thought of this, and she said this in low accents to herself. I heard her when
I rushed through the long corridor into the saloon, and out again.
“Anna Dorthea, the pale hyacinth, who was only fourteen years of age,
was quiet and thoughtful. Her large swimming blue eyes looked somewhat
pensive, but a childish smile played around her mouth, and I could not blow
it off; nor did I wish to do so.
“I met her in the garden, in the ravine, in the fields. She was gathering
plants and flowers, those which she knew her father made use of for the
drinks and drops he was fond of distilling. Waldemar Daae was arrogant
and conceited, but also he had a great deal of knowledge. Everybody knew
that, and everybody talked in whispers about it. Even in summer a fire
burned in his private cabinet; its doors were always locked. He passed days
and nights there, but he spoke little about his pursuits. The mysteries of
nature are studied in silence. He expected soon to discover its greatest
secret-the transmutation of other substances into gold.
“It was for this that smoke was ever issuing from the chimney of his
laboratory; for this that sparks and flames were always there. And I was
there too,” said the wind. “'Hollo, hollo!' I sang through the chimney. There
were steam, smoke, embers, ashes. 'You will burn yourself up-take care,
take care!' But Waldemar Daae did not take care.
“The splendid horses in the stables, what became of them? -the silver and
the gold plate, the cows in the fields, the furniture, the house itself? Yes,
they could be smelted-smelted in the crucibles; and yet no gold was
obtained.
“All was empty in the barns and in the pantry, in the cellars and in the
loft. The fewer people, the more mice. One pane of glass was cracked,
another was broken. I did not require to go in by the door,” said the wind.
“When the kitchen chimney is smoking, dinner is preparing; but there the
smoke rolled from the chimney for that which devoured all repasts-for the
yellow gold.
