“ The baron, though a small man, had a large soul, and it swelled with satisfaction at the consciousness of being the greatest man in the little world about him. He loved to tell long stories about the stark old warriors whose portraits looked grimly down from the walls around, and he found no listeners equal to those who fed at his expense. ”

“ But the situation of the widowed bride was the most pitiable. To have lost a husband before she had even embraced him—and such a husband! if the very spectre conld be so graecious and noble, what must have been the living man? She filled the house with lamentations.
Ou the night of the second day of her widowhood she had retired to her chamber, accompanied by one of her aunts, who insisted on sleeping with her. The aunt, who was one of the best tellers of ghost-stories in all Germany, had just been recounting one of her longest, and had fallen asleep in the very midst of it. ”

“ But whatever may have been the doubts entertained, they were completely put to an end by the arrival, next day, of regular missives, confirming the intelligence of the young count's murder, and his interment in Wurtzburg cathedral.
The dismay at the castle may well be imagined. The baron shut himself up in his chamber. The guests, who had come to rejoice with him, could not think of abandoning him in his distress. They wandered about the courts, or collected in groups in the hall, shaking their heads and shrugging their shoulders, at the troubles of so good a man ”

“ While others were wasting their sweetness in the glare of the world, and liable to be plucked and thrown asidc by every hand, she was coyly blooming into fresh and lovcly womanhood under the protection of thosc immaculate spinsters, like a rose-bud blushing forth among guardian thorns. Her aunts looked upon her with pride and exultation, and vaunted that though all the other young ladics in the world might go astray, yet, thank Heaven, nothing of the kind could happen to the heiress of Katzenellenbogen. ”

“ I am good Christian and a poor man, and am not to be daunted by the Devil himself, even though he should come in the shape of a big bag of money!"
The offer of the honest mason was gladly accepted; he moved with his family into the house, and fulfilled all his engagements. By little and little he restored it to its former state; the clinking of gold was no more heard at night in the chamber of the defunct priest, but began to be heard by day in the pocket of the living mason. ”

“ The meats were already overdone; the eook in an agony; and the whole household had the look of a garrison that had been redueed by famine. The baron was obliged reluetantly to give orders for thc feast without the presenee of the guest. All were seated at table, and just on the point of commencing, when the sound of a horn from without the gate gave notice of the approach of a stranger. Another long blast filled the old eourts of the castle with its echoes, and was answered by the warder from the walls. The baron hastened to receive his future son-in-law. ”

“ When she looked again, the spectre had disappeared.
Of the two females, the aunt now required the most soothing, for she was perfectly beside herself with terror. As to the young lady, there was something, even in the speetre of her lover, that seemed endearing. There was still the semblanee of manly beauty; and though the shadow of a man is but little ealeulated to satisfy the affections of a love-sick girl, yet, where the substanee is not to be had, even that is eonsoling. The aunt deelared she never would sleep in that ehamber again ”

“ His heart was heavy, and his head perplexed; for he was to present himself an unbidden guest among hostile people, and to damp their festivity with tidings fatal to their hopes. Still there were eertain whisperings of curiosity in his bosom to see this far-famed beauty of Katzenellenbogen, so eautiously shut up from the world; for he was a passionate admirer of the sex, and there was a dash of eeeentrieity and enterprise in his eharaeter that made him fond of all simple adventure. ”

“ Two of the domestics corroborated the opinion, for they had heard the clattering of a horse's hoofs down the mountain about midnight, and had no doubt that it was the speetre on his black charger, bearing her away to the tomb. ”

“ The astonishment and eoneern with whieh the intelligenee was received, ean only be imagined by those who have witnessed the agitation which the mishaps of a great man cause among his friends. Even the poor relations paused for a moment from the indefatigable labours of the trencher; when the aunt, who had at first been struck speechless, wrung her hands, and shrieked out, "The goblin! the goblin! she's carried away by the goblin!"
In a few words she related the fearful scene of the garden, and eoncluded that the spectre must have carried off his bride. ”

“ Here the baron interrupted him with a world of compliments and greetings, for, to tell the truth, he prided himself upon his courtesy and eloquence. The stranger attcmpted, once or twice, to stem the torrent of words, but in vain; so he bowed his head, and snffered it to flow on. By the time the baron had come to a pause, they had reachcd the inner court of the castle; and the stranger was again abont to speak. when he was once more interruptcd by the appearance of the female part of the family, leading forth the shrinking and blushing bride. ”

“ The baron, it is true, like most great men, was too dignified to utter any joke bnt a dull one; it was always enforced, however, by a bumper of excellent Hockheimer; and even a dull joke, at one's own table, served up with jolly old wine, is irresistible. ”

“ But, however scantily the Baron Von Landshort might be provided with children, his household was by no means a small one; for Providence had enriched him with abundance of poor relations. They, one and all, possessed the affectionate disposition common to humble relatives; werc wonderfully attached to the baron, and took every possible occasion to come in swarms and cnliven the castle. All family festivals werc commemorated by these good people at the baron's expense ”

“ In a word, he incrcased rapidly in wealth, to the admiration of all his neighbours, and bccame one of the richest men in Granada: he gave large sums to the Church, by way, no doubt, of satisfying his conscience, and never rcvealed the secret of the vault until on his death-bed, to his son and heir.
↑ i. e. Cat's-Elbow—the name of a family of those parts very powerful in former times. The appellation, we are told, was given in compliment to a peerless dame of the family, celebrated for her fine arm. ”