nd have a look at the distant
hills." No sooner said than done. Both of them, Nathanael and Clara,
went up the tower; their mother, however, went on with the servant-girl
to her new home, and Lothair, not feeling inclined to climb up all the
many steps, waited below. There the two lovers stood arm-in-arm on the
topmost gallery of the tower, and gazed out into the sweet-scented
wooded landscape, beyond which the blue hills rose up like a giant's
city.

"Oh! do look at that strange little grey bush, it looks as if it were
actually walking towards us," said Clara. Mechanically he put his hand
into his sidepocket; he found Coppola's perspective and looked for the
bush; Clara stood in front of the glass. Then a convulsive thrill shot
through his pulse and veins; pale as a corpse, he fixed his staring
eyes upon her; but soon they began to roll, and a fiery current flashed
and sparkled in them, and he yelled fearfully, like a hunted animal.
Leaping up high in the air and laughing horribly at the same time, he
began to shout, in a piercing voice, "Spin round, wooden doll! Spin
round, wooden doll!" With the strength of a giant he laid hold upon
Clara and tried to hurl her over, but in an agony of despair she
clutched fast hold of the railing that went round the gallery. Lothair
heard the madman raging and Clara's scream of terror: a fearful
presentiment flashed across his mind. He ran up the steps; the door of
the second flight was locked. Clara's scream for help rang out more
loudly. Mad with rage and fear, he threw himself against the door,
which at length gave way. Clara's cries were growing fainter and
fainter,--"Help! save me! save me!" and her voice died away in the air.
"She is killed--murdered by that madman," shouted Lothair. The door to
the gallery was also locked. Despair gave him the strength of a giant;
he burst the door off its hinges. Good God! there was Clara in the
grasp of the madman Nathanael, hanging over the gallery in the air; she
only held to the iron bar with one hand. Quick as lightning, Lothair
seized his sister and pulled her back, at the same time dealing the
madman a blow in the face with his doubled fist, which sent him reeling
backwards, forcing him to let go his victim.

Lothair ran down with his insensible sister in his arms. She was saved.
But Nathanael ran round and round the gallery, leaping up in the air
and shouting, "Spin round, fire-wheel! Spin round, fire-wheel!" The
people heard the wi