the whole evening, at length, when the moment of separation arrives, these feelings yield to others of a more free and cordial nature. From the most charming and youthful part of the fair sex, I have ever more particularly loved to take leave, as they are then inclined to lend a more favourable ear to one’s wishes, and to grant more readily the wished-for boon, which perhaps at other times might have been sought in vain. The pain of parting affects woman’s heart still deeper than man’s; she remains behind, a prey to all those acute feelings in which a faithful and tender bosom delights to indulge.
With a dark presaging feeling, and an inward conviction of its truth, I accordingly said, that, at the latest, I could only stay until to-morrow; for when she saw that only one day remained between us and our parting, she surely could not deny it me; and in this, as it proved, I had judged rightly.
“And do you really leave the day after to-morrow?” she asked in a tremulous voice, “Ah! yes, once more in this life I must see you. Well, then, to-morrow I will see you, but we must meet far—very far from this neighbourhood, and very early, when all are asleep. Would you like to mount the Engelstock, or mount Ruffi, or would you rather ascend the peak of Rigi? There I will point out to you, the chalky Alps and the Nagelflue mountains; aye, and you shall there behold objects which will cause you to remember our Canton all your life.”
“Then we will ascend the Rigi,” I exclaimed, joyfully, and the thought of admiring beside this maiden, with rapturous feelings of delight and wonder, God’s magnificent creation, from the pinnacle of the gigantic Rigi, excited sensations of the most delicious nature.
“Good,” said the roguish girl,—“and if you have courage, I will lead you up over the ladder to the small chapel, dedicated to our Queen of the Snow[1]; there you will have to learn to climb and scramble; but for that, however, you will be amply rewarded afterwards. You will from thence be-
- ↑ Founded in 1689, by Zay of Art, and much visited by Pilgrims.
