Towards evening he visited us, and gave that answer in person, which we had vainly solicited in the morning. Now that he had laid aside his threatening casque and blood-stained armour, he appeared to be entirely a different person. His manner was respectful to Minna, courteous to me. He mentioned his father in terms rather of grief than anger; Lucretia’s name, (which, as we had been informed, used to be constantly on his lips) was not pronounced by him; and in the course of conversation he once so far forgot his wrath, as to mention me by the title of “his mother.”— —“Oh! rejoice with me, dear Minna,” I exclaimed, while I prest the Damsel of Mayenfield to my bosom; “it is now certain, that we are safe! Heard you not, that Count Donat called me mother? See’st thou in him that terrific conqueror, such as report described him? Oh! that Ethelbert were but here to know, and love the real character of his so dreaded son: all would be pardoned, all forgotten!” —“That is possible,” answered Donat, who could not help smiling at the unrestrained expression of my feelings; “the only person who has anything to pardon is myself; and I cannot deny that beauty like Urania’s may well excuse an act of injustice, even though it should be monstrous as that, which was suffered by the poor Lucretia!”— We saw, that at the recollection of Lucretia a cloud seemed to pass over Donat’s countenance, though it soon disappeared again. We therefore lost no time in mentioning to him the only request about which we were now anxious, fearful lest he should alter his good dispositions towards us, before they had produced the effect which was so earnestly desired. We entreated him to suffer us to return to his anxious father, and inform him, how unjustly he had doubted his son’s filial affection. Donat hesitated, and inquired, why we were desirous of leaving him in such haste?—Besides our wish to relieve Count Ethelbert from his apprehensions without loss of time, we alleged as an excuse the impropriety of our remaining in a camp without any other females. —“Oh!” replied Donat, “this last reason can be none for your departure; and if you have no better, I flatter myself, that I shall not lose your company, till after I have been presented by you to-morrow to my long-estranged father in the Castle of Sargans. You are not the only ladies in my camp; I have a wife and sister with me, who will be delighted to welcome you, and who (to confess the truth) pleaded with me in your behalf most urgently, ere I was yet decided, what answer I should make to your request.”—