patch of grass serving as their couch took
the semblance of an infant's cradle.

'There, that's enough; said Albine, getting up; 'we've rested long
enough.'

Serge seemed a little surprised at this speedy termination of their
sleep. He stretched out his arm and caught hold of Albine, as though to
draw her near him again; and when she, laughing, dropped upon her knees
he grasped her elbows and gazed up at her. He knew not to what impulse
he was yielding. But when she had freed herself, and again had risen to
her feet, he buried his face amongst the grass where she had lain, and
which still retained the warmth of her body.

'Yes,' he said at last, 'it is time to get up,' and then he rose from
the ground.

They scoured the meadow-lands until evening began to fall. They went on
and on, inspecting their garden. Albine walked in front, sniffing like
a young dog, and saying nothing, but she was ever in search of the happy
glade, although where they found themselves there were none of the big
trees of which her thoughts were full. Serge meanwhile indulged in all
kinds of clumsy gallantry. He rushed forward so hastily to thrust the
tall herbage aside, that he nearly tripped her up; and he almost tore
her arm from her body as he tried to assist her over the brooks. Their
joy was great when they came to the three other streams. The first
flowed over a bed of pebbles, between two rows of willows, so closely
planted that they had to grope between the branches with the risk of
falling into some deep part of the water. It only rose to Serge's knees,
however, and having caught Albine in his arms he carried her to the
opposite bank, to save her from a wetting. The next stream flowed black
with shade beneath a lofty canopy of foliage, passing languidly onward
with the gentle rustling and rippling of the satin train of some lady,
dreamily sauntering through the woodland depths. It was a deep, cold,
and rather dangerous-looking stream, but a fallen tree that stretched
from bank to bank served them as a bridge. They crossed over, bestriding
the tree with dangling feet, at first amusing themselves by stirring the
water which looked like a mirror of burnished steel, but then suddenly
hastening, frightened by the strange eyes which opened in the depths of
the sleepy current at the slightest splash. But it was the last stream
which delayed them the most. It was sportive like themselves, it flowed
more slowly at certain bends, whence it sta