their assistance. For a considerable time she remained in an agony
of despair.

At last, as softly as was possible, she felt for the door, and
having found it, entered trembling into the vault from whence she
had heard the sigh and steps. It gave her a kind of momentary joy
to perceive an imperfect ray of clouded moonshine gleam from the
roof of the vault, which seemed to be fallen in, and from whence
hung a fragment of earth or building, she could not distinguish
which, that appeared to have been crushed inwards. She advanced
eagerly towards this chasm, when she discerned a human form
standing close against the wall.

She shrieked, believing it the ghost of her betrothed Conrad. The
figure, advancing, said, in a submissive voice -

"Be not alarmed, Lady; I will not injure you."

Isabella, a little encouraged by the words and tone of voice of the
stranger, and recollecting that this must be the person who had
opened the door, recovered her spirits enough to reply -

"Sir, whoever you are, take pity on a wretched Princess, standing
on the brink of destruction. Assist me to escape from this fatal
castle, or in a few moments I may be made miserable for ever."

"Alas!" said the stranger, "what can I do to assist you? I will
die in your defence; but I am unacquainted with the castle, and
want--"