Her heart could now beat high in the hope of seeing him again; nay, it
even seemed to her that the youth, whose return had been hailed with such
welcome and who had so powerfully attracted her, had only now grown and
ripened to full and perfect manhood through his sin, his penitence, and
his suffering.

And how noble a task it would be to assist him in seeking the right way,
and in becoming what he aspired to be!

The prudent care he had given to her worldly welfare merited her
gratitude. What could he mean by the "exchange" he proposed? The
"great love" of which he had spoken to Katharina was legible in every
line of his letter, and any woman can forgive any man--were he a sinner,
and a scarecrow into the bargain--for his audacity in loving her. Oh!
that he might but set his heart on her--for hers, it was vain to deny
it, was strongly drawn to him. Still she would not call it Love that
stirred within her; it could only be the holy impulse to point out to him
the highest goal of life and smooth the path for him. The pale horseman
who had clutched her in her dream should not drag her away; no, she would
joyfully lift him up to the highest pinnacle attainable by a brave and
noble man.

So her thoughts ran, and her cheeks flushed as, with swift decision, she
opened her trunk, took out papyrus, writing implements and a seal, and
seated herself at a little desk which Rufinus had placed for her in the
window, to write her answer.

At this a sudden fervent longing for Orion came over her. She made a
great effort to shake it off; still, she felt that in writing to him it
was impossible that she should find the right words, and as she replaced