Fiction > Book editions > London, 1888 - Prince Otto

A ROMANCE 245
revolution, compared to which the fire of Mitt-
walden Palace was but the crack and flash of a
percussion cap. The countenance with which
the pines regarded her began insensibly to
change ; the grass too, short as it was, and the
whole winding staircase of the brook's course,
began to wear a solemn freshness of appearance.
And this slow transfiguration reached her heart,
and played upon it, and transpierced it with a
serious thrill. She looked all about ; the whole
face of nature looked back, brimful of meaning,
finger on lip, leaking its glad secret. She looked
up. Heaven was almost emptied of stars. Such
as still lingered shone with a changed and
waning brightness, and began to faint in their
stations. And the colour of the sky itself was
the most wonderful ; for the rich blue of the
nic^ht had now melted and softened and bright-
ened ; and there had succeeded in its place a
hue that has no name, and that is never seen
but as the herald of morning. ' ! ' she cried,
joy catching at her voice, ' ! it is the dawn ! '
In a breath she passed over the brook, and
looped up her skirts and fairly ran in the dim
alleys. As she ran, her ears were aware of many
pipings, more beautiful than music ; in the small
dish-shaped houses in the fork of giant arms,
where they had lain all night, lover by lover,
warmly pressed, the bright-eyed, big-hearted