eavenly a moment should pass by two such
stolid souls.

Then came the tumult, and she fled involuntarily behind the altar. When
it grew quiet again, she drew a deep breath, adjusted her apron, gently
stroked back a lock of hair that had fallen over on her brow, and took
courage. She was anxious to see how she could make her way back to the
Oberhof unnoticed and get rid of the disagreeable clothes. With short
steps and eyes cast down she walked along a side passage toward the
door.

Having finally awakened from his dreams, the Hunter was descending the
stairs. He too was anxious to quit the church, but where to go he did
not know. His heart throbbed when he saw Lisbeth; she lifted her eyes
and stood still, shy and artless. Then, without looking at each other,
they went in silence to the door, and the Hunter laid his hand on the
latch to open it.

"It is locked!" he cried in a tone of delight, as if the best luck in
the world had befallen him. "We are locked in the church!"

"Locked in?" she said, filled with sweet horror.

"Why does that cause you dismay? Where can one possibly have better
quarters than in a church?" he said soulfully. He gently put his arm
around her waist, and with his other hand grasped her hand. Then he led
her to a seat, gently forced her to sit down and himself sat down beside
her. She dropped her eyes and toyed with the ribbons on the gay-colored
bodice she was wearing.

"This is a horrible dress, isn't it?" she said scarce audibly after a
long silence.

"Oh!" he cried, "I hadn't been looking at the dress!" He seized both of
her hands, pressed them violently to his breast, and then lifted her
from the pew. "I cannot bear to sit so still.--Let's take a look at the
church!" he cried.

"Probably there is not much here worth seeing," she replied trembling.

But his strong arms had already surrounded, lifted, and borne her to the
altar. There he let her down; she lay half-fainting against his breast.

"Lisbeth!" he stammered his voice choking with love. "My only love!
Forgive me! Will you be my wife?--my eternal, sweet wife?"

She did not answer. Her heart was throbbing against his. Her tears were
flowing on his breast. Now he raised her head, and their lips met. For a
long, long time they held them together.

Then he gently drew her down to her knees beside him, and both raised
their hands in prayer before the altar. They could give voice to nothing
save, "Father! Dear Father in Heaven!