sound of the air she felt an irresistible longing to see the dance, nor
was Orm able to keep her back.

"Let me look," said she, "or my heart will burst."

She took her child and placed herself at the extreme end of the loft
whence, without being observed, she could see all that passed. Long did
she gaze, without taking off her eyes for an instant, on the dance, on
the bold and wonderful springs of the little creatures who seemed to
float in the air and not so much as to touch the ground, while the
ravishing melody of the elves filled her whole soul. The child,
meanwhile, which lay in her arms, grew sleepy and drew its breath
heavily, and without ever thinking of the promise she had given to the
old woman, she made, as is usual, the sign of the cross over the mouth
of the child, and said--

"Christ bless you, my babe!"

The instant she had spoken the word there was raised a horrible,
piercing cry. The spirits tumbled head over heels out at the door, with
terrible crushing and crowding, their lights went out, and in a few
minutes the whole house was clear of them and left desolate. Orm and
Aslog, frightened to death, hid themselves in the most retired nook in
the house. They did not venture to stir till daybreak, and not till the
sun shone through the hole in the roof down on the fire-place did they
feel courage enough to descend from the loft.

The table remained still covered as the underground people had left it.
All their vessels, which were of silver, and manufactured in the most
beautiful manner, were upon it. In the middle of the room there stood