It must surely have all been a foreboding of our poor young Lord Sintram, whom I love as if he were my own child; and now the words of the weeping father in the Gospel often come into my mind,--'Lord, I believe; help Thou my unbelief;' and something similar I may very likely have repeated to-day as a chant or a prayer.

Reverend father, when I consider how one dreadful imprecation of the father has kept its withering hold on the son, all seems dark before me; but, God be praised! my faith and my hope remain above." "Good Rolf," said the priest, "I cannot clearly understand what you say about the unhappy Sintram; for I do not know when and how this affliction came upon him.

If no oath or solemn promise bind you to secrecy, will you make known to me all that is connected with it ?" "Most willingly," replied Rolf.

"I have long desired to have an opportunity of so doing; but you have been almost always separated from us.

I dare not now leave the sleeping boy any longer alone; and to-morrow, at the earliest dawn, I must take him to his father.