“It is for the sake of contrast, I suppose, that I and this miserable soul should wait here together,” thought the critic.  “Well now, who are you, my good woman?” he inquired.

And the old woman replied, with as much respect as though St. Peter himself were addressing her—­in fact, she took him for St. Peter, he gave himself such grand airs—­“I am a poor old soul, I have no family, I am only old Margaret from the house near the trenches.”

“Well, and what have you done down below?”

“I have done as good as nothing in the world! nothing whatever!  It will be mercy, indeed, if such as I am suffered to pass through this gate.”

“And how did you leave the world?” inquired the critic, carelessly.  He must talk about something; it wearied him to stand there, waiting.

“Well, I can hardly tell how I left it; I have been sickly enough during these last few years, and could not well bear to creep out of bed at all during the cold weather.  It has been a severe winter, but now that is all past.  For a few days, as your highness must know, the wind was quite still, but it was bitterly cold; the ice lay over the water as far as one could see.  All the people in the town were out on the ice; there was dancing, and music, and feasting, and sledge-racing, I fancy; I could hear something of it all as I lay in my poor little chamber.  And when it was getting toward evening, the moon was up, but was not yet very bright; I looked from my bed through the window, and I saw how there rose up over the sea a strange white cloud; I lay and watched it, watched the black dot in it, which grew bigger and bigger, and then I knew what it foreboded; that sign is not often seen, but I am old and experienced.  I knew it, and I shivered with horror.  Twice before in my life have I seen that sign, and I knew that there would be a terrible storm and a spring flood; it would burst over the poor things on the ice, who were drinking and dancing and merry-making.  Young and old, the whole town was out on the ice; who was to warn them, if no one saw it, or no one knew what I knew?  I felt so terrified, I felt all alive, as I had not felt for years!  I got out of bed, forced the window open; I could see the folk running and dancing over the ice; I could see the gay-colored flags, I could hear the boys shout ‘Hurra!’ and the girls and lads a-singing.  All were so merry; and all the time the white cloud with its black speck rose higher and higher!  I screamed as loud as I could; but no one heard me, I was too far off.  Soon would the storm break loose, the ice would break in pieces, and all that crowd would sink and drown.  Hear me they could not; get out to them I could not; what was to be done?  Then our Lord sent me a good thought; I could set fire to my bed; better let my house be burned to the ground than that so many should miserably perish.  So I kindled a light; I saw the red flame mount up; I got out at the door, but then I fell down; I lay there, I could not get up