to carry,
but all mouth to engulph; which smiles--yes, is gentleness itself, and
still awakens terror--and is so powerful in destroying. The rapid
current soon brought the boat to the island; they stepped on land.
There was just room enough for the two to dance.

Rudy swung Babette three times around, and then they seated themselves
on the little bench, under the acacias, looked into each other's eyes,
held each other by the hand, and everything around them shone in the
splendour of the setting sun. The forests of fir-trees on the
mountains became of a pinkish lilac aspect, the colour of blooming
heath, and where the bare rocks were apparent, they glowed as if they
were transparent. The clouds in the sky were radiant with a red glow;
the whole lake was like a fresh flaming rose leaf. As the shadows
arose to the snow-covered mountains of Savoy, they became dark blue,
but the uppermost peak seemed like red lava and pointed out for a
moment, the whole range of mountains, whose masses arose glowing from
the bosom of the earth.

It seemed to Rudy and Babette, that they had never seen such an alpine
glow. The snow-covered Dent-du-Midi, had a lustre like the full moon,
when it rises to the horizon.

"So much beauty, so much happiness!" they both said.

"Earth can give me no more," said Rudy, "an evening hour like this is
a whole life! How often have I felt as now, and thought that if
everything should end suddenly, how happily have I lived! How blessed
is this world! The day ended, a new one dawned and I felt that it was
still more beautiful! How bountiful is our Lord, Babette!"

"I am so happy!" said she.

"Earth can give me no more!" exclaimed Rudy.

The evening bells resounded from the Savoy and Swiss mountains; the
bluish-black Jura arose in golden splendour towards the west.

"God give you that which is most excellent and best, Rudy!" said
Babette.

"He will do that," answered Rudy, "to-morrow I shall have it!
To-morrow you will be entirely mine! Mine own, little, lovely wife!"

"The boat!" cried Babette at the same moment.

The boat, which was to convey them back, had broken loose and was
sailing from the island.

"I will go for it!" said Rudy. He threw off his coat, drew off his
boots, sprang in the lake and swam towards the boat.

The clear, bluish-grey water of the ice mountains, was cold and deep.
Rudy gave but a single glance and it seemed as though he saw a gold
ring, rolling, shining and sporting-