that she would by no means be sorry to hear how much greater were the obligations she owed to Storkenheim, than those upon which her disturbed fancy had delighted to dwell. Before, therefore, the public was made acquainted with so much of the truth as they were destined to partake in, the count took an opportunity of engaging the lady Frederica to come to his apartments by herself, under the pretence of wanting some information from her relative to her deceased brother. By degrees he now artfully led on the conversation from point to point; till being at length convinced that her mind was in a state capable of bearing the truth, he ventured fully to disclose it to her. When he concluded, she poured out her heart in the warmest effusions of gratitude for the communication; adding some pretty forcible expressions, when she adverted to Stork cited by all that was reported of the appearance, and the nature of it was after a time ascertained. Thus at length it was evident that Wingerode might have seen a gigantic figure, aërial in its nature; but since the whole truth of Molziewitz's story was not then known, though it probably was him that he saw, as he was in the valley of rocks long before sunrise on the morning when he went to meet Storkenheim and make his confession to him,—as this was not then known, Wingerode had still the credit of having clothed his own figure with the form by which his imagination was haunted; and of this he was at length himself persuaded. Thus all the supernatural appearances being naturally accounted for, even Birkenthal was finally compelled to yield up the cause he had so long ably defended, and to be contented thenceforward with enjoying the society of corporeal beings like himself, without alarming his ima-enheim's conduct, which showed the gination with the idea of incorporeal ones. Happily for young Molziewitz, all these things had been explained, and the explanations canvassed over till the subject was exhausted, before he arrived at Presburg; so that he might appear with safety in company, nor incur any danger of his mind being harassed by listening to commentaries upon a subject so painful to him. The conclusion of the story is soon told, count Lowenstein, in the first conversation he had with the lady Frederica upon the subject of her brother's ghost, received the fullest conviction that the gratitude which she had delighted to cherish for the service she supposed Storkenheim to have rendered the deceased count, had given birth at length to feelings in her heart of a more warm and tender nature: it was therefore evident that no obstacle to the scheme he was so anxious to substantiate would be found in a want of inclination on her part. Another conviction he received was, that in such a disposition of mind to tell her the whole truth might safely he hazarded, count plainly that the actions were not the less grateful to her in considering by whom they were performed. "Count Lowenstein," she said, "you have relieved my mind from a heavy burthen. While my reason was unfortunately under a shade, I was satisfied with the letter I received from captain Storkenheim. I had formerly had the pleasure of knowing him; I thought him pleasing and amiable, and my brother Adolphus always spoke of him in such warm terms of friendship and regard that I had conceived a very high opinion of him. I delighted therefore to dwell on the service my troubled fancy supposed him to have rendered the whole family in giving rest to my deceased brother's spirit. Since the return of my reason, I will confess to you that my mind has been much troubled about this letter. In my hours of delirium, I never entertained a doubt but that the reputed apparition was not what it appeared, or hesitated for a moment to believe in the disembodied soul sometimes wandering again upon the earth; my hours of sanity reproved this belief, assuring me that it was delirium alone which could cherish it. What then could I think of the letter? I could scarcely acquit captain Storkenheim of having sported with my unhappy state, and I was disposed instead of my foriner good opinion, to feel the warmest indignation against him....Never, no never, can these obligations be sufficiently acknowledged." rage him. Storkenheim was soon acquainted with the honours intended him by the count, at which he seemed deeply affected, showing his sense of the obligations he was under, by the warmest expressions of gratitude, yet with a manly dignity devoid of servility. In a few days he was publicly acknowledged by the count as his adopted son, and received the congratulations of the court on the occasion. But his richest recompense was still to come; nor did the count long delay to mention the subject to him, and to assure him of the queen's favourable disposition towards the marriage, while he thought he might equally answer for those of the lady. Storkenheim delayed not to mention the subject to his friend count Adolphus, whose delight seemed to know no bounds in the idea of call opened in form to the lady, she did not think it necessary to go through any ceremony of hesitation or consideration, but immediately consented to bestow her hand where she had already bestowed her heart, and the marriage was concluded in a very short time. Count Lowenstein had heard enough, and his mind was now fully settled. He had no child himself, no heir to whom his fortunes and honours would descend; and he thought he could never bestow his favours more meritoriously than in adopting Storkenheim as his son, and making him his heir; so would he be fully authorized in aspiring to the hand of his beloved Frederica. This idea he immediately imparted to the queen, requesting her gracious sanctioning him brother. The suit being then to it. She made no hesitation to grant it, adding many flattering expressions both to himself for the benevolence and generosity he was showing, and to the son of his adoption, who could not fain to reflect the highest lustre upon the station to which he was raised. The count then mentioned his further views with regard to his new son; to which the queen replied, that though she should deeply feel the loss of such a friend as Frederica, whom she could no longer expect to retain about her person, yet she must truly rejoice to see her disposed of so much to her own satisfaction, and to see merit such as Storkenheim's crowned with that happiness to which his heart had never dared even to raise a thought. Things were in this train when count Adolphus and Storkenheim arrived at Presburg. The former for his sister's sake, and the latter for his own, were most graciously received by the queen, while the meeting between the brother and sister was interesting and affecting. The young count appeared much abashed, but by degrees began to recover himself, and Lowenstein benignantly did all in his power to cheer and encou Count Adolphus remained at Presburg till he had solemnly given his sister to his friend, and then departed to settle his affairs. From this time his whole conduct was changed; an impression had been made on his mind which no time could wear away; and as often as he and his brother-in-law met, he could never refrain from pouring out his heart in the warmest effusions of gratitude to him while his altered conduct bore the fullest testimony to the sincerity with which he felt all that he expressed. Thus the compact on his side being punctually fulfilled, the depositories of the secret were no less punctual in performing their engagement; nor till long, long after, when a life of many years, which might truly be called exemplary, had atoned for all his youthful follies-was the true history known of the THE SPECTRE OF PRESBURG. In a certain town in Alsace, during the time of the seven years war, lived two misers of different sexes; the one was known by the name of Madame Barbara Alicia Kreutzer, the other by that of Mr. Philip Ambrose Netterville. The former had been the wife of a senator, but at this period had been many years a widow. Her lord survived his marriage but a very short time ;-as to the cause of his death the town was much divided in opinion; some holding that he was wrangled out of the world by his fair partner, others, that he was starved by her; all agreed that it was to her he was indebted for being so early in life released from a world of cares. In short she was "One of those very few women whose life Is less spent in eating than wrangling and strife.". Whether it was for her beauty or for the amiable qualities of her mind that the worthy senator made choice of her as his help-mate, is not easily to be determined. The only thing certain is, that at the time when the adventures now to be related took place, and she was considerably past the prime of life, her nose had acquired a remarkable resemblance to the beak of a falcon, and her chin turned upwards towards it with so graceful a curve, that they came nearly in contact with each other. Her figure had none of the roundness and plumpness of the Medicean Venus; it might, indeed, be said, that if she had starved r loved lord, she had certainly not fat.ened herself; her form was the very abstract idea of famine, and by that appellation she was generally distinguished among her fellow-citizens. Her dress was in perfect unison with the appearance of her person the gown she commonly wore had been in the family during three generations at least as the fashion of it and many a breach in its texture indisputably attested. An anti-graceful figure of this description being well known as one of those in which our arch enemy often carries on his intrigues and cabals against mankind, she did not pass among the townspeople without suspicion, if not of being that very personage himself, at least of being one of those attendants about his person commonly known by the name of his imps. The house in which she lived favoured this idea not a little. It was an old ruinous castle on the town-walls, and appeared much rather the abode of evil spirits than of any thing human. One evil spirit was undoubtedly her constant inmate the dæmon of avarice; and as he was her constant, he became at length nearly her sole, companion. She had once let the greater part of her house in lodgings; till in the end, as she would never be at the expense of repairs the wind and the rain had obtained such free ingress into every apartment that it was impossible for any body but herself to inhabit them. She then entered upon a nice calculation, whether the loss incurred by repairs would or would not be counterbalanced by the gain derived from letting the apartments; which question being determined in favour of suffering things to remain as they were, she descended from a garret where she had long dwelt, and which rather more resembled an owl's nest than a human habitation, into the first floor, where only was one room tolerably defended against the inroads of the elements. Among many wise maxims and saws which she cherished as her great rules of life, a favourite one was that" Whoever will be well served must serve themselves." In pursuance of this maxim she kept no servant. Indeed another reason might be adduced for her not having one, that it was impossible to find a servant who would live with her; even the rats and mice forsook the house, after she ceased to have lodgers, for want of the means of sustaining their existence any longer. The only corporeal being that now inhabited the mansion, besides herself and the spiders -who held their reign unmolested in every part of it-was a large black dog. This member of her establishment served at all times as a faithful guard against thieves, and in cold weather added to his other employments that of performing for her the office of a warming-pan, Such a guard and protector was indeed a very necessary article in her household she had the reputation of possessing immense riches, and without some defender might have been extremely liable to the inroads of nocturnal depredators. If a heart like hers could be capable of attachment, she might be said to be strongly attached to this animal indeed, if similarity of disposition can create attachment, there was every reason for her regarding him with warm friendship, since he was as determined a wrangler as herself; and having twice inflicted severe discipline on persons who came to the house at a later hour than he thought proper to admit visitors, all who might otherwise have been similarly disposed were now kept at an awful distance. The reputation for riches which she had not unjustly acquired, proved to her in some sort an actual source of wealth. The legacy-hunters, who always constitute a large description of persons in every town, were all assiduous in paying their court to her, sending her little objects of regale for the table, and other presents, so that she had never occasion to diminish her own stores in supplying the wants either of herself or her dog. Not that the tributes she received in this way were always consumed by her under the form in which they originally came to her hands; a fine capon for instance was a dainty which neither Black Tom, for that was the appellation given to her companion in compliment to her deceased husband, who bore the name of Thomas-neither herself nor Black Tom having any relish for dainties, whatever she received in this way was carried to market and exchanged for food of a cheaper description; and she took great care not to be over-reached in her bargains, she commonly, besides supplying her table, contributed something towards the nourishment of her strong box. "She is a managing good kind of a woman," would Mr. Philip Ambrose Netterville, with others of like thrifty dispositions, say of her, pulling off their hats and saluting her respectfully whenever they met her in the streets. The rest of the inhabitants of the town were divided in their opinions concerning her. Black Tom was by many considered as neither more nor less than the arch-fiend himself under the form of a spaniel! and a very general article of belief was that the old lady was possessed of a magic dollar, presented by Satan, as a love-token when he first became her suitor, through the influence of which she could increase her wealth to any sum she chose. To these opinions at least four-fifths of the inhabitants of the town subscribed the only difference among them was, that some believed both articles firmly, and talked of them freely; while others, as firmly believing, yet did not venture to talk upon the subject, always recollecting the old saying, "Talk of the devil and he's soon at your elbow." Some again rejected that part of the creed which taught that Black Tom was the archfiend in disguise, but believed firmly in the magic dollar; others again believed in the dog, but rejected the dollar. A few only, scarcely a fifth part, perhaps not above a tenth or twentieth -persons who could actually venture through a church-yard without fear at the solemn hour of midnight-did not believe either in the dollar or the dog; they believed in nothing but the covetous, querulous, and in every way untractable disposition or the avaricious old woman. Such was Madame Barbara Alicia Kreutzer. Her counterpart, Mr. Philip Ambrose Netterville, as he called him self in all his bonds, usurious contracts, dunning letters, &c. had from his earliest youth conceived a high idea of the delights of living in noble penury. He had not more of the sleek plumpness of the Apollo of Belvidere in his figure, than his prototype had of the Medicean Venus; it would have been indeed a difficult matter for the nicest anatomist to determine which had the greater or less portion of flesh upon their bones. The skin of his forehead was drawn very tight up over the ossified part of it by a scanty-haired wig which sat very close to his head, and his small round eyes were by this means rendered exceedingly prominent, while they, standing on each side of a very crooked nose and having in them much of the acuteness of a hawk, looking after his prey, his countenance altogether bore a strong resemblance to that animal. Nor was this resemblance lessened by his mouth being constantly open, as if ready to snap at any thing which came in his way. While yet quite a child, some hard dollars had been given him by his godfather as playthings; and of these he soon became passionately fond-all other objects were as nothing to his childish fancy in comparison with them. At a somewhat more advanced period of life, no other play could delight him but being merchants and bankers, and getting a great deal of money. By the time he was seven years old, he could repeat his tables of interest by heart very readily, without making the most triffing mistake, though in all other respects he was backward in his reading and writing; and when only in his tenth year he had the address to frame a lottery, by which nearly all the pocketmoney of his schoolfellows was transferred from their purses into his strong box-for a strong box he kept even at this early age. Another mode adopted by him to get possession of the little stores of his companions was to borrow money of them under an engagement to pay it at a fixed time with so much |