hehasbegunwitha,andisupposehewillkissthroughthewholealphabet."

butakissinthedancewasallthebusytonguescouldaccusehimof.hecertainlyhadkissedannette,butshewasnottheflowerofhisheart.

downinthevalley,nearbex,amongthegreatwalnut-trees,bythesideofalittlerushingmountain-stream,livedarichmiller.hisdwelling-housewasalargebuilding,threestoreyshigh,withlittleturrets.theroofwascoveredwithchips,boundtogetherwithtinplates,thatglitteredinsunshineandinthemoonlight.thelargestoftheturretshadaweather-cock,representinganapplepiercedbyaglitteringarrow,inmemoryofwilliamtell.themillwasaneatandwell-orderedplace,thatalloweditselftobesketchedandwrittenabout;butthemiller'sdaughterdidnotpermitanytosketchorwriteabouther.so,atleast,rudywouldhavesaid,forherimagewaspicturedinhisheart;hereyesshoneinitsobrightly,thatquiteaflamehadbeenkindledthere;and,likeallotherfires,ithadburstforthsosuddenly,thatthemiller'sdaughter,thebeautifulbabette,wasquiteunawareofit.rudyhadneverspokenawordtoheronthesubject.themillerwasrich,and,onthataccount,babettestoodveryhigh,andwasratherdifficulttoaspireto.butsaidrudytohimself,"nothingistoohighforamantoreach:hemustclimbwithconfidenceinhimself,andhewillnotfail."hehadlearntthislessoninhisyouthfulhome.

ithappenedoncethatrudyhadsomebusinesstosettleatwasalongjourneyatthattime,fortherailwayhadnotbeenopened.fromtheglaciersoftherhone,atthefootofthesimplon,betweenitsever-changingmountainsummits,stretchesthevalleyofthecantonvalais.throughitrunsthenobleriveroftherhone,whichoftenoverflowsitsbanks,coveringfieldsandhighways,anddestroyingeverythinginitscourse.nearthetownsofsionandurice,thevalleytakesaturn,andbendslikeanelbow,andbehindst.mauricebecomessonarrowthatthereisonlyspaceenoughforthebedoftheriverandanarrowcarriage-road.anoldtowerstandshere,asifitwereguardiantothecantonvalais,whichendsatthispoint;andfromitwecanlookacrossthestonebridgetothetoll-houseontheotherside,wherethecantonvaudcommences.notfarfromthisspotstandsthetownofbex,andateverystepcanbeseenanincreaseoffruitfulnessandverdure.itislikeenteringagroveofchestnutandwalnut-trees.hereandtherethecypressandpomegranateblossomspeepforth;anditisalmostaswarmasanitalianclimate.rudyarrivedatbex,andsoonfinishedthebusinesswhichhadbroughthimthere,andthenwalkedaboutthetown;butnoteventhemiller'sboycouldbeseen,noranyonebelongingtothemill,nottomentionbabette.thisdidnotpleasehimatveningcameon.theairwasfilledwiththeperfumeofthewildthymeandtheblossomsofthelime-trees,andthegreenwoodsonthemountainsseemedtobecoveredwithashiningveil,blueasthevereverythingreignedastillness,notofsleeporofdeath,butasifnaturewereholdingherbreath,thatherimagemightbephotographedonthebluevaultofheaven.hereandthere,amidstthetreesofthesilentvalley,stoodpoleswhichsupportedthewiresoftheelectrictelegraph.againstoneofthesepolesleanedanobjectsomotionlessthatitmighthavebeenmistakenforthetrunkofatree;butitwasrudy,standingthereasstillasatthatmomentwaseverythingaroundhim.hewasnotasleep,neitherwashedead;butjustasthevariouseventsintheworld-mattersofmomentousimportancetoindividuals-wereflyingthroughthetelegraphwires,withoutthequiverofawireortheslightesttone,so,throughthemindofrudy,thoughtsofoverwhelmingimportancewerepassing,withoutanoutwardsignofemotion.thehappinessofhisfuturelifedependeduponthedecisionofhispresentreflections.hiseyeswerefixedononespotinthedistance-alightthattwinkledthroughthefoliagefromtheparlorofthemiller'shouse,wherebabettedwelt.rudystoodsostill,thatitmighthavebeensupposedhewaswatchingforachamois;buthewasinrealitylikeachamois,whowillstandforamoment,lookingasifitwerechiselledoutoftherock,andthen,ifonlyastonerolledby,wouldsuddenlyboundforwardwithaspring,farawayfromthehunter.andsowithrudy:asuddenrollofhisthoughtsrousedhimfromhisstillness,andmadehimboundforwardwithdeterminationtoact.

"neverdespair!"