daughter willingly accompanied him. The physician
addressed Paul in a kindly manner, whilst Lydia walked before them with
bowed head listening attentively to what was said. On the father being
stopped by one of his patients, the two young people were compelled to
join one another, but to-day words seemed to fail the ready-witted
Italian. He changed color and kept catching his breath. To break the
painful silence Lydia praised the clear hue of the river flowing past
them.

"The Neckar has become a friend to me," replied Paolo, "since I lived
at the Stift; a friend about whose humor I inquire daily. If when awake
I hear its restless moan prolonged during the whole night, and behold
it the next morning gloomy and troubled, and the mountain above casting
over it a deep shadow I feel as if I ought to console it. But another
day its rippling sounds joyfully, it looks at me with thousand clear
eyes and changing wanton lights, like the laugh of a child. In winter
often does it seethe in its hasty passion and smoke like boiling water,
being warmer than the chilled world around. To-day it is transparent
and pure, like a young man with an easy conscience, but I have seen it
looking quite differently," added the Preacher with a slight tremor in
his voice, "troubled by evil storms and tempests and red with shame at
what it had done." Saying this Paul attempted to look into the maiden's
face, but immediately cast down his eyes. His first words had struck a
sympathetic cord in Lydia's breast, but the direct acknowledgement of
his sins embarrassed her. "How unhappy must he be when he confesses to
me," thought she, and the pity of her heart shone out of the innocent
eyes which gazed earnestly at him. The approach of her father put an
end to all further explanations. They separated, as Erast wished to go
to Neuenheim, Paul to the Stift. The good child felt now lighter at
heart since the first dreaded interview with her former teacher was
over, and the terrible remembrance buried. Mechanically, as if it must
be so, did she reach out her hand to the man whose mental confusion she
increased. Paul now knew, that he would daily find at this same hour
the punctual physician on his visit to his sick patient, and thus
accident often brought it about that their ways met. Erast liked to
speak about Italy; Paolo knew how to relate; one always saw everything
clearly represented when he depicted his home, the shimmering red over
Vesuvius, as well as