at was uplifted so piously--"pray, pray--how
am I to thank you? No, don't pray any more, rather tell me--hark, there
he is!"

In a second she was on her feet, and had rushed to the door, which
closed with a bang behind her.

Rosa remained alone in the darkness.

She heard Martin's voice downstairs, and then Mikolai--and then her
mother's happy laugh.

But Rosa continued to pray fervently; it was as though she were holding
fast to the words of her prayer. The stars had long ago come out above
the farm, the new moon was just over the gable, but she still lay on
her knees praying. But now it was a soft whisper to the Lord, a
blissful communing with the Bridegroom of her soul.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was night at Starydwor. The moon had disappeared, and black clouds,
driven along by the boisterous wind, were chasing each other over the
house-top and hiding the stars.

Mr. Tiralla was sitting alone in his room. It was really time for him
to go to bed, but there was nobody to assist him; Marianna had not
come, and he was unable to go to bed alone. At first he had moaned and
growled, but now he was calm. The few thoughts he had left were
creeping after the servant. Ha, ha! how she was racing; she was running
to meet a sweetheart. It amused him to picture her to himself.

What a good thing it was that his thoughts were his own, that they had
not taken them from him as well as everything, everything else. He made
a grimace as he clenched his fists. "That woman!" [Pg 294] There she
had stood--there at the writing-desk, and had wanted to steal his
money--no, not his money, the powders, his powders. They were worth
more than money. She had wanted to get him out of the way by the help
of them. Ha, ha!--he chuckled to himself--but he had hidden them well,
she would not be able to find them now.

Next time little Boehnke came he would show him where he had hidden
those dear, precious things--no, he would not even show little Boehnke,
for who knows, perhaps they would make his mouth water, and he would
kill him so as to get them, and then eat them all up himself.

"Now, now, little Boehnke," said the man, shaking his finger at an
imaginary person in the corner of the room. Then he added, "No, I'm not
angry with you, in spite of your not having been to see me for so long.
Take a seat, brother, there, sit down." He dragged a chair nearer with
his heavy foot, and smiled at the schoolma