, 1877-11-09

spot again. But Kobold answered, "Oh,
this is nothing-come to our trysting-
place tomorrow night, and | will show
thee far greater wonders than these"
And Anton had gone, and night after
night he went on going, similarly be-
guiled, for Kobold kept his promise in
showing each night a greater wonder than
that of the night before.
In this way, neglecting his business,
his friends, his sweetheart, and his God,
Anton had seen vast hidden stores of all
kinds of ores--silver, tin, copper, anti
mony, bismuth, and whp knows what be-
sidesl and the more he saw the less in
clined to work with his own hands he
was, the more eager to take his ease and
pleasure whilst the inexhaustible treas
ury that had been revealed to him should
be worked for him by others brains and
brawn. 'h.-
"Show me gold" he said to Kobold,
"that / may at once take of 1t to crafty
my desires, and have means to hire
drudges to work my mines. Show me
gold, and give me the clew to that and
all the rest that thou hast shown me, and
| will trouble thee no more"
- ''Come again to our trysting-place to-
morrow night, for the last time, answered
Kobsld, ',aud / will show thee gold"
infatuated Anton was by this time in
rags, and often very hungry. He had
sold his gun, his tools, to supply him
with daily bread--latterly very little of
it. But buoyed up by his golden hopes,
he carried his head as if he had been a
kaiser, provoking the mirth of his neigh
bors, who had come to look upon him as
poor fool, since nothing had come of
his mysterious midnight excursions.
Beatrix grew sadder and sadder at the
thought ofhim. Vary rarely did she see
him now, since, as have said, he had
given up going to church, aud latterly
also coming expressly to visit her; but
each time she did see him he looked
poorer and wilder than before.
1t was on Saturday night that he was
to meet Kobold to be initiated in the Sc
cret of the gold. He had to pass Be-
atrix's cottage on his way to the trysting-
place, and as he drew near, he noticed
that her light was still burning. Beatrix
rested on a. Sunday, and with the pros
pect Of a holiday before her, she could
afford to sit up later than was usual with
her, although recently her hour ofretire-
ment had drawn nearer than before to the
stroke of twelve. This was the motive
for her heightened work--she had begun
to fear that Anton would soon become
utterly destitute, and she wished to save
him the degradation of begging his bread
from door to door, by laying up little
hoard for him. -
While she piled her bobbins with this
benevolent purpose-thinking regretfully
of bygone Saturday nights cheered with
anticipations of seeing her lover, reverent
and respected, at the church on the NOR
row--Anton thought of her in very diff
ferent manner. ... e
sam not fool" he said, ''to throw
myself away upon so poor girl9 There
is not princess in all Europe for whom
I shall not be worthy match when am
master of my wealth. Nay, but Beatrix
is a good girl will not break her heart.
Shall stop and bid her cease from her
absurd industry-.dazzle her with reve-
lation of the riches in store for me2 But
no, it will be better to wait and find how
feel when have got them. Twill not
commit myself. Still l will peep in at
her as l pass--it is long since have seen
her" .i"+ '2~ 4a
He peered in through the cottage win
dow, but drew back in alarm when Be-
atrix raised her head. She got glimpse
of his face, however, and sighed to think
how haggard it, once so handsome, had
become--how little love for her there
seemed left in it, .B ao-n. nI
She put away her work, said her sad
prayers, and went TO bed, whilst Anton
hurried on To meet the goblin.
Again Kobold was true to his word.
He led Anton into vaulted hall that
blazed with gold. The fretted roof aud
the floor were Of native gold; the columns
of the corridors that stretched away--not
into gloom, but an unfading brilliance,
reflected from some invisible source Of
light--were Of glittering quartz, enclos-
ing, not nuggets, but huge blocks of gold,
which cleaned through them like gold
fish through crystalline water, or rather
like suns radiating dazzling splendor
through most pellucid summer air.
Anton now fairly lost his head, and
danced with delight. When he came to
himself, he was lying outside the, noun
tain, at the place OF tryst, The Sunday
morning sunshine had asoke him. 1t
seemed pale and cold in comparison with
the subteranean radiance which flashed
back upon his memory. At the thought
Of that be arose from bis hard couch, and
leaped again Cor joy, although his heart
sunk for a moment when he remembered
that, after all, he had forgotten 70 secure
the clew
"But what matters thati'' be said,
"Kobold will give il 10 me when l meet
him here again tonight
lie had forgotten also that the goblin
hid promised 70 meet him there the
night before-yer hss lasf inss.
The bell was Ginning iissilvery sOome
10 pfayerfn when Anton passed the