r with
you this evening into the Basilica,' said he, 'it will not hurt her
eyes; and she must be there, so says the law.'"

"What sayest thou? For what purpose?" asked the two men in breathless
eagerness.

"I know not. You forget I was a child. But this stands yet clear before
me: In the evening father and mother took me between them, each holding
one of my hands; the master was also there; and they led me with
bandaged eyes--for the raw evening air of the late autumn might have
hurt them--into the Basilica. Here they took off the bandage and"----

"And now?"

"What didst thou see? What happened?"

"For the first time for months without pain, did my eyes again see the
bright but gentle light. Before the altar, which was lighted with many
wax candles, stood Johannes in shining white garments; the master
placed us all three at the lowest step of the altar, and then spoke a
number of words that I did not understand: the priest blessed us; my
parents wept--but I noticed it was from emotion, not from pain--and
kissed their master's knees; they then again put the bandage on my
eyes, and we went from the light of the church out into the darkness.
Since then light and Church and Johannes are to me one."

Felicitas could not quite understand what now happened to her.

Her husband warmly kissed her brow and eyes, and her uncle almost
crushed her hand.

"Go thou back to the house," cried at last her husband. "We must go
immediately to the church; thou art right--as always. Thou--thou hast
given to us the best, the saving counsel."

And he led her eagerly, with a last kiss, back into the garden.

"It is quite certain," said Crispus, when Fulvius again appeared, "that
it was not only by letter that they were set free; for greater safety
there was the ceremony in the church, before the priest, according to
all the forms of the law. And the child has all unsuspiciously revealed
it to us in our greatest need!"

"And the priest"----

"Was Johannes himself!"

"He yet lives. Thanks be to the holy ones! He can testify to it."

"And he shall: before this night! Before witnesses, before the Curies
shall he verify it! To the church!"

"To Johannes!"

And the two men hastened as fast as feet could carry them, down the
high-road to the town, towards the Porta Vindelica.

In the meanwhile Felicitas went slowly back to the house, often
stopping to look back at her husband until he had disappeared from
view.

"What may the