died some time before; and my
father left Jamaica a year after I did, to go to the East Indies. I
have not seen him or heard from him once since then."

Carmen said all this in an undertone, and her voice trembled, as if
full of suppressed tears.

"Poor child! how sorry I am for you!" said the lady, affectionately,
taking Carmen's hand and pressing it tenderly. She felt such a deep
sympathy for the lonely girl that she quickly added: "Since you know so
well what it is to be separated from loved ones, will you not try to
interest yourself a little in Adele? She will perhaps find it
difficult at first to reconcile herself to this new life."

"Gladly, with all my heart, if your daughter will confide in me!"
replied Carmen with joy.

A stroke of the clock, which sounded loudly through the quiet house,
announced the hour of the midday meal. The girls rose at once from
their places, and Frau von Trautenau took leave of Sister Agatha,
taking her daughter with her.

After the departure of the guests, the girls left the room; and as
Carmen passed Sister Agatha, the latter laid her hand on the girl's
shoulder, saying gravely, but not unkindly:

"Dear Sister, I would like to speak with you; on your return from the
love-feast which we celebrate this evening, come to my room, and I will
have a talk with you."

Carmen looked calmly into the serious eyes of the speaker, where she
read no small degree of secret dissatisfaction.

"Yes, Sister Agatha, I will come."

* * * * * *

No apartment could be more simply furnished than that of Sister Agatha.
It seemed as if she wished to excel in her avoidance of anything like
unnecessary ornament or comfort. Three chairs, a table, an
old-fashioned sofa, a writing-desk, and a chest of drawers formed the
scanty furniture. The walls were whitewashed and bare, while at the
windows were hung plain white curtains. Above the desk was placed the
solitary ornament of the room, the watchword for the day. These
"watchwords" are texts of Scripture printed on cards, one for each day
in the year, and distributed to every member of the settlement, so that
all may meditate upon it, and guide their daily lives by its precepts.

Sister Agatha sat at one of the windows; and with her, his chair drawn
back into the shadow, out of the bright afternoon sunshine, sat Brother
Jonathan Fricke, talking in his calmest and most deliberate manner, "It
seems to me, dear Sister,