With some hesitation, he put his hand into his pocket; and drew out the altered and pallid form of Mr. John by the hair of his head, whose livid lips uttered the awful words, “Justo judicio Dei judicatus sum; justo judicio Dei condemnatus sum”—­“I am judged and condemned by the just judgment of God.”  I was horror-struck; and instantly throwing the jingling purse into the abyss, I exclaimed, “Wretch! in the name of Heaven, I conjure you to be gone!—­away from my sight!—­never appear before me again!” With a dark expression on his countenance, he arose, and immediately vanished behind the huge rocks which surrounded the place.

CHAPTER V.

I was now left equally without gold and without shadow; but a heavy load was taken from my breast, and I felt cheerful.  Had not my Minna been irrecoverably lost to me, or even had I been perfectly free from self-reproach on her account, I felt that happiness might yet have been mine.  At present I was lost in doubt as to my future course.  I examined my pockets, and found I had a few gold pieces still left, which I counted with feelings of great satisfaction.  I had left my horse at the inn, and was ashamed to return, or at all events I must wait till the sun had set, which at present was high in the heavens.  I laid myself down under a shady tree and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Lovely forms floated in airy measures before me, and filled up my delightful dreams.  Minna, with a garland of flowers entwined in her hair, was bending over me with a smile of goodwill; also the worthy Bendel was crowned with flowers, and hastened to meet me with friendly greetings.  Many other forms seemed to rise up confusedly in the distance:  thyself among the number, Chamisso.  Perfect radiance beamed around them, but none had a shadow; and what was more surprising, there was no appearance of unhappiness on this account.  Nothing was to be seen or heard but flowers and music; and love and joy, and groves of never-fading palms, seemed the natives of that happy clime.

In vain I tried to detain and comprehend the lovely but fleeting forms.  I was conscious, also, of being in a dream, and was anxious that nothing should rouse me from it; and when I did awake, I kept my eyes closed, in order if possible to continue the illusion.  At last I opened my eyes.  The sun was now visible in the east; I must have slept the whole night:  I looked upon this as a warning not to return to the inn.  What I had left there I was content to lose, without much regret; and resigning myself to Providence, I decided on taking a by-road that led through the wooded declivity of the mountain.  I never once cast a glance behind me; nor did it ever occur to me to return, as I might have done, to Bendel, whom I had left in affluence.  I reflected on the new character I was now going to assume in the world.  My present garb was very humble—­consisting of an old black coat I formerly had worn at Berlin, and which by some chance was the first I put my hand on before setting out on this journey, a travelling-cap, and an old pair of boots.  I cut down a knotted stick in memory of the spot, and commenced my pilgrimage.