And a powerful hand seized Nele by the arm, and threw her away into the void. And the Spirits sang: When the North Shall kiss the West Then shall be the end of ruin. Find the Cincture. "Alas!" cried Ulenspiegel. "North, West, Cincture! You speak in riddles, Sir Spirits!" But they went on with their singing and chattering: The North is the Netherland, Belgium is the West. Cincture is friendship, Cincture is Alliance. "Now you are talking sense, Sir Spirits," said Ulenspiegel. And yet again they sang: The Cincture, little man, 'Twixt Holland and Belgium-- Firm Alliance, And beautiful Friendship. Alliance of Counsel, Alliance of Action, By death By blood, Were it not For the Scheldt, Little man, for the Scheldt. "Alas!" said Ulenspiegel, "such is our life! Tears of man and laughter of destiny!" And again the Spirits repeated their rune, and their voices were like the clicking of castanets. Alliance by blood And by death Were it not For the Scheldt. And a strong hand took hold of Ulenspiegel and threw him into the void. XXXV As she fell, Nele rubbed her eyes but she could see nothing save the sun that was rising, wreathed in a golden mist. And then the tips of the grass all golden too, in that radiance which was soon to tinge with gold the plumage of the sea-gulls who slept as yet, but were about to awaken. Nele looked downwards at herself, and seeing that she was naked she put on her clothes with all haste. Then it was that she noticed the body of Ulenspiegel where it lay there, naked also, and him also she covered with his clothes. He seemed to be still asleep and she gave him a shake, but he remained quite motionless like one dead. Then was Nele seized with fear. "Have I killed him?" she cried. "Have I killed my love with this balm of vision? Would that I too might die! Ah, Tyl, wake up! But he is as cold as marble!" Ulenspiegel did not awake, and two nights passed and a day, and Nele still watched by his side in a fever of grief and fear. It was at the dawn of the second day of her vigil that Nele heard the sound of a little bell in the distance, and saw presently a peasant approaching with a shovel in his hand. Behind him came a burgomaster with two aldermen carrying candles, and then the curé of Stavenisse with a beadle holding a parasol over his head. It appeared that they were going to administer the Holy Sacrament of Unction to one Jacobsen, a brave Beggarman, who had adopted the new religion by compulsion, but being about to die had returned to the bosom of the Holy Roman Church. When they came opposite to Nele they found her still crying, and they saw the body of Ulenspiegel laid out on the grass in front of her, covered with clothes. Nele fell upon her knees in front of the little procession.