brief
moment, under the trees, love me with all your heart--love me as now you
love--I cannot name her--that other?--The truth, Orion, the whole truth,
on your oath!"

She had raised her voice and her eyes glowed with the excitement of
passion; and now, when she ceased speaking, their sparkling, glistening
enquiry plainly and unreservedly confessed that her heart still was his,
that she counted on his high-mindedness and expected him to say "yes."
Her round arm lay closely pressed to her bosom, as though to keep its
wild heaving within bounds. Her delicate face had lost its pallor and
seemed bathed in a glow, now tender and now crimson. Her little mouth,
which but now had uttered such bitter words, was parted in a smile as
if ready to bestow a sweet reward for the consoling, saving answer,
for which her whole being yearned, and her eager eyes, shining through
tears, did not cease to entreat him so pathetically, so passionately!
How bewitching an image of helpless, love-sick, beseeching youth and
grace.

"As you love that other,--on your oath."--The words still rang in the
young man's ear. All that was soft in his soul urged him to make good
the evil he had brought upon this fair, hapless young creature; but
those very words gave him strength to remain steadfast; and though
he felt himself appealed to for comfort and compassion, he could only
stretch out imploring hands, as though praying for help, and say:

"Ah Katharina, and you are as lovely, as charming now, as you were then;
but--much as you attracted me, the great love that fills a life can come
but once.... Forget what happened afterwards.... Put your question in
another form, alter it a little, and ask me again--or let me assure
you."

But he had no time to say more; for, before he could atop her, she had
slipped past him and flown away like some swift wild thing into the road
and down to the fishing cove.

CHAPTER IV.

Orion stood alone gazing sadly after her. Was this his father's
curse--that all who loved him must reap pain and grief in return?

He shivered; still, his youthful energy and powers of resistance
were strong enough to give him speedy mastery over these torturing
reflections. What opportunities lay before him of proving his prowess!
Even while Katharina was telling her story, the brave and strenuous
youth had set himself the problem of rescuing the cloistered sisters.
The greater the danger its solution might involve him in, the mor