no longer; a great and beautiful and fortunate deed has
saved me."

Sonnenkamp, taking off his cloak, wrapped the Professorin in it, and
they led the old lady, whose eyes shone wonderfully, into the great
hall, where she sat down, while they all stood around her as about a
saint.

Manna, kneeling before her, took her hands, and wept copious tears upon
them.

"Now I only beg for quiet," said the Professorin. "I am calm; give me
no further excitement now. I heard it, I know not how; I came hither, I
know not how. Something called and impelled me, and it has ended well.
Oh, believe that everything will yet turn out for the best. Herr
Sonnenkamp, give me your hand. I have something to say to you."

"I will fulfil whatever you may command."

"You must do something, although I do not yet know what, in order to
pacify the minds of these people."

"I will. I will summon a jury, in the choice of which you must assist
me. To them I will unfold my life, and into their hands I will leave
the decision of what is to be done."

"That is a happy idea. To-morrow we will carry it out. Now it is
enough," said the Professorin, in a tone soothing to the others and to
herself. "Manna, go to your mother," added she.

Manna left the room.

It was late before those assembled in the Villa separated. The
Professorin must spend the night there. Sonnenkamp would not have it
otherwise. He gave her the best room in the house, and Eric sat by his
mother's bed until she fell asleep.

But without, on the banks of the Rhine, stood a multitude, washing
their black faces clean again, and recovering from the effects of the
new wine. In the night a black wave rolled past the Villa, and down the
river to the sea.

Oh! If the black deed could only be thus wiped off, and sunk in the
ocean of Eternity!

BOOK XIII.

CHAPTER I.

OBLITERATED TRACES.

The gardeners raked smooth the footpaths: they bound up the
down-trodden shrubs again, removing the broken ones. Even the grooms
assisted to-day in the garden, while up in the house the glaziers were
already busy, putting in new squares of plate-glass. When the gentlemen
and ladies wake up, they shall see as little as possible of last
night's tumult.

No one in the whole house awoke until the morning was far spent. Even
Manna was not visible. Perhaps this was the first time in her life that
sh