er and child
still deeper into the forest, they turned away hastily, leaving their
victims to themselves.

They brought two harts' tongues to the count, informing him that they
had fulfilled his orders.

III.

Genovefa's tired feet wandered through the unknown forest, her child
crying with hunger. She prayed fervently to Heaven in her despair, and
tears were sent to relieve the dull pain in her heart, after which she
felt more composed, and her child was soon sweetly slumbering. To her
great astonishment she perceived a cavern near her, where she could
take shelter, and as if God wished to show that He had heard her
prayer, a white doe came towards the cavern, rubbing herself
caressingly against the abandoned woman. Willingly the gentle animal
allowed the little child to suckle it. The next day the doe came back
again, and Genovefa thanked God from the depths of her heart. She
found roots, berries, and plants, to support herself, and every day
the tame doe came back to her, and at last remained always with her.

Days, weeks, and months passed. Her unfaltering faith had rendered her
agony less. In time she learned to forgive her husband who had
condemned her unjustly, and she even pardoned him who had taken such
bitter revenge on her. Her lovely cheeks had become thinner, but the
forest winds had breathed a soft red into them, and the child who had
no cares nor gnawing pain in its heart, grew into a beautiful little
boy.

IV.

At the castle on the Rhine, sorrow was a constant guest since this
terrible event had happened. Siegfried's burning anger had sunk into
sorrow, and often when he was wandering restlessly through the rooms
so rich in sweet memories, where now a deserted stillness reigned, the
agony awoke again in his heart. He now repented of his hastiness, and
a voice whispered in his ear that he had been too severe in his cruel
punishment, that he had condemned too quickly, and that he should have
considered what he could have done to mitigate her punishment.

When these haunting voices pursued him, he would hurry away from the
castle and its loneliness, not being able to bear the torment of his
thoughts. Then to forget his trouble, he would follow the chase with
the yelping hounds. But he only seldom succeeded in dulling his
misery. Everywhere he seemed to see the pale face of a woman looking
imploringly at him.

The state of his master's soul had not escaped Golo, and this crafty
man cringed the