n Helen put up her pencils,
and the major set off to find Amy, who had been appearing and
disappearing in every nook and cranny of the half-ruined castle.

Nowhere could he find her, and no voice answered when he called. The
other visitors were gone, and the place seemed deserted, except by
themselves and the old man who showed the ruins.

Becoming alarmed lest the girl had fallen somewhere, or lost her way
among the vaults where the famous Tun lies, the major called out old
Hans with his lantern, and searched high and low.

Amy's hat, full of flowers and ferns, was found in the Lady's Walk, as
the little terrace is called, but no other trace appeared, and Helen
hurried to and fro in great distress, fearing all manner of dangers.

Meanwhile Amy, having explored every other part of the castle, went to
take another look at the Tun, the dwarf, and the vaults.

Now little Anderl, her guide, had a great fear of ghosts, and legions
were said to haunt the ruins after nightfall, so when Amy rambled on
deeper and deeper into the gloom the boy's courage ebbed away with
every step; yet he was ashamed to own his fear, seeing that she had
none.

Amy wanted to see a certain cell, where a nun was said to have pined
to death because she would not listen to the Margraf's love. The
legend pleased the romantic girl, and forgetful of waning daylight,
gathering damps, and Anderl's reluctant service, she ran on, up steps
and down, delighted with little arched doors, rusty chains on the
walls, glimpses of sky through shattered roofs, and all manner of
mysterious nooks and corners. Coming at last to a narrow cell, with a
stone table, and heavy bolts on the old door, she felt sure this was
poor Elfrida's prison, and called Anderl to come on with his candle,
for the boy had lighted one, for his own comfort rather than hers. Her
call was unanswered, and glancing back, she saw the candle placed on
the ground, but no Anderl.

"Little coward, he has run away," she said, laughing; and having
satisfied her curiosity, turned to retrace her steps,--no easy task to
one ignorant of the way, for vault after vault opened on both sides,
and no path was discernible. In vain she tried to recall some
landmark, the gloom had deepened and nothing was clear. On she
hurried, but found no opening, and really frightened, stopped at last,
calling the boy in a voice that woke a hundred echoes. But Anderl had
fled home, thinking the lady would find her way back,