fire-music was in my ears beau- 

 tiful, fearful, spellbinding. Brun- 

 hild was not so much to be pitied 

 after all. The intoxication of Loki 

 was upon me. 



And what erratic tricks he plays! 

 On my left I noticed the skeleton 

 form of what had been a raspberry 

 bush. Not a leaf was left not a 

 green bramble, but still in the very 

 heart of it was one ripe, luscious- 

 looking berry, hanging like a ruby 

 in the midst of ruin. How had it 

 escaped that one touch of beauty? 



Near it was another impish trick 

 of the conqueror a weird sight 

 indeed. A high white pine tree, so 

 tall that its green branches waved 

 triumphantly over the torment below, 

 so sturdy and vigorous that its 

 smooth bark had resisted the flames, 

 but alas of no avail. The enemy had 

 eaten into its heart; it was enduring 

 the tortures of Prometheus. One 

 side of its mighty base, five feet 

 through, had been carved out as 

 neatly as though fashioned by man 

 for a fireplace, and here the flames 

 crackled merrily, taking as does the 

 vampire, its treasure of life, while 



