a narrower lane, and snuffing the air. Finally she
turned off the sandy road on to a grassy bridle-path. Reimers gave her
her head; this was probably a short cut to the neighbouring village.

Now the wood became thinner. Cleared patches or young plantations
alternated with the groups of tall pine-trees, and presently a fairly
large meadow appeared on the left. The hay had already been carried;
but in one corner the last remains of the crop had been collected and
heaped together. This little haycock exhaled a penetrating fragrance,
the essence of forest, grass, and sunshine, which the mare sniffed at
longingly.

Suddenly there came over Reimers an irresistible desire to stretch
himself out in the hay and rest there for a little. Without further
thought he dismounted, pushed some hay to the mare with his foot,
passed the bridle round the trunk of a pine that stood solitary at the
edge of the field, and threw himself down on the soft grass. He
pillowed his head on his cap, and buried himself deep in his rustling
couch. He drew out along stalk and chewed at it; it still retained the
sweet grassy taste. Thin wisps fell across his face, and between them
he looked up into the blue sky, lazy and contented. Perfect stillness
reigned around him; only as from time to time he turned his head the
dry grass crackled and rustled, sounding in his ears like the snapping
of twigs and branches.

At last his eyes became painful from staring so long into the dazzling
blue of heaven. He shut them; all now was red instead of blue, and to
lie with closed lids was grateful and delicious after the blinding
light. He cast one sleepy glance at the mare. She stood there flicking
her sides with her tail, and kept trying vainly to get some hay from
the ground into her bit-encumbered mouth. He thought of slackening the
curb for the poor beast, but was too lazy to stir.

While he was dozing off it seemed to him as if something light and
fluttering passed him by; and for a moment he became aware of another
perfume added to the scent of the hay--something faint, yet distinct.
But he kept his eyes closed; nothing external mattered to him.

Reimers was awakened by a gentle pricking and tickling. It felt as
though a wisp of hay were passing lightly over his mouth, backwards and
forwards. He snatched at it, and a long stalk remained in his hand. His
eyes were slightly dazzled; he was gazing straight at the sun, already
considerably lower in the sky.