Year: 1860

ILL.,


TIE abbot observed what an impression
the young lady had made upon his nephew
and when asfer some hours the two ladies
had set aH On their return, h thus addressed
him


Conrad, tell me candidl9 what do you
think of The young lady?"


Conrad was good deal fitated by this
qnesssou, out as be was rge accustomed to
practice ssasioa he answereslS sdly as he
was sequested to do. .


my worthy uncle, if ! could have my
wish, that young lady should be my wife"


'And |" said the abbot, would cheerful
ly give my blessing thereto; but there is
heavy stone to be put out of the way before
you can have your wish"


This suggestion made Conrad very uneasy,
and he looked inquiringly for an explana-
tion


The case is this,' said the abbot, you are
not acquainted with the facts, because you
were quite young when your father died -
and as | had brought you up, and you after
wards went to the court of your liege lord,
the baron Won Sponheim you know little of
what occurred in your fathers house during
his e-time. Your father and old Fust Of
Hoheneck were long at enmity, and for some
years made war upon each other. The strife
was at last brought to a close but their re-
Cancellation was not hearty one, for nothing
is more frail than patched up friendship
between old enemies. Once while they were
sitting at wine, the old grudge broke out
afresh they quarreled, and your father
deeply wounded his adversary with sharp
words. The consequence was challege to
fight duel which was to take place in eight
days. But on the sixth day your father died
from sudden attack of illness, and Hohenic
cannot forgive him even in his grave, for
having left the world without giving him
satisfaction. Now fear that his hatred may
| transfer itself from the father to the son.


But perhaps he may be softened,' said
Conrad, if sue for the hand of his dau gh-
ter


The abbot shook his head 'Ah, said he,
II know there are some men whose hatred is
bo>den TO them, and they are glad to cast
1t OFT: but then they are other men who
cannot cease from hating, for the reason that
they are incapable of loving


| The knight did not fully comprehend
these words; but as the abbot did not take
away all hope and promised him his aid, he
| did not consider this to be an insurmounta-
bic difficulty The main point, he thought,
was IrmeDgards affection; could he be as
sured of this, the removal of hindrances from
other quarters would in his estimation be
mere child's PLAY.


7 Full of the desire and h0ne which love in
spired, he FASTENED the same afternoon to the
bank of the forest-stream. He had not been
there long before he saw the beautiful IT.
mengard coming down the hill from the cas-
tie. When she drew near the bank she stop
ped and cast her eyes first over the river and


then upon the boat, and seemed to hesitate
| Ehathpr or MT che would tako hor ,,Cnol


pleasure excursion upon the water. She


could not see the knight hidden as he was


behind the bushes; but she seemed to have


an instructive suspicion that he was not far


Oft After awhile, however, she stepped into


the boat and rowed little way up and down


without going far from the shore Conrad


stood anxiously waiting for her to cross the


river as usual But she soon landed again,


and stepping up the bank she cast searching


looks around, ,-but whether from the fear or
from the hope of discovering some ones's ap-
proach, is point which could not be deter


mined from her behaviour,-unless some
thing might be inferred from the fact that
she did not this time, when she moved away
, from the bank, take the direct path up the
; hill towards the castle,-which path, by the
: by, led through thicket of bushes, but tur-
: ming to the left, she assembled the hill by a
4 circuitous route over ground that was bare
of trees and shrubs and therefore allowed her
r to look around as she slowly walked away.
Now the knight stepped out from his hi
5 ding place in a sad and discontented mood
1 Ah had she but seen me, sighed he to him.
e self. The next moment the lovely girl paused
/, and turned her face half shaded by her locks
S of blond hair, towards the river. Her
! searching glance no doubt revealed the pres
of Conrad. ipetooH Of rnSi1minp her
# walk, she turned about and betook herself
: to gathering some of the wild flowers that
J grew around her and as if allured by these
S late children Of the autumn, she gradually
e drew towards the river again. The knight
If saluted her across the water by motion o.
s. his hand. For moment or two she seemed


not to have observed him, but then she re-


turned the salutation and moved slowly uI


the hill towards the castle


So matters went on for some days. Th,
g lovers saw one another from the opposit
r banks but Irnesgaxd no more navigatet
S. the forest stream, and Conrad came at last Il


think that small river betwixt him and II
le mengard was almost equivalent to an ocean.
r. Hope had already lent her wings to his love
a. and therefore his spirit arose and he resolves
IS TO surprise the young lady upon the othel
,r SIDE At quarter of an hours distance NJ
,e the stream was mill belonging to the abbey
" The miller had boat in which Conra'
ie crossed the river several afternoons in sue
at cession He had already seen the young Ia
:: dy with no river to separate them but tn
I'd higher he approached her. the more dilatc
e ry were his steps. She observed him, an
S. felt shrinking timidity. She wished to r'
! tire, but could not leave the spot Th
- knight approached her respectfully: bu
ba when he saw how confused she was. he wa
: seized with feeling of pain. "Gentle lady,
~ said he, in penitential tone of voice. ''giv
y me only the assurance that you are not o
is Tended at my boldness, and will immed
,c- ately withdraw


=. How can be offended p answered sh
he with downcast eyes.


nd Conrad eagerly took her hand, and wit
,re his habitual seriousness exclaimed, ~
as mengard, there is no truer heart than the OF
70, which beats in my breast for you."
ha With these words he pressed her hand
nv his breast; then turning away, he slowly !
traced his steps.


oly -
in Betw cen the convent of st. Martin and
nd adyowee Tor the lord of the manor to whi