presentlyshepassedthelaborer'shut;hiswifestoodatthedoor,andthetwowomenspoketoeachother.

"youlookwell,"saidthewoman;"you'refatandplump;youarewelloff."

"ohyes,"answeredannelisbeth.

"theboatwentdownwiththem,"continuedthewoman;"hanstheskipperandtheboywerebothdrowned;sothere'sanendofthem.ialwaysthoughttheboywouldbeabletohelpmewithafew'llnevercostyouanythingmore,annelisbeth."

"sotheyweredrowned,"repeatedannelisbeth;butshesaidnomore,andthesubjectwasdropped.shefeltverylow-spirited,becausehercount-childhadshownnoinclinationtospeaktoherwholovedhimsowell,andwhohadtravelledsofartoseehim.thejourneyhadcostmoneytoo,andshehadderivednogreatpleasurefromit.stillshesaidnotawordofallthis;shecouldnotrelieveherheartbytellingthelaborer'swife,lestthelattershouldthinkshedidnotenjoyherformerpositionatthecastle.thentheravenflewoverher,screamingagainasheflew.

"theblackwretch!"saidannelisbeth,"hewillendbyfrighteningmetoday."shehadbroughtcoffeeandchicorywithher,forshethoughtitwouldbeacharitytothepoorwomantogivethemtohertoboilacupofcoffee,andthenshewouldtakeacupherself.

thewomanpreparedthecoffee,andinthemeantimeannelisbethseatedherinachairandfellasleep.thenshedreamedofsomethingwhichshehadneverdreamedbefore;singularlyenoughshedreamedofherownchild,whohadweptandhungeredinthelaborer'shut,andhadbeenknockedaboutinheatandincold,andwhowasnowlyinginthedepthsofthesea,inaspotonlyknownbygod.shefanciedshewasstillsittinginthehut,wherethewomanwasbusypreparingthecoffee,forshecouldsmellthecoffee-berriesroasting.butsuddenlyitseemedtoherthattherestoodonthethresholdabeautifulyoungform,asbeautifulasthecount'schild,andthisapparitionsaidtoher,"theworldispassingaway;holdfasttome,foryouaremymotherafterall;youhaveanangelinheaven,holdmefast;"andthechild-angelstretchedouthishandandseizedtherewasaterriblecrash,asofaworldcrumblingtopieces,andtheangel-childwasrisingfromtheearth,andholdingherbythesleevesotightlythatshefeltherselfliftedfromtheground;but,ontheotherhand,somethingheavyhungtoherfeetanddraggedherdown,anditseemedasifhundredsofwomenwereclingingtoher,andcrying,"ifthouarttobesaved,wemustbesaveddfast,holdfast."andthentheyallhungonher,butthereweretoomany;andastheyclungthesleevewastorn,andannelisbethfelldowninhorror,andawoke.indeedshewasonthepointoffallingoverinrealitywiththechaironwhichshesat;butshewassostartledandalarmedthatshecouldnotrememberwhatshehaddreamed,onlythatitwassomethingverydreadful.

theydranktheircoffeeandhadachattogether,andthenannelisbethwentawaytowardsthelittletownwhereshewastomeetthecarrier,whowastodriveherbacktoherownhome.butwhenshecametohimshefoundthathewouldnotbereadytostarttilltheeveningofthenextday.thenshebegantothinkoftheexpense,andwhatthedistancewouldbetowalk.sherememberedthattheroutebythesea-shorewastwomilesshorterthanbythehighroad;andastheweatherwasclear,andtherewouldbemoonlight,shedeterminedtomakeherwayonfoot,andtostartatonce,thatshemightreachhomethenextday.

thesunhadset,andtheeveningbellssoundedthroughtheairfromthetowerofthevillagechurch,buttoheritwasnotthebells,butthecryofthefrogsinthemarshes.thentheyceased,andallaroundbecamestill;notabirdcouldbeheard,theywereallatrest,eventheowlhadnotleftherhidingplace;deepsilencereignedonthemarginofthewoodbythesea-shore.asannelisbethwalkedonshecouldhearherownfootstepsinthesands;eventhewavesoftheseawereatrest,andallinthedeepwatershadsunkintorewasquietamongthedeadandthelivinginthedeepsea.annelisbethwalkedon,thinkingofnothingatall,aspeoplesay,orratherherthoughtswandered,butnotawayfromher,forthoughtisneverabsentfromus,itonlyslumbers.manythoughtsthathavelaindormantarerousedatthepropertime,andbegintostirinthemindandtheheart,andseemeventocomeuponusfromabove.itiswritten,thatagooddeedbearsablessingforitsfruit;anditisalsowritten,thatthewagesofsinisdeath.muchhasbeensaidandmuchwrittenwhichwepassoverorknownothingof.alightariseswithinus,andthenforgottenthingsmakethemselvesremembered;andthusitwaswithannelisbeth.thegermofeveryviceandeveryvirtueliesinourheart,inyoursandinmine;theylielikelittlegrainsofseed,tillarayofsunshine,orthetouchofanevilhand,oryouturnthecornertotherightortotheleft,andthedecisionismade.thelittleseedisstirred,itswellsandshootsup,andpoursitssapintoyourblood,directingyourcourseeitherforgoodorevil.troublesomethoughtsoftenexistinthemind,fermentingthere,whicharenotrealizedbyuswhilethesensesareasitwereslumbering;butstilltheyarethere.annelisbethwalkedonthuswithhersenseshalfasleep,butthethoughtswerefermentingwithinher.

fromoneshrovetuesdaytoanother,muchmayoccurtoweighdowntheheart;itisthereckoningofawholeyear;muchmaybeforgotten,sinsagainstheaveninwordandthought,sinsagainstourneighbor,andagainstourownconscience.wearescarcelyawareoftheirexistence;andannelisbethdidnotthinkofanyofhererrors.shehadcommittednocrimeagainstthelawoftheland;shewasanhonorableperson,inagoodposition-thatsheknew.

shecontinuedherwalkalongbythemarginofthesea.whatwasitshesawlyingthere?