ff."

"That is another of your wild thoughts," said Gunther, calming her and
taking her hand in his. "You always wish to accomplish your desires by
violent methods. You must acquire repose."

"Yes, life is a slow and gradual growth, and death, yes, death in life,
takes but a moment," said Irma, with a wild and vacant stare.

"And now go to sleep, and you will soon be well again," said Gunther.
He was about to leave, but Irma detained him, and inquired.

"How is your wife--your family?"

"Thank you," said he. "They are calm and resigned."

Irma was about to beg that Gunther's wife might visit her, but could
not force herself to do so. Gunther left. He, himself, thought that if
Irma would frankly open her mind to his wife, the good sense of the
latter would gradually help the distracted one. But he knew that his
wife would not visit Irma. With all her kindness of heart, she had no
mercy for arrogance, and Irma, in her prosperous days, had neglected to
revisit the house in which she had received so hearty a welcome. Ever
since Irma had again left her father and returned to court, its doors
were closed to her. Irma, moreover, was regarded as having promoted the
revival of the convents and the appointment of the reactionary
ecclesiastical ministry of which Schnabelsdorf was premier.

CHAPTER XIII.

Walpurga's thoughts were of home, and she tried to picture to herself
how it would be when her letter arrived there. But she had been away so
long that she found it difficult to do so. The letter had arrived at
dusk, and Hansei, who was out in the backyard, chopping wood, was
called in. He hurriedly lit the lamp, and Stasi read the letter to
them. The grandmother wept, and the child on her lap moved about
restlessly, as if it felt that the words it heard were its mother's.
Nor could they help noticing that it had twice pulled the letter out of
Stasi's hand, and that, in order to finish reading it, she had been
obliged to move her seat. The child had, nevertheless, remained
restless as before. At last, the grandmother dried her tears and said:
"Thank God, that I have such a child. I don't mean you," said she to
her granddaughter, "I mean your mother. You may be glad if you turn out
as good as she is." Hansei listened with mouth agape, and smiled all
over his face when they came to the passage about Walpurga's embracing
him.

When she had finished the letter, Stasi said:

"It's a sad