. He
replied to my various inquiries with readiness and intelligence. At
last we reached the bed of a mountain-torrent, which had laid waste a
considerable tract of the forest; I inwardly shuddered at the idea of
the open sunshine. I suffered the peasant to go before me. In the
middle of the very place which I dreaded so much, he suddenly stopped,
and turned back to give me an account of this inundation; but instantly
perceiving that I had no shadow, he broke off abruptly, and exclaimed,
"How is this?--you have no shadow!"

"Alas, alas!" said I, "in a long and serious illness I had the
misfortune to lose my hair, my nails, and my shadow. Look, good father;
although my hair has grown again, it is quite white; and at my age, my
nails are still very short; and my poor shadow seems to have left me,
never to return."

"Ah!" said the old man, shaking his head; "no shadow! that was indeed
a terrible illness, sir."

But he did not resume his narrative; and at the very first cross-road
we came to, left me without uttering a syllable.

Fresh tears flowed from my eyes, and my cheerfulness had fled. With a
heavy heart I travelled on, avoiding all society. I plunged into the
deepest shades of the forest; and often, to avoid a sunny tract of
country, I waited for hours till every human being had left it, and I
could pass it unobserved. In the evenings I took shelter in the
villages. I bent my steps to a mine in the mountains, where I hoped to
meet with work underground; for besides that my present situation
compelled me to provide for my own support, I felt that incessant and
laborious occupation alone could divert my mind from dwelling on
painful subjects. A few rainy days assisted me materially on my
journey; but it was to the no small detriment of my boots, the
soles of which were better suited to Count Peter than to the poor
foot-traveller. I was soon barefoot, and a new purchase must be made.

[Illustration: "So was obliged to content myself with a second-hand
pair."]

The following morning I commenced an earnest search in a market-place,
where a fair was being held; and I saw in one of the booths new and
second-hand boots set out for sale. I was a long time selecting and
bargaining; I wished much to have a new pair, but was frightened at
the extravagant price; and so was obliged to content myself with a
second-hand pair, still pretty good and strong, which the beautiful
fair-haired youth who kept the booth handed over t