"Oh!" thought Hertha, "that was the Saviour, the deliverer! Oh, that I could but find his kingdom! There would I abide and labour as the lowest of his servants!"

And her soul's yearning and love caused her again to float over the earth towards the regions where she had seen the Saviour disappear.

But below her sounded a chorus of female voices, like a low wind rising from the earth, which lamented:

"Thou wilt seek in vain for his kingdom on earth. As yet justice has nowhere opened a path for the full revelation of love. Nowhere as yet have mankind followed the doctrine of the Saviour. We must yet for a long time pray, Thy kingdom come!' Pray with us."

"Yes, I will pray and-die!" thought Hertha, and it seemed to her that all hope had expired within her, and that her life must end. She felt weary of living.

And now appeared before her inward eye a vision of her native land. She remembered those grey moss-clad mountains, that old eternally green tree of freedom, the murmur of the Urda fountain, and the warlike songs of the swans. She knew that there, in her father-land, women were more oppressed, and had less independence allowed to them, than in any other Christian country; but still it was her native land-a land rich in great memories and noble powers. An unspeakable longing seized upon her soul, and drew her hastily thither.

She again beheld them, those moss-covered primeval mountains, and heard from afar the soughing of the mighty branches of the tree of the world, and heard again the whispering voice amid it, which said:

"Listen to tree-tops' whispering,

At whose foot thy home is planted!"

And there, at the foot of the tree, but, ah! so far, so very far from her, she beheld the large grave Nornor sitting by the Urda fountain, and it seemed to her that

she heard their voices speaking amid the soughing of the mighty tree :

It is for those spirits heroic,

Those who have seen,

For this, who have earnestly striven.

Ask not from man.

List to the voice of the spirit.

Watch thou, and wait thou.

Only be worthy,

Strong in endurance.

The hour is advancing.

Who hath seen, he shall conquer.

Invigorating as the wind from the mountains was the sound of these rhythmical measured words. But their true significance was concealed from Hertha, and they seemed to have reference to others rather than to herself.

Again she was seated in her little nook in the bosom of the granite mountain; she heard the monotonous song of the spinners all around her. The cup-like leaves stood as before round her cell, and offered her the dew-drops which they had collected in their hollows. She again found everything precisely as it was before, only she herself was no longer the same. She had lost the freshness of her youth and her former cheerful hope. She sate silently, with but one wish, and that was to die. Days, weeks, months, years went on, but death came not. The cloudy sky hung grey and leaden above her head, and hard and cold the granite mountain inclosed her like a prison. Hertha felt her limbs becoming stiffened, but the fire within her heart neither grew chill nor dim. It burned restlessly and consumingly. Sometimes Hertha was strengthened by the words of the Nornor, which seemed to sound through infinite space above her head: sometimes her heart died within her under the depression of her monotonous existence, and she could not help sighing, "What wilt thou, oh thou

restless flame of life! There are moments when thou burnest brightly; but long weary times when thou merely burnest and torturest me, revealing the darkness within and around me! Die out, poor spark! die out! Let it be night, and silent-for ever!"

'Nay, live! Live, and enjoy life as we do!" exclaimed voices at no great distance; and Hertha again beheld the brilliant cloud and the girls with their garlands of roses.

"You see," said they, we are still near you. We are at home in all countries, and everywhere are we alikefree and alike happy. Be as we are!"

"Away!" replied Hertha. "Away, you lie! I see that your cheeks are painted, and your flowers are artificial. I see beneath your gay demeanour a secret unrest. Poor sisters! you are afraid of old age and death. Of them I am not afraid. I feel a something great within my suffering and longing heart which I do not perceive in you. And rather than live happily, according to your happiness, I will die unhappy with those who are unhappy. I weep-you smile and yet, poor sisters! I cannot but deplore you."

With that the gay group departed in two companies. The one laughing scornfully, but from the other were heard sorrowful, lamenting voices:

"And even we were at one time as thou art. We felt something within our hearts; we sought for light and for freedom, but society barred to us the paths which led to light and to life; and we were led astray by ignes fatui, which promised happiness and liberty, but which burned off those very wings which had lifted us upwards. We have fallen we know it; and that it is which makes our secret misery. Who counts our silent sighs? We might have been so different! Now it is too late. Let us drink wine and forget; for we must indeed live!"

Again the two companies united into one group. But in that same moment the rouge grew black upon their

cheeks, and flames bursting forth from the earth caught their fluttering garments, and the splendid glittering cloud was changed into a heap of ashes. Hertha heard a wild cry of horror and anguish, which died away by degrees into lamenting sighs, whilst a stormy wind dispersed the ashes into space. Hertha wept over the fate of the daughters of pleasure. And anon she turned to hear their dying voices hoarsely whispering in the tempest:

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Weep for thyself. Thou art different, but thou art not better than we, and thy fate may become still more dreadful!"

And it seemed to Hertha that her soul was changed, and that the upward-striving, yearning flame within it assumed another character. It had yearned to warm and to benefit now it would merely punish. She herself was transformed into a horrible being, which spread destruction around her. The flame in her heart extended itself through all her limbs, and everything which she touched. was kindled by it. Her hand had become a flaming torch. She laid it upon her father's house, and wild flames burst forth. She saw them grow higher and higher, and spread on all sides, setting fire to other and yet other houses. She heard the bells tolling, the beat of the alarm-drum, the shouts and terrified cries of people, the grating wheels of carts and of fire-engines. The noise and the tumult increased every moment, and it seemed to be whispered into her ear.

"Fire! incendiary fire!"

An unspeakable anguish overcame her, because it seemed to her that this was her work. All at once the thought occurred, as is sometimes the case in distressing dreams, "It must be a dream!" She endeavoured to wake, striving violently with the dream-spirit that held her captive; at length she conquered, and-awoke.

THE INCENDIARY FIRE.

A RED, wildly flaming glare lit up the sisters' room, which was situated within the court. The bells tolled; the alarm-drum was sounding, and amid a horrible din of human voices, one shrieking above another, the cries of "Fire! fire!

Help! help! Water! throw it here! Quick! Help! Save us!" seemed to fill the air. Hertha fancied herself still dreaming, or else delirious with the effect of the sleeping draught. But a glass of water which she hastily swallowed, and a violent blow upon the door, together with the words "Hertha! Come out! Will you be burned in your bed?" cleared away all the mists of sleep. She opened the door. Rudolph stood there, with bewildered looks. "Come!" said he, come! I will save you!"

Help me to save Alma first!" said Hertha, at once calm and decided.

Rudolph obeyed. Hertha hastily flung on her sister's clothes, wrapped her in a cloak, and led her, assisted by Rudolph, into the court. Here they found old Aunt Nella and the two youngest girls trembling and crying, and almost without clothes.

A quantity of furniture, bedding, and household utensils, had already been thrown into the court, which was thronged with people.

Hertha removed her sisters and aunt to as great a distance from the house as was possible in the court; and desired them to wait for her there. This done, she turned towards the burning house with a determined