ing!"

"There will be a feast here," said the kitchen-cat, "the ducks are
slain, the pigeons necks wrung, and a whole deer hangs on the wall. My
teeth itch just with looking on! To-morrow the journey commences!"

Yes, to-morrow! Rudy and Babette sat together for the last time in the
mill.

Without was the alpine glow; the evening bells pealed; the daughters
of the Sun sang: "What is for the best will take place!"

XIV.

THE VISIONS OF THE NIGHT.

The sun had gone down; the clouds lowered themselves into the Rhone
valley--between the high mountains; the wind blew from the south over
the mountains--an African wind, a Foehn,--which tore the clouds
asunder. When the wind had passed, all was still for an instant; the
parted clouds hung in fantastic forms between the forest-grown
mountains. Over the hastening Rhone, their shapes resembled
sea-monsters of the primeval world, soaring eagles of the air and
leaping frogs of the ditches--they seemed to sink into the rapid
stream and to sail on the river, yet they still floated in the air.
The stream carried away a pine tree, torn up by the roots; and the
water sent whirlpools ahead; this was Vertigo, with her attendants,
and they danced in circles on the foaming stream. The moon shone on
the snow of the mountain-peaks; it lighted up the dark forest and the
singular white clouds; the peasants of the mountain, saw through their
window panes, the nightly apparitions and the spirits of the powers of
nature, as they sailed before the Ice-Maiden. She came from her
glacier castle, she sat in a frail bark, a felled fir-tree; the water
of the glaciers carried her up the stream out to the main sea.

"The wedding guests are coming!" was whizzed and sung in the air and
in the water.

Visions without and visions within!

Babette dreamt a wonderful dream.

It appeared to her, as though she was married to Rudy, and had been so
for many years. He had gone chamois hunting and as she sat at home,
the young Englishman with the golden whiskers was beside her; his eyes
were fiery, his words seemed endowed with magical power; he reached
her his hand and she was obliged to follow him.

They flew from home. Steadily downwards.

A weight lay upon her heart and it grew ever heavier. It was a sin
against Rudy, a sin against God; suddenly she stood forsaken. Her
clothes were torn by the thorns; her hair had grown grey; she looked
up in her sorrow and she saw Rudy on the edge of the ro