“Most of the items were here when I was a boy. My father used to bring me here and tell me tales of each sword and whose it had been and in what battles it had been used. No doubt my present interest stems from those long-planted roots of childhood.”

“Perfectly understandable.”

“My love for history, too, cannot help but be intrigued. My only additions since my father’s time are the Scottish swords, the several two-handed claymores here.” He led the American toward one of the walls, then stopped in front of it. “This particular giant is said to have been used at the Battle of Culloden, though I have no way to verify that fact. Then there are several dirks and skean-dhus that I am particularly fond—”

“Buh, Papa!” exclaimed Sabina, jumping from behind the suit of armor that stood only about two meters from where the two men were engaged in conversation.

“Ah, Sabina, you are always full of merry surprises!” rejoined her father.

Matthew emerged from his hiding place without exclamation, a bit embarrassed to be playing childhood games. Sabina fascinated him, but he found his natural reticence hard to shake loose. When he was with her there seemed no distinction between childhood fun and adult sophistication, and the two blended almost into one.

“Quite a place, eh, Matt!” said his father. “You could get lost in this house.”

“I’ve already been lost once,” replied Matthew. “Sabina ran off and left me.”

“Only for a minute!” said Sabina.

They all laughed. The baron continued to lead the way around the four walls of the armory, pointing out this and that piece of special interest or historical significance, then led them out of the armory by the door opposite that by which they had entered. All four stayed together for the remainder of the excursion through the labyrinth of the second floor until, some thirty minutes later, they arrived back at the top of the grand circular staircase.

“Well, as you can see, we’ve come back safe and sound to the front of the house where things are more orderly and defined than in the farther reaches of this floor.”

“I would not want to be left alone in these passageways we have come through,” said McCallum.

“Especially at night,” added Sabina.

They walked around the giant snaillike stairway together.

“And here we are again at the first floor and your own rooms,” said the baron.

“Thank you very much,” said the American. “I must say I have never been in a house quite the equal of yours, Baron.”

“Only using not more than half of it, I do sometimes wonder what good the monstrous thing is. But it may prove of use yet… one never knows.”

They paused at the landing.