exclaimedbabette.

"earthhasnothingmoretobestowuponme,"saidrudy;"aneveninglikethisisworthawholelife.oftenhaveirealizedmygoodfortune,butnevermorethaninthismoment.ifeelthatifmyexistenceweretoendnow,ishouldstillhavelivedahappyagloriousworldthisis;onedayends,andanotherbeginsevenmorebeautifulthanthelast.howinfinitelygoodgodis,babette!"

"ihavesuchcompletehappinessinmyheart,"saidshe.

"earthhasnomoretobestow,"answeredrudy.andthencamethesoundoftheeveningbells,borneuponthebreezeoverthemountainsofswitzerlandandsavoy,whilestill,inthegoldensplendorofthewest,stoodthedarkbluemountainsofjura.

"godgrantyouallthatisbrightestandbest!"exclaimedbabette.

"hewill,"saidrudy."hewillto-morrow.to-morrowyouwillbewhollymine,myownsweetwife."

"theboat!"criedbabette,suddenly.theboatinwhichtheyweretoreturnhadbrokenloose,andwasfloatingawayfromtheisland.

"iwillfetchitback,"saidrudy;throwingoffhiscoatandboots,hesprangintothelake,andswamwithstrongeffortstowardsit.

thedark-bluewater,fromtheglaciersofthemountains,wasicycoldandverydeep.rudygavebutoneglanceintothewaterbeneath;butinthatoneglancehesawagoldringrolling,glittering,andsparklingbeforehim.hisengagedringcameintohismind;butthiswaslarger,andspreadintoaglitteringcircle,inwhichappearedaclearglacier.deepchasmsyawnedaroundit,thewater-dropsglitteredasiflightedwithblueflame,andtinkledlikethechimingofchurchbells.inonemomenthesawwhatwouldrequiremanywordstodescribe.younghunters,andyoungmaidens-menandwomenwhohadsunkinthedeepchasmsoftheglaciers-stoodbeforehimhereinlifelikeforms,witheyesopenandsmilesontheirlips;andfarbeneaththemcouldbeheardthechimingofthechurchbellsofburiedvillages,wherethevillagerskneltbeneaththevaultedarchesofchurchesinwhichice-blocksformedtheorganpipes,andthemountainstreamthemusic.

ontheclear,transparentgroundsattheicemaiden.sheraisedherselftowardsrudy,andkissedhisfeet;andinstantlyacold,deathlychill,likeanelectricshock,passedthroughhislimbs.iceorfire!itwasimpossibletotell,theshockwassoinstantaneous.

"mine!mine!"soundedaroundhim,andwithinhim;"ikissedtheewhenthouwertalittlechild.ioncekissedtheeonthemouth,andnowihavekissedtheefromheeltotoe;thouartwhollymine."andthenhedisappearedintheclear,bluewater.

allwasstill.thechurchbellsweresilent;thelasttonefloatedawaywiththelastredglimmerontheeveningclouds."thouartmine,"soundedfromthedepthsbelow:butfromtheheightsabove,fromtheeternalworld,alsosoundedthewords,"thouartmine!"happywashethustopassfromlifetolife,fromearthtoheaven.achordwasloosened,andtonesofsorrowburstforth.theicykissofdeathhadovercometheperishablebody;itwasbutthepreludebeforelife'srealdramacouldbegin,thediscordwhichwasquicklylostinharmony.doyouthinkthisasadstory?poorbabette!forheritwasunspeakableanguish.

theboatdriftedfartherandfartheraway.nooneontheoppositeshoreknewthatthebetrothedpairhadgoneovertothelittleisland.thecloudssunkastheeveningdrewon,anditbecamedark.alone,indespair,shewaitedandtrembled.theweatherbecamefearful;flashafterflashlightedupthemountainsofjura,savoy,andswitzerland,whilepealsofthunder,thatlastedformanyminutes,rolledoverherhead.thelightningwassovividthateverysinglevinestemcouldbeseenforamomentasdistinctlyasinthesunlightatnoon-day;andthenallwasveiledindarkness.itflashedacrossthelakeinwinding,zigzaglines,lightingituponallsides;whiletheechoesofthethundergrewlouderandland,theboatswereallcarefullydrawnuponthebeach,everylivingthingsoughtshelter,andatlengththerainpoureddownintorrents.

"wherecanrudyandbabettebeinthisawfulweather?"