many, many years ago; and as he thus gazed, he saw not his child,
not the scenes around him, he saw nothing but a neglected little mound
of earth in the churchyard of a Polish village. He passed his broad
hand over his whole face, and, as if waking up, he looked now at his
child, and heard her saying,--

"I shall be constant to the life."

He had heard all that had here transpired, and yet his thought and his
internal eye had been fixed upon a far distant scene, scarcely
comprehensible. Now he repeated his request that Manna would just go
with them into the park, and salute the friends; that she ought not to
slight them; but Manna firmly persisted that she could not go.

Manna had requested a sister to send for Heimchen; the child came, and
looked wonderingly at the strangers. Manna pointed out to the child her
parents and her brother. The child, scarcely glancing at the parents,
nestled up to Roland, when Manna said,--

"This is my brother I have told you of."

"I like you," said the child, "I like you."

She was as confiding with Roland as if she had always played with him.
"And will you be my brother?" asked the child.

Manna declared how happy it made her, to be able to do so much for the
child.

Sonnenkamp hummed to himself,--

"Yes, yes, that's the way. I know what you are, a child who takes to a
stranger child. But enough!"

He rose hastily.

The parents and Roland left the cell. Manna remained there with
Heimchen.

Upon the steps, Sonnenkamp said to his wife,--

"This is your doing! The child is estranged from me; you have turned
her heart from me, you have said to her----"

A strange laugh, a laugh sounding as if it came from some other person,
was uttered by Frau Ceres. Roland stared at her; here is something
incomprehensible to him.

The parents and the boy rejoined the visitors in the park, and
Sonnenkamp informed them very calmly that he had given permission to
his daughter, in order not to interrupt and disturb her education by
outside impressions, to remain at the convent until Easter. Pranken
darted a strange glance at Sonnenkamp, and then expressed his
admiration of the imperturbable composure with which Sonnenkamp
accomplished everything.

Bella and Fraeulein Perini had walked over the island. They did not
return for a long time; at last they came from the room of the
Superior.

Evening was approaching, and as they embarked on the boat, Roland
cried, looking towards the convent,