t.

The Brothers were chanting at the time, and their deep base came in ever
and ever so beautifully between the stanzas which the Virgin sung, and
as she sung, she came down from her station slowly, as if there were
steps in the air and she could tread upon them. The words were as weird
as the scene.

"The silver moon is slowly, slowly rising
The night is clear and all the clouds are fled,
Their midnight prayer the weary monks are chanting;
Now I may leave my cold and stony bed."

Then the monks chanted in their low, measured tones,

"Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis!
Mater Christi, ora, ora!"
"Cursed be my lot, but useless is repining,
Here must I stay till dreary day is gone,
Living only in the pale moon's shining;
To-night my hated penance though is done.
Gaily, gaily, gaily I'll live
Though I be but a spirit of air;
Every pleasure the world can give
Shall be mine while the moon shines fair.

The Devil in Hell has promised me
That if I gain him a soul
I shall be forever from that time free,
So long as the Rhine shall run to the sea
And the Maine shall Rhineward roll."

And from the heights above the echo came,--"Roll--roll."

Then running lightly to the wall, which is on the river side, she leaned
over and sung in a high, unearthly, wild voice, while her dark hair
waved in the night wind,

"Beautiful river rushing on,
Touched with light by the silver moon,
Grant me now this simple boon.
Let thy merry spirits come,
And elfin dancers with beating drum,
Here with me for the wild night long,
To dance and whirl with eldrich song
Till the moon shall faint and her light be gone."

Then running merrily to the other side nearer my window, she sung in the
same wild key, as she turned her face to the forest,

"Spirits of the black larch-wood
Come to-night to dance and sing,
Come and all thy flowers bring,
Come and gaily join our ring,
Come upon thy fleetest wing,
Come, oh come, ere the moon be fading."

The low chanting of the Monks ceased, and as I opened my window wider I
could hear, like the higher notes of an organ, voices rising from the
river and mingling in heavenly harmony; I could not at first catch the
words, but the sweet, divinely sweet strains came nearer and nearer, and
then with the same inexpressi