ver feel at peace if she should divert a being formed to live
in the purest sphere from occupying her true place. She spoke very
guardedly, choosing her words carefully, for Manna must not have the
least suspicion that she also was hiding a secret; she simply let it be
understood that she favored the maiden's resolution to take the veil.

Something of Sonnenkamp's nature seemed awakened in Manna's soul. Was
this woman encouraging her only in order to gain a firmer hold upon
her? But then, as she looked up into the quiet, calm face of the
Mother, she felt impelled to fall upon her neck and beg her forgiveness
for having had such unjust thoughts of her. The Professorin saw the
conflict in the child, but gave it a different interpretation; she had
no suspicion that distrust of the worst kind was felt by Manna.

As Manna passed through the new door on her way home through the
meadows, she suddenly stood still. Here she had stood on the first
morning, here had the thought darted through her soul that she must
often pass through this gateway, over this path, engaged in deep
struggles, and contending for victory. This foreboding had now been
realized.

CHAPTER V.

BE LED INTO TEMPTATION.

Manna went regularly to church, and prayed with constant and unchanging
fervor, but a peculiar shyness held her back from the parsonage. She
said constantly to herself that the Priest himself had told her that it
would be well to avoid seeing him for a time, till she had become
familiar with her new life.

Often, in the midst of conversation with the Professorin, a fear came
over her that she was binding herself too closely to the life of
another, and she felt that she must regain her power of looking beyond
all the varying phenomena of the world. She at last came to the
determination to go to the Priest, to whom she began to explain and
excuse her long absence; but he interrupted her mildly, saying that she
need tell him nothing, he had read her soul, and believed that he
understood her feelings; she must appear to herself, like a person who,
returning to earth after his departure from it, watches the actions of
men, their restless days and nights of painful dreams, their attempts
to satisfy or to benumb the conscience.

He impressed it upon her that she ought to judge people gently; the
worst sinners indeed were those who believed they knew what they were
doing, and it w