This excellent woman had been long courted by a man of no small consequence in the village of Stein; he was in every respect deserving of a reciprocal attachment, and she had long since acknowledged her consciousness, of his merit; but still the affection which she felt for me, with whom she had lived even from my infancy, was so great, that she could not prevail on herself to quit me. After the loss of me and Edith, when the young Minna was left entirely to her care, she was less disposed than ever to think of altering her situation. A cloister seemed to her the only proper retreat for herself and her adopted daughter; and she contented herself with only seeing her faithful lover at such few hours, as she could steal from her attentions to Minna. Then she confided to him her grief for our loss, and her anxiety for the fate of her pupil. He was her only confident; and now that the holy walls seemed to afford no longer a secure retreat, Werner Bernsdorf became more urgent in his entreaties, that Gertrude would exchange her abode at the Convent for an husband’s house. Gertrude at length consented to become his wife, and accepted the protection, which he offered for herself and her lovely charge. She quitted the Convent privately; and they had already past a year in his dwelling at Stein in a manner which left them nothing to desire, except that which they now enjoyed, the embraces of those dear friends whose loss they had never ceased to lament. No sooner had the intelligence reached her of our release and arrival at Upper Halbstein, than Gertrude hastened to restore Minna to our arms, and give us an account of the manner, in which she had preserved this treasure. Her husband, the worthy Werner Bernsdorf, accompanied her, and brought with him a considerable number of his country neighbours to assist my uncle against the Count of Carlsheim, whose conduct had made him the object of universal detestation. Here Minna eagerly interrupted Gertrude’s narrative. —“Oh!” said she, “however good Werner’s intentions may be, we are already provided with a much more powerful ally. You are not aware, dear mother, that Count Lodowick of Homburg....”— —“Forgive me, lady,” said Gertrude smiling, “for having so long omitted the mention of that favourite name!”—then turning again to us, “you must know, my dear mistresses, that the assistance, which the Count of Homburg prepares to give you, is given solely, because one of the persons injured by Ethelbert is the mother of Minna. Count Lodowick is my husband’s declared patron; he saw the Damsel of Mayenfield in one of his visits at Stein, and from that moment his heart....”— —“Have mercy on me, dear Gertrude,” exclaimed the blushing Minna; “you punish me too severely for my imprudence!”—