often repeated the
words "steadfast and true," when she told him that he had done honour
most marvellously to his favourite virtue, represented by the T and St,
and might expect his master's praise and gratitude!

All these things fell from her lips more warmly the more vividly she
conjured up the image of the man for whose sake the gallant fellow had
endured this martyrdom, the happier it made her to help Heinz, though
without his knowledge, to pay the great debt of gratitude which he owed
the faithful servitor. She was not aware of it, but the strongest of
all educational powers--sorrow and love--were transforming the unsocial,
capricious "little saint" into a noble, self-sacrificing woman. She was
training herself to be what she desired to become to her lover, and the
secret power whose influence upon her whole being she distinctly felt
at each success, she herself called--remembering the last words of her
dying mother--"the forge fire of life."

At first it had been extremely painful for Biberli to allow himself to
be nursed with such devoted, loving care by the very person from whom he
had earnestly endeavoured to estrange his master; but soon the warmest
gratitude cast every other feeling into the shade, and when he woke from
the light slumber into which he frequently fell and saw Eva beside his
bed, his heart swelled and he often felt as if Heaven had sent her to
him to restore the best gifts for which he was struggling--life and
health. When he began to recover, the faithful fellow clung to her with
the utmost devotion; but this by no means lessened his love for his
master and his absent sweetheart. On the contrary, the farther his
convalescence progressed the more constantly and anxiously he thought of
Heinz and Katterle, the more pleasure it afforded him to talk about them
and to discuss with Eva what could have befallen both.

It was impossible--Biberli believed this as firmly as his nurse--that
Heinz could coldly forget his follower or Katterle neglect what she had
undertaken. So both agreed in the conjecture that the messengers sent by
the absent ones had been prevented from reaching their destination.

The supposition was correct. Two troopers despatched by Heinz had been
captured by the Siebenburgs, and the maid's messenger had cheated her
by pocketing the small fee which she paid him and performing another
commission instead of going to Schweinau. Of the knight's letters which
had fallen into the wron