"'"What is man? and what his ultimate destiny?"'

"Marie could not forbear a cry of admiration and utmost astonishment as
she now found herself all of a sudden before a castle, shining in
roseate radiance, with a hundred beautiful towers. Here and there at
intervals upon its walls were rich bouquets of violets, narcissus,
tulips, carnations, whose dark, glowing colours heightened the dazzling
whiteness, inclining to rose-colour, of the walls. The great dome of
the central building, as well as the pyramidal roofs of the towers,
were set all over with thousands of sparkling gold and silver stars.

"'Aha!' said Nutcracker, 'here we are at Marchpane Castle at last!'

"Marie was sunk and absorbed in contemplation of this magic palace. But
the fact did not escape her that the roof was wanting to one of the
principal towers, and that little men, up upon a scaffold made of
sticks of cinnamon, were busy putting it on again. But before she had
had time to ask Nutcracker about this, he said:

"This beautiful castle was a short time since threatened with
tremendous havoc, if not with total destruction. Sweet-tooth the giant
happened to be passing by, and he bit off the top of that tower there,
and was beginning to gnaw at the great dome. But the Sweetmeatburgh
people brought him a whole quarter of the town by way of tribute, and a
considerable slice of Comfit Grove into the bargain. This stopped his
mouth, and he went on his way.'

"At this moment soft, beautiful music was heard, and out came twelve
little pages with lighted clove-sticks, which they held in their little
hands by way of torches. Each of their heads was a pearl, their bodies
were emeralds and rubies, and their feet were beautifully-worked pure
gold. After them came four ladies about the size of Marie's Miss Clara,
but so gloriously and brilliantly attired that Marie saw in a moment
that they could be nothing but princesses of the blood royal. They
embraced Nutcracker most tenderly, and shed tears of gladness, saying:

"'Oh, dearest prince! beloved brother!'

"Nutcracker seemed deeply affected. He wiped away his tears, which
flowed thick and fast, and then he took Marie by the hand and said,
with much pathos and solemnity:

"This is Miss Marie Stahlbaum, the daughter of a most worthy medical
man, and the preserver of my life. Had she not thrown her slipper just
in the nick of time--had she not procured me the pensioned Colonel's
sword--I should have been ly