me."

Harald looked at her confounded, but said afterwards, in a tone which
very much resembled Susanna's--

"If I cannot prevent your going, neither can you prevent my following
you!"

"I would rather go alone!" said Susanna, in a tone of defiance, and
went.

"I, even so!" said Harald, in the same tone, and followed her, yet ever
at the distance of from fifteen to twenty paces. As he passed the
kitchen door, he went in and said to those whom he found there, "Look to
the fire, and extinguish it at the first gale of wind; we shall have a
tempest."

At the same moment, Alfiero sprang towards Susanna, howling and leaping
up with his paws upon her shoulder, as if he would prevent her from
going forward on her way. But repulsed by her, he sprang anxiously
sneaking into his kennel, as if seeking there for shelter from danger.

The weather, however, was beautiful; the wind still; the heaven bright;
nothing seemed to foretel the approaching tempest, excepting the smoke,
which, as it ascended from the cottages in the dale, was immediately
depressed, and, whirling round, sunk to the earth.

Susanna went rapidly on her way; hearing all the time Harald's footsteps
a little behind her, and yet not venturing to turn round to look at him.
As by chance she cast her eyes to heaven, she perceived a little white
cloud, which took the fantastical shape of a dragon, and which, with the
speed of an arrow, came hastening over the valley. Immediately
afterwards was heard a loud noise, which turned Susanna's glance to the
heights, where she saw, as it were, a pillar of smoke whirlingly ascend
upwards. At the same moment Harald was at her side, and said to her
seriously and hastily, "To the ground! throw yourself down on the ground
instantly!"

Susanna would have protested; but in the same moment was seized by
Harald, lifted from the earth, and in the next moment found herself
lying with her face upon the ground. She felt a violent gust of wind;
heard near to her a report like that of a pistol-shot, and then a loud
cracking and rattling, which was followed by a roar resembling the
rolling of successive peals of thunder; and all was again still.

Quite confounded by what had taken place, Susanna raised her head, and
looked around her as she slowly raised herself. Over all reigned a dead
stillness; not a blade of grass moved. But just near to her, two trees
had been torn up, and stones had been loosened from the crags and rolled
into t