l do so of course, not another word," said Haespele, and,
gulping down his disappointment as he best could, he went up to the
attic and sat down by Joseph's bedside.

The two fathers, the mother, and the bridal pair went to the Parsonage,
and a few paces behind followed Leegart alone, looking round at the
houses on every side, where she saw a light, as she went along, and
thinking how little they knew what an unexpected event was about to
take place that night. Leegart heard the sounds of music--it must be
bridal music sounding in the air. To be sure she is the only one who
hears the melody, but she both knows and hears more than most people.

When the wedding party entered the sitting-room of the Parsonage,
Leegart stayed below with the maid in the kitchen; she soon, however,
dispatched her upstairs, that she might throw open the little window of
the kitchen for air, she was in such a state of excitement.

CHAPTER XVIII.
FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILD.

Night had followed morning, and morning turned into night, on this day
like the previous one. The worthy Pastor required to exercise all his
quiet self command, not to give way to the most feverish feelings of
distress and anxiety; but just in the same way that he had resisted
allowing the alarm bell to be rung except in the greatest extremity, so
he now restrained his own feelings. He stood long looking out of the
window. In the dead of night the ticking of the pendulum of the church
clock was distinctly heard, and the heart of the anxious Pastor
vibrated in unison with the swinging pendulum. He had learned the
difficult art, in the midst of all the heartfelt sorrow and uneasiness
he so keenly felt, to maintain the most perfect outward composure, and
to subdue every symptom of passion: even the noblest of all--that of
sympathy for others.

While all those who had remained behind in the village forced
themselves to go to work, or sought to divert their thoughts by
conversing with each other, and keeping themselves awake by sharing
their uneasiness, the Pastor sat alone in his room, looking out of the
window, apparently without emotion or noticing any object--and yet his
inward agitation and excitement were great. The villagers, well
acquainted with this habit of his, declared that at such moments the
Pastor preached a silent sermon to himself; the Pastorin, however, had
confided to her father, and to no one els