"Yes, Oscar! You say that I can save you, how dare I hesitate?"
She laid her head upon his breast, with a low, heart-rending sob, in which the young creature buried her happiness. Wildenrod stood there, motionless, and looked down upon her: from the beech-tree withered leaves rained slowly down upon the pair.
At last Maia straightened herself up and dried her tears. "Let us go--I am ready!"
"No!" said Oscar, almost rudely, while he let her out of his arms.
The young girl looked at him in surprise.
"What did you say?"
He took off his hat and stroked his forehead, as though he would wipe something away. Suddenly his features appeared to be strangely altered: a few minutes before they had portrayed all the fierce passionateness of his nature, now they were cold and stolid in their calmness.
"I perceive that you are right," said he, and his voice sounded unnaturally composed. "It would be cruel to hinder you from taking leave of your father. Go to him and tell him--what you choose."
"And you?" asked Maia, astonished at this sudden change of mind.
"I shall wait for you here. It is better, perhaps, that you should speak to him once more, ere we venture upon that last desperate measure. Perhaps you will succeed in changing his mind."