It was
said that he was gone upon a visit to all the various monasteries in
this part of the country, in order to hold secret counsel with the
different dignitaries of the church in his domain, respecting the late
heresies that have appeared, and already spread so widely throughout the
land."

Magdalena was about to answer, when a new and general movement among the
crowd, showed that the expectation of the multitude was aroused. The
tapers upon the altars in the church had been lighted in splendid
profusion. The vapour of incense already scented the air, as it floated
down the aisles. The organ pealed through the church; and the priests,
in their sacerdotal robes, were seen advancing along the middle aisle
towards the entrance, to meet the expected dignitary. But Gottlob and
Magdalena gazed not upon this priestly show; their heads were turned in
another direction, and looked from the church across the square. Their
hearts beat with one feeling. Both murmured to themselves with one
accord, "She comes!"

Already the pikes of the guard preceding the noble Ober-Amtmann appeared
emerging from the street leading to the episcopal palace, and the
soldiers, entering the square, cleared the way rudely through the crowd,
when Magdalena again pressed tightly her companion's arm.

"Swear to me, young man," she whispered in a low and solemn tone, "as
you value your salvation--swear to me ever to respect the purity and
peace of mind of that innocent and happy girl, upon whose fair face I
shall now gaze for the last time!"

Gottlob looked at the excited woman with much surprise.

"Swear to me that you will not trouble her unconscious heart with words
of love, until, perhaps, a better time may come!" she continued, with
hesitation.

"Magdalena, I understand thee not," replied the young man. "But before
me she is as a holy saint of heaven, at whose shrine we may bow down and
pray, but whom we cannot pollute with earthly touch."

"God grant you happiness, young man!" said Magdalena, dropping her
flowing tears upon the hand she held in her own.

Gottlob's attention was too much absorbed in the sight of the one object
of his eager gaze, to heed more seriously, at that moment, the strange
and solemn adjuration of the old woman. His heart beat with intense
violence, his cheek flushed, his mild blue eyes dilated with animation,
as he followed along the square the form of Bertha, who was advancing in
the procession by her father's si