She slept on the first floor, and the difficulty was how to reach it; but this was soon overcome.  In the stable-yard stood some high steps, used for the convenience of passengers when they mounted the wagons and diligences.  These he carried to the spot, and having reached the window, he was about to break some of the panes, since, as it fastened on the inside, he could not open it, when it occurred to him that the noise might wake her, and cause an alarm that would betray him.  The window, however, was in the lattice fashion, and he saw that by a little contrivance, he could lift it off the hinges.  He did so, and drew aside the curtain; there lay the intended victim in a sound sleep; so sound, that Karl thought he might safely step in without disturbing her.  There she lay in her beauty.

He could not tell why, but, as he stood and looked at her, he felt that he must save her at all risks.  The air he had let in might not be enough; he would take the charcoal from the stove and throw it out of the window; but what if she awoke with the noise and screamed?  He hesitated a moment; but he remembered that this would be a safer plan than leaving the window open, as that might be observed in the morning from below, and he would thus be betrayed.  So, as quietly as possible, he emptied the stove, and then, having sufficiently aired the room, he hung on the window again, and retired.

During the whole of these operations Adelaide had remained quite still, and appeared to be sound asleep.  But was she?  No.  The opening of the window had awakened her:  surprise and terror had at first kept her silent—­a surprise and terror that were by no means diminished by discovering who the intruder was.  Although she had always spoken kindly to Karl, and even endeavoured, by the amenity of her manner, to soften his rude nature, she had from the first moment disliked him exceedingly, and felt his countenance most repulsive; so that, when she saw him entering her room through the window, she did not doubt that he was come for some very bad purpose, probably to rob her, although the booty he was likely to get was small, since her trunks, with all her valuable property, were nightly placed under Mazzuolo’s care for safety.  Still, the little money she carried in her purse, together with her rings and watch, would be a great deal to so poor a creature; and expecting to see him possess himself of these, she thought it more prudent to lie still and feign sleep, than to disturb him.  But when she saw that all he came for was to take the fire out of the stove, she was beyond measure puzzled to conceive his motive.  Could it be a jest?  But what a strange jest!  However, he did nothing else; he touched neither her money nor her watch, though both were lying on the table, but went away as empty-handed as he came.

The amazement and alarm that so extraordinary a visit necessarily inspired, drove sleep from her eyes, and it was not till the day dawned that she so far recovered her composure and sense of safety, as to close them in slumber.  Then, however, fatigue got the better of her watchfulness, and she gradually sunk into a sound sleep.