his rising anger. Wenck must have
something else to say: let him say it then.

"I judged the people by myself," Wenck said. "And that is saying a great
deal more than I can express. It would be no pleasure, certainly, to see
that her friends bore the least share in such expenses."

"But, dear Brother Wenck, we are all Sister Benigna's friends," said
Spener with the expostulation of a master in his voice.

"Could we praise ourselves more highly, sir, than to say we are her
friends? For myself, I feel that the glory of Spenersberg has passed
away. I came here, Brother Loretz, to speak to you about her."

Loretz nodded: he was too much surprised by the minister's remarks to
speak. They all seemed to feel that the only thing asked of them was a
hearing.

"One week ago," Mr. Wenck continued, "I did not suppose that I could
speak to you with such freedom as I feel I may use now. If I had said
then what I now must, I might not have been able to convince anybody
except of one thing. Perhaps I could not have felt certain about my own
motives. But now I am above suspicion: I cannot suspect myself. _She_
will not doubt my secret thought, and you will all bear me witness." The
minister looked around him as he spoke, and Spener would never point him
out to man again as yesterday he had called Leonhard's attention to the
little minister. Leonhard sat uneasily on his chair, doubting whether to
go or stay, but nobody thought of him, and he felt himself to be in the
centre of a charmed circle, out of which he could not remove himself.
Every one was looking at Mr. Wenck, who, pausing a second as if to
assure himself again that all to whom he would speak were before him,
went on, his voice becoming more calm and strong, and his whole bearing
witnessing for him in his speech. "Before I heard of Spenersberg," he
said--"before it had existence even in the brain of its honored
founder--my acquaintance with Benigna began."

"Is it possible, Mr. Wenck?" exclaimed Dame Loretz, her voice breaking
under the weight of her sympathy.

"Yes, and I was hoping that she and I were to spend our lives together.
Dear Sister Loretz, you understand now why I could not take a wife."

"Why--why is that so, sir?" asked Loretz, doubting, and not very well
pleased: "that's news, I'm sure."

"It is, I know. And the story would never be told by me but for--for
your sake, my friends."

"Well, well, but--" said Loretz, afraid to hear what was coming; not
t