安徒生童话-第99章

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hich；　on　the　lately…opened　railway；　a　string　of　carriages　waslinked；　carriage　to　carriage；　looking　like　a　winding　serpent。　Thetrain　shot　past　with　the　speed　of　an　arrow。　〃They　play　at　beingmasters　down　there；　those　spirits　of　strength！〃　exclaimed　the　IceMaiden；　〃but　the　powers　of　nature　are　still　the　rulers。〃　And　shelaughed　and　sang　till　her　voice　sounded　through　the　valley；　and　peoplesaid　it　was　the　rolling　of　an　avalanche。　But　the　children　of　the　sunsang　in　louder　strains　in　praise　of　the　mind　of　man；　which　can　spanthe　sea　as　with　a　yoke；　can　level　mountains；　and　fill　up　valleys。　Itis　the　power　of　thought　which　gives　man　the　mastery　over　nature。

Just　at　this　moment　there　came　across　the　snow…field；　where　theIce　Maiden　sat；　a　party　of　travellers。　They　had　bound　themselvesfast　to　each　other；　so　that　they　looked　like　one　large　body　on　theslippery　plains　of　ice　encircling　the　deep　abyss。

〃Worms！〃　exclaimed　the　Ice　Maiden。　〃You；　the　lords　of　the　powersof　nature！〃　And　she　turned　away　and　looked　maliciously　at　the　deepvalley　where　the　railway　train　was　rushing　by。　〃There　they　sit；these　thoughts！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃There　they　sit　in　their　power　overnature's　strength。　I　see　them　all。　One　sits　proudly　apart；　like　aking；　others　sit　together　in　a　group；　yonder；　half　of　them　are　asleep；and　when　the　steam　dragon　stops；　they　will　get　out　and　go　their　way。The　thoughts　go　forth　into　the　world；〃　and　she　laughed。

〃There　goes　another　avalanche；〃　said　those　in　the　valley　beneath。

〃It　will　not　reach　us；〃　said　two　who　sat　together　behind　the　steamdragon。　〃Two　hearts　and　one　beat；〃　as　people　say。　They　were　Rudy　andBabette；　and　the　miller　was　with　them。　〃I　am　like　the　luggage；〃　saidhe；　〃I　am　here　as　a　necessary　appendage。〃

〃There　sit　those　two；〃　said　the　Ice　Maiden。　〃Many　a　chamois　have　Icrushed。　Millions　of　Alpine　roses　have　I　snapped　and　broken　off；　not　aroot　have　I　spared。　I　know　them　all；　and　their　thoughts；　those　spiritsof　strength！〃　and　again　she　laughed。

〃There　rolls　another　avalanche；〃　said　those　in　the　valley。

　X。　THE　GODMOTHER

At　Montreux；　one　of　the　towns　which　encircle　the　northeast　part　ofthe　lake　of　Geneva；　lived　Babette's　godmother；　the　noble　English　lady；with　her　daughters　and　a　young　relative。　They　had　only　lately　arrived；yet　the　miller　had　paid　them　a　visit；　and　informed　them　of　Babette'sengagement　to　Rudy。　The　whole　story　of　their　meeting　at　Interlachen；and　his　brave　adventure　with　the　eaglet；　were　related　to　them；　andthey　were　all　very　much　interested；　and　as　pleased　about　Rudy　andBabette　as　the　miller　himself。　The　three　were　invited　to　e　toMontreux；　it　was　but　right　for　Babette　to　bee　acquainted　with　hergodmother；　who　wished　to　see　her　very　much。　A　steam…boat　startedfrom　the　town　of　Villeneuve；　at　one　end　of　the　lake　of　Geneva；　andarrived　at　Bernex；　a　little　town　beyond　Montreux；　in　about　half　anhour。　And　in　this　boat；　the　miller；　with　his　daughter　and　Rudy；　setout　to　visit　her　godmother。　They　passed　the　coast　which　has　been　socelebrated　in　song。　Here；　under　the　walnut…trees；　by　the　deep　bluelake；　sat　Byron；　and　wrote　his　melodious　verses　about　the　prisonerconfined　in　the　gloomy　castle　of　Chillon。　Here；　where　Clarens；　withits　weeping…willows；　is　reflected　in　the　clear　water；　wanderedRousseau；　dreaming　of　Heloise。　The　river　Rhone　glides　gently　bybeneath　the　lofty　snow…capped　hills　of　Savoy；　and　not　far　from　itsmouth　lies　a　little　island　in　the　lake；　so　small　that；　seen　from　theshore；　it　looks　like　a　ship。　The　surface　of　the　island　is　rocky；　andabout　a　hundred　years　ago；　a　lady　caused　the　ground　to　be　covered　withearth；　in　which　three　acacia…trees　were　planted；　and　the　wholeenclosed　with　stone　walls。　The　acacia…trees　now　overshadow　everypart　of　the　island。　Babette　was　enchanted　with　the　spot；　it　seemedto　her　the　most　beautiful　object　in　the　whole　voyage；　and　shethought　how　much　she　should　like　to　land　there。　But　the　steam…shippassed　it　by；　and　did　not　stop　till　it　reached　Bernex。　The　littleparty　walked　slowly　from　this　place　to　Montreux；　passing　the　sun…litwalls　with　which　the　vineyards　of　the　little　mountain　town　of　Montreuxare　surrounded；　and　peasants'　houses；　overshadowed　by　fig…trees；with　gardens　in　which　grow　the　laurel　and　the　cypress。

Halfway　up　the　hill　stood　the　boarding…house　in　which　Babette'sgodmother　resided。　She　was　received　most　cordially；　her　godmotherwas　a　very　friendly　woman；　with　a　round；　smiling　countenance。　When　achild；　her　head　must　have　resembled　one　of　Raphael's　cherubs；　it　wasstill　an　angelic　face；　with　its　white　locks　of　silvery　hair。　Thedaughters　were　tall；　elegant；　slender　maidens。

The　young　cousin；　whom　they　had　brought　with　them；　was　dressedin　white　from　head　to　foot；　he　had　golden　hair　and　golden　whiskers；large　enough　to　be　divided　amongst　three　gentlemen；　and　he　beganimmediately　to　pay　the　greatest　attention　to　Babette。

Richly　bound　books；　note…paper；　and　drawings；　lay　on　the　largetable。　The　balcony　window　stood　open；　and　from　it　could　be　seen　thebeautiful　wide　extended　lake；　the　water　so　clear　and　still；　that　themountains　of　Savoy；　with　their　villages；　woods；　and　snow…crownedpeaks；　were　clearly　reflected　in　it。

Rudy；　who　was　usually　so　lively　and　brave；　did　not　in　the　leastfeel　himself　at　home；　he　acted　as　if　he　were　walking　on　peas；　over　aslippery　floor。　How　long　and　wearisome　the　time　appeared；　it　waslike　being　in　a　treadmill。　And　then　they　went　out　for　a　walk；　whichwas　very　slow　and　tedious。　Two　steps　forward　and　one　backwards　hadRudy　to　take　to　keep　pace　with　the　others。　They　walked　down　toChillon；　and　went　over　the　old　castle　on　the　rocky　island。　They　sawthe　implements　of　torture；　the　deadly　dungeons；　the　rusty　fetters　inthe　rocky　walls；　the　stone　benches　for　those　condemned　to　death；　thetrap…doors　through　which　the　unhappy　creatures　were　hurled　upon　ironspikes；　and　impaled　alive。　They　called　looking　at　all　these　apleasure。　It　certainly　was　the　right　place　to　visit。　Byron's　poetryhad　made　it　celebrated　in　the　world。　Rudy　could　only　feel　that　itwas　a　place　of　execution。　He　leaned　against　the　stone　framework　of　thewindow；　and　gazed　down　into　the　deep；　blue　water；　and　over　to　thelittle　island　with　the　three　acacias；　and　wished　himself　there；　awayand　free　from　the　whole　chattering　party。　But　Babette　was　mostunusually　lively　and　good…tempered。

〃I　have　been　so　amused；〃　she　said。

The　cousin　had　found　her　quite　perfect。

〃He　is　a　perfect　fop；〃　said　Rudy；　and　this　was　the　first　time　Rudyhad　said　anything　that　did　not　please　Babette。

The　Englishman　had　made　her　a　present　of　a　little　book；　inremembrance　of　their　visit　to　Chillon。　It　was　Byron's　poem；　〃ThePrisoner　of　Chillon；〃　translated　into　French；　so　that　Babette　couldread　it。

〃The　book　may　be　very　good；〃　said　Rudy；　〃but　that　finely　bedfellow　who　gave　it　to　you　is　not　worth　much。〃

〃He　looks　something　like　a　flour…sack　without　any　flour；〃　said　themiller；　laughing　at　his　own　wit。　Rudy　laughed；　too；　for　so　had　heappeared　to　him。

　　XI。　THE　COUSIN

When　Rudy　went　a　few　days　after　to　pay　a　visit　to　the　mill；　hefound　the　young　Englishman　there。　Babette　was　just　thinking　ofpreparing　some　trout　to　set　before　him。　She　understood　well　how　togarnish　the　dish　with　parsley；　and　make　it　look　quite　tempting。　Rudythought　all　this　quite　unnecessary。　What　did　the　Englishman　wantthere？　What　was　he　about？　Why　should　he　be　entertained；　and　waitedupon　by　Babette？　Rudy　was　jealous；　and　that　made　Babette　happy。　Itamused　her　to　discover　all　the　feelings　of　his　heart；　the　strongpoints　and　weak　ones。　Love　was　to　her　as　yet　only　a　pastime；　and　sheplayed　with　Rudy's　whole　heart。　At　the　same　time　it　must　beacknowledged　that　her　fortune；　her　whole　life；　her　inmost　thoughts；her　best　and　most　noble　feelings　in　this　world　were　all　for　him。　Stillthe　more　gloomy　he　looked；　the　more　her　eyes　laughed。　She　could　almosthave　kissed　the　fair　Englishman；　with　the　golden　whiskers；　if　by　sodoing　she　could　have　put　Rudy　in　a　rage；　and　made　him　run　out　of　thehouse。　That　would　have　proved　how　much　he　loved　her。　All　this　wasnot　right　in　Babette；　but　she　was　only　nieen　years　of　age；　andshe　did　not　reflect　on　what　she　did；　neither　did　she　think　that　herconduct　would　appear　to　the　young　Englishman　as　light；　and　not　evenbeing　the　modest　and　much…loved　daughter　of　the　miller。

The　mill　at　Bex　stood　in　the　highway；　which　passed　under　thesnow…clad　mountains；　and　not　far　from　a　rapid　mountain…stream；　whosewaters　seemed　to　have　been　lashed　into　a　foam　like　soap…suds。　Thisstream；　however；　did　not　pass　near　enough　to　the　mill；　and　thereforethe　mill…wheel　was　turned　by　a　smaller　stream　which　tumbled　down　therocks　on　the　opposite　side；　where　it　was　opposed　by　a　stonemill…dam；　and　obtained　greater　strength　and　speed；　till　it　fell　into　alarge　basin；　and　from　thence　through　a　channel　to　the　mill…wheel。　Thischannel　sometimes　overflowed；　and　made　the　path　so　slippery　that　anyone　passing　that　way　might　easily　fall　in；　and　be　carried　towardsthe　mill　wheel　with　frightful　rapidity。　Such　a　catastrophe　nearlyhappened　to　the　young　Englishman。　He　had　dressed　himself　in　whiteclothes；　like　a　miller's　man；　and　was　climbing　the　path　to　themiller's　house；　but　he　had　never　been　taught　to　climb；　and　thereforeslipped；　and　nearly　went　in　head…foremost。　He　managed；　however；　toscramble　out　wi