Page:Legends of Rubezahl, and Other Tales (1845).djvu/236

 most nobly by her, and, from that hour, believed firmly in spirits, though the fear of ridicule prevented her from making her belief public.

Since this adventure of the Countess Cecilia, Rubezahl has not been seen or heard of. On taking leave of the Countess, he proceeded to his underground domain. Very soon after this, burst forth the tremendous subterranean fire which destroyed first Lisbon, afterwards Guatemala, and which has since broken out in other places. And so much have the gnomes had to do, in their efforts to arrest the torrents of fire which are overflowing their underground channels in all directions, that not one has had time to come up to the surface of the earth.