Frau von Wallmoden looked up at him suddenly, and
said, gazing earnestly into his face:
"And--the end?"
"The end is death, as in all these legends. The knowledge of the broken
vows comes to light and the guilty ones are offered as a sacrifice to an
enraged deity--the priest perishes in the flames with the woman whom he
loves."
There was a second's pause after the last words were spoken, then
Adelheid rose abruptly; she would end this conversation at once.
"You are right; no doubt the legends do resemble ours; it is only the
old story of sin and atonement."
"Do you call that sin, my dear lady?" Hartmut dropped suddenly the more
formal madame or baroness. "Men call it sin and punish it accordingly,
without any premonition that such a punishment will lead to perfect
happiness. To pass away in a flame of fire after one has enjoyed the
highest earthly joys, and is yet surrounded by them in death. Ah! that
is to die like a god--far better such a death than a long, stupid,
humdrum existence. Eternal, undying love rises like a flaming brand to
the heavens above, in defiance of mankind's sentence--do you not think
such an ending is enviable?"
Adelheid's face was pale, but her voice was as steady and cool as ever,
as she answered:
"No, nothing is enviable but death for a high and holy duty.
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