He bestowed a noble heart-drawn sigh upon the memory of the Countess of Werdenberg. He blamed her for having suffered her prejudices to interfere so much with the welfare of her daughters, and engaged to repair the injury, which she had done them. Accompanied by the two Prelates he hastened to the Convent of Zurich, and entreated his new-found relations to make his abode their own. Deep was the emotion exprest in his honest countenance, when he first saw the Sisters. In them he beheld renewed in their most brilliant colours the charms of their mother, whom he had loved so long and so dearly without success; and he clasped them to his bosom with tears, which he vainly struggled to conceal. The girls too felt their hearts attracted towards the excellent man, and found no difficulty in considering him in every respect as their father. They followed him to his Castle with willingness, were grateful for the kindness which he showed them, nor did it ever enter their thoughts, that it was in his power to show them more: but the Bishop was extremely surprised, that although the Count had acknowledged the validity of the documents which testified their birth, and had adopted them as his nieces, he made no mention of their being entitled to any part of his inheritance, nor seemed to have it in his contemplation to bestow them on proper bridegrooms. —“The little eagerness,” said the Abbot, “which the Count shows for the wedding of his nieces confirms the report, that he is thinking of one for himself. I have already heard it whispered, that he is attached to a young person, with whom we are both well acquainted. She is lovely and virtuous; nobody can blame Count Frederick’s choice, though perhaps some people may blame him for making at his time of life any choice at all.”— —“I am sorry to hear this,” replied the Bishop; “should children spring from this union, the claims of our wards will be completely annihilated.”— —“In which case will they be made unhappy?” said the Abbot (who thought liberally on the subject, and to whom the lady, on whom the Count’s choice was supposed to have fallen, was even more dear than Constantia and her sister).—“Their rank is acknowledged; the sums left by their mother in our charge are sufficient to secure them against absolute want; their desires are moderate; neither will Frederick’s generosity fail to provide for them in a manner suitable to their station. But to expect that he should sacrifice the point, on which he grounds the happiness of his whole future life, in order that his inheritance may descend unimpaired to these unexpected newcomers, is really more than I can possibly justify to myself.”—