n a grumbling voice.
"This precious stone ought not to have been merely valuable to you as a
remembrance of your revered mother, but, having been dug and cut out
under particular constellations, it was the talisman of your life.
Have you been forgetful enough not to remember that the greatest
secrets of nature lie in _verbis, herbis et lapidibus_? A foreboding
which rarely deceives me, tells me that this loss will have a decisive
influence on your fate."

Tugendreich listened anxiously to the words of the old tutor, which she
was wont to consider as oracles.

"Do not grieve too much, however," continued the old man, in a milder
tone, "the same foreboding tells me also that the hand from which you
will receive back the lost stone, will also lead you to the true
happiness of your life." Thus saying, he walked slowly down the
foot-path towards the castle, while Tugendreich looked thoughtfully
after him. A crackling and rustling was heard in the branches of an
old pine-tree standing near the shaft, and from its top, which touched
a high rock, descended a sturdy huntsman, boldly leaping from bough to
bough, who soon stood before the astonished maiden as Axel.

"I overheard all," he said, with rapture, "and joyfully will risk my
life to make good the prophetic words of Talander. You shall see me
either with the ring or not at all. In the latter case shed a tear
over my grave." And before the Fraeulein could raise her hand to
prevent him, the audacious man rushed into the shaft, and with a dull
and rumbling noise pieces of earth and stones rolled after him into the
dark abyss.

"He is lost," sighed Tugendreich, sinking into the arms of Gundchen,
who, astonished by the clear light which broke upon her at this moment,
could not feel the same grief for the lost man.

With a look of affection Tugendreich bent down over the shaft, so that
Gundchen thought it advisable to lay hold of the dress of her mistress
to prevent her from following her beloved, should she be inclined to do
so. A joyful sound now resounded from the depth below, and immediately
Axel was struggling up the shaft through various minerals that had shot
out in the shape of goblins, and with bleeding hand presented the lost
ring to the Fraeulein. With a heavenly look the astonished girl thanked
him, while tears of gratitude fell on the wounded hand, which Axel
eagerly kissed away. Now, for the first time, she saw the blood on his
hand, shrieked aloud,