"True, madam," I replied; "souls of the highest order are for the common property and advantage of the unhappy--the lost wayfarer, the sick, the hungry poor--each has his claim for a share, for God has made them like the stars of heaven to give light and pleasure to all." The deep-fringed eyelids veiled the blue eyes for a moment, while Sperver pressed my hand. Presently she pursued-- "Ah, if you could but restore my father's health!" "As I have had the pleasure to inform you, madam, the crisis is past; the return must be anticipated, if possible." "Do you hope that it may?" "With God's help, madam, it is not impossible; I will think carefully over it." Odile, much moved, came with me to the door. Sperver and I crossed the ante-room, where a few servants were waiting for the orders of their mistress. We had just entered the corridor when Gideon, who was walking first, turned quickly round, and, placing both his hands on my shoulders, said-- "Come, Fritz; I am to be depended upon for keeping a secret; what is your opinion?" "I think there is no cause of apprehension for to-night." "I know that--so you told the countess--but how about to-morrow?" "To-morrow?" "Yes; don't turn round. I suppose you cannot prevent the return of the complaint; do you think, Fritz, he will die of it?" "It is possible, but hardly probable." "Well done!" cried the good man, springing from the ground with joy; "if you don't think so, that means that you are sure." And taking my arm, he drew me into the gallery. We had just reached it when the Baron of Zimmer-Bluderich and his groom appeared there also, marshalled by Sebalt with a lighted torch in his hand. They were on their way to their chambers, and those two figures, with their cloaks flung over their shoulders, their loose Hungarian boots up to the knees, the body closely girt with long dark-green laced and frogged tunics, and the bear-skin cap closely and warmly covering the head, were very picturesque objects by the flickering light of the pine-torch. "There," whispered Sperver, "if I am not very much mistaken, those are our Fribourg friends; they have followed very close upon our heels." "You are quite right: they are the men; I recognise the younger by his tall, slender figure, his aquiline nose, and his long, drooping moustache." They disappeared through a side passage. Gideon took a torch from the wall, and guided me through quite a maze of corridors, aisles, narrow and wide passages, under high vaulted roofs and under low-built arches; who could remember? There seemed no end. "Here is the hall of the margraves," said he; "here is the portrait-gallery, and this is the chapel, where no mass has been said since Louis the Bold became a Protestant." All these particulars had very little interest for me.