eave room for any
doubt in his mind; for, thought he, whoever comes with him cannot but be
welcome! And so he let them both in with respectful haste, and ushered
them up to the hall, where Sintram, pale and with a fixed look, was
sitting under the light of one flickering lamp. Rolf was obliged to
support and assist the crazy pilgrim up the stairs, for he was quite
benumbed with cold.

"I bring you a greeting from your mother," said the chaplain as he
came in; and immediately a sweet smile passed over the young knight's
countenance, and its deadly pallidness gave place to a bright soft glow.

"O Heaven!" murmured he, "does then my mother yet live, and does she
care to know anything about me?"

"She is endowed with a wonderful presentiment of the future," replied
the chaplain; "and all that you ought either to do or to leave undone
is faithfully mirrored in various ways in her mind, during a half-waking
trance. Now she knows of your deep sorrow, and she sends me, the
father-confessor of her convent, to comfort you, but at the same time to
warn you; for, as she affirms, and as I am also inclined to think, many
strange and heavy trials lie before you."

Sintram bowed himself towards the chaplain with his arms crossed
over his breast, and said, with a gentle smile, "Much have I been
favoured--more, a thousand times more, than I could have dared to hope
in my best hours--by this greeting from my mother, and your visit,
reverend sir; and all after falling more fearfully low than I had ever
fallen before. The mercy of the Lord is great; and how heavy soever may
be the weight and punishment which He may send, I trust, with His grace,
to be able to bear it."

Just then the door opened, and the castellan came in with a torch in his
hand, the red glare of which made his face look the colour of blood. He
cast a terrified glance at the crazy pilgrim, who had just sunk back
in a swoon, and was supported on his seat and tended by Rolf; then
he stared with astonishment at the chaplain, and at last murmured,
"A strange meeting! I believe that the hour for confession and
reconciliation is now arrived."

"I believe so too," replied the priest, who had heard his low whisper;
"this seems to be truly a day rich in grace and peace. That poor
man yonder, whom I found half-frozen by the way, would make a full
confession to me at once, before he followed me to a place of shelter.
Do as he has done, my dark-browed warrior, and delay not you