e girl on the mountain was fresh as the newly
fallen snow, blooming as the alpine rose and light as a kid; and a
human being like Rudy. He wound his arm about her, looked in her
strange clear eyes, yes, only for a second--but was it spiritual life
or was it death which flowed through him? Was he raised on high, or
did he sink into the deep, murderous ice-pit, deeper and ever deeper?
He saw icy walls like bluish green glass, numberless clefts yawned
around, and the water sounded as it dropped, like a chime of bells;
it was pearly, clear and shone in bluish white flames. The Ice-Maiden
gave him a kiss, which made him shiver from head to foot and he gave a
cry of pain. He staggered and fell; it grew dark before his eyes, but
soon all became clear to him again; the evil powers had had their
sport with him.

The alpine maiden had vanished, the mountain hut had vanished, the
water beat against the bare rocky walls and all around him lay snow.
Rudy wet to the skin, trembled from cold and his ring had disappeared,
his engagement ring, which Babette had given him. He tried to fire off
his rifle which lay near him in the snow but it missed. Humid clouds
lay in the clefts like firm masses of snow and Vertigo watched for her
powerless prey; beneath him in the deep chasm it sounded as if a
block of the rock was rolling down and was endeavouring to crush and
tear up all that met it in its fall.

In the mill sat Babette and wept; Rudy had not been there for six
days; he who had been so wrong; he who must beg her forgiveness,
because she loved him with her whole heart.

XIII.

IN THE MILLER'S HOUSE.

"What confusion!" said the parlour-cat to the kitchen-cat.

"Now all is wrong between Rudy and Babette. She sits and weeps and he
thinks no longer on her, I suppose.

"I cannot bear it!" said the kitchen-cat.

"Nor I," said the parlour-cat, "but I shall not worry myself any
longer about it! Babette can take the red-whiskered one for a dear
one, but he has not been here either, since he tried to get on the
roof!"

Within and without, the evil powers ruled, and Rudy knew this, and
reflected upon what had taken place both around and within him, whilst
upon the mountain. Were those faces, or was all a feverish dream? He
had never known fever or sickness before. Whilst he condemned Babette,
he also condemned himself. He thought of the wild, wicked feelings
which had lately possessed him. Could he confess everything to
Babet