Hence, during many a solitary ride, while the cart rolled slowly along, she pondered over the thought that Juliane's soul had lived again in foolish Julie.

How?
Why?
She did not rack her brains on those points.

What had been a fancy, slowly became a fixed belief in the mind thus constantly dwelling upon one idea.

At last she imagined that whatever she did for Cyriax's child benefited the soul of the little Augsburg girl, whose life had been shortened by her wicked prayer on the rope.
Yet she had not bought the indulgence in vain.

But for that, she believed that Juliane's soul would still be burning in the flames of purgatory.