rnity--which is indeed time to the soul--soon cease to
bewail the loss of any transitory treasure, were it the noblest
and dearest. Oh, would that I could lead you to place your hopes on
eternity, best of women and most true-hearted mother! Eternity, which
not the wisest brain can conceive of!--I tell you, lady, for you are
a philosopher--that is the hardest and therefore the grandest idea for
human thought to compass. Fix your eye on that, and in its infinite
realm, which must be your future home, you will meet her again whom you
have lost--not her image returned to you, but herself."

"Cease," interrupted the matron, with impatient sharpness. "I know what
you are aiming at. But to conceive of eternity is the prerogative of the
immortals; our intellect is wrecked in the attempt. Our wings melt like
those of Ikarus, and we fall into the ocean--the ocean of madness, to
which I have often been near enough. You Christians fancy you know all
about eternity, and if you are right in that--But I will not reopen that
old discussion. Give me back my child for a year, a month, a day even,
as she was before murderous disease laid hands on her, and I will
make you a free gift of your cuckoo-cloud-land of eternity, and of the
remainder of my own life on earth into the bargain."

The vehement woman trembled with renewed sorrow, as if shivering with
ague; but as soon as she had recovered her self-command enough to speak
calmly, she exclaimed to the lawyer:

"I do not really wish to vex you, Johannes. I esteem you, and you are
dear to me. But if you wish our friendship to continue, give up these
foolish attempts to teach tortoises to fly. Do all you can for the poor
prisoners; and if you--"

"By daybreak to-morrow I will be with them," Johannes said, and he
hastily took leave.

As soon as they were alone Berenike observed "There he goes, quite
offended, as if I had done him a wrong. That is the way with all these
Christians. They think it their duty to force on others what they
themselves think right, and any one who turns a deaf ear to their
questionable truths they at once set down as narrow-minded, or as
hostile to what is good. Agatha, of whom you were just now speaking, and
Zeno her father, my husband's brother, are Christians. I had hoped that
Korinna's death would have brought the child back to us; I have longed
to see her, and have heard much that is sweet about her: but a common
sorrow, which so often brings divided heart