that the page felt the warm breath, which streamed out from behind his enemy's silken mask. At length, however, the page managed to draw his dagger, and, in his unbounded fury, was about to strike, when his opponent suddenly quitted his hold, and whispered, as if ashamed to beg his life" Bilgram, I am Revel; I give myself up on my word, but listen to me!"

The page hesitated a moment before withdrawing the dagger from his breast; but a sudden attack of trembling assailed him; he loosed his hold and rose to his feet. Quite exhausted, he leaned against the wall, the strangest thoughts flitted across his mind, like swallows round a church tower, where one is no sooner gone than another arrives; until, at length, the duke's words occurred to him, "He must not come again."

His opponent had, in the mean while, also risen, and they stood opposite one another for a while, gasping for breath.

At length the page said, "I must know what you do here, if I am to help myself and you.'

"A short question-a short reply," the count rejoined; "I love the Princess Marie, and she loves me in return. They have shut her up, so that I can only reach her by employing this superstitious tale. She and I are both lost if you speak."

"She loves him, and she is lost." A sharp pain pierced the page's heart; but after long reflection, he said, "You have broken your oath to your master, Revel-I despise you for it—and yet I will risk my word and trust to yours. Promise me, on your honour, that you will never attempt this again, and never tell the princess who or what is the cause of it, then I will save you for her sake."

The count promised. The baron led him hurriedly into the anteroom, where he changed his own dress, and silently intimated to the count, that he should put on the grenadier's cloak and follow him. Then he accompanied him to the gate, and said to me, when I had let the count out, and was again fastening the bolt-"The Count von Revel's name must not be entered in the book; everything else is in order, Mathies. I will go and have a sound sleep: mind that I am called precisely at five o'clock, for I must take in my report at six."

He must have been tired to death, he looked so sad, and his eyes were quite dim. In consequence, I did not ask him any further questions, but wished him "Good night."

The next morning the duke admitted him directly, though his highness had hardly left his bed, and received him with a meaning inquiry, "And now, my dear baron !"

"It will not return, your highness," the page replied, and was then silent.

"But what was it?" the duke asked, with evident pleasure.

"It will not return, your highness," the page repeated. "I pledge you my word. That I may be allowed to pass over the details is a favour which my prince, as first gentleman of the land, will not refuse me, for honour closes my lips.'

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The duke was astonished; still thoughts may have occurred to him, to which he did not like to give way, and which it were better to veil in mystery. He walked hurriedly to the page, and said: "Your word is enough-have you any favour to ask? If so, it is granted you beforehand."

"Your highness's kindness has prevented a request which I hardly dared ask. I hear that the 2nd Regiment of Hussars has received orders to march, and I should desire to be appointed to it."

The prince looked at him, and nodded; he, however, made no other reply to this request, although he dismissed the page very kindly.

In the anteroom, Count von Revel was waiting as usual. He and the page saluted one another, because the other adjutants were standing around; but from that time they never spoke again, nor, I believe, did they ever meet.

Now they are all gone, and their restlessness has become peace.

The best of them all death carried off first. The page entered on the campaign as captain, and returned a colonel and a cripple. There was no hope that the invalid would recover, although the duke did everything in his power to save him. The colonel stopped one summer with us in Monplaisir, and the duke entrusted him to my care. I do not think, though, that he would have lasted so long had not Queen Marie been paying a visit to her father at the time. He only lived by the sunshine of the heavens and the light of her eyes, and when the brown leaves fell, they fell upon a grave.

The queen was never happy; the Count von Revel alone enjoyed himself all his life, for he understood, better than any one else, how to be cautious and careless at the same time, and that is always the safest on slippery ground. At last they say he became a Catholic, and according to the old proverb this would be very possible. Well! God be merciful to his soul! I never could bear him.

II.

THE STORY OF PALE SOPHIE.

I POSSESS an old telescope, through which I must look a long time before seeing anything except all the colours of the rainbow; but all at once I get the right focus, and the furthest tree stands so near and distinctly before me, that I might fancy I could catch hold of it.

It seems to me always as if I were looking through this telescope when I think of my childhood's years; all rises before my mind in a thousand various hues, till a few things, important and unimportant, Dec.-VOL. XCIX. NO. CCCXCVI.

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