fancies, and leave my daughter to rest quietly in the tomb’Tis well—’
“He then made a signal to his servants, who went out.
“‘Well! my dear marquis!’ said he to me.
“‘Well?’
“‘Your belief in stories will not, surely, carry you so far as to give credence to my Hildegarde’s spirit appearing?’
“‘At least it may have appeared to the gardener onlyDo you recollect the adventure in the Museum at Paris?’
“‘You are right: that again was a pretty invention, which to this moment I cannot fathom. Believe me, I should sooner have refused my daughter to the duke for his having been the fabricator of so gross a story, than for his having forsaken his first love.’
“‘I see very plainly that we shall not easily accord on this point; for if my ready belief appears strange to you, your doubts seem to me incomprehensible.’
“The company assembled at the castle, retired by degrees; and I alone was left with the count and his lady, when Ida came to the room-door, clothed in her ball-dress, and appeared astonished at finding the company had left.
“‘What can this mean?’ demanded the coun-
