Access Online - The European Library

ARIADNE. 85quiet and deserted; the one lamp burned beforethe Madonna in the wall.Strong shivers shook her, but she did notresist. She passed up the staircase with me tomy room, where no longer was there Hermes togreet her: Hermes, who made woman, but notsuch a womanas she was.Theyhad swept it clean, and it was spacious,but it looked desolate to me; she howeverseemed to see no change; as far as she sawanything she only saw tlie broad and openwindow, through which there shone the riverand the sky.Idrew her to the hearth where logs wereburning.There, suddenly she stopped and looked,then with a cry threw herself forward on therude warmbricks before the hearth, and kissedthem again and again and again, as women kissthe flushed cheek of their sleeping child." Oh, stones, you bore his feet, and felt therose leaves fall,and heard him say he loved me!Oh, dear stones, speak and tell meit was true."So murmuring to them she kissed the roughwarm bricks again and yet again, and laid her