Chapter 38

"...Wie entzückend Und süss es ist, in einer schönen Seele, Verherrlicht uns zu fühlen, es zu wissen, Das uns're Fruede fremde Wangen röthet, Und uns're Angst in fremdem Busen zittert, Das uns're Leiden fremde Augen nässen." SCHILLER.

"How pale!" said Wilhelm the next morning to Otto. "Do you see, that is what people get by night-wandering?"

"How so?" inquired Otto.

Wilhelm made a jest of it.

"You have been dreaming that!" said Otto.

"How do you mean?" replied Wilhelm; "will you make me fancy that I have imagined it? I was really quite awake! we really talked about it; I was initiated in it. Actually I have a good mind to give you a moral lecture. If it had been me, how you would have preached!"

They were summoned to breakfast. Otto's heart was ready to burst. What might he not have to hear? What must he say?

Sophie was much excited.

"Did you, gentlemen, hear anything last night?" she inquired. "Have you both slept?"

"Yes, certainly," replied Wilhelm, and looked involuntarily at Otto.

"The bird is flown, however!" said she; "it has made its escape out of the dove-cote."

"What bird?" asked Wilhelm.

"Sidsel!" replied she; "and, what is oddest in the whole affair is, that Louise has loosed her wings. Louise is quite up to the romantic. Think only! she went up in the night to the topmost story, unlocked the prison-tower, gave a moral lecture to Sidsel, and after that let her go! Then in the morning comes Louise to mamma, relates the whole affair, and says a many affecting things!"

"Yes, I do not understand it," said the mother, addressing Louise. "How you could have had the courage to go up so late at night, and go up to her! But it was very beautiful of you! Let her escape! it is, as you say, best that she should. We should all of us have thought of that last evening!"

"I was so sorry for her!" said Louise; "and by chance it happened that I had a great many things to arrange after you were all in bed. Everything was so still in the house, it seemed to me as if I could hear Sidsel sigh; certainly it was only my own imagination, but I could do no other than pity her! she was so unfortunate! Thus I let her escape!"

"Are you gone mad?" inquired Wilhelm; "what a history is this? Did you go in the night up to the top of the house? That is an unseasonable compassion!"

"It was beautiful!" said Otto, bending himself involuntarily, and kissing Louise's hand.

"Yes, that is water to his mill!" exclaimed Wilhelm. "I think nothing of such things!"

"We will not talk about it to anyone," said