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"Well then, thou man of truth! answer. Was it the fall of the trap-door that I heard?" "It was," said the youth. "It was!" said the Prince; "and how didst thou come to know there was a trap-door here?" "I saw the plate of brass by a gleam of moonshine," replied he. "But what told thee it was a lock?" said Manfred. "How didst thou discover the secret of opening it?" "Providence, that de- 10 livered me from the helmet, was able to direct me to the spring of a lock," said he. "Providence should have gone a little farther and have placed thee out of the reach of my resentment," said Manfred. "When 15 Providence had taught thee to open the lock, it abandoned thee for a fool who did not know how to make use of its favors. Why didst thou not pursue the path pointed out for thy escape? Why didst 20 thou shut the trap-door before thou hadst descended the steps?" "I might ask you, my lord," said the peasant, "how I, totally unacquainted with your castle, was to know that those steps led to any outlet. But I scorn to evade your questions. Wherever those steps lead to, perhaps I should have explored the way, I could not be in a worse situation than I was. the truth is, I let the trap-door fall. Your 30 immediate arrival followed. I had given the alarm; what imported it to me whether I was seized a minute sooner or a minute late?" "Thou art a resolute villain for thy years," said Manfred; "yet on reflection I suspect thou dost but trifle with me. Thou hast not yet told me how thou didst open the lock.' "That I will show you, my lord," said the peasant, and taking up a fragment of 40 stone that had fallen from above, he laid himself on the trap-door and began to beat on the piece of brass that covered it, meaning to gain time for the escape of the Princess. This presence of mind, 45 joined to the frankness of the youth, staggered Manfred. He even felt a disposition towards pardoning one who had been guilty of no crime. Manfred was not one of those savage tyrants who wanton in cruelty unprovoked. The circumstances of his fortune had given an asperity to his temper, which was naturally humane; and his virtues were always ready to operate when his passions did not obscure his reason.

But

While the Prince was in this suspense, a confused noise of voices echoed through the distant vaults. As the sound ap

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proached, he distinguished the clamors of some of his domestics, whom he had dispersed through the castle in search of Isabella, calling out: "Where is my lord? Where is the Prince?" "Here I am," said Manfred, as they came nearer. "Have you found the Princess?" The first that arrived replied: "Oh! my lord! I am glad we have found you.' Found me!" said Manfred. "Have you found the Princess?" "We thought we had, my lord," said the fellow, looking terrified; "but- " "But what?" cried the Prince. 'Has she escaped?" "Jaquez and I, my lord-" "Yes, I and Diego," interrupted the second, who came up in still greater consternation. "Speak one of you at a time," said Manfred. "I ask you, Where is the Princess?" "We do not know," said they both together; "but we are frightened out of our wits." "So I think, blockheads," said Manfred. “What is it has scared you thus?" "Oh! my lord!" said Jaquez, "Diego has seen such a sight! Your highness would not believe our eyes. "What new absurdity is this?" cried Manfred. "Give me a direct answer, or by heaven-" "Why, my lord, if it please your highness to hear me," said the poor fellow, "Diego and I-" "Yes, I and Jaquez," cried his comrade"Did not I forbid you to speak both at a time?" said the Prince. "You, Jaquez, answer; for the other fool seems more distracted than thou art." "What is the matter, my gracious lord?" said Jaquez. "If it please your highness to hear me, Diego and I according to your highness's orders went to search for the young lady; but being comprehensive that we might meet the ghost of my young lord, your highness's son, (God rest his soul!) as he has not received Christian burial-" "Sot!" cried Manfred, in a rage; "is it only a ghost then that thou hast seen?" "Oh! worse! worse! my lord," cried Diego. "I had rather have seen ten whole ghosts-" "Grant me patience!" said Manfred; "these blockheads distract me. Out of my sight, Diego! And thou, Jaquez, tell me in one word: Art thou sober? Art thou raving? Thou wast wont to have some sense. Hast the other sot frightened himself and thee too? Speak! What is it he fancies he has seen?" "Why, my lord," replied Jaquez, trembling, "I was going to tell your highness that since the calamitous misfortune of my young lord (God rest his precious

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soul!), not one of us, your highness's faithful servants-indeed we are, my lord, though poor men-I say, not one of us has dared to set a foot about the castle but two together. So Diego and I, thinking that my young lady might be in the great gallery, went up there to look for her, and tell her your highness wanted something to impart to her-" "O blundering fools!" cried Manfred. "And in 10 the meantime she has made her escape because you were afraid of goblins! Why, thou knave! she left me in the gallery; I came from thence myself." "For all that, she may be there still for ought I know," said Jaquez; "but the devil shall have me before I seek her there again! Poor Diego! I do not believe he will ever recover it." "Recover what?" said Manfred. 'Am I never to learn what it is 20 has terrified these rascals? But I lose my time. Follow me, slave; I will see if she is in the gallery." "For heaven's sake, my dear good lord," ," cried Jaquez, "do not go to the gallery! Satan himself I 25 believe is in the great chamber next to the gallery." Manfred, who hitherto had treated the terror of his servants as an idle panic, was struck at this new circumstance. He recollected the apparition of 30 the portrait and the sudden closing of the door at the end of the gallery. His voice faltered, and he asked with disorder: "What is in the great chamber?" "My lord," said Jaquez, "when Diego and I came into the gallery, he went first, for he said he had more courage than I. So when we came into the gallery, we found nobody. We looked under every bench and stool; and still we found nobody.' "Were all the pictures in their places?" said Manfred. "Yes, my lord," answered Jaquez; "but we did not think of looking behind them.” "Well, well!" said Manfred; "proceed." "When we came to the door of the great chamber," continued Jaquez, "we found it shut-" "And could not you open it?" said Manfred. "Oh! yes, my lord; would to heaven we had not!" replied he. "Nay, it was not I 50 neither; it was Diego. He was grown fool-hardy, and would go on though I advised him not. If ever I open a door that is shut, again-" "Trifle not," said Manfred, shuddering; "but tell me what you 55 saw in the great chamber on opening the door." "I! my lord!" said Jaquez; "I saw nothing; I was behind Diego. But I heard the noise." "Jaquez,'' said Man

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fred, in a solemn tone of voice, "tell me, I adjure thee by the souls of my ancestors: What was it thou sawest? What was it thou heardst?" "It was Diego saw it, my lord; it was not I," replied Jaquez; "I only heard the noise. Diego had no sooner opened the door than he cried out and ran back. I ran back too, and said: 'Is it the ghost? the ghost?' 'No, no,' said Diego, and his hair stood an end; it is a giant, I believe. He is all clad in armor, for I saw his foot and part of his leg, and they are as large as the helmet below in the court.' As he said these words, my lord, we heard a violent motion and the rattling of armor as if the giant was rising, for Diego has told me since that he believes the giant was lying down, for the foot and leg were stretched at length on the floor. Before we could get to the end of the gallery, we heard the door of the great chamber clap behind us; but we did not dare turn back to see if the giant was following us. Yet now I think on it, we must have heard him if he had pursued us-But for heaven's sake, good my lord, send for the chaplain and have the castle exorcised, for, for certain, it is enchanted." "Ay, pray do, my lord," cried all the servants at once, or we must leave your highness's service.' "Peace, dotards," said Manfred; "and follow me. I will know what all this means. "We! my lord,' cried they with one voice; "we would not go up to the gallery for your highness's revenue." The young peasant, who had stood silent, now spoke. "Will your highness," said he, "permit me to try this adventure? My life is of consequence to nobody. I fear no bad angel, and have offended no good one." "Your behavior is above your seeming," said Manfred, viewing him with surprise and admiration. "Hereafter, I will reward your bravery; but now," continued he with a sigh, "I am so circumstanced that I dare trust no eyes but my own; however, I give you leave to accompany me."

Manfred, when he first followed Isabella from the gallery, had gone directly to the apartment of his wife, concluding the Princess had retired thither. Hippolita, who knew his step, rose with anxious fondness to meet her lord, whom she had not seen since the death of their son. She would have flown in a transport mixed of joy and grief to his bosom, but he pushed her rudely off, and said, "Where is Isa

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bella?" "Isabella! my lord!" said the astonished Hippolita. "Yes, Isabella!"' cried Manfred imperiously. "I want Isabella." "My lord," replied Matilda, who perceived how much his behavior had shocked her mother, "she has not been with us since your highness summoned her to your apartment." "Tell me where she is," said the Prince; "I do not want to know where she has been." "My good lord," said Hippolita, "your daughter tells you the truth: Isabella left us by your command, and has not returned since. But, my good lord, compose yourself; retire to your rest. This dismal day has 15 disordered you. Isabella shall wait your orders in the morning." "What then! you know where she is!" cried Manfred. "Tell me directly, for I will not lose an instant. And you, woman," speaking to his wife, "order your chaplain to attend me forthwith." "Isabella," said Hippolita calmly, "is retired, I suppose, to her chamber. She is not accustomed to watch at this late hour. Gracious my lord," continued she, "let me know what has disturbed you. Has Isabella offended you?" "Trouble me not with questions,' said Manfred; "but tell me where she is.' "Matilda shall call her," said the Princess. "Sit down, my lord, and resume your wonted fortitude." "What, art thou jealous of Isabella," replied he, "that you wish to be present at our interview?" "Good heavens! my lord," said Hippolita, "what is it your highness means?" "Thou wilt know ere many minutes are passed," said the cruel Prince. "Send your chaplain to me, and wait my pleasure here." At these words he flung out of the 40 room in search of Isabella, leaving the amazed ladies thunder-struck with his words and frantic deportment, and lost in vain conjectures on what he was meditating.

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Manfred was now returning from the vault attended by the peasant and a few of his servants whom he had obliged to accompany him. He ascended the staircase without stopping till he arrived at the gallery, at the door of which he met Hippolita and her chaplain. When Diego had been dismissed by Manfred, he had gone directly to the Princess's apartment with the alarm of what he had seen. That 55 excellent lady, who no more than Manfred doubted of the reality of the vision, yet affected to treat it as a delirium of the

servant. Willing, however, to save her lord from any additional shock, and prepared by a series of grief not to tremble at any accession to it, she determined to make herself the first sacrifice if fate had marked the present hour for their destruction. Dismissing the reluctant Matilda to her rest, who in vain sued for leave to accompany her mother, and attended only by her chaplain, Hippolita had visited the gallery and great chamber, and now with more serenity of soul than she had felt for many hours, she met her lord and assured him that the vision of the gigantic leg and foot was all a fable, and no doubt an impression made by fear and the dark and dismal hour of the night on the minds of his servants. She and the chaplain had examined the chamber, and found every thing in the usual order. Manfred, though persuaded like his wife that the vision had been no work of fancy, recovered a little from the tempest of mind into which so many strange events had thrown him. Ashamed, too, of his inhuman treatment of a princess who returned every injury with new marks of tenderness and duty, he felt returning love forcing itself into his eyes; but not less ashamed of feeling remorse towards one against whom he was inwardly meditating a yet more bitter outrage, he curbed the yearnings of his heart and did not dare to lean even towards pity. The next transition of his soul was to exquisite villainy. Presuming on the unshaken submission of Hippolita, he flattered himself that she would not only acquiesce with patience to a divorce, but would obey, if it was his pleasure, in endeavoring to persuade Isabella to give him her hand. But ere he could indulge this horrid hope, he reflected that Isabella was not to be found. Coming to himself, he gave orders that every avenue to the castle should be strictly guarded, and charged his domestics on pain of their lives to suffer nobody to pass out. The young peasant, to whom he spoke favorably, he ordered to remain in a small chamber on the stairs, in which there was a pallet-bed, and the key of which he took away himself, telling the youth he would talk with him in the morning. Then dismissing his attendants, and bestowing a sullen kind of half-nod on Hippolita, he retired to his chamber.

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"Sweavens are swift, master," quoth John, "As the wind blowes ore the hill; For if itt be never so loude this night, Tomorrow it may be still."

"Buske10 yee, bowne yee, my merry men all,

And John shall goe with mee,

For Ile goe seeke yond wight yeomen,
In greenwood where the11 bee."

25 Then they cast on their gownes of grene,
And tooke theyr bowes each one;
And they away to the greene forrèst
A-shooting forth are gone;

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As often wordes they breeden bale,
So they parted Robin and John;
And John is gone to Barnesdale;
The gates2 he knoweth eche one.

But when he came to Barnesdale,
Great heavinesse there hee hadd,
55 For he found tow of his owne fellowes
Were slaine both in a slade.3

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"Woe worth, woe worth thee, wicked wood,

That ere thou grew on a tree;
For now this day thou art my bale,
My boote' when thou shold bee.”

His shoote it was but loosely shott,
Yet flewe not the arrowe in vaine,
75 For itt mett one of the sheriffes men,
Good William a Trent was slaine.

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It had bene better of William a Trent
To have bene abed with sorrowe,
Than to be that day in the green wood slade
To meet with Little Johns arrowe.

But as it is said, when men be mett Fyve can doe more than three,