Hæc.—"But will the dear sister promise not to breathe it to mortal? She would be ruined with her best friend otherwise."
Illa.—"Nonsense, girl; who could I repeat it to? Come, out with it!"
So Anna began, in a very long-winded manner, to explain how the burgomaster's wife in Jacobshagen said that her maid said that Provost Bamberg's maid said, that while she was sweeping his study the other morning, she heard the provost's sister say to her brother in the adjoining room, that she could not bear the chaplain, David Ludeck, for he had been visiting there off and on for ever so long, and yet never had asked her the question. He was a faint-hearted coward evidently, and she hated faint-hearted men.
Sidonia grew as red as a lire-beacon when she heard this, and walked up and down the apartment as if much perturbed, so that Anna asked if the dear sister were ill? "No," was the answer. "She was only thinking how best to get rid of this priest, and prevent him running in and out of the convent whenever he pleased. She must try and have an order issued, that he was only to visit the nuns when they were sick. This very day she would see about it. Could the good Anna tell her what the sheriff had for lunch to-day?"
Illa.—"Ay, truly, could she; for the milk-girl, who had brought her some fresh milk, told her that he had got plenty of wild fowl, which the keeper had snared in the net; and there was to be a sweetbread besides. But what was the dear sister herself to eat?"
Hæc.—"No matter—but did she not hear a great ringing of bells? What could the ringing be for?"
Illa.—"That was a strange thing, truly. And there was no one dead, nor any child to be christened, that she had heard of. She would just run out and see, and bring the dear sister word."
Illa.-"Well then, wait till evening, for it is near noon now, and I expect a guest to lunch."
Hæc.—"Eh? a guest!—and who could it be?"
Illa.—"Why, the chaplain himself. I want to arrange about his dismissal."