《安徒生童话英文版》第195章

　　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 nineteen 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 evenbecoming 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 with wet sleeves and bespattered trousers. Still, wet andsplashed with mud, he contrived to reach Babette's window, to which hehad been guided by the light that shone from it. Here he climbed theold linden-tree that stood near it, and began to imitate the voiceof an owl, the only bird he could venture to mimic. Babette heardthe noise, and glanced through the thin window curtain; but when shesaw the man in white, and guessed who he was, her little heart beatwith terror as well as anger. She quickly put out the light, felt ifthe fastening of the window was secure, and then left him to howl aslong as he liked. How dreadful it would be, thought Babette, if Rudywere here in the house. But Rudy was not in the house. No, it was muchworse, he was outside, standing just under the linden-tree. He wasspeaking loud, angry words. He could fight, and there might be murder!Babette opened the window in alarm, and called Rudy's name; she toldhim to go away, she did not wish him to remain there.

　　"You do not wish me to stay," cried he; "then this is anappointment 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, hischeeks burning, and his heart like fire.

　　Babette threw herself on the bed, and wept bitterly. "So much as Iloved thee, Rudy, and yet thou canst think ill of me."

　　Thus her anger broke forth; it relieved her, however: otherwiseshe would have been more deeply grieved; but now she could sleepsoundly, 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 IceMaiden reigned. He was so high up that the large trees beneath him,with their thick foliage, appeared like garden plants, and the pinesand bushes even less. The Alpine roses grew near the snow, which layin detached stripes, and looked like linen laid out to bleach. Ablue gentian grew in his path, and he crushed it with the butt endof his gun. A little higher up, he espied two chamois. Rudy's eyesglistened, and his thoughts flew at once in a different direction; buthe was not near enough to take a sure aim. He ascended still higher,to a spot where a few rough blades of grass grew between the blocks ofstone and the chamois passed quietly on over the snow-fields. Rudywalked hurriedly, while the clouds of mist gathered round him.Suddenly he found himself on the brink of a precipitous rock. The rainwas falling in torrents. He felt a burning thirst, his head was hot,and his limbs trembled with cold. He seized his hunting-flask, butit was empty; he had not thought of filling it before ascending themountain. He had never been ill in his life, nor ever experienced suchsensations as those he now felt. He was so tired that he couldscarcely resist lying down at his full length to sleep, although theground was flooded with the rain. Yet when he tried to rouse himself alittle, every object around him danced and trembled before his eyes.

　　Suddenly he observed in the doorway of a hut newly built under therock, a young maiden. He did not remember having seen this hut before,yet there it stood; and he thought, at first, that the young maidenwas Annette, the schoolmaster's daughter, whom he had once kissed inthe dance. The maiden was not Annette; yet it seemed as if he had seenher somewhere before, perhaps near Grindelwald, on the evening ofhis return home from Interlachen, after the shooting-match.

　　"How did you come here?"