lied through Wolff appeared,
Isabella Siebenburg, her lover's sister. It was kind in her to come
notwithstanding the absence of the others, and even her own husband. Els
would return it to her and her twins.

The music, whose heart-stirring notes accompanied the solemn service,
deeply moved the souls of both sisters; but when, after the Gloria in
excelsis Deo, the Cum Sancto Spiritu pealed forth, Eva, who, absorbed
in devotion, had long since ceased to gaze around her, felt her sister's
hand touch her arm and, following the direction of her glance, saw at
some distance the man for whom her heart yearned, and the grave, devout
knight yonder seemed far nearer to her than the gay companion who, in
the mazes of the dance, had gazed so boldly into the faces of the men,
so tenderly into those of the fair women. How fast her heart throbbed!
how ardently she longed for the moment when he would raise his head and
look across at her! But when he moved, it was only to follow the sacred
service and with it Christ's sacrifice upon the cross.

Then Eva reproached herself for depriving her dead mother, to the repose
of whose soul this hour was dedicated, of her just due, and she strove
with all her power to regain the spirit of devotion which she had lost.
But her lover sat opposite and, though she lowered her eyes, her earnest
endeavour to concentrate her thoughts was futile.

Her struggle was interrupted by the commencement of the Credo, and
during this confession, which brings before the Christian in a fixed
form what it is incumbent upon him to believe, the thought entered her
mind of beseeching her whose faithful love had always guided her safely
and for her good--the Queen of Heaven, to whom Heinz was as loyally
devoted as she herself--that she might give her a sign whether she might
continue to believe in his love and keep faith with him, or whether she
should return to the path which led to a different form of happiness.

During the singing of the Credo the heavenly Helper, for whose aid she
hoped, made known to her that if, before the end of the Sanctus, which
immediately followed the Credo, Heinz looked over at her and returned
her glance, she might deem it certain that the Holy Virgin would
permit her to hope for his love. If he omitted to do so, then she would
consider it decided that he renounced his earthly for his heavenly
love, and try herself to give up the earthly one, in which, however, she
believed she had recog