ced to her a good-looking, portly lady, saying:--

"This is my friend, Professorin Dournay, the mother of your brother's
teacher."

CHAPTER III.

"OUT OF THE WORLD, AND OUT IN THE WORLD."

The first feeling was surprise, the second, quiet confidence, as the
eyes of the Professorin and Manna met; each found the other different
from the preconceived image.

Manna remembered Eric's tall figure, and his resemblance to the picture
of St. Anthony, and before her stood a short, fair, gray-haired woman.
Frau Dournay had pictured to herself Roland's handsome sister as like
him, and now she saw a slender, delicate creature, who, at first sight,
gave no impression of beauty. A mole on her left cheek, and one on the
right side of her upper lip, were quite conspicuous; her complexion was
rather dark, and her wonderful brown eyes glowed with deep and quiet
warmth upon every one who looked into them.

Manna bowed ceremoniously to the Professorin, who rose and held out her
hand with maternal kindness, saying that she was very glad to become
acquainted with the daughter of her host, while paying a visit to her
friend, the Superior; and she added, with special emphasis, that she
had been so fortunate as to become quite intimate with Manna's mother.

"Is my mother well?" asked Manna, with a sweet tone of warmth in her
low and quiet voice. The Professorin told her of her mother's health,
and added that the doctor said he had never known her so constantly
cheerful as now.

"Now, I have a request to make," she continued in an animated tone;
"since I have had the good fortune to be your parents' guest, I have
insisted that the daily course of your brother's studies should not be
in the least interfered with, and now let me beg you, my dear young
lady, to go on with your usual occupations. I shall have the pleasure
of dining with you, and after dinner, I shall be very glad if you will
spare me a quarter of an hour."

"If you have any private message for Manna," said the Superior, "I will
leave you together."

"I have not any private message."

Manna gave the Professorin her hand, and left the room. She did not
know what to make of it all; why had she been summoned when there was
so little to be said to her? It offended her a little to be so pushed
about by a stranger--for the lady was a stranger. But as she walked
through the long passage, she still saw before her the sincere an