but the one-eyed Hans thrust his staff betwixt the bars and so
kept the shutter open.

"Nay, nay," said he, eagerly, "do not go away from me too soon.
Look, dear one; seest thou this necklace?"

"Aye," said she, looking hungrily at it.

"Then listen; if thou wilt but let me into the castle, so that I
may strike a trade, I will give it to thee for thine own without
thy paying a barley corn for it."

The girl looked and hesitated, and then looked again; the
temptation was too great. There was a noise of softly drawn
bolts and bars, the door was hesitatingly opened a little way,
and, in a twinkling, the one-eyed Hans had slipped inside the
castle, pack and all.

"The necklace," said the girl, in a frightened whisper.

Hans thrust it into her hand. "It's thine," said he, "and now
wilt thou not help me to a trade?"

"I will tell my sister that thou art here," said she, and away
she ran from the little stone hallway, carefully bolting and
locking the further door behind her.

The door that the girl had locked was the only one that
connected the postern hail with the castle.