she was going down the steps with Fraeulein Perini, a letter was
handed her, brought by a messenger, who was waiting for an answer. Lina
wrote how much she regretted that she was not permitted to accept the
hospitable invitation to Villa Eden. She besought Manna to send back a
single word, containing the assurance that she was not angry with her.

Manna was glad that she could now reply without wounding the feelings
of Lina, whose parents, she wrote, were in the right. On reading over
again her friend's letter, it seemed strange to Manna that no sort of
excuse was assigned. Do all the neighbors still hold aloof from her
parents' house?

Perhaps so! Another parental home, yonder, extends its invitation.

The church bell again rang, and Manna went with Fraeulein Perini to
church.

Fraeulein Perini was elated and happy. Others might attempt to win Manna
with every variety of influence; she alone could go with her to church.

"Do you still prefer to be silent in the morning?" asked Fraeulein
Perini quietly, extending her hand.

Manna nodded without speaking. Not another word was interchanged.

When the mass was over, and they had left the church together, Fraeulein
Perini said that she would like to introduce Manna to the Priest, who
had been stationed here during her absence.

Manna begged to go alone. She lingered a while, without moving from the
spot, and then went to the Priest's house. She seemed to be expected,
for the Priest came out on the steps to meet her, and welcomed her with
a benediction. He led her by the hand into his room, hastily removing
his breakfast from the table, on which there was an open book.

Manna was directed to take a seat on the sofa. She began:--

"Fraeulein Perini wished to introduce me to you, Reverend Sir. That
might be necessary with a man; a stranger, but you are not a man, a
stranger, you are a servant of our holy Church."

The Priest partially closed his eyes, brought together the ends of the
fingers of his handsome hands, then drew them apart, and said in a
quiet and clear tone:--

"The right way! You are in the right way, my child, keep in it. So it
is! Worldlings come into a place, they are strangers, strangers as if
they were among savages, and they are ignorant whether there is a
single person who cherishes the same thoughts with them; and there are
no two people who have the same thoughts, even when the words are the
same, and they have no bond of unity; they are li