and in a loud
voice. She answered as loud as she could, and at last Gundel came up
and said:

"Irmgard, come to the cottage right away. There's a gentleman there
with a servant, and he wants to speak to you."

Irma, who had partly raised herself, lay down again. She felt a heart
pang. What could it be? Had her time come? and must she again return to
the busy world?

She arose to her feet and asked:

"Don't you know who it is?"

"No, but he says he spent the night with us some years ago. He's a
tall, handsome young man; but, poor man, he's stone blind."

"The blind man wandering?" thought Irma to herself, turning toward the
hut.

"God greet you!" cried she, while still distant.

"Yes, that's your voice," replied the blind man, stretching out his
arms and opening and closing his hands. "Come! Come nearer. Give me
your hand!" He quickly drew off his gloves with his teeth, and his face
wore a strange expression. Irma drew near and took his delicate, white
hand in hers.

"Your hand trembles!" he exclaimed. "Does it frighten you to see me
blind?"

Irma could not speak, and nodded as if the blind man could see what she
did.

The sun's rays fell directly upon the face of the unfortunate one, and
his sightless eyes stared into vacancy.

"You've grown thinner than you were," said the blind man. "May I pass
my hand over your face?"

"Yes," replied Irma, closing her eyes.

"You're not as beautiful as you were two years ago. Your eyelids are
hot and heavy. You must have been grieving. Can I help you? I'm not
rich, but I can still do something."

"Thank you. I've learned to help myself." Being addressed in High
German, Irma had involuntarily replied in pure German, without a trace
of dialect.

The stranger started, turned his head to the right and left, and, while
doing so, stretched out his neck so far that it was almost unpleasant
to look at him.

Taking him by the hand, Irma led him to the bench in front of the
cottage. She felt a tremor while holding this fine and delicate hand in
hers, but, gathering all her strength, she repressed it. She sat down
by the blind man, and asked him how he had happened to come there.

"You remember," said he, "that when I was with you last, I knew what my
fate would be. I wrestled with myself for a long while and learned to
know how to bear it. We know that we must all die, and yet we can be
cheerful; and I knew that I must lose my sight and became cheerful,
too."

Irm