“Is there any marvel, then, to visit in the neighbourhood of Werst?”

      “Any marvel?” replied Master Koltz.

      “No! no!” exclaimed the bystanders. And they were already in fear at the thought lest a fresh attempt at entering the castle would bring fresh misfortunes on them.

      Franz de Télek, not without some surprise, took notice of those people whose faces were expressive of alarm in all sorts of ways, but all equally unmistakable.

      “What is this all about?” he asked.

      “What is it, sir?” replied Rotzko. “Well, it seems there is the Castle of the Carpathians.”

      “The Castle of the Carpathians?”

      “Yes! That is the name this shepherd has just whispered in my ear.”

      And as he spoke Rotzko pointed to Frik, who nodded his head without daring to look at his master.

      But a breach was now made in the wall of the private life of the superstitious village, and all its history could not help going forth through this breach.

      In fact, Master Koltz, who had made up his mind how to act, resolved to explain matters himself to the count, and told him all he knew about the Castle of the Carpathians.

      Naturally Franz de Télek could not hide the astonishment the story caused him, nor the feelings it suggested to him. Although he knew little of scientific matters, like other young people of his class who live in their castles in these Wallachian byways, he was a sensible man. He believed but little in apparitions and laughed at legend. A castle haunted by spirits merely excited his incredulity. In his opinion, in all that Master Koltz had told him there was nothing of the marvellous, but only a few facts, more or lest proved, to which the people of Werst attributed a supernatural origin. The smoke from the donjon, the bell ringing violently, could be very easily explained, and the lightnings and roarings from within the wall might be purely imaginary.

      Franz de Télek did not hesitate to say so, and to joke about it, to the great scandal of his listeners.

      “But, count, there is something else,” said Master Koltz.

      “What is that?”

      “Well, it is impossible to get into this Castle of the Carpathians.”

      “Indeed?”

      “Our forester and our doctor tried to get in a few days ago, for the benefit of the village, and they paid dearly for their attempt.”

      “What happened to them?” asked Franz de Télek, somewhat ironically.

      Master Koltz related in detail the adventures of Nic Deck and Doctor Patak.

      “And so,” said the count, “when the doctor wanted to get out of the ditch his feet were so stuck to the ground that he could not take a step forward?”

      “Neither a step forward nor a step behind,” added Magister Hermod.

      “Your doctor thought so,” replied Franz de Télek. “But it was fear which stuck him by the heels.”

      “Be it so,” replied Master Koltz. “But Nic Deck received a frightful shock when he put his hand on the ironwork of the drawbridge.”

      “A terrible shock—”

      “So terrible,” replied the biro, “that he has been in bed ever since.”

      “Not in danger of his life, I hope?” said the count.

      “No, fortunately.”

      That was a fact, an undeniable fact, and Master Koltz waited for the explanation Franz de Télek would give.

      “In all I have just heard there is nothing, I repeat, but what is very simple. I have no doubt but what somebody is now living in the castle—who, I know not. Anyhow, they are not spirits, but people who wish to lie hidden there after taking refuge there—criminals probably.”

      “Criminals!” exclaimed Master Koltz.

      “Probably; and as they do not want anyone to hunt them out, they wish it to be believed that the castle is haunted by supernatural beings.”

      “What!” said Magister Hermod. “You think—”

      “I think you are very superstitious in these parts, that the people in the castle know it, and that they wish to keep off visitors in that way.”

      That this was the true explanation was not unlikely, but we need not be astonished if nobody at Werst would admit it.

      The young count saw that he had in no way convinced an audience who did not wish to be convinced, and so he contented himself with adding,—

      “If you do not care to agree with me, gentlemen, you can continue to think what you please about the Castle of the Carpathians.”

      “We believe what we have seen,” replied Master Koltz.

      “And what is—” said the magister.

      “Well. Really, I am sorry I have not a day to spare, for Rotzko and I would have paid a visit to your famous castle, and I assure you we would soon have found out—”

      “Visit the castle!” exclaimed Master Koltz.

      “Without hesitation, and the devil himself would not have stopped us from getting in.”

      On listening to Franz de Télek express himself so positively, so ironically even, the villagers were seized with terror. In treating the spirits of the castle with such indifference, would he not bring some disaster on the village? Did not these spirits hear all that passed in the inn of the “King Mathias”? Would the voice be heard a second time in this room?

      And thereupon Master Koltz told the young count of the circumstances under which the forester had been personally threatened when he decided on entering the Castle of the Carpathians.

      Franz de Télek simply shrugged his shoulders; then he rose, saying that no voice had ever been heard in the room as they pretended. Whereupon some of the company made for the door, not caring to remain any longer in a place where a young sceptic dared say such things.

      But Franz de Télek stopped them with a gesture.

      “Assuredly, gentlemen,” he said. “I see that the village of Werst is under the empire of fear.”

      “And not without reason,” replied Master Koltz.

      “Well, there is a very simple way of putting a stop to the performances which according to you are going on at the Castle of the Carpathians. After