The much-admired little boat was now approaching the narrow bay which
is only two minutes distance from Gmunden. There stood the spick and
span victoria of Mr. Ogden; the two black horses attached to it struck
out sparks of fire with their impatient hoofs. The tall Englishman who
had distanced her, stood there waiting. The moment he caught sight of
her bewitching face, his eyes sparkled and smiling sweetly at her,
helped her tenderly out of the boat.
The sun had just gone down behind a fleecy cloud and kindled a volcano,
from whose silver-rimmed crater fiery rays of scarlet shot up almost to
the clear zenith. She looked fatigued and closed her eyes for a moment.
Now she caught sight of him and smiled, allowing him to take her away--
Tenderly kissing her hand, he led her to the carriage, lifted her
carefully in and wrapped a costly cloak, which was laying there, around
the enchanting form he so adored.
She did not speak, but sat by his side in silence. He gazed at her
several times and then gave the order to start. The carriage set off at
a rapid gait.
The light of day was rapidly failing. Day and night seemed to
join hands in a twilight mystery; black clouds were now piling up
threateningly on the western horizon. A heavy gust scattered the thick
aggressive atmosphere. Flying leaves were lifted up in the air as if by
magic, and went through the wildest dances to the piping and howling of
the storm, which now commenced to rage in all its fury, while voices of
sinister shadows in the air, seemed to hold intercourse with others in
the distance.
In these high mountainous regions a few moments suffice to turn a
smiling landscape into a cheerless dripping desert. Claps of thunder
and flashes of lightning followed each other at brief intervals. The
rain now fell in torrents and the howling storm whipped the green lake
whose wavelets had been so gently splashing half an hour ago.