Page:Legends of Rubezahl, and Other Tales (1845).djvu/209

 kicking about from his infancy; who has never been permitted to be what he wished to be; never been suffered to do what he wished to do; never allowed to play out the part he had studied with the greatest care; and who, now that his existence among human kind is annihilated, cannot even be a spirit for once and away.”

This lamentable ditty had its effect. The Gnome was, indeed, greatly exasperated against the fellow for daring to assume his name and attributes, and had fully intended, after the example of the magistracy of Hirschberg, to have inflicted summary justice on the offender; but his curiosity got the better, for a time, of his indignation, and he postponed the fellow’s punishment until after he had heard his story.

“To your saddle, sir,” said he, “and await my orders.” He then turned to his own horse, and drawing out from under its ribs the leg which was wanting, rendered it a perfect animal. He next opened the door of the carriage, for the purpose of paying his respects to the travellers; but all within was still as death: excess of fear had so acted on the ladies, that all the vital spirits had retreated from the outworks of sensation to the chamber of the heart. Every living soul in the carriage seemed dead. The cavalier, who seemed to know exactly what to do, threw open both doors of the coach to let in the air, and then flying off to a spring near at hand,