She folded her hands and began to repeat the Lord's prayer. Gertrude
followed reverently. When she reached the words, "Forgive us our
trespasses," Veronica hid her face in her hands, and broke into violent
sobs.

"No, mother, I must not say it. I cannot forgive him. I cannot forgive
Dietrich for having treated you so, and then run away and hidden himself
without writing a single word, to tell you where he is. He must know how
you are suffering, and I too. And that Judas! I can never, never forgive
him. He led Dietrich astray and deceived him. He has destroyed all our
happiness. How can I forgive him? Doesn't he deserve our hatred? Can I
help wishing him the worst punishment that ever befell a human being?"

Veronica sobbed as if the long-pent-up agony of her heart would never
again submit to be restrained. Silently Gertrude sat with folded hands,
waiting till the storm was spent. At last she said softly,

"If I felt as you do, my child, I could not bear it at all. It would kill
me. But I do not feel so. When my Dieterli was a little child and I had to
do everything for him, before he was old enough to take care of himself,
there was much in his character and conduct that made me anxious. He
always wanted to be first in everything, and whatever he wished for, that
he must have, without delay and without effort on his part. And as he grew
older and these qualities strengthened, I often felt that with his
headstrong disposition he could never become great and good, without the
discipline of a severe school. From the earliest hours of his life, I gave
him into God's hands, and prayed for God's care and guidance. And through
all these years my constant prayer for my boy has been, 'Lead him where
Thou wilt, Oh God, only let him not fall out of Thy hands; When this heavy
trial came, which was almost beyond my strength to bear, I did not lose