tide of enthusiastic action; and with pleasure he perceived
that his words were not without influence on Manna. If you can once set
a man in a ridiculous light, there is no salvation for him. This,
Pranken knew and hoped to accomplish in the present case; he, however,
went on to say:--

"Our Roland has learned a great deal under this honorable gentleman,
but he has had enough of him now; it is time he entered upon a wider
sphere."

Manna preserved her thoughtful silence, and soon after walked away,
occasionally, as she went towards the villa, nodding to herself as if
assenting to what she had heard. Pranken looked after her in
perplexity.

On the steps she met Eric, and both stopped. Eric felt obliged to say
something, and therefore began,--

"I can imagine its being hard for you to have your first day at home a
fete day; it will, perhaps, make the days that follow seem dull."

"How should you know what is passing in my thoughts?" replied Manna, as
she went on up the steps.

She was indignant with the man for forgetting his position in the
house, and taking upon himself to tell what was passing in her mind.
What right had he to put into words what she did not choose to express?
As she went up the steps, she pressed together in anger the lips which
had spoken such cruel words; she was angry with herself too. But the
words had been said, and could not be unsaid.

She spent the whole evening in her room. At a late hour Roland knocked
at the door, and insisted on being admitted.

"Ah, sister," he said, as he sat down beside her, "of all I have been
through to-day, one thing haunts me. Everybody to whom I gave a present
said he would pray for me. How is that possible, and what good would it
do? What good would it do to have another person pray for me, and say
of me and wish for me before God all sorts of good things? Of what use
would it be, if I were not in my own soul good and noble? No man can
pray for another."

"Roland, what are you saying? What are you thinking of?" cried Manna,
seizing him by both arms and shaking him; then, leaving the boy
standing in amazement, she hurried into her chamber and threw herself
upon her knees.

On this first day at home the ruin of her house was revealed to her.
She prayed for Roland, that his mind might be enlightened and delivered
from bondage, and even while she prayed, a feeling of strangeness stole
over her. She wrung her hands, she groaned, she wept. Is it true that