The Song of Songs

happines

pan golden cobwebs from beam to beam, it rode on every ray of light

motifs and snatches of melodies, strains from an ?olian harp, the chirping of a cric

eep, she alw

ures of the Song of Son

ank and rose, through the entire gamut of ethical appraisement, plunged one moment into the deepest pit of depravity, exalted the next to the shining hei

lves, from which it was wiped off like ordinary dust. Yet it conveyed a greeting from swaying boughs in bloom, whic

ther side of the house ha

the steps, and twice a day with beating hear

amming with the other young men lasted until late at night, and

. She saw him a general winning epoch-making battles in the open country, she saw him a poet walking up the steps of the capitol to receive the laurel wreath, she saw him an inventor soaring

y enough the courage had gone from her to ask Mrs. Asmussen for permission to visit St. Anne's early every

enment grew so strong that she decided to acknowledge her Catholicism to Mrs. Asmussen and beg for the privilege to pray in that qu

ss, her hypocrisy, her laziness, her lack of a sense of order. Mrs. Asmussen, there

two excursions a week to early mass, w

n Lilly and St. Jo

confidential look, like brothers and sisters who have been let into the secret that the punishment after all is not going to be so very seve

him for so long. But after she had made her moan-telling of her lo

ight the length of a finger. She felt like dedicating one to him, too, but on what gro

nful to her that others should stand in closer relations to her saint than she. "After a

for that-she hastened away. The clocks were striking quarter of seven, and if she did not meet her

ompanions at the corn

g a deep breath, remained for a time on the same

e were two such

ation, was never fulfilled. Not the faintest glimmer of joy appeared in his face at her approach, and th

uly Sunday in the evening, when the door of the circulating library was closed to c

almost shutting the

have Rückert's poe

k he would find no pretext for entering into a conversation, so she said she would go see, and wouldn't he s

able "no" would send him off with a curt "thank you," and she ran

he poems just a l

y, she seated herself opposite him with the counter

short time ago, then the

in the library, he fetched a deep sigh and murmured

d at the doorway, which a mome

e back!" But she heard the door on the other sid

ng in speculations of what might have t

throbbed

an hour later the

up. Supposi

was

; he had forgott

slip away!" somethi

spite the shining puddle which was crawling along the crack between

you need Rück

n to co

rd for us, you have

prepared the theme. But this time they had gotten wind of the surprise in store-the next day in literature class they would be required to give a comprehen

rilled w

w-flying sparrow, could help h

d Klopstock, the pious bard of "The Messiah." The only thing she had forgott

e said? That about Klopstock was correct; he knew it from the tables of his history of

a year since she had heard of those lovely things, but she had

a deep breath, and observed, with hi

ry hard, very

fe. Mathematics was all right; in fact, he had done very well in analytic geometry. But history and the languages, and

to be satisfied with the course of mundane events, and she

it must undergo when it feels itself hampered in its

in some wonderm

, it's hard,

apid stuff. I would just do what is necessary in an offhand way, and then in complet

ations!" he exclaime

he rejoined. "What difference does

became

every good position in life, no matter whether you enter the university or study architectur

you!" she

y, feeling strok

," he said, "but I have my ambitions. What

a grateful gleam in her eyes. The feeling that she had nev

k-she felt actual physical pain, as if a p

n he turned and said as one who w

uch, do hunt for the poems once

ack a sec

book under the door

ntly started on the search. After a time

m he crammed for the examinations. The written tests were to be given immediatel

and reddish-brown stubble lay in the hol

d one morning, when, returning from mass, she met him alone

oke out anxiously. "You must keep well for the

, and before finding a reply, he cast r

mered. "But later, i

scarcely daring

she chewed her handkerchief, and feared the passersby might laugh and jeer at her. When ensco

e

e came at suppertime and left-she heard

e for! Over

t exactly a knock, rather a scratching at the door, the way a do

ed that Sunday evening when the graves of Ottensen had justified his coming. No, this tim

ussen here?"

here at this time," she whisper

come in-fo

de, and let him

ndure so much joy w

bout "begging her pardon

bout "having reproached hersel

other with the counter between, a

over the way into the re

genial young lady," he said with an emphatic air of impor

e opportunity,

ce an exchange of views would certainly be edifying to him, e

t forsake him. He looked at Lilly somewhat challengingly, as if to

recovered her power of thinking, she was dominated by one feelin

ctures in class. He worked too hard, like you, and by this time he must certainly have die

ed deje

's hard, v

and go walking. Walking a

u go w

she had been in that hole among the books, sh

t to do with it?" Then, inwardly rejoicing at her own boldness,

is turn to b

his mane. "The thing would be misinterpreted. There are considerations,

heir lady's good name exceeded their very passion for he

e! I'll manage. I'll

ous words, she knew that for the sake of such a walk she would be

ough with the examinatio

s. Accompanied by Lilly's good wishes and warnings, he took le

e would wander over the golden meadows with him in the light of dawn, her hand pressed against her throbbing heart, her arm now and th

giddiness of endless kisses." But she did not dream of kisses in connection with herself. Whenever she found

justified her in promising

s, his high ideals, and her solicitude for him. The only thing she refrained from mentio

g between a gold-embroidered college portfolio and gold-embroidered slippers, and finally decided on a revolver in a case, naturally assuming that in the wild struggle for existence he would be exposed to many dangers, fro

eemed to have forgotten her-she felt as if she should have to run after him and press the weapon of deliverance into his hand without

he porch to the pavement, a timid glance

here was some st

oked weary and completely crushed,

, and violently wiped his green-grey bristly beard on his son's

aisles of the library, and thought w

's fine! Is

er heart, and blushingly asked to have a m

order slips in the letter-box. Inside was a soiled menu card from

ered the library through t

of bed and threw

rly autumn weighed upon the ground. The cold damp drizzle did her hot limb

ing before, hung like a bluish drift on the white wall. She smartened he

er the chin, so doing away with the need for a collar. And openwork silk gloves suddenly came t

her work-bag. Before slipping it in,

y, destroy his enemies, a

uine consecr

creaked on its hinges. She glided into

ng of the beau in his get-up. He wore his hat tilted a bit to one side, and in h

mered cong

ly, as if so insignificant a matt

y I get a great deal of sport out of it, but a fellow h

her with bliss. If they were to go into the church for a moment, the sin of silence wo

to her wish-and found h

y convictions. Nevertheless, it is an enlightened man's duty t

, he could not know what close connection existed between St. Joseph

rough shivered at each step. Perhaps excitement was the cause. On the whole, however, she felt much calmer than she had e

the street, at the end of whic

he thought, and clenched her te

would gladly have started a conversation, had

s walking ahead

tz Redlich suddenly, "we always boug

came joy

e might steal some," she w

-just the right number for delivery had been doled

ag in his hand, she had a pleasant sensation, a

r of dew falling from the trees. Lilly shrugged her s

ere out in the

spread over the fields of high stubble. Yellow ridges of hills bounded the

wimmer, and drew in through her o

you feel

y la

lost," she said. "I haven't

ied to keep pace, but soon fell behind, and

plain. The brushwood seemed to be on fire, and the cobwebs shone like silv

ssed her hands to her heaving breast, and s

ered, giving his face a que

to recite odes, sing h

s breath, to all appearances oc

ed. "A poem by Klopstock, or something else.

hort laugh,

s are over German literature ma

ppear half baked. When she looked up again, the glow was gone. The fields still sent up yellowish-red vapours

d on towar

thered blackberries, which depended like bunches of glisten

ame upon a bench. Without discussing it, they simp

y to receive the revelations for which her soul languished; here

id her handkerchief filled wi

ng between the rounds of the bench. Lilly hollowed out the rolls, and fil

y with longing and happiness. She could have sunk to the ground, and laid her forehead again

, as if he were challenging the whole world. This "genius lock" was the fashion among the boys of the last year high

which resembled awkward, faithful, sleepy watchmen loo

about?" asked Lilly, bashfully admirin

t and somewhat

living in a nest like that, and how comfortable

rning flows in on o

s conviction, suffer want, suffer all sorts of privations. The city has six scholarships to bestow upon theological students, but I would ra

led. He stroked the genius lock fro

instant in which to hand him the revolver. But out of respect fo

ch the revolver was lying, she went in

ark powers who control our destiny, and wrest our fortune from them, to come out of the struggle

her adjuration faile

ou, in winter you lie in a cold bed, and all year round you have nothing to eat. Of course, I'm going to go int

e joy you have in

ts out with nothing but a satchel of darned wash and

own confidence into his heart. "When somebody is like you, with t

ilvery streams and the city with its wreath of swelling gardens lying embedded in the fields like

ected consciousness of knowing bet

rd," he observed,

his own ability to conquer, and growing warm

n, without money, without clothes for the winter-not even a decent pair of shoes." She stuck out the worn tips of her old boots, which until now she had kept carefully hidden. "I don't get as much to eat as I need either; and if I come home too late to-day, I shall

ous movement, to keep him from see

rge uttered a clear third E-G-on high festivals it added a paternal, rumbling C. More bells followed. St. Anne's thin tinkling joined in-modest, yet to be dis

back his spiritual balance. With the little air of didactic dignity that he

f the problems of life, and so I see somewhat deeper into things than you. I'm up to snuff about the so-called illu

mean?" she as

le with an air of mingled

ries certain dang

ried, glowing all over. "Wh

, it's a piece of good luck for you that you chanced upon so strict and correct a young man as I am. Another man with a mo

and disagreeable thoughts. What did he want of her? Was he repro

utterly discomposed. "

I am only offering you a bit of advice in all modesty, and some day you will thank me for it. It is not for nothing that a fellow

ing within Lilly cried, "then I ought

s what she held herself to be for havi

vil in the thing! Where had

t of gold about her. She saw nothing, she heard nothing, so very ash

forting. His manner expressed the quiet satisfacti

d sticking in a crevice

admonished, and stuck the berry in his mouth,

f together, and cau

ng there?" he asked.

or clutched t

use key," sh

hey we

she thought, "so that he would ha

inest field flowers she could reach to offer to him as a farewell gift inst

wirled the bamboo cane with the silver handle-an heirloom of which he had just come into possessi

n and humiliation was

he asked, "tell you we s

had all to do to force back th

mitting effort and unshakable fidelity to one's

tisfied energy. While making her small and timorous

ying about on all sides. Finally he remarked that the streets were getting pretty lively,

erfumed with the garlic of the sausage that Mrs. R

ow curtain with burning eye

I had neve