Page:The Career of a Nihilist.djvu/37

feel disposed to return so soon. He wanted to sober down before reappearing among men, and he resolved to go to a little wood on the banks of the Arve commanding a view over the town from the southern side. He went thither, walking as rapidly as he could. He wanted, and expected, to be tired; but his strong young muscles, hard and tough as steel, were equal to almost any strain. To-night he seemed to be proof against fatigue; his mental excitement doubled for a time his power of endurance. But the long walk had cooled his head. He was himself again as he climbed the height of La Bâtie, his feelings running quietly in their ordinary channels, like a river after an inundation.

The moon had set. It lacked an hour or two of sunrise, but the approach of morning was already to be felt. The air was keener, the darkness was thinning, a cool wind blew from the mountains. On the western horizon huge clusters of heavy leaden-coloured clouds rapidly grew, mountain like, and stood in readiness like labourers arisen for the day’s toil. The stars went out in the duller sky. The Milky Way, fading at one end, looked like the broken arch of a gigantic bridge. There the whole east was suffused with a tender transparent light, verging between pale yellow, green, and pearly white of indescribable delicacy and purity. The stars had shyly moved away to give place to the glorious apparition. One only would not dissemble her beauty. There she stood alone, wonderfully bright upon the enchanted ground, beaming and quivering like an eye that lightens and darkens under its trembling lashes. It was Venus, the poet’s star. But was she not his star as well? the star of his Russia, lying yonder towards the rising sun, and even now about to awaken from the night of centuries to the glory of her morning!

Andrey resolved to go straight home. It was high time to finish his ramble. He had enjoyed himself enough, and he must waste no more time. To-morrow he would have to be up early. Lena would certainly call after her lesson. He had much to do in order to be ready for his journey without delay.

He pulled his hat over his brow, and ran down the hill. The footpath zig-zagged among the thin bushes covering the dark declivity. After a short distance the woods disappeared, and looking from the edge of the slanting footpath Andrey saw the bare declivity. It was very steep, but the ground was