to mimic. Babette heard the noise, and glanced through the thin window
curtain; but when she saw the man in white, and guessed who he was, her
little heart beat with terror as well as anger. She quickly put out the light,
felt if the fastening of the window was secure, and then left him to howl as
long as he liked. How dreadful it would be, thought Babette, if Rudy were
here in the house. But Rudy was not in the house. No, it was much worse,
he was outside, standing just under the linden-tree. He was speaking loud,
angry words. He could fight, and there might be murder! Babette opened
the window in alarm, and called Rudy’s name; she told him to go away, she
did not wish him to remain there.
“You do not wish me to stay,” cried he; “then this is an appointment you
expected-this good friend whom you prefer to me. Shame on you, Babette!”
“You are detestable!” exclaimed Babette, bursting into tears. “Go away. I
hate you.”
“I have not deserved this,” said Rudy, as he turned away, his cheeks
burning, and his heart like fire.
Babette threw herself on the bed, and wept bitterly. “So much as I loved
thee, Rudy, and yet thou canst think ill of me.”
Thus her anger broke forth; it relieved her, however: otherwise she would
have been more deeply grieved; but now she could sleep soundly, as youth
only can sleep.
XII. Evil Powers
Rudy left Bex, and took his way home along the mountain path. The air
was fresh, but cold; for here amidst the deep snow, the Ice Maiden reigned.
He was so high up that the large trees beneath him, with their thick foliage,
appeared like garden plants, and the pines and bushes even less. The Alpine
roses grew near the snow, which lay in detached stripes, and looked like
linen laid out to bleach. A blue gentian grew in his path, and he crushed it
with the butt end of his gun. A little higher up, he espied two chamois.
Rudy’s eyes glistened, and his thoughts flew at once in a different direction;
but he was not near enough to take a sure aim. He ascended still higher, to a
