criedhe."avisittothemill,tosaygoodeveningtothemiller,andgoodeveningtolittlebabette,candonoharm.nooneeverfailswhohasconfidenceinhimself.ifiamtobebabette'shusband,imustseehersometimeorother."

thenrudylaughedjoyously,andtookcouragetogotothemill.heknewwhathewanted;hewantedtomarrybabette.theclearwateroftheriverrolledoveritsyellowbed,andwillowsandlime-treeswerereflectedinit,asrudysteppedalongthepathtothemiller'shouse.but,asthechildrensing-

"therewasnooneathomeinthehouse,

onlyakittenatplay."

thecatstandingonthestepsputupitsbackandcried"mew."butrudyhadnoinclinationforthissortofconversation;hepassedon,andknockedatthedoor.nooneheardhim,nooneopenedthedoor."mew,"saidthecatagain;andhadrudybeenstillachild,hewouldhaveunderstoodthislanguage,andknownthatthecatwishedtotellhimtherewasnooneathome.sohewasobligedtogotothemillandmakeinquiries,andthereheheardthatthemillerhadgoneonajourneytointerlachen,andtakenbabettewithhim,tothegreatshootingfestival,whichbeganthatmorning,andwouldcontinueforeightdays,andthatpeoplefromallthegermansettlementswouldbethere.

poorrudy!wemaywellsay.itwasnotafortunatedayforhisvisittobex.hehadjusttoreturnthewayhecame,throughuriceandsion,tohishomeinthevalley.buthedidnotthesunrosethenextmorning,hisgoodspiritshadreturned;indeedhehadneverreallylostthem."babetteisatinterlachen,"saidrudytohimself,"manydays'journeyfromhere.itiscertainlyalongwayforanyonewhotakesthehigh-road,butnotsofarifhetakesashortcutacrossthemountain,andthatjustsuitsachamois-hunter.ihavebeenthatwaybefore,foritleadstothehomeofmychildhood,where,asalittleboy,ilivedwithmygrandfather.andthereareshootingmatchesatinterlachen.iwillgo,andtrytostandfirstinthematch.babettewillbethere,andishallbeabletomakeheracquaintance."

carryinghislightknapsack,whichcontainedhissundayclothes,onhisback,andwithhismusketandhisgame-bagoverhisshoulder,rudystartedtotaketheshortestwayacrossthemountain.stillitwasagreatdistance.theshootingmatchesweretocommenceonthatday,andtocontinueforawholeweek.hehadbeentoldalsothatthemillerandbabettewouldremainthattimewithsomerelativesatinterlachen.sooverthegemmirudyclimbedbravely,anddeterminedtodescendthesideofthegrindelwald.brightandjoyouswerehisfeelingsashesteppedlightlyonwards,inhalingtheinvigoratingmountainair.thevalleysunkasheascended,thecircleofthehorizonexpanded.onesnow-cappedpeakafteranotherrosebeforehim,tillthewholeoftheglitteringalpinerangebecamevisible.rudykneweachice-cladpeak,andhecontinuedhiscoursetowardstheschreckhorn,withitswhitepowderedstonefingerraisedhighintheair.atlengthhehadcrossedthehighestridges,andbeforehimlaythegreenpasturelandsslopingdowntowardsthevalley,whichwasoncehishome.thebuoyancyoftheairmadehisheartlight.hillandvalleywerebloominginluxuriantbeauty,andhisthoughtswereyouthfuldreams,inwhicholdageordeathwereoutofthe,power,andenjoymentwereinthefuture,andhefeltfreeandlightasabird.andtheswallowsflewroundhim,asinthedaysofhischildhood,singing"weandyou-youandwe."allwasoverflowingwithjoy.beneathhimlaythemeadows,coveredwithvelvetygreen,withthemurmuringriverflowingthroughthem,anddottedhereandthereweresmallwoodenhouses.hecouldseetheedgesoftheglaciers,lookinglikegreenglassagainstthesoiledsnow,andthedeepchasmsbeneaththeloftiestglacier.thechurchbellswereringing,asiftowelcomehimtohishomewiththeirsweetsheartbeatquickly,andforamomentheseemedtohaveforegottenbabette,sofullwerehisthoughtsofoldrecollections.hewas,inimagination,oncemorewanderingontheroadwhere,whenalittleboy,he,withotherchildren,cametoselltheircuriouslycarvedtoyhouses.yonder,behindthefir-trees,stillstoodhisgrandfather'shouse,hismother'sfather,butstrangersdweltinitnow.childrencamerunningtohim,ashehadoncedone,andwishedtoselltheirwares.oneofthemofferedhimanalpinerose.rudytooktheroseasagoodomen,andthoughtofbabette.hequicklycrossedthebridgewherethetworiversflowintoeachother.herehefoundawalkover-shadowedwithlargewalnut-trees,andtheirthickfoliageformedapleasantshade.verysoonheperceivedinthedistance,wavingflags,onwhichglitteredawhitecrossonaredground-thestandardofthedanesaswellasoftheswiss-andbeforehimlayinterlachen.

"itisreallyasplendidtown,likenoneotherthatihaveeverseen,"saidrudytohimself.itwasindeedaswisstowninitsholidaydress.notlikethemanyothertowns,crowdedwithheavystonehouses,stiffandforeignlooking.no;hereitseemedasifthewoodenhousesonthehillshadrunintothevalley,andplacedthemselvesinrowsandranksbythesideoftheclearriver,whichrusheslikeanarrowinitscourse.thestreetswereratherirregular,itistrue,butstillthisaddedtotheirpicturesqueappearance.therewasonestreetwhichrudythoughttheprettiestofthemall;ithadbeenbuiltsincehehadvisitedthetownwhenalittleboy.itseemedtohimasifalltheneatestandmostcuriouslycarvedtoyhouseswhichhisgrandfatheroncekeptinthelargecupboardathome,hadbeenbroughtoutandplacedinthisspot,andthattheyhadincreasedinsizesincethen,astheoldchestnuttreeshaddone.thehouseswerecalledhotels;thewoodworkonthewindowsandbalconieswascuriouslycarved.theroofsweregaylypainted,andbeforeeachhousewasaflowergarden,whichseparateditfromthemacadamizedhigh-sehousesallstoodonthesamesideoftheroad,sothatthefresh,greenmeadows,inwhichwerecowsgrazing,withbellsontheirnecks,werenothidden.thesoundofthesebellsisoftenheardamidstalpinescenery.thesemeadowswereencircledbyloftyhills,whichrecededalittleinthecentre,sothatthemostbeautifullyformedofswissmountains-thesnow-crownedjungfrau-couldbedistinctlyseenglitteringinthedistance.anumberofelegantlydressedgentlemenandladiesfromforeignlands,andcrowdsofcountrypeoplefromtheneighboringcantons,wereassembledinthetown.eachmarksmanworethenumberofhitshehadmadetwistedinagarlandroundhishat.hereweremusicandsingingofalldescriptions:hand-organs,trumpets,shouting,andnoise.thehousesandbridgeswereadornedwithversesandinscriptions.flagsandbannerswerewaving.shotaftershotwasfired,whichwasthebestmusictorudy'sears.andamidstallthisexcitementhequiteforgotbabette,onwhoseaccountonlyhehadcome.theshooterswerethrongingroundthetarget,andrudywassoonamongstthem.butwhenhetookhisturntofire,heprovedhimselfthebestshot,forhealwaysstruckthebull's-eye.

"whomaythatyoungstrangerbe?"