But, no!  He could no more renounce his love than she hers.  She would not, dare not, let such terrible thoughts torture her now.

Heinz was far away, and the fate of her love would be decided later.  The cause of her presence here was something very different, and the conviction that it was good, right, and certain of his approval, dispelled the pain that had overpowered her, and raised her courage.

Unspeakably hard trials lay behind her, and harder ones must, perhaps, yet be vanquished.  But she no longer needed to fear them, for she felt that the strength which had awakened within her after she became conscious of her love was still sustaining and directing her, and would enable her to govern matters which she could not help believing that she herself would be too weak to guide to their goal.  She felt freed from her former wavering and hesitation, and as formerly in the modest house of the Beguines, now in the stately citadel she realised that, in sorrow and severe trial, she had learned to assert her position in life by her own strength.  Her father, whom she was to meet presently, would find little outward change in her, but when he had perceived the transformation wrought in the character of his helpless “little saint” it would please him to hear from her how wonderfully her mother’s last prophetic words were being fulfilled.

She was emerging from the forge fire of life, steeled for every conflict, yet those would be wrong who believed that, trusting to her own newly won strength, she had forgotten to look heavenward.  On the contrary, never had she felt nearer to her God, her Saviour, and the gracious Virgin.  Without them she could accomplish nothing, yet for the first time she had undertaken tasks and sought to win goals which were worthy of beseeching them for aid.  Love had taught her to be faithful in worldly life, and she said to herself, “Better, far better I can certainly become; but firmer faith cannot be kept.”

Wolff’s hiding place was a large, airy room, affording a view of the Frank country, with its meadows, fields, and forests.  Eva saw there by the light of the blazing pine chips her father, sister, and brother-in-law.

Yet the meeting between all these beloved ones after a long separation partook more of sorrow than of joy.  Els had really resolved to leave the Eysvogel mansion, yet she met her Aunt Christine with the joyful cry:  “I shall stay!  Wolff’s father and I have become good friends.”

In fact, a few hours before Herr Casper had looked at her kindly and gratefully, and when she showed him how happy this rendered her, warmly entreated her in a broken voice not to leave him.  She had proved herself to be his good angel, and the sight of her was the only bright spot in his clouded life.  Then she had gladly promised to stay, and intended to keep her word.  She had only accompanied her father, who had unexpectedly returned for a short time, because she could trust the nun who shared her nursing of the paralysed patient, and he rarely recognised his watcher at night.