Young Putkammer, surprised at this unseasonable visit, yet supposing it
some friend who had been benighted, hastily donned his dressing-gown,
and, with light in hand, stepped to the landing. Nothing to be seen
there! But he heard behind him the opening of a door leading into the
principal gallery of the chateau,--a long hall which for some time had
been out of use. It had been employed by the former owner of the castle
as a banqueting-room, was hung with old family portraits, and, as the
young man had noticed during the day, was so completely incumbered with
furniture, which had been temporarily stored there, that no one could
pass through it.

He returned in great surprise, which was much increased when he found
the door of the gallery in question closed and locked. He listened, and
heard quite distinctly, within the room, the noise of plates and dishes
and the clatter of knives and forks. To this, after a time, succeeded
the sound of shuffling cards and the rattle of money, as if thrown on
the table in the course of the game.

More and more astonished, he awoke his servant, and bade him listen at
the door and tell him what he heard. The terrified valet reported the
same sounds that had reached his master's ears, Thereupon the latter
told him to arouse the administrator and request his presence.

When this gentleman appeared, the young nobleman eagerly asked if he
could furnish any explanation of this strange disturbance.

"I was unwilling," said he, in reply, "to anticipate what you now
witness, lest you might imagine I had some interested motive to prevent
your coming hither. We are all familiar with these sounds. They occur
every night at about the same hour. And we have sought in vain any
natural explanation of their constant recurrence."

"Have you the key of the gallery?"

"Here it is."

The door was unlocked and thrown open. Silence and darkness! And when
the lights were introduced, not an object to be seen through the gloom,
but the old furniture confusedly piled up over the floor.

They closed and locked the door. Again the same sounds commenced: the
clatter of dishes, the noise of revelling, the clink of the gamblers'
gold. A second time they opened the door, this time quickly and
suddenly; and a second time the sounds instantly ceased, and the hall,
untenanted except by the silent portraits on its walls, appeared before
them, the same still and gloomy lumber-room as before.

Baffled for the time,