Seeing nothing more worthy of observation in this forsaken apartment, he proceeded in his search. After descending two long flights of stairs, his progress was suddenly arrested, at the end of a narrow and gloomy passage, by a large door, which appeared not to have been opened for a number of years. He examined the floor, as well as the gloominess of the passage would permit him, expecting to discover the marks of footsteps, as he supposed that Leopold had entered the Castle by that very door; nothing, however, appeared, to confirm him. in that supposition, and fearing, that were he to prolong his stay, he should be discovered by some of the servants, he returned to his apartment, determining to renew the examination of the northern wing, on the following night.

CHAPTER VI..

But conscience, what have I to do with thee,
Awe thou thy dull legitimate slaves; but I
Was born a Libertine, and so I keep me.

ORTANO UO soouer heard the inhabitants of the Castle stirring, than he went in search of old Rupert, as from him, he knew, he could obtain all the information which he required, respecting that part of the Castle, to which the door led, and by which he had seen Leopold and his companion enter.

The Seneschal was soon found fortifying himself against the keenness of the mountain air, by a dram of his favorite cordial, and the compliments of the morning having passed, Ortano began-"This is a wild sort of a place, there are so many turnings and windings, and passages and stairs, that I am in danger every moment of losing my way."

Aye, Signor," said Rupert, "if you had lived in it as many years as I have done, you would be able to find your way blind-folded."

"This very morning," said Ortano, "when I thought I was directing my steps hither, I found

myself on a sudden, in a passage, in the northern wing, nor did I discover my mistake, until I had nearly broken my head against an old rusty door, which appears not to have been opened for centuries."

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Alas," said Rupert, "it was a melancholy day, when I last passed through that door."

"Was it to fetch the last bottle of your favorite cordial," asked Ortano with a smile.

"O no," Rupert answered with a woeful shake of his head, "it was on a very different business; the door you mention, leads to the family vault, and the last time it was opened, was to admit the corpse of my good old ladyaye, it was a sad day for us all, when she died."

"Are many of the family deposited there," Ortano asked.

"The vault contains ten coffins," Rupert answered, "six of which are almost crumbled to dust-hugh! I tremble when I think of it-and when I pass the outer door which leads to the vault, I always turn my head aside, expecting every moment to see my Lady's ghost burst the door open."

"Are your ghosts guilty of such tricks in this part of the world," asked Ortano.

Marry are they," said Rupert," and worse too-it was but the other night as I was-but I'll tell you the story another time."

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Do so," said Ortano," but where is the outer door of which you were speaking."

"As you pass by the outside of the northern wing," answered Rupert, "you perceive a small arched door, thickly studded with nails."

"Right," said Ortano, "I remember to have observed it--but proceed

I never remember to have seen it opened."
How so?" asked Ortauo.

Why it is strongly barred and bolted in the inside," said Rupert," to prevent any person breaking in to steal the gold from the coffins. O! you should see the heap of gold that is on my Lady's coffin-but bad indeed must be the man, who, to satisfy his avarice, will rob the dead of their ornaments."

"Of what use are they?" asked Ortano," they are like a gilded frame to an ugly picture-the dead do not take them with them to purchase of St. Peter their entrance into heaven, but it would give me great pleasure to see those valuable depositories of the dead-will you accompany me to the vault ?"

"I accompany you!" said Rupert, stepping back a few paces, and looking at Ortano with . an eye of wonder "I would not go thither for all the treasures of the Lady of St. Loretto.” "I will then go myself," said Ortano, me the keys."

give

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Why you would not be so rash," said Rupert," but I well know, that when you Venice noblemen once take a thing into your heads, it is as impossible to talk you into reason, as to make grapes grow on the top of St. Gothard, but come along with me, and I will give you the keys."

Ortano

Ortano, rejoicing at the success of his interview with the Seneschal, accompanied him to the place, where the keys were in general deposited, but the surprise of Rupert was boundless when he discovered that they had been removed, and although the most diligent search was made for them they were not to be found. could, in some degree, account for their disappearance, and he was secretly vexed at being thwarted in his examination of the midnight adventure, but the old Seneschal was convinced that the Castle was bewitched, for although the keys of the vault stood by no means so high in his estimation as the keys of the cellar, yet, that they should both disappear in the same night, was in his eyes, a positive proof, that some demon of mischief had crept into the Castle, but to what necromancer, wizard, or magician to apply to exorcise it, puzzled him as much as we in our days are puzzled to know what is under the seven seals of chancery. He, however, set his brains to work to unravel these apparent mysteries, but like many other persons, who, from a supposed superiority of understanding, VOL. 1. No 3.

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