Produced by Charles Bowen, from page images provided by Google Books Transcriber's Note: 1. Page scan source: http://books.google.com/books?id=E1ETAAAAYAAJ&dq 2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe]. THE ROMANCE OF THE CANONESS. _A LIFE-HISTORY_ BY PAUL HEYSE AUTHOR OF "IN PARADISE," ETC. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY J. M. PERCIVAL NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1887 Copyright, 1887, By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. NOTE BY THE TRANSLATOR. The title of this book, in the German, is "Der Roman der Stiftsdame," _stiftsdame_ being rendered in this version _canoness_. It is desirable to explain that _stiftsdame_ is the name given to a female member of certain religious communities or orders, originally Roman Catholic, the members of which lived in common but without taking monastic vows. After the Reformation, Protestant houses of a similar kind were organized. The privileges of these communities are often secured by noblemen for their daughters, who may at any subsequent period enter the stift or chapter of the order, but who forfeit this right in case of marriage. THE ROMANCE OF THE CANONESS. In June, 1864, a visit I had promised to pay one of the friends of my youth led me into the heart of the province of Brandenburg. I could travel by the railway as far as the little city of St. ----, but from this place was compelled to hire a carriage for two or three miles, as the estate, which my friend had owned several years, did not even possess the advantage of a daily stage. So, on reaching St. ----, I applied to the landlord of the "Crown-Prince"--who was also postmaster--for a carriage, and, as it was past three o'clock in the afternoon, and the drive over shadeless roads in the early heat of summer would not be particularly agreeable, I begged him not to hurry, but give me time to have a glimpse of the little city and its environs. The landlord replied that the poor little place had no sights worth looking at. As a native of a great capital who had removed to the province, he displayed a compassionate contempt for his present residence. The situation was not bad, and the "lake" the most abundantly stocked with fish in the whole Mark. If I kept straight on in that direction--he pointed across the square marketplace on which his hostelry stood--I should get a view of the water just beyond the city-wall.