THE STARS 113

mountain elves come and go freely,
and there are rustlings and impercep-
tible noises in the air as though one
could hear the branches and the grass
growing. Day is the time for living
beings, but night is the time for the
life of inanimate things. When you
are not accustomed to it, this frightens
you. So our young lady was all shiver-
ing, and came closer to me at the least
sound. Once a long, melancholy cry,
which came from the pool glittering
lower down, ‘rose up towards us,
wavering on the air. At that
instant a beautiful falling star glided
over our heads in the same direc-
tion, as if this cry that we had just
heard had called the light down to
it.

‘What was that?’ said Stephanette
to me in a low voice.

‘A soul going into Paradise, lady,’
and I crossed myself.

She made the sign of the cross

too, and remained looking up for a
I