icy shudder ran; then suddenly intolerable heat suffused her nerves,

beat in her veins and overpowered her extremities with electric shocks



like those of the torpedo. Too feeble to resist, she felt herself

drawn by a mysterious power to the depths below, wherein she fancied



that she saw some monster belching its venom, a monster whose magnetic

eyes were charming her, whose open jaws appeared to craunch their prey



before they seized it.

"I die, my Seraphitus, loving none but thee," she said, making a



mechanical movement to fling herself into the abyss.

Seraphitus breathed softly on her forehead and eyes. Suddenly, like a



traveller relaxed after a bath, Minna forgot these keen emotions,

already dissipated by that caressing breath which penetrated her body



and filled it with balsamic essences as quickly as the breath itself

had crossed the air.



"Who art thou?" she said, with a feeling of gentle terror. "Ah, but I

know! thou art my life. How canst thou look into that gulf and not



die?" she added presently.

Seraphitus left her clinging to the granite rock and placed himself at



the edge of the narrow platform on which they stood, whence his eyes

plunged to the depths of the fiord, defying its dazzling invitation.



His body did not tremble, his brow was white and calm as that of a

marble statue,--an abyss facing an abyss.



"Seraphitus! dost thou not love me? come back!" she cried. "Thy danger

renews my terror. Who art thou to have such superhuman power at thy



age?" she asked as she felt his arms inclosing her once more.

"But, Minna," answered Seraphitus, "you look fearlessly at greater



spaces far than that."

Then with raised finger, this strange being pointedupward to the blue



dome, which parting clouds left clear above their heads, where stars

could be seen in open day by virtue of atmospheric laws as yet



unstudied.

"But what a difference!" she answered smiling.



"You are right," he said; "we are born to stretch upward to the skies.

Our native land, like the face of a mother, cannot terrify her



children."

His voice vibrated through the being of his companion, who made no



reply.

"Come! let us go on," he said.



The pair darted forward along the narrow paths traced back and forth

upon the mountain, skimming from terrace to terrace, from line to



line, with the rapidity of a barb, that bird of the desert. Presently

they reached an open space, carpeted with turf and moss and flowers,



where no foot had ever trod.

"Oh, the pretty saeter!" cried Minna, giving to the uplandmeadow its



Norwegian name. "But how comes it here, at such a height?"

"Vegetation ceases here, it is true," said Seraphitus. "These few



plants and flowers are due to that sheltering rock which protects the

meadow from the polar winds. Put that tuft in your bosom, Minna," he



added, gathering a flower,--"that balmy creation which no eye has ever

seen; keep the solitarymatchless flower in memory of this one



matchless morning of your life. You will find no other guide to lead

you again to this saeter."



So saying, he gave her the hybrid plant his falcon eye had seen amid

the tufts of gentian acaulis and saxifrages,--a marvel, brought to



bloom by the breath of angels. With girlish eagerness Minna seized the

tufted plant of transparent green, vivid as emerald, which was formed



of little leaves rolled trumpet-wise, brown at the smaller end but

changing tint by tint to their delicately notched edges, which were



green. These leaves were so tightly pressed together that they seemed

to blend and form a mat or cluster of rosettes. Here and there from



this green ground rose pure white stars edged with a line of gold, and

from their throats came crimson anthers but no pistils. A fragrance,



blended of roses and of orange blossoms, yet ethereal and fugitive,

• climate [´klaimit] n.气候；特殊气候地带 (初中英语单词)


• savage [´sævidʒ] a.野蛮的 n.蛮人 (初中英语单词)


• severe [si´viə] a.严厉的；苛刻的 (初中英语单词)


• frozen [´frəuzn] freeze 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)


• volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)


• immense [i´mens] a.广大的，无限的 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)


• glitter [´glitə] n.光辉 vi.闪烁，炫耀 (初中英语单词)


• driven [´driv(ə)n] drive 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• majesty [´mædʒisti] n.壮丽；崇高；尊严 (初中英语单词)


• attribute [ə´tribju:t] n.象征 vt.归因于 (初中英语单词)


• absolute [´æbsəlu:t] a.绝对的 n.绝对 (初中英语单词)


• extreme [ik´stri:m] a.尽头的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)


• mourning [´mɔ:niŋ] n.悲伤；治丧；戴孝 (初中英语单词)


• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)


• peasant [´pezənt] n.农民；庄稼人 (初中英语单词)


• thence [ðens] ad.从那里；因此 (初中英语单词)


• hunter [´hʌntə] n.猎人；猎狗；猎马 (初中英语单词)


• fisherman [´fiʃəmən] n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人 (初中英语单词)


• safely [´seifli] ad.安全地；平安地 (初中英语单词)


• mysterious [mi´stiəriəs] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词)


• feeble [´fi:bəl] a.虚弱的，无力的 (初中英语单词)


• sharply [´ʃɑ:pli] ad.锋利地；剧烈地 (初中英语单词)


• swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)


• companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)


• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)


• gesture [´dʒestʃə] n.手势 v.打手势 (初中英语单词)


• despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)


• sensation [sen´seiʃən] n.感觉；轰动；轰动一时 (初中英语单词)


• resist [ri´zist] v.抵抗；对抗；抵制 (初中英语单词)


• monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)


• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)


• softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)


• forehead [´fɔrid] n.额，前部 (初中英语单词)


• terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)


• platform [´plætfɔ:m] n.(平)台；讲台；站台 (初中英语单词)


• pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)


• upward [´ʌpwəd] a.&ad.向上(的)；以上 (初中英语单词)


• virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)


• meadow [´medəu] n.草地；牧场 (初中英语单词)


• creation [kri´eiʃən] n.创作；作品；创造 (初中英语单词)


• marvel [´mɑ:vəl] n.令人惊异的事；奇迹 (初中英语单词)


• cluster [´klʌstə] n.一串 v.群集；丛生 (初中英语单词)


• courtyard [´kɔ:tjɑ:d] n.院子，庭院 (高中英语单词)


• motionless [´məuʃənləs] a.静止的；固定的 (高中英语单词)


• granite [´grænit] n.花岗岩 (高中英语单词)


• successive [sək´sesiv] a.相继的；接连的 (高中英语单词)


• mantle [´mæntl] n.斗蓬 v.覆盖；笼罩 (高中英语单词)


• landscape [´lændskeip] n.风景；景色；风景画 (高中英语单词)


• inland [´inlənd, in´lænd] a.&n.内地的 ad.在内地 (高中英语单词)


• electrical [i´lektrikəl] a.用电的；与电有关的 (高中英语单词)


• joyous [´dʒɔiəs] a.充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)


• celestial [si´lestiəl] a.天空的，天的 (高中英语单词)


• biscuit [´biskit] n.饼干 (高中英语单词)


• profound [prə´faund] a.深奥的；渊博的 (高中英语单词)


• terrace [´terəs] n.梯田 vt.使成梯田 (高中英语单词)


• indifference [in´difrəns] n.冷淡；无足轻重 (高中英语单词)


• exquisite [ik´skwizit] a.精巧的；敏锐的 (高中英语单词)


• caress [kə´res] n.&vt.爱抚；接吻 (高中英语单词)


• impatient [im´peiʃənt] a.不耐烦的，急躁的 (高中英语单词)


• communicate [kə´mju:nikeit] vi.通讯；传达；传播 (高中英语单词)


• devour [di´vauə] vt.吞食；毁坏 (高中英语单词)


• shudder [´ʃʌdə] n.&vi.震颤；发抖 (高中英语单词)


• wherein [weər´in] ad.那里面 (高中英语单词)


• loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)


• terrify [´terifai] vt.使恐怖；惊吓 (高中英语单词)


• solitary [´sɔlitəri] a.独居的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• eagerness [´i:gənis] n.渴望；热忱 (高中英语单词)


• transparent [træns´peərənt] a.透明的；显而易见的 (高中英语单词)


• tightly [´taitli] ad.紧，紧密地 (高中英语单词)


• crimson [´krimzən] a.&n.深(紫)红(的) (高中英语单词)


• fugitive [´fju:dʒitiv] n.逃亡者，亡命者 (高中英语单词)


• swedish [´swi:diʃ] a.瑞典人 n.瑞典语 (英语四级单词)


• norwegian [nɔ:´wi:dʒən] a.&n.挪威人(语)(的) (英语四级单词)


• wondrous [´wʌndrəs] a.极好的 ad.惊人地 (英语四级单词)


• monotonous [mə´nɔtənəs] a.单(音)调的 (英语四级单词)


• perchance [pə´tʃɑ:ns] ad.偶然；可能 (英语四级单词)


• consort [´kɔnsɔ:t] n.&v.配偶；合作；一致 (英语四级单词)


• superstitious [,sju:pə´stiʃəs] a.迷信的 (英语四级单词)


• precipice [´presipis] n.悬崖；危急的处境 (英语四级单词)


• reindeer [´reindiə] n.驯鹿 (英语四级单词)


• intolerable [in´tɔlərəb(ə)l] a.无法忍受的 (英语四级单词)


• whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)


• parting [´pɑ:tiŋ] a.&n.分离(的) (英语四级单词)


• atmospheric [,ætməs´ferik] a.大气的；有…气氛的 (英语四级单词)


• rapidity [rə´piditi] n.迅速；险峻；陡 (英语四级单词)


• gathering [´gæðəriŋ] n.集会，聚集 (英语四级单词)


• matchless [´mætʃləs] a.无敌的，无比的 (英语四级单词)


• falcon [´fɔ:kən] n.隼，猎鹰 (英语四级单词)


• emerald [´emərəld] n.纯绿宝石；翠绿色 (英语四级单词)


• delicately [´delikitli] ad.精美地；微妙地 (英语四级单词)


• vantage [´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；好机会 (英语六级单词)


• whereon [weər´ɔn] ad.在什么上面；因此 (英语六级单词)


• triple [´tripəl] a.三倍的v.增加到三倍 (英语六级单词)


• lacking [´lækiŋ] a.缺少的，没有的 (英语六级单词)


• eternally [i:´tə:nli] ad.永久地；不朽地 (英语六级单词)


• dexterity [dek´steriti] n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 (英语六级单词)


• equilibrium [,i:kwi´libriəm] n.平衡；均势 (英语六级单词)


• paternal [pə´tə:nl] a.(象)父亲的；父方的 (英语六级单词)


• upland [´ʌplənd] n.高地；山地 (英语六级单词)


• hybrid [´haibrid] n.杂种；混合物 (英语六级单词)


• ethereal [i´θiəriəl] a.飘渺的；稀薄的 (英语六级单词)