to this song as to the former one quietly, with his eyes fixed
on the ground. But soon there came to him a sense as though he were
wandering along the shady alleys of some beautiful garden, while lovely
tones of an exquisite music came floating over the beds of flowers,
breaking through the leafy shadows like the dawning red of morning; and
the songs of the Evil Thing sunk away before them into night, as the
birds of darkness plunge terrified into some deep ravine, croaking at
the coming of the day. And as those tones streamed clearer and clearer,
his heart throbbed with sweet anticipation and ineffable longing. Soon
she who was his life came forth from the thick bushes, in all the
splendour of her beauty and grace; and the leaves rustled, and the
clear streams plashed, greeting the fairest of women with a thousand
sighs of love. She came floating onward, borne on the pinions of song,
as on the outstretched wings of a beautiful swan; and when her heavenly
glance touched him all the bliss of the purest love-rapture awoke in
his heart. In vain he strove to find words, or tones of music. But,
when she vanished, he threw himself down on the flowery mead, he called
her name to the breezes, he embraced the tall lilies, he kissed the
roses on their glowing lips; and all the flowers understood his
rapture, and the morning wind, the brooks, and the bushes talked with
him of the nameless ecstasy of pure affection.

"'Thus, while Nasias was going on with his vain and empty love songs,
Wolfframb was thinking of the moment when he saw Lady Mathilda for the
first time in the garden at the Wartburg; just as she had appeared to
him then, he saw her before him now in all her beauty, looking at him
with the self-same eyes of love.

"Thus he had heard none of that which the Evil Thing was singing, and
when it was done he himself began a song which treated of the bliss of
a pious singer's pure affection in the most glorious strains of power.

"'The Evil Thing grew more and more restless, till at last he began to
bleat like a goat, and do all manner of mischief in the room. Then
Wolfframb arose, and commanded him, in the name of Christ and the
saints, to take himself off. Nasias, spurting out fiery flames around
him, gathered his books together, and cried, with mocking laughter:

"'"Schnib! Schnab! what are you but an ignorant laic?--yield the
mastership to Klingsohr!" he stormed out like a hurricane, and a
stifling stench of sulphur fi