They loved to bend over the motionless water that resembled molten silver.  A greenish glimmer hovered below, in a mysterious half light, and seemed to change the damp hole into some hiding-place in the depths of a wood.  They saw each other in a sort of greenish nest bedecked with moss, in the midst of fresh water and foliage.  And all the strangeness of the deep spring, the hollow tower over which they bent, trembling with fascination, added unconfessed and delightful fear to their merry laughter.  The wild idea occurred to them of going down and seating themselves on a row of large stones which formed a kind of circular bench at a few inches above the water.  They would dip their feet in the latter, converse there for hours, and no one would think of coming to look for them in such a spot.  But when they asked each other what there might be down there, their vague fears returned; they thought it quite sufficient to let their reflected images descend into the depths amidst those green glimmers which tinged the stones with strange moire-like reflections, and amidst those mysterious noises which rose from the dark corners.  Those sounds issuing from the invisible made them particularly uneasy; they often fancied that voices were replying to their own; and then they would remain silent, detecting a thousand faint plaints which they could not understand.  These came from the secret travail of the moisture, the sighs of the atmosphere, the drops that glided over the stones, and fell below with the sonorousness of sobs.  They would nod affectionately to each other in order to reassure themselves.  Thus the attraction which kept them leaning over the brink had a tinge of secret terror, like all poignant charms.  But the well still remained their old friend.  It was such an excellent pretext for meeting!  Justin, who watched Miette’s every movement, never suspected the cause of her eagerness to go and draw some water every morning.  At times, he saw her from the distance, leaning over and loitering.  “Ah! the lazy thing!” he muttered; “how fond she is of dawdling about!” How could he suspect that, on the other side of the wall, there was a wooer contemplating the girl’s smile in the water, and saying to her:  “If that red-haired donkey Justin should illtreat you, just tell me of it, and he shall hear from me!”

This amusement lasted for more than a month.  It was July then; the mornings were sultry; the sun shone brightly, and it was quite a pleasure to come to that damp spot.  It was delightful to feel the cold breath of the well on one’s face, and make love amidst this spring water while the skies were kindling their fires.  Miette would arrive out of breath after crossing the stubble fields; as she ran along, her hair fell down over her forehead and temples; and it was with flushed face and dishevelled locks that she would lean over, shaking with laughter, almost before she had had time to set her pitcher down.  Silvere, who was almost always the first at the well,