to myself, "Seraphina!"
then taking up my glass in my turn, I drained it at a single draught.
My glance fell across in _her_ direction; I perceived that she also had
drunk at the very same moment and was setting down her glass. Our eyes
met, and a malignant demon whispered in my ear, "Unhappy wretch, she
does love you!" One of the guests now rose, and, in conformity with the
custom of the North, proposed the health of the lady of the house. Our
glasses rang in the midst of a tumult of joy. My heart was torn with
rapture and despair; the wine burned like fire within me; everything
spun round in circles; I felt as if I must hasten and throw myself at
her feet and there sigh out my life. "What's the matter with you, my
friend?" asked my neighbour, thus recalling me to myself; but Seraphina
had left the hall. We rose from the table. I was making for the door,
but Adelheid held me fast, and began to talk about divers matters; I
neither heard nor understood a single word. She grasped both my hands
and, laughing, shouted something in my ear. I remained dumb and
motionless, as though affected by catalepsy. All I remember is that I
finally took a glass of liqueur out of Adelheid's hand in a mechanical
way and drank it off, and then I recollect being alone in a window, and
after that I rushed out of the hall, down the stairs, and ran out into
the wood. The snow was falling in thick flakes; the fir-trees were
moaning as they waved to and fro in the wind. Like a maniac I ran round
and round in wide circles, laughing and screaming loudly, "Look, look
and see. Aha! Aha! The devil is having a fine dance with the boy who
thought he would taste of strictly forbidden fruit!" Who can tell what
would have been the end of my mad prank if I had not heard my name
called loudly from the outside of the wood? The storm had abated; the
moon shone out brightly through the broken clouds; I heard dogs
barking, and perceived a dark figure approaching me. It was the old man
Francis. "Why, why, my good Herr Theodore," he began, "you have quite
lost your way in the rough snow-storm. The Herr Justitiarius is
awaiting you with much impatience." I followed the old man in silence.
I found my great-uncle working in the justice-hall. "You have done
well," he cried, on seeing me, "you have done a very wise thing to go
out in the open air a little and get cool. But don't drink quite so
much wine; you are far too young, and it's not good for you." I did not
utte