the distance. "Manna!" was called out; Eric withdrew.
Manna rose and went to meet Lina, who got out and let the carriage
drive on.

"Ah!" exclaimed Lina, "you are already on such good terms with one
another! you need hide nothing from me. Ah, how fine! This is right
splendid! I've something to tell you about my love; now kiss me. Ah, I
see you haven't kissed each other yet, you don't how to kiss. Just
think. Manna, how simple I've been; I made myself believe, at one time,
that the Baron von Pranken was fond of me--no, that's not exactly what
I meant, but I made myself believe that I liked him, and now I will
tell you at once, that I love and I am loved."

"We all love God, and we are loved by him."

"Ah, yes, by God too. But Albert--Do you know Albert? you must know
him, for he's building a castle for you. At that time at the musical
festival--I saw you at once, and beckoned to you, but you didn't
observe me--that was the very first time we ever came to an
explanation. Ah, you can't begin to think how happy I am. At the
beginning I couldn't take part in the singing: I was afraid all the
time I should scream too loud; but after that I sang with the rest. Ah,
it was so beautiful--so beautiful! we did nothing else but float away
in music; and he sings splendidly too, though not so grandly as Herr
Dournay. Now do tell me, Manna, how you felt when you heard him sing
so? Did you know that he was the man you asked me about when you had
the angel-wings on your shoulders."

Lina did not wait for an answer, but went on:--

"You must have seen me on the shore, when I met you, and I was leaning
on my Albert's arm for the first time. I didn't want to speak to you
there among the nuns and scholars; I shouldn't have been able to tell
you all there. You don't take it amiss that I didn't appear to see you?
Ah, I saw everybody, the whole world at once! Ah, and all was so
splendid! And at the table there 'twas so merry! And once he asked me
why I seemed all at once so sad. Then I confessed to him that I was
thinking of you, how you were going back again to the convent, where
'twas so silent and so dull. I think the corridors have all got a cold.
Ah, why can't you be as merry as we? Do be merry! There's nothing
better in the world, and you've got all, and can have all in the world.
Oh, do be merry! Ah, there flies a swallow, the first swallow. Oh,
if I could only fly in that way up to him at the castle, and bid him
good-morning, and