ed her hands she clasped
his thin one, saying modestly: "How could I be worthy of so sublime a
promise? The poor servant on his straw bed, with his T and St embroidered
on cap and cloak, of whom my uncle told us, has a tenfold greater claim,
I think, to the crown of life, for which, as yet, I have been permitted
to do so little. But I hope to win it, and the saint who calls everything
that breathes and lives brothers and sisters, as children of the same
exalted Father, cannot teach that the fidelity shown in the world
deserves less reward than that of the chosen ones in the convent."

"That is a foolish and sacrilegious opinion," answered the Dominican
sternly. "We will take care, my dear daughter, to guide your soul from
pathless wandering into the right path which Holy Church has marked out
for you."

He turned his back upon the group as he spoke, but the grey-haired
Minorite, smiling sadly, turned to Eva, saying: "I cannot contradict him.
Fidelity to those whom we love, my child, is far less meritorious than
that which we show to Heaven. To you, daughter, its doors have already
opened. How strong must be the pleasure felt by the children of the world
in this brief earthly happiness, since they are so ready to sacrifice for
it the certainty of eternal bliss! Your error will grieve the abbess and
Father Benedictus."

With these words he, too, took his leave, but Frau Christine whispered to
her niece: "These monks are not the Holy Church to which we both belong
as obedient daughters. To my poor mind and heart it seems as if the
Saviour would deem you right."

"Amen," added the magistrate, who had heard his wife's murmured words.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

False praise, he says, weighs more heavily than disgrace

IN THE FIRE OF THE FORGE

A ROMANCE OF OLD NUREMBERG

By Georg Ebers

Volume 8.

CHAPTER XV.

Day followed day, a week elapsed, and no message had reached Schweinau
from Heinz Schorlin or Katterle.

The magistrate had learned that the Siebenburg brothers, with the robber
knights who had joined them, were obstinately defending their castles and
making it difficult for Heinz Schorlin to perform his task. The day
before news had come that the Absbach's strong mountain fortress had
fallen; that the allied knights, in a sortie which merged into a
miniature battle, had been defeated, and the Siebenburgs could not hold
out much longer; but in the stress of his duties the knig