—“Oh! my dear ladies!” she exclaimed, while she threw herself at our feet, and prest an hand of each alternately to her lips, “how much have I felt for your misfortunes! how much trouble has it cost me to preserve for you that treasure, which I am now going to restore! I dared not intrust it to the custody of the weak and credulous Count Venosta; but under your care our lovely girl can have nothing to apprehend.”— Scarcely had Gertrude ceased to speak, when a blooming maiden about sixteen, whose charms perfectly answered the expectation of what was promised by the childhood of Minna of Mayenfield, rushed into the room, and bedewed with tears of filial affection the bosom of the delighted Edith: it was her beloved, her long-lost daughter. Bewildered with joy, for some time neither the mother nor myself could do any thing but gaze upon and embrace the weeping Minna; and Gertrude recounted without being attended to, why she had so obstinately denied any knowledge of her concealment, and had resolved not to intrust her to the care of my uncle, who had suffered himself to be so grossly deluded by the slanders of the Count of Carlsheim. It was long, before we could recover ourselves enough to thank the trusty Gertrude, and listen to the tale of Minna’s adventures, of which a detailed account will be found among my papers (as well as a supplement containing what afterwards happened to her) under the title of “_Minna of Homburg_.” Suffice it to say in brief, that I had no sooner been torn from the arms of the afflicted Minna in order to be conveyed to Ravenstein, than Gertrude hurried her away from Sargans, and hastened to conceal her in the celebrated convent of Zurich. Their whole wealth in gold and jewels was scarcely sufficient to pay for their entrance into this consecrated retreat, which (as is well known) is seldom open but to ladies of the highest rank; and Gertrude’s prudence forbade her announcing her young charge as a daughter of the House of Mayenfield. Here they remained under feigned names quiet and concealed, unknown to, and even scarcely remarked by their hostesses the Nuns, till Minna’s expanding beauty began to excite attention. The Abbot of St. Gall, and the Bishop of Coira were more frequent than usual in their visits to the Domina, and never suffered an opportunity to escape them of bestowing a blessing on the lovely stranger. Gertrude, who had never been observed to judge the actions of the dignitaries of the church too favourably, suspected that her pupil was no longer safe at Zurich, and determined to change her abode, which she had the power of doing without difficulty.