Page:Thea von Harbou Metropolis eng 1927.pdf/170

 METROPOLIS as a soft, incessant pulse-beat, if one laid one's head against a wall-and that, if this pulse-beat should ever become silent, no other interpretation would be conceivable than that the pumps had stopped, and that then the river was rising. But they had never-never stopped. And now-? From where was the silent water coming?Was it still rising-? She bent forward .. She did not have to stretch her hand down very low to touch the cool brow of the water. Now she felt, too, that it was Bowing. It was making its way with great certainty of aim in one direction. It was making its way towards the subterranean city-

Old. books tell of saintly women, whose smile at the moment of preparing themselves to gain the martyr's crown, was of such sweetness that the torturers fell at their feet and hardened heathens praised the name of God. But Maria's smile was. perhaps, of a still sweeter kind. For. when setting about her race with the silent water, she thought, not of the crown of eternal bliss, but only of death and of the man she lovedYes, now the water seemed horribly cool, as her slender feet dipped down into it, and it murmured as she ran along through it. It soaked itself into the hem of per dress. clinging tight and making progress more and more difficult. But that was not the worst. The worst was that the water also began to have a voice. . The water quoth: "Do you know, beautiful Maria, that I am Beeter than the Beetest foot? I am stroking your sweet ankles. I shall soon clutcll at your knees. No one has ever embraced your tender hips. But I shall do so, and before your steps number a thousand more. And I do not know, beautiful Maria, if you will reach your destination before you can refuse rne your breast.... "Beautiful Maria. Doomsday has comel It is bringing the thousand-year-old dead to life. Know, that I have Hooded them out of their niches and that the dead are Boating along behind youl Do not look round, Maria. do not look roundl For two skeletons are quarrelling about the skull which Boats between them-swirling around and grinning. And a

175