done a base cowardly act, you and your brother here, disguise it as
you may; you deserve all God's judgment - you"

But I turned my eyes and wet face to her, and said: "Do not curse me
there - do not look like Swanhilda: for see now, you said at first
that you have been waiting long for me, give me your hand now, for I
love you so."

Then she came and knelt by where I sat, and I caught her in my arms
and she prayed to be forgiven.

"0, Florian! I have indeed waited long for you, and when I saw you my
heart was filled with joy, but you would neither touch me nor speak to
me, so that I became almost mad, forgive me, we will be so happy now.
0! do you know this is what I have been waiting for all these years;
it made me glad, I know, when I was a little baby in my mother's arms
to think I was born for this; and afterwards, as I grew up, I used to
watch every breath of wind through the beech-boughs, every turn of the
silver poplar leaves, thinking it might be you or some news of you."

Then I rose and drew her up with me; but she knelt again by my
brother's side, and kissed him, and said:

"0 brother! The Hollow Land is only second best of the places God has
made, for Heaven also is the work of His hand."

Afterwards we dug a deep grave among the beechroots and there we
buried Amald de Liliis.

And I have never seen him since, scarcely even in dreams; surely God