relatives; the roseate light in which nephews, eager to inherit, are wont to look upon such-like matrons, who shine with the radiance of golden promises, did not, therefore exist for me; I only saw in her a good woman, who had become pious in the evening of life, and who rushed about from church to church.

"When I entered I found several elderly ladies and gentlemen assembled round the tea urn. They were imbibing the Chinese beverage. Nevertheless, the conversation was but little cheerful--now and again a word, a sentence--they were the silent ones in the land.

"The ticking of an old clock upon the wall, the noise of the tea-urn were the only sounds which interrupted the quietude. I was overcome by that endless weariness which I often experienced when I drove through a waste part of Masuren on rutty roads, beneath a rainy-grey sky. Such weariness at last exercises a sensibly physical oppression; it acts painfully; at last one counts every movement of the pendulum, and time, in its boundless void, appears like a fatal doom.

"Even for observation or enjoyable criticism into which the despair of ennui might resolve itself, the assembly offered little scope.

"There was nothing remarkable about the old ladies and gentlemen that could challenge it; sometimes I felt a sensation as though I were sitting in a cabinet of wax figures; every one around me so orderly and pale--so silent and motionless.

"Outside, the moonlight fell full upon the Castle lake. How gladly should I have wandered about where it shed its silver through the tall trees of the garden, until farther away the bright effulgence blended, dreamlike, with the dusky green.

"In the meantime, a few younger ladies had entered; yet the conversation would not flow freely. They were slender, almost thin, figures. Averse to every ornament, they had selected a costume which merely served to make the meagreness of their appearance more disadvantageously conspicuous.

"In my efforts worthily to represent youthful mankind, I was only assisted by a candidate for the ministry, who finally offered some incitement to my wearied imagination, inasmuch as I could, without very great temerity, compare his tall, overgrown figure, which was distinguished by a remarkably long neck, with a giraffe.

"He made an attempt at conversation by imparting information to my aunt as to which ministers would proclaim the Word of God at the different town churches on the following Sunday; thereupon he seated himself, with his tea-cup, in a corner and remained persistently silent.

"Here and there a mysterious whispering; I began to feel more and more uncomfortable.

"Then the door opened, and everything, as if by the stroke of an enchanter's wand, was metamorphosed for me--was as if illumined with a magic light flowing fully in upon us; for in came that graceful woman, with all the freshness of youth, whom I had seen amid the companions of that remarkable prophet, and it seemed as if the whole company felt the same influence, for all rose with a certain warmth and hastened towards her.

"In her dress, she differed little from the other ladies; everything bright was avoided. An unobtrusive grey, only broken by a plain white collar, excluded every charm of colour; yet, how gleamed the blue of her beautiful eyes! What fresh, rosy tints in her cheeks, what youthfulness in her movements!

"Like pillars of salt, the others stood beside her! I was introduced to her, I learned her name!

"She was a Frau Salden, and from some turn in the conversation I was enabled to gather that she was a young widow, who for four years already had lived alone with an eight-year-old little daughter.

"She must have married very young, for she was evidently still in the beautiful bloom of the twenties.

"I reminded her of our first meeting; she recollected the young student--she had recognised me again at once.

"'He departed this life,' said she, regretfully, 'our friend and guide, the preacher in the wilderness--that glorious man, who penetrated into the secrets of the world with singular depth of thought. You have seen him and heard him speak, it will remain a lasting recollection for you; in the even tenour of the world of the present day, such men must be unforgotten.'

"It seemed to me as though a glistening tear rose to her eye.

"'It was John the Baptist; he foretold the coming Man.'

"'Child, what utterances,' said my aunt, who had known the young lady since childhood.

"Indeed, I perceived several tokens of disapproval amongst the elder ladies and gentlemen.

"The candidate for the ministry pushed his chair about impatiently, like a great Power that is preparing for war; and only two of the young ladies indicated their concurrence.

"I remarked that in this holy circle divers parties were formed, and did not hesitate for a moment under which standard I should take my oath of allegiance.

"'So much dead Christianity,' continued Frau von Salden, intrepidly, 'reigns in the world, so much benumbedness; streams of life must be conducted into it again by the elect.'

"Then the candidate rose from his chair, and, with the gestures of a zealous accuser, asked--

"'Who, then, are these elect? Surely not those who deem themselves to be such--not those preachers who prowl about the streets, and give out the inventions of a diseased brain for words of revelation; not those who have their peculiar secret doctrines, of which nothing is to be found in the Scriptures, and who, as rumour says, allow themselves to be idolised by their disciples? True piety is far removed from the assumption of being able to teach something better than that which the Holy Scriptures proclaim.'

"'Then all thinkers would be condemned to eternal silence,' suggested I. 'I have heard that prophet speak; they were new bold thoughts that must enchain the people's mind.'

"'We require,' cried Frau von Salden, 'a new key to the comprehension of the secrets of Nature and history.'

"The candidate stretched out his long neck towards his valiant opponent, and said--

"'An examination will be made as to whether this key is not false and a copy.'

"Several elderly gentlemen interposed mediatingly between the conflicting parties, and protested particularly against any interference on the part of the State; but the candidate, who became still more like a raging turkey cock, cried, with suppressed wrath--

"'And what is it that charms in this new doctrine? Why do the women and girls follow a banner which dared not be unfurled in the open light of day? That is effected by the charming standard bearers; that preacher who at the same time is a handsome man, combines benignity and dignity in his features, who unites distinguished and commanding bearing with ensnaring courtesy and amiability. When the manna falls, all the people stoop; but above all the daughters of Eve.'

"I admired the longsuffering of the young widow, who replied with a placid smile to all these violent onslaughts, while I even, although I did not exactly know whither all those onslaughts were directed, assumed a sharp tone towards the candidate, and condemned the intolerance which his words displayed.

"Those speeches still live in my recollection; they made a deep impression upon me at the time. That which in earlier years floated before me, the founding of a new religion, was it now being carried out in my immediate vicinity, without my knowing anything about it? And did this religion possess such graceful priestesses as