h an occasional breathing spell on the trumpet,
began,--

"You do give warranty as a good knight and true, as well as by the bones
of the blessed St. Ursula, that you bear no ill will, secret enmity,
wicked misprise or conspiracy, against the body of our noble lord
and master Von Kolnsche? And you bring with you no ambush, siege, or
surprise of retainers, neither secret warrant nor lettres de cachet, nor
carry on your knightly person poisoned dagger, magic ring, witch-powder,
nor enchanted bullet, and that you have entered into no unhallowed
alliance with the Prince of Darkness, gnomes, hexies, dragons, Undines,
Loreleis, nor the like?"

"Come down out of that, you d----d old fool!" roared Mr. Clinch, now
perfectly beside himself with rage,--"come down, and let me in!"

As Mr. Clinch shouted out the last words, confused cries of recognition
and welcome, not unmixed with some consternation, rose from the
battlements: "Ach Gott!" "Mutter Gott--it is he! It is Jann, Der
Wanderer. It is himself." The chains rattled, the ponderous drawbridge
creaked and dropped; and across it a medley of motley figures rushed
pellmell. But, foremost among them, the very maiden whom he had left not
ten minutes before flew into his arms, and with a cry of joyful greeting
sank upon his breast. Mr. Clinch looked down upon the fair head and long
braids. It certainly was the same maiden, his cruel enchantress; but
where did she get those absurd garments?

"Willkommen," said a stout figure, advancing with some authority, and
seizing his disengaged hand, "where hast thou been so long?"

Mr. Clinch, by no means placated, coldly dropped the extended hand.
It was NOT the proprietor he had known. But there was a singular
resemblance in his face to some one of Mr. Clinch's own kin; but who,
he could not remember. "May I take the liberty of asking your name?" he
asked coldly.

The figure grinned. "Surely; but, if thou standest upon punctilio, it
is for ME to ask thine, most noble Freiherr," said he, winking upon his
retainers. "Whom have I the honor of entertaining?"

"My name is Clinch,--James Clinch of Chicago, Ill."

A shout of laughter followed. In the midst of his rage and mortification
Mr. Clinch fancied he saw a shade of pain and annoyance flit across the
face of the maiden. He was puzzled, but pressed her hand, in spite of
his late experiences, reassuringly. She made a gesture of silence to
him, and then slipped away in the crowd.

"Sch