Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: seen, warn him not to act as I have done, and to pay my debt, that I may escape from this bed of flames." The countryman hastened to fulfil the commission, showing the signet ring. He was at once paid with heavy interest, and the castle chaplain received orders to read a mass for the suffering soul. On his way home the countryman looked again into the cave, but nothing more was to be seen either of the flames or the guilty Earl. The Spectre Maiden of the Regenstein still haunts the ruins. How solemnly the old ruinated fortress looks down upon the plain bathed in the rich lights of sunset. And around the walls and the tower sighs a spirit, and sighs the storm. Let thy stay there be short and cautious, for the ruins are haunted by night. A maiden form rises from the dark vault, and wanders to the tower, and to the great gates, and an innocent countenance smiles upon thee. Guard thyself well, O wanderer; gaze not so deep in the mournful eyes; it is the Spectre Maiden. She bows to thee in graceful greeting, she offers thee the full lips to kiss, she beckons, she spreads out the arms. Oh, follow her not! Her breath is poison ! If thou grant her the kiss, thou wilt fall an irrecoverable prey to death. Her greeting, her beckon, are not for thee; she waits here for her lover. As Crusader, he marched to the Holy Sepulchre. She is gazing after him from the tower, waiting for hisreturn by the broken drawbridge, and wanders ever in search of him. If she meet thee, she will fancy thou art her fallen hero-lover. If thou dost follow when she beckons, she will draw thee into an open grave with ice-cold arms. Oh ! guard thyself well when in her sight, For she haunts the Regenstein by night ! '"TVHE Baronin von Felsen had led her young A English friend, May Rosenmore, th...