exclaimedtheicemaiden;"butthepowersofnaturearestilltherulers."andshelaughedandsangtillhervoicesoundedthroughthevalley,andpeoplesaiditwastherollingofanavalanche.butthechildrenofthesunsanginlouderstrainsinpraiseofthemindofman,whichcanspantheseaaswithayoke,canlevelmountains,andfillupvalleys.itisthepowerofthoughtwhichgivesmanthemasteryovernature.

justatthismomenttherecameacrossthesnow-field,wheretheicemaidensat,apartyoftravellers.theyhadboundthemselvesfasttoeachother,sothattheylookedlikeonelargebodyontheslipperyplainsoficeencirclingthedeepabyss.

"worms!"exclaimedtheicemaiden."you,thelordsofthepowersofnature!"andsheturnedawayandlookedmaliciouslyatthedeepvalleywheretherailwaytrainwasrushingby."theretheysit,thesethoughts!"sheexclaimed."theretheysitintheirpowerovernature'sstrength.iseethemall.onesitsproudlyapart,likeaking;otherssittogetherinagroup;yonder,halfofthemareasleep;andwhenthesteamdragonstops,theywillgetoutandgotheirthoughtsgoforthintotheworld,"andshelaughed.

"theregoesanotheravalanche,"saidthoseinthevalleybeneath.

"itwillnotreachus,"saidtwowhosattogetherbehindthesteamdragon."twoheartsandonebeat,"aspeoplesay.theywererudyandbabette,andthemillerwaswiththem."iamliketheluggage,"saidhe;"iamhereasanecessaryappendage."

"theresitthosetwo,"saidtheicemaiden."manyachamoishaveicrushed.millionsofalpineroseshaveisnappedandbrokenoff;notaroothaveispared.iknowthemall,andtheirthoughts,thosespiritsofstrength!"andagainshelaughed.

"thererollsanotheravalanche,"saidthoseinthevalley.

x.thegodmother

atmontreux,oneofthetownswhichencirclethenortheastpartofthelakeofgeneva,livedbabette'sgodmother,thenobleenglishlady,withherdaughtersandayoungrelative.theyhadonlylatelyarrived,yetthemillerhadpaidthemavisit,andinformedthemofbabette'sengagementtorudy.thewholestoryoftheirmeetingatinterlachen,andhisbraveadventurewiththeeaglet,wererelatedtothem,andtheywereallverymuchinterested,andaspleasedaboutrudyandbabetteasthemillerhimself.thethreewereinvitedtocometomontreux;itwasbutrightforbabettetobecomeacquaintedwithhergodmother,whowishedtoseeherverymuch.asteam-boatstartedfromthetownofvilleneuve,atoneendofthelakeofgeneva,andarrivedatbernex,alittletownbeyondmontreux,inabouthalfanhour.andinthisboat,themiller,withhisdaughterandrudy,setouttovisithergodmother.theypassedthecoastwhichhasbeensocelebratedinsong.here,underthewalnut-trees,bythedeepbluelake,satbyron,andwrotehismelodiousversesabouttheprisonerconfinedinthegloomycastleofchillon.here,whereclarens,withitsweeping-willows,isreflectedintheclearwater,wanderedrousseau,dreamingofheloise.theriverrhoneglidesgentlybybeneaththeloftysnow-cappedhillsofsavoy,andnotfarfromitsmouthliesalittleislandinthelake,sosmallthat,seenfromtheshore,itlookslikeaship.thesurfaceoftheislandisrocky;andaboutahundredyearsago,aladycausedthegroundtobecoveredwithearth,inwhichthreeacacia-treeswereplanted,andthewholeenclosedwithstonewalls.theacacia-treesnowovershadoweverypartoftheisland.babettewasenchantedwiththespot;itseemedtoherthemostbeautifulobjectinthewholevoyage,andshethoughthowmuchsheshouldliketolandthere.butthesteam-shippasseditby,anddidnotstoptillitreachedbernex.thelittlepartywalkedslowlyfromthisplacetomontreux,passingthesun-litwallswithwhichthevineyardsofthelittlemountaintownofmontreuxaresurrounded,andpeasants'houses,overshadowedbyfig-trees,withgardensinwhichgrowthelaurelandthecypress.

halfwayupthehillstoodtheboarding-houseinwhichbabette'sgodmotherresided.shewasreceivedmostcordially;hergodmotherwasaveryfriendlywoman,witharound,smilingcountenance.whenachild,herheadmusthaveresembledoneofraphael'scherubs;itwasstillanangelicface,withitswhitelocksofsilveryhair.thedaughtersweretall,elegant,slendermaidens.

theyoungcousin,whomtheyhadbroughtwiththem,wasdressedinwhitefromheadtofoot;hehadgoldenhairandgoldenwhiskers,largeenoughtobedividedamongstthreegentlemen;andhebeganimmediatelytopaythegreatestattentiontobabette.

richlyboundbooks,note-paper,anddrawings,layonthelargetable.thebalconywindowstoodopen,andfromitcouldbeseenthebeautifulwideextendedlake,thewatersoclearandstill,thatthemountainsofsavoy,withtheirvillages,woods,andsnow-crownedpeaks,wereclearlyreflectedinit.

rudy,whowasusuallysolivelyandbrave,didnotintheleastfeelhimselfathome;heactedasifhewerewalkingonpeas,overaslipperyfloor.howlongandwearisomethetimeappeared;itwaslikebeinginatreadmill.andthentheywentoutforawalk,whichwasveryslowandtedious.twostepsforwardandonebackwardshadrudytotaketokeeppacewiththeothers.theywalkeddowntochillon,andwentovertheoldcastleontherockyisland.theysawtheimplementsoftorture,thedeadlydungeons,therustyfettersintherockywalls,thestonebenchesforthosecondemnedtodeath,thetrap-doorsthroughwhichtheunhappycreatureswerehurleduponironspikes,andimpaledalive.theycalledlookingatalltheseapleasure.itcertainlywastherightplacetovisit.byron'spoetryhadmadeitcelebratedintheworld.rudycouldonlyfeelthatitwasaplaceofexecution.heleanedagainstthestoneframeworkofthewindow,andgazeddownintothedeep,bluewater,andovertothelittleislandwiththethreeacacias,andwishedhimselfthere,awayandfreefromthewholechatteringparty.butbabettewasmostunusuallylivelyandgood-tempered.

"ihavebeensoamused,"shesaid.

thecousinhadfoundherquiteperfect.

"heisaperfectfop,"saidrudy;andthiswasthefirsttimerudyhadsaidanythingthatdidnotpleasebabette.

theenglishmanhadmadeherapresentofalittlebook,inremembranceoftheirvisittochillon.itwasbyron'spoem,"theprisonerofchillon,"translatedintofrench,sothatbabettecouldreadit.

"thebookmaybeverygood,"saidrudy;"butthatfinelycombedfellowwhogaveittoyouisnotworthmuch."

"helookssomethinglikeaflour-sackwithoutanyflour,"saidthemiller,laughingathisownwit.rudylaughed,too,forsohadheappearedtohim.

xi.thecousin

whenrudywentafewdaysaftertopayavisittothemill,hefoundtheyoungenglishmanthere.babettewasjustthinkingofpreparingsometrouttosetbeforehim.sheunderstoodwellhowtogarnishthedishwithparsley,andmakeitlookquitetempting.rudythoughtallthisquiteunnecessary.whatdidtheenglishmanwantthere?