He completed his round of the room, then they again entered the long passageway and began the walk southward again.

All of a sudden Sabina blew out the candle.

“Hey, what are you doing!” exclaimed Matthew. “It’s pitch black!”

Sabina did not answer.

“You’re not going to scare me again, are you, like you did on the top floor?” said Matthew into the darkness. “I’m even more defenseless now, with my bum leg!”

All was silent.

Then began to echo through the passageway an eerie sound. “Ooow… ooow…” wailed Sabina in the most ghostly voice she could put on. The effect was spoiled, however, the moment she broke into laughter.

“Some ghost you make!” said Matthew. “Now come on, get that candle lit again.”

“You’re not very adventurous. Wouldn’t you rather grope your way back in the dark?”

“No. I don’t trust you.”

Sabina laughed. Matthew heard the sound of a match striking, and suddenly the narrow catacomb exploded into light. Sabina lit the candle, then continued walking.

“Here’s the stairway up to your room,” she said as they passed it on the right. “And then as we continue about another six or seven meters… here we are!”

Matthew saw that they had reached the end of the passageway.

“What now?”

“Another hidden-latched doorway,” she replied, reaching into a tiny hole in the wall ahead of her. The click of a latch releasing sounded, and the stone door swung on invisible iron hinges. They entered the cellar, and Sabina closed the door behind them.

“Papa also says possibly there were originally two cellars, joined by this passageway, but that for some reason the one at the far end ceased to be used, while this one, more useful and accessible to the kitchen because of the larger rectangular stairway, continued in everyday use. Anyway, you’ve now been over every inch of the house, and I’m hungry. It must be almost time for lunch!”

Sabina made for the stairs, leaping up them two at a time, while Matthew followed, with crutch and cast, more slowly.

Two hours later, after lunch and a pleasant conversation with Herr and Frau von Dortmann, Matthew wandered outside alone and sat down on a bench in the courtyard.

It slowly began to dawn on him that these were his final hours in this place. A quiet began to descend upon him, and he found himself filled with many questions about these people he had been with for a week. It wasn’t merely the adventurous and interesting nature of their home. There was something unique about these people as well. Certainly they were different from the usual aristocrats he had met. But come to think of it, they were different from any family he had ever known. He found himself wondering what the difference was.

His thoughts were interrupted by Sabina, standing in front of him. She had stolen up quietly, and he had not heard her approach.