Page:Legends of Rubezahl, and Other Tales (1845).djvu/235

 enough, but of which no one believes a single word. All with one voice agreed that twas strange, ’twas passing strange,” at the same time significantly turning their eyes towards Doctor Springsfeld, who silently replied by an emphatic shrug of his shoulders, and made up his mind not to relinquish his patient before the waters of Carlsbad had entirely washed this adventure of the Giant Mountains out of her imagination. And ere long the Doctor thought the waters had produced this effect; the truth being, that the Countess, perceiving that her story only led to a belief that her head was turned, ceased to speak of it; the waters, however, had the practical result of restoring the Countess to perfect health. This object being attained, and the young ladies having waltzed and flirted to their heart’s content, the family set out on their return to Breslau. They failed not to go by way of the Giant Mountains, in order to pay their promised visit to Lord Giantdale. Mama confidently expecting that their noble host would explain the reason why the party whom they had met at his castle, had affected not to recognise them at Carlsbad. But no person in the mountains knew the road to his Lordship’s castle, or had even heard of his name. And the lady was eventually convinced, that the Lord Giantdale, who had so kindly rescued and received her, was, in reality, no other than the Spirit Lord of the Giant Mountains. She owned that he had dealt