offered.

His own anguish of soul, and the pain inflicted by the cruel blow which
crushed his dearest hopes, robbed him of fortitude and calmness. With
tears in his eyes, he threw himself on his knees before her and gazed
into her face with anxious entreaty, exclaiming brokenly: "Do not--do not
inflict this suffering upon me, Wawerl! Rob me of everything except
hope. Defer your acceptance until I can offer you a still fairer future,
only be merciful and leave me hope!"

Tears now began to glitter in Barbara's eyes also, and Wolf, noticing it,
hastened with reviving courage to assure her how little it would cost him
to reject, once for all, to please her, the tempting position offered
to him here. He could soon obtain a good office elsewhere, since their
Majesties were not only favourably disposed toward him, but now toward
her also. True, to him even the most brilliant external gifts of life
would be valueless and charmless without her love.

But here Barbara imperatively commanded him to rise, and not make his own
heart and hers still heavier without avail.

Wolf pressed his hands upon his temples as violently as if he feared
losing his senses; but the young girl voluntarily put her arm around his
shoulders, and said with sincere emotion: "Poor Wolf! I know how
thoroughly in earnest you are, but I dare not even leave you hope--I
neither can nor ought. Yet you may hear this: From my childhood you have
been dearer to me than any one else, and never shall I forget how firmly
you cling to me, how hard it is for you to give me up."

Then Sir Wolf vehemently asked to know what stood between them; and