The Journey of Rheinfrid 299

felt the power of them lifting him to his feet,
and with what seemed no more than the effort
of a wish he sprang from the narrow way of
ice and stood beside the Angel on the moun-
tain.

“ Hadst thou not been twice impatient in
the cloister,’ said the Angel, “thy wings
would not have twice failed thee on the
bridge. Now, look around and see!”

Who shall tell the loveliness of the land
on which Rheinfrid now gazed from the
mountain? To breathe the clear shining air
was in itself beatitude. He saw angelic
figures and heard the singing of angels in the
heavenly gardens glittering far below, and he
longed to fly down to their blessed compan-
ionship. Suddenly over the tree-tops of a
golden glade he descried a starry globe which
shone like chrysoprase, and round and round
it a little blue bird flew joyously. And so
swiftly it flew that hardly had it gone before
it had returned again.

Rheinfrid turned to the Angel to question
him, but the Angel, who was aware of his
thoughts, said, “Yes, it is the same globe,
only we see it now from the other side.