measuring
them by the loss of his own physical and mental energy--for after
fifteen years, five of which had been spent in heavy iron chains, a
man is not what he was.

After some days the invited guest arrived at the parsonage of Herr
Mahok. The pastor related to him, circumstantially, all that had
reference to the countess, with the exception, of course, of such
matters as were under the sacred seal of confession. He told him about
the ghosts, and his own experience under that head.

Herr Samuel received the narration with fits of laughter.

"You may laugh here as much as you like, but I beg of you not to do so
before the countess; she holds to her ghosts," remarked the pastor,
with an air of one who knew what he was saying.

The abbe then asked for information concerning the disposition of the
rooms in the castle, how they were situated in regard to one another.
He made the pastor describe minutely every particular of what he had
himself been witness to, also how he and his sacristan had made good
their escape through the lattice door.

The equipage of the countess came at the usual hour to fetch both the
guests to the castle, which lay at some little distance from the
village.

It was only natural, all things taken into account, that the countess
on her first introduction to the abbe should lose all control of her
nerves, and that she should give way to several hysterical symptoms,
which could only be calmed by the abbe laying his hand in paternal
benediction upon her forehead. Fraulein Emerenzia's nerves, in
accordance with the sympathy which existed between her and her
mistress, became at once similarly affected, and required a similar
imposition of hands; but neither of the priests troubled themselves
about her, and when the countess recovered from her attack, the
companion did likewise.

During dinner, which was served with great elegance, the abbe
discoursed upon every possible subject, and made inquiries as to the
prospects of the country, the occupations of the people, the age of
the servants, and so forth. He addressed a great deal of his
conversation to Fraulein Emerenzia, attended to her wants; when he
offered her wine she covered her glass with her hand, and declared
she never tasted anything but water, which seemed infinitely to
surprise him; also, when he wished to know whether the ring on her
finger was one of betrothal, Emerenzia tried to blush, and gave him to
understand that, from her own