He read the
admonition: "Learn to rule thyself, and then thou canst rule the things
of the world." Pranken had, until now, regarded life as a light jest,
not worth the trouble, indeed, of attempting to do any thing with it.
He had that contemptuous tone with which one orders a poodle to jump
over a stick, and he looked up amazed as to what this should mean.

Is it possible that there is such a way of thinking as this, even in
those who belong to the church? "In my father's house are many
mansions, and perhaps, it is very well to show for once to the children
of the world, that they are not the sole possessors of the right to
sport freely with the world."

All was to Pranken more and more amazing, more and more enigmatical,
and, at the same time, more and more illuminated. If the buds there
upon the hedge could tell, in the moment when they open, how the light
thrills through them, it would be like what was now taking place in the
soul of this young man. And if a man, who had heard the old legend
without believing it, should find down there in the river the
Niebelungen treasure, the old, beautiful, splendid, rare and solid
jewelry--he would feel as Pranken did when he really discovered, for
the first time, the Christian doctrine in this searching and impressive
little book. All is here so comprehensive, expressing thine own inner
conflicting desires, and expressing them with such tenderness, and
disclosing their secret springs, and giving too, the directions how
thou canst lay aside what is wrong, and make the true thine own.

Pranken sat there a long time in a reverie; railway trains came,
railway trains went; boats went up and down the river, but Pranken
heard and saw all as if it were only a dream. The noon-day bell at the
convent first aroused him. He went to the inn.

He met here a comrade, who was making a wedding tour with his young
bride. Pranken was warmly welcomed; they were very glad to meet him.
Pranken must join a water-party on an excursion to the mountains, after
dinner; but he declined, he knew not why. But he looked at the young
bride and bridegroom with gleaming eyes; so will it be,--so will it be,
when he journeys with Manna! It thrilled him with ecstasy to think that
he should be alone with her, alone out in the wide world! Why can he
not, even now, go for her and bring her out? He promised to himself to
learn patience.

They were very merry at dinner-time, and Pranken was delighted that he
cou