umentality, but through
an eternal ordination for which we have no other name but God. We must
try to reconcile ourselves to what we are, and to be happy in our
condition, whether poorer rich, beautiful or ugly."

"Well, I will never again indulge or utter so irrational a thought,"
replied Manna, extending her hand to Eric. She trembled.

They walked along in silence. It began to be dusk in the shaded paths;
neither of them spoke.

"I see my mother yonder," said Manna, sighing deeply as she stopped.

Did she not want to meet her mother while walking with Eric? She had
often walked with him, and he seemed like a brother; there was no harm
in being alone with him.

"I bid you farewell here," Manna added in a low tone. "What a day this
has been! Has it been only a day?"

"And as this sun now going down," interposed Eric, "will again return,
and be the same in good days and in evil days, so you have a true
friend in me, one whose eye watches over you, and will watch over you
until it shall be closed by death."

"I know it! I know it!" cried Manna. "O God, I'm sure of it!"

She trembled violently.

"I entreat you, go now," she added.

Eric turned away, but looking back, he saw that Manna was kneeling at
the foot of a large fir-tree, while the descending sun shone upon her
countenance, as she stretched her folded hands up towards heaven. Then
she rose up; he hastened to meet her as she came towards him, and they
were enfolded in each other's arms.

"Heaven and earth, do what ye will!" she cried. "Now come what will!"

They held each other in a close embrace, as if they had but one breath,
and were eternally joined in one kiss.

"You are mine! mine! my father, my hope, my world! Oh, Eric, leave me
not again,--never again!"

"I leave you?"

"No, you cannot. Heaven will forgive,--no, will bless. See, Eric!
Everything is on fire, the trees, the grass, the Rhine, the mountains,
the sky, everything is on fire! Ah, Eric, if the whole earth were in
flames, I would hold thee in my arms, and in thine arms would I gladly
die. Take me, kill me, do with me what you will, I can't do otherwise."

"Come, look up. Is it indeed you?" replied Eric. "You know not how I
have struggled. Now you are here, now you are mine! You are, mine, you
call me thine. Oh, call me so once more."

In trembling accents, now beginning and now breaking off again, they
related to each other their struggles with themselves and with the
world aro