she laid in his.

Maria led the way, and he silently followed her into Henrica's room. The
latter greeted him with a friendly gesture, but both ladies hesitated to
utter the first word. The young man turned hastily, noticed that he was
in the room overlooking the court-yard, and said, eagerly: I was down
below just before twilight, to look at my new quarters, and heard singing
from this room, and such singing! At first I didn't know what was
coming, for the tones were husky, weak, and broken, but afterwards--
afterwards the melody burst forth like a stream of lava through the
ashes. We ought to wish many sorrows to one, who can lament thus."

"You shall make the singer's acquaintance," said Maria, motioning towards
the young girl. "Fraulein Henrica Van Hoogstraten, a beloved guest in
our house."

"Were you the songstress?" asked Georg.

"Does that surprise you?" replied Henrica. "My voice has certainly
retained its strength better than my body, wasted by long continued
suffering. I feel how deeply my eyes are sunken and how pale I must be.
Singing certainly lightens pain, and I have been deprived of the
comforter long enough. Not a note has passed my lips for weeks, and
now my heart aches so, that I would far rather weep than sing. 'What
troubles me?' you will ask, and yet Maria gives me courage to request
a chivalrous service, almost without parallel, at your hands."

"Speak, speak," Georg eagerly exclaimed. "If Frau Maria summons me and
I can serve you, dear lady: here I am, dispose of me."