n his zeal for the truth,
had said anything against a former comrade; he had done it
involuntarily in his contemplation of purity and loveliness. He
besought so earnestly, he manifested so good a heart, so full of human
love, that Manna now voluntarily extended to him her hand, and said,--

"I believe you. Ah, how rejoiced I am you are so good!"

Pranken was happy, but determined that Eric should not be received into
the family. It seemed more and more puzzling to him that he should
himself have raised up such an antagonist; he was now doubly out of
humor with Eric, for he had been the occasion of his being untrue and
unjust, and Pranken was too proud to be so misled, especially when a
little caution on his own part might have prevented the necessity of
it.

"Might I venture to request you to show me the lines?" he now said. "My
object is to see how good a judge of men Roland has become. Would you
be willing to show me what our splendid brother has written of this
Herr Dournay?"

Manna blushed, and replied that they had better say no more about the
captain; and she besought Pranken to do all he could to remove the man
out of the house, if it were still a possible thing. Pranken promised
to do all in his power, and he recovered his natural elasticity while
he prayed Manna, in a lively tone, but subdued to the proprieties of
the place, that instead of giving him so easy a task, she would
commission him, like a knight of the good old times, to contend against
the dragon-brood. And yet, while calling it easy, he felt in his own
heart that the task could not rightly be called so.

The superior rose; she thought that it was high time, and a good time,
too, to break off the conversation. Pranken had renewed his
acquaintance, and that must suffice for the present. The superior was
not so resolutely bent upon the convent for Manna, as to desire that
Pranken might not win her affections. Such a house and such a family,
endowed with such incredible wealth, might be of great advantage to the
convent and to the Church.

"It was very kind in you to visit us," she now said. "Carry my
greeting, I pray, to your sister, the Countess Bella, and say to her
that she is remembered in my prayers."

Pranken saw that he was expected to take leave, and yet he wanted to
say something more definite, and to hear some word which should give
him the desired security. His countenance suddenly lighted up, as he
said, with such modesty and such