THE OLD BACHELOR'S NIGHTCAP. 239

one of the deities of the heathen times. She is also calied Lady
Holle; and every child in and around Eisenach has heard about
her. She it was who lured Tannhauser, the noble knight and
minstrel, from the circle of the singers of the Wartburg into her
mountain.

Little Molly and Anthony often stood by this mountain ; and
once Molly said,

“You may knock and say, ‘ Lady Holle, open the door—Tann-
hauser is here!’ ”

But Anthony did not dare. Molly, however, did it, though she
only said the words “ Lady Holle, Lady Holle!” aloud and dis-
tinctly ; the rest she muttered so indistinctly that Anthony felt
convinced she had not really said anything ; and yet she looked
as bold and saucy as possible—as saucy as when she sometimes
came round him with other little girls in the garden, and all
wanted to kiss him because he did not like to be kissed and tried
to keep them off; and she was the only one who dared to kiss
him in spite of his resistance.

““T may kiss him!” she would say proudly.

That was her vanity ; and Anthony submitted, and thought no
more about it. :

How charming and how teazing Molly was! It was said that
Lady Holle in the mountain was beautiful also, but that her
seauty was like that of a tempting fiend. The greatest beauty
and grace was possessed by Saint Elizabeth, the patron of the
country, the pious Princess of Thuringia, whose good actions
have been:immortalized in many places in legends and stories,
In the chapel her picture hung, surrounded by silver lamps ; but
it was not in the least like Molly.

The apple tree which the two children had planted grew year
by year, and became taller and taller—so tall, that it had to be
transplanted into the garden, into the fresh air, where the dew
fell and the sun shone warm. And the tree developed itself
strongly so that it could resist the winter. And it seemed as if,
after the rigour of the cold season was past, it put forth blossoms
in spring for very joy. In the autumn it brought two apples —
one for Molly and one for Anthony. It could not well have pro-
duced less.

The tree had grown apace, and Molly grew like thetree. She
was as fresh as an apple blossom ; but Anthony was not long to
behold this flower. All things change! Molly’s father left his
old home, and Molly went with him, far away. Yes, in our time
steam has made the journey they took a matter of a few hours,
but then more than a day and a night were necessary to go so
far eastward from Eisenach to the farthest border of Thuringia,
to the city which is still called Weimar.

And Melly wept, and Anthony wept; but all their tears melted
jnto one, and this tear had the rosy, charming hue of joy. For