Page:The Decameron of the West (1839).djvu/172

 beautiful closely curled brown locks fell a sacrifice to the ruthless shears of this inhabitant of the other world. He now made his obeisance, and prepared to depart. When at the door, however, he looked very sad, and touched his beard while regarding Francis. In a moment it flashed across the mind of the other, that haply the ghost desired the same office to be done towards himself, (his grey beard was indeed of extreme length.) Accordingly, he beckoned to the barber to place himself on the aforesaid stool; this the latter instantly did; and by whose directions, all given in the way of signs, Francis completed the task, and made of the ghost a bald-head similar to himself. This finished, the intercourse between these two beings, which had hitherto been mere pantomime, now became dramatic.

“Young man,” said the ghost, “I owe you incalculable obligations. You have now liberated my spirit, which has long frequented this spot, anxiously desiring its place of rest; and, oh! how little can mortals conceive of the longing wish which a departed spirit feels to reach its future destination! Listen, young man, to my story. Three hundred years ago, Count Hartmann was the owner of this castle, and I was the family barber. The Count was neither