The chase turns in a cloud of mist. It is coming this way. Who is hunted now? Mercury himself. It is Peter, Peter van Holp; fly, Peter--Hans is watching you. He is sending all his fleetness, all his strength into your feet. Your mother and sister are pale with eagerness. Hilda is trembling and dare not look up. Fly, Peter! the crowd has not gone deranged, it is only cheering. The pursuers are close upon you! Touch the white column! It beckons--it is reeling before you--it---- Huzza! Huzza! Peter has won the Silver Skates! "PETER VAN HOLP!" shouted the crier. But who heard him? "Peter van Holp!" shouted a hundred voices, for he was the favorite boy of the place. Huzza! Huzza! Now the music was resolved to be heard. It struck up a lively air, then a tremendous march. The spectators thinking something new was about to happen, deigned to listen and to look. The racers formed in single file. Peter, being tallest, stood first. Gretel, the smallest of all, took her place at the end. Hans, who had borrowed a strap from the cake-boy, was near the head. Three gaily twined arches were placed at intervals upon the river facing the Van Gleck pavilion. Skating slowly, and in perfect time to the music, the boys and girls moved forward, led on by Peter. It was beautiful to see the bright procession glide along like a living creature. It curved and doubled, and drew its graceful length in and out among the arches--whichever way Peter, the head, went, the body was sure to follow. Sometimes it steered direct for the centre arch, then, as if seized with a new impulse, turned away and curled itself about the first one; then unwound slowly and bending low, with quick, snake-like curvings, crossed the river, passing at length through the furthest arch. [Illustration: _Skating slowly the boys and girls moved forward_] When the music was slow, the procession seemed to crawl like a thing afraid; it grew livelier, and the creature darted forward with a spring, gliding rapidly among the arches, in and out, curling, twisting, turning, never losing form until, at the shrill call of the bugle rising above the music, it suddenly resolved itself into boys and girls standing in double semicircle before Madame van Gleck's pavilion. Peter and Gretel stand in the centre in advance of the others. Madame van Gleck rises majestically. Gretel trembles, but feels that she must look at the beautiful lady. She cannot hear what is said, there is such a buzzing all around her. She is thinking that she ought to try and make a curtsey, such as her mother makes to the meester, when suddenly something so dazzling is placed in her hand that she gives a cry of joy. Then she ventures to look about her. Peter, too, has something in his hands--"Oh! oh! how splendid!" she cries, and "oh! how splendid!" is echoed as far as people can see. Meantime the silver skates flash in the sunshine, throwing dashes of light upon those two happy faces.