THE SERPENT IN LITERATURE 209 



failings touching her only in a faint vague way, like 

 the memories of her childhood, of her lost kindred, 

 and of her passion. And after long years, during 

 which she has been a wonder and mystery to the 

 villagers, on one of her solitary rambles on the 

 mountain occurs the catastrophe which the author 

 has described the fall of the huge overhanging 

 ledge of rock under which the serpent brood had 

 their shelter burying her for ever with her ophidian 

 relations, and thus bringing to an end the strange 

 story of " Elsie Venner Infelix." 



