wastheinquiryonallsides."hespeaksfrenchasitisspokenintheswisscantons."

"andmakeshimselfunderstoodverywellwhenhespeaksgerman,"saidsome.

"helivedhere,whenachild,withhisgrandfather,inahouseontheroadtogrindelwald,"remarkedoneofthesportsmen.

andfulloflifewasthisyoungstranger;hiseyessparkled,hisglancewassteady,andhisarmsure,thereforehealwayshitthedfortunegivescourage,andrudywasalwayscourageous.hesoonhadacircleoffriendsgatheredroundhim.everyonenoticedhim,anddidhimhomage.babettehadquitevanishedfromhisthoughts,whenhewasstruckontheshoulderbyaheavyhand,andadeepvoicesaidtohiminfrench,"youarefromthecantonvalais."

rudyturnedround,andbeheldamanwitharuddy,pleasantface,andastoutfigure.itwastherichmillerfrombex.hisbroad,portlyperson,hidtheslender,lovelybabette;butshecameforwardandglancedathimwithherbright,darkeyes.therichmillerwasverymuchflatteredatthethoughtthattheyoungman,whowasacknowledgedtobethebestshot,andwassopraisedbyeveryone,shouldbefromhisowncanton.nowwasrudyreallyfortunate:hehadtravelledallthiswaytothisplace,andthosehehadforgottenwerenowcometoseekhim.whencountrypeoplegofarfromhome,theyoftenmeetwiththosetheyknow,andimprovetheiracquaintance.rudy,byhisshooting,hadgainedthefirstplaceintheshooting-match,justasthemillerathomeatbexstoodfirst,becauseofhismoneyandhismill.sothetwomenshookhands,whichtheyhadneverdonebefore.babette,too,heldoutherhandtorudyfrankly,andhepresseditinhis,andlookedathersoearnestly,thatsheblusheddeeply.themillertalkedofthelongjourneytheyhadtravelled,andofthemanytownstheyhadseen.itwashisopinionthathehadreallymadeasgreatajourneyasifhehadtravelledinasteamship,arailwaycarriage,orapost-chaise.

"icamebyamuchshorterway,"saidrudy;"icameoverthemountains.thereisnoroadsohighthatamanmaynotventureuponit."

"ah,yes;andbreakyourneck,"saidthemiller;"andyoulooklikeonewhowillbreakhisnecksomeday,youaresodaring."

"oh,nothingeverhappenstoamanifhehasconfidenceinhimself,"repliedrudy.

themiller'srelationsatinterlachen,withwhomthemillerandbabettewerestaying,invitedrudytovisitthem,whentheyfoundhecamefromthesamecantonasthemiller.itwasamostpleasantdfortuneseemedtofollowhim,asitdoesthosewhothinkandactforthemselves,andwhoremembertheproverb,"nutsaregiventous,buttheyarenotcrackedforus."andrudywastreatedbythemiller'srelationsalmostlikeoneofthefamily,andglassesofwinewerepouredouttodrinktothewelfareofthebestshooter.babetteclinkedglasseswithrudy,andhereturnedthanksforthetoast.intheeveningtheyalltookadelightfulwalkunderthewalnut-trees,infrontofthestatelyhotels;thereweresomanypeople,andsuchcrowding,thatrudywasobligedtoofferhisarmtobabette.thenhetoldherhowhappyitmadehimtomeetpeoplefromthecantonvaud,-forvaudandvalaiswereneighboringcantons.hespokeofthispleasuresoheartilythatbabettecouldnotresistgivinghisarmaslightsqueeze;andsotheywalkedontogether,andtalkedandchattedlikeoldacquaintances.rudyfeltinclinedtolaughsometimesattheabsurddressandwalkoftheforeignladies;butbabettedidnotwishtomakefunofthem,forsheknewtheremustbesomegood,excellentpeopleamongstthem;she,herself,hadagodmother,whowasahigh-bornenglishlady.eighteenyearsbefore,whenbabettewaschristened,thisladywasstayingatbex,andshestoodgodmotherforher,andgaveherthevaluablebroochshenowworeinherbosom.

hergodmotherhadtwicewrittentoher,andthisyearshewasexpectedtovisitinterlachenwithhertwodaughters;"buttheyareold-maids,"addedbabette,whowasonlyeighteen:"theyarenearlythirty."hersweetlittlemouthwasneverstillamoment,andallthatshesaidsoundedinrudy'searsasmattersofthegreatestimportance,andatlasthetoldherwhathewaslongingtotell.howoftenhehadbeenatbex,howwellheknewthemill,andhowoftenhehadseenbabette,whenmostlikelyshehadnotnoticedhim;andlastly,thatfullofmanythoughtswhichhecouldnottellher,hehadbeentothemillontheeveningwhensheandherfatherhasstartedontheirlongjourney,butnottoofarforhimtofindawaytoovertakethem.hetoldherallthis,andagreatdealmore;hetoldherhowmuchhecouldendureforher;andthatitwastoseeher,andnottheshooting-match,whichhadbroughthimtointerlachen.babettebecamequitesilentafterhearingallthis;itwasalmosttoomuch,andittroubledher.

andwhiletheythuswanderedon,thesunsunkbehindtheloftymountains.thejungfraustoodoutinbrightnessandsplendor,asaback-groundtothegreenwoodsofthesurroundinghills.everyonestoodstilltolookatthebeautifulsight,rudyandbabetteamongthem.

"nothingcanbemorebeautifulthanthis,"saidbabette.

"nothing!"