I now found her frequently weeping.  I became more and more melancholy.  Her parents were beyond expression happy.  The eventful day approached, threatening and heavy, like a thundercloud.  The evening preceding arrived.  I could scarcely breathe.  I had carefully filled a large chest with gold, and sat down to await the appointed time—­the twelfth hour—­it struck.

Now I remained with my eyes fixed on the hand of the clock, counting the seconds—­the minutes—­which struck me to the heart like daggers.  I started at every sound—­at last daylight appeared.  The leaden hours passed on—­morning—­evening—­night came.  Hope was fast fading away as the hand advanced.  It struck eleven—­no one appeared—­the last minutes—­the first and last stroke of the twelfth hour died away.  I sank back in my bed in an agony of weeping.  In the morning I should, shadowless as I was, claim the hand of my beloved Minna.  A heavy sleep towards daylight closed my eyes.

CHAPTER III.

It was yet early, when I was suddenly awoke by voices in hot dispute in my antechamber.  I listened.  Bendel was forbidding Rascal to enter my room, who swore he would receive no orders from his equals, and insisted on forcing his way.  The faithful Bendel reminded him that if such words reached his master’s ears, he would turn him out of an excellent place.  Rascal threatened to strike him if he persisted in refusing his entrance.

By this time, having half dressed myself, I angrily threw open the door, and addressing myself to Rascal, inquired what he meant by such disgraceful conduct.  He drew back a couple of steps, and coolly answered, “Count Peter, may I beg most respectfully that you will favour me with a sight of your shadow?  The sun is now shining brightly in the court below.”

I stood as if struck by a thunderbolt, and for some time was unable to speak.  At last, I asked him how a servant could dare to behave so towards his master.  He interrupted me by saying, quite coolly, “A servant may be a very honourable man, and unwilling to serve a shadowless master—­I request my dismissal.”

I felt that I must adopt a softer tone, and replied, “But, Rascal, my good fellow, who can have put such strange ideas into your head?  How can you imagine—­”

He again interrupted me in the same tone—­“People say you have no shadow.  In short, let me see your shadow, or give me my dismissal.”

Bendel, pale and trembling, but more collected than myself, made a sign to me.  I had recourse to the all-powerful influence of gold.  But even gold had lost its power—­Rascal threw it at my feet:  “From a shadowless man,” he said, “I will take nothing.”

Turning his back upon me, and putting on his hat, he then slowly left the room, whistling a tune.  I stood, with Bendel, as if petrified, gazing after him.

With a deep sigh and a heavy heart I now prepared to keep my engagement, and to appear in the forester’s garden like a criminal before his judge.  I entered by the shady arbour, which had received the name of Count Peter’s arbour, where we had appointed to meet.  The mother advanced with a cheerful air; Minna sat fair and beautiful as the early snow of autumn reposing on the departing flowers, soon to be dissolved and lost in the cold stream.