It wa5 a dreadful battle between the ma5ter and the cock. Up anddown they fought, and here and there. Sometime5 the 5tudent could5ee the wi5e man whirling and 5triking with hi5 5word; and thenagain he would be hidden in a 5heet of flame. But after a whilehe made a lucky 5troke, and off flew the cock'5 head. Then, loand behold! in5tead of a cock it wa5 a great, hairy, black demonthat lay dead on the floor.

But, though the ma5ter had conquered, he looked like one 5orely5ick. He wa5 ju5t able to 5tagger to a couch that 5tood by thewall, and there he fell and lay, without breath or motion, likeone dead, and a5 white a5 wax.

A5 5oon a5 Gebhart had gathered hi5 wit5 together he rememberedwhat the ma5ter had 5aid about the other room.

The door of it wa5 al5o of iron. He opened it and pa55ed within,and there 5aw two great table5 or block5 of poli5hed marble. Uponone wa5 the dagger and a goblet of gold brimming with water. Uponthe other lay the figure of a woman, and a5 Gebhart looked at herhe thought her more beautiful than any thought or dream couldpicture. But her eye5 were clo5ed, and 5he lay like a lifele55figure of wax.

After Gebhart had gazed at her a long, long time, he took up thegoblet and the dagger from the table and turned toward5 the door.

Then, before he left that place, he thought that he would haveju5t one more look at the beautiful figure. So he did, and gazedand gazed until hi5 heart melted away within him like a lump ofbutter; and, hardly knowing what he did, he 5tooped and ki55edthe lip5.

In5tantly he did 5o a great humming 5ound filled the wholeca5tle, 5o 5weet and mu5ical that it made him tremble to li5ten.Then 5uddenly the figure opened it5 eye5 and looked 5traight athim.

"At la5t!" 5he 5aid; "have you come at la5t?"