a," said Bella, and her fingers moved very
rapidly, as if she were playing a piano in the air. It was an agreeable
recreation to look upon the playing of this sentimental game, for Lina
had a decided penchant for Otto. But the naive Innocence knew very well
that Otto had a preference for Manna, and it was not so very bad a plan
to introduce to Manna so handsome a suitor as Eric.

While Bella was walking with Eric, Pranken had taken Roland very
confidingly by the hand, and visited with him the stables and the young
dogs; then he led him into an unfrequented part of the park, very
remote from the road. Their talk was very naturally about Eric, and
Roland could not find words to tell how all-wise and all-good he was.
Pranken rebuked, with a stern countenance, the application of such
words to a human being, and he impressed very strenuously upon him,
that he could learn much from the worldly man that would be
advantageous to him in the world, but there was a highest which he was
not to entrust to him, and wherein he was to be in no way obedient.

And now he spoke of Manna. There was an expression of devotion in his
words, as well as in his tone. He took the book, which he always
carried over his heart, out of his breast-pocket, and showed Roland the
exact place which Manna reads to-day; by running away, Roland had let
several days slip without reading the same passages, but he could now
catch up by diligence. But, more than all, Herr Dournay need know
nothing of it, for no one of a different faith should step between
Roland and his God.

Pranken seated himself with Roland under a great nut-tree, by the road,
and read aloud some expressive passages. The boy looked at him in
wonderment. The Wine-chevalier rode by; he called out a greeting to
Pranken, but the latter returned it with only a friendly wave of the
hand, and continued his reading.

It was like a release to Roland when Bella and Eric came along, engaged
in a merry, jesting conversation. He called to them, and shortly after
joined Eric; and Bella went by the side of her brother, who twirled his
moustaches and surveyed his handsome boots. When Eric and Roland had
departed, Pranken straightened himself up, and began to appeal directly
to Bella's conscience for coquetting and trifling thus with a young
man.

Bella stood still, seemingly at a loss whether to laugh at her brother
or sharply reprove him; but she concluded in favor of the former
course, and ridiculed