llowed a death-like silence. A light step was
heard crossing the floor, as if from the bed to the window; and almost
at the same instant the door gave way, and, yielding to the pressure of
the external applicants, nearly precipitated them into the room. It was
empty. The window was open, and Schalken sprung to a chair and gazed out
upon the street and canal below. He saw no form, but he saw, or thought
he saw, the waters of the broad canal beneath settling ring after ring
in heavy circles, as if a moment before disturbed by the submission of
some ponderous body.

No trace of Rose was ever after found, nor was anything certain
respecting her mysterious wooer discovered or even suspected--no clue
whereby to trace the intricacies of the labyrinth and to arrive at its
solution, presented itself. But an incident occurred, which, though it
will not be received by our rational readers in lieu of evidence,
produced nevertheless a strong and a lasting impression upon the mind of
Schalken. Many years after the events which we have detailed, Schalken,
then residing far away received an intimation of his father's death, and
of his intended burial upon a fixed day in the church of Rotterdam. It
was necessary that a very considerable journey should be performed by
the funeral procession, which as it will be readily believed, was not
very numerously attended. Schalken with difficulty arrived in Rotterdam
late in the day upon which the funeral was appointed to take place. It
had not then arrived. Evening closed in, and still it did not appear.

Schalken strolled down to the church; he found it open; notice of the
arrival of the funeral had been given, and the vault in which the body
was to be laid had been opened. The sexton, on seeing a well-dressed
gentleman, whose object was to attend the expected obsequies, pacing the
aisle of the church, hospitably invited him to share with him the
comforts of a blazing fire, which, as was his custom in winter time upon
such occasions, he had kindled in the hearth of a chamber in which he
was accustomed to await the arrival of such grisly guests and which
communicated, by a flight of steps, with the vault below. In this
chamber, Schalken and his entertainer seated themselves; and the sexton,
after some fruitless attempts to engage his guest in conversation, was
obliged to apply himself to his tobacco-pipe and can, to solace his
solitude. In spite of his grief and cares, the fatigues of a rapid
jo