hand to fly into the arms of her intended husband.
The old Schindel followed. Tausdorf hastened to welcome him with the
knightly pledge, that he might not have at once to meet the look of his
bride, towards whom he knew his heart was not perfectly at ease.

"Are you quite recovered?" asked Althea affectionately; "you look pale,
as if you had slept but little last night."

This innocent appeal to the past night covered poor Tausdorf with a
burning blush, which, as an estimable rarity in a man of his age, gave
a double charm to his features. He turned away, however, to hide the
treacherous colour, and Schindel addressed his niece:

"Will it please you, niece, to give me an answer? The poor fool waits
below in the corner of the street, and stays for permission to come
up."

"You love to torment people, uncle. I have a deadly aversion to this
family, and of all of them, the avaricious, spiteful Christopher is the
most abhorrent to me."

"Shame! shame, niece! What good Christian would recollect an injury so
long? Know you not from the Scriptures, that you are to forgive your
brother seventy times, and again seven times seventy?"

"It is not that alone; but a secret dread possesses me whenever the
creeper comes near me. I always feel as if my evil angel stood at my
side, ready to plunge me into destruction."

"Psha! Superstitious fancies, which do not become so sensible a woman.
Your intended shall decide."

"Well," cried Althea; "decide, dear Tausdorf. You know that a year ago
Christopher Friend solicited my hand and was rejected. Now I may add,
what I before concealed; in the vexation of his disappointment, he
spoke of you most unbecomingly. But he now perceives his injustice, and
seeks for a reconciliation."

"Forgive, and you shall be forgiven," said Tausdorf good-naturedly.

"My own words!" cried Schindel.

"Oh, for that," said Althea impatiently, "I am as prompt as willing;
but he requires a formal reconciliation, and as the seal of it would
have our presence at his banquet to-morrow; this I deem as superfluous
as it would be disagreeable to me."

"Who says A must say B too," retorted Schindel. "Christopher will not
believe in the sincerity of your forgiveness, and thinks that you scorn
him if you refuse to appear at his banquet. You owe some compliance,
besides, to his rich and powerful family, to which in addition you are
allied."

"Still the untiring peacemaker and mediator! and inexhaustible in
arg