I hope? See: this comes
of such tricks: you mustn't learn them from my cousin here."

As he rose, Hedwig bent down to brush his knees with her apron; but
this the teacher would not permit: his heart beat quickly at the sight
of this humble modesty. He said "Goodnight" again; and Hedwig looked
down, but no longer refused her hand.

He walked homeward without feeling the ground beneath his feet: a
feeling of inexpressible power coursed through his veins, and he smiled
so triumphantly on all he met that they stared and stood still to look
after him.

But the mind of man is changeful; and when the teacher had reached his
home he lapsed into cruel self-accusation. "I have suffered myself to
be carried away by a sudden passion," he said. "Is this my firmness? I
have committed myself,--thrown myself away upon a peasant-girl. No, no
the majesty of a noble soul breathes from those lineaments."

Various other thoughts occurred to him. He knew something of the life
of the villagers now; and, late in the evening, he wrote into his
pocket-hook, "The silver cross upon her bosom is to me a symbol of
sanctity and purity."

At home Hedwig had not eaten a morsel of supper, and her people scolded
her for having overworked herself,--probably by having assisted the old
teacher in the garden before supper. She protested the contrary, but
made haste to join her grandmother, in whose room she slept.

Long after prayers, hearing her grandmother cough, and seeing that she
was still awake, she said, "Grandmother, what does it mean to kiss
one's hand?"

"Why, that one likes the hand."

"Nothing else?"

"No."

After some time, Hedwig again said, "Grandmother."

"What is it?"

"I wanted to ask you something; but I forgot what it was."

"Well, then, go to sleep, because you're tired: if it was something
good, to-morrow will be time enough: you'll think of it again."

But Hedwig tossed about without sleeping. She persuaded herself that
she could not sleep because she had lost her appetite; so she forced
herself to eat a piece of bread with which she had provided herself.

Meantime the teacher had also made up his mind. At first he thought of
probing himself and his affection, and of not seeing Hedwig for some
time; but the more rational alternative prevailed, and he determined to
see her often and study her mind and character as closely as possible.

Next day he called upon his old colleague and invited him out for a
walk: he saw