At length they came to a stone staircase , which was so dark that you could not see your hand if you held it up before your face . ' I have kept my most precious treasure till the last , ' said the old woman ; ` but let me go first , for the stairs are steep , and you might easily break your leg . ' So on she went , now and then calling back to the young man in the darkness . But he did not know that she had slipped aside into a recess , till suddenly he put his foot on a trap door which gave way under him , and he fell down , down , as many good knights had done before him , and his voice joined the echoes of theirs . ` So you would not marry me ! ' chuckled the old witch . ` Ha ! ha ! Ha ! ha ! ' Meanwhile his brother had wandered far and wide , and at last he wandered back to the same great city where the other young knight had met with so many adventures . He noticed , with amazement , that as he walked through the streets the guards drew themselves up in line , and saluted him , and the drummers played the royal march ; but he was still more bewildered when several servants in livery ran up to him and told him that the princess was sure something terrible had befallen him , and had made herself ill with weeping . At last it occurred to him that once more he had been taken for his brother . ' I had better say nothing , ' thought he ; ` perhaps I shall be able to help him after all . ' So he suffered himself to be borne in triumph to the palace , where the princess threw herself into his arms . ` And so you did go to the castle ? ' she asked . ` Yes , of course I did , ' answered he . ` And what did you see there ? ' ' I am forbidden to tell you anything about it , until I have returned there once more , ' replied he .
` Must you really go back XXXXX that dreadful place ? '
At about as before in into on that to until