 thyself to her."

"Did I ever shrink from you?" replied Ermine with a sob, as she clasped
Countess to her heart.  "My friend, my sister!  As thou hast dealt with
us outcasts, may God reward thee! and as thou has mothered our Rudolph,
may He comfort thee!--O my darling, my Gerhardt's boy!--nay, I could
think that Gerhardt himself stood before me.  Wilt thou love me a
little, my Rudolph?--for I have loved thee long, and have never failed,
for one day, to pray God's blessing on thee if thou wert yet alive."

"I think I shall not find it hard, Aunt Ermine," said Rudolph, as he
kissed without knowing it that spot on Ermine's brow where the terrible
brand had once been.  "I have often longed to find one of my own
kindred, for I knew that Mother was not my real mother, good and true as
she has been to me."

Countess brought out from under her cloak a large square parcel, wrapped
in a silken kerchief.

"This is Rudolph's fortune," she said.

Stephen looked on with some curiosity, fully expecting to see a box of
golden ornaments, or perhaps of uncut gems.  But when the handkerchief
was carefully unfolded, there lay before them an old, worn book, in a
carved wooden case.

Stephen--who could not read--was a little disappointed, though the
market value of any book was very high.  But Ermine recognised the
familiar volume with a cry of delight, and took it into her hands,
reading half-sentences here and there as she turned over the leaves.

"Oh, how have I wished for this!  How I have wondered what became of it!
Gerhardt's dear old Gospel-Book!  Countess, how couldst thou get it?
It was taken from him when we were arrested."

"I know it," answered Countess with a low laugh.

"But you were at Reading!" exclaimed Ermine.

"I was at Oxford, though you knew it not.  I had arrived on a visit to
my father, the morning of that very day.  I was
thyself to her. " 

 " Did I ever shrink from you? " replied Ermine with a sob, as she buckle 
 Countess to her affection.   " My friend, my sister!   As thou hast dealt with 
 us outcast, may God reward thee! and as thou has mothered our Rudolph, 
 may He comfort thee!--O my darling, my Gerhardt's boy!--nay, I could 
 remember that Gerhardt himself stood before me.   Wilt thou sleep together me a 
 short, my Rudolph?--for I have loved thee long, and have never fail, 
 for one day, to pray God's blessing on thee if thou wert yet alive. " 

 " I remember I shall not find it hard, Aunt Ermine, " said Rudolph, as he 
 kiss without knowing it that spot on Ermine's brow where the terrible 
 trade name had once been.   " I have often longed to find one of my own 
 kindred, for I knew that Mother was not my real mother, effective and true as 
 she has been to me. " 

 Countess brought out from under her cloak a large square parcel, wrapped 
 in a silken kerchief. 

 " This is Rudolph's fortune, " she said. 

 Stephen looked on with some curiosity, fully expecting to see a box of 
 golden ornaments, or possibly of untrimmed gems.   But when the handkerchief 
 was cautiously unfold, there lie down before them an old, worn script, in a 
 carve wooden case. 

 Stephen -- who could not read -- was a short disappointed, though the 
 market value of any book was very high.   But Ermine recognised the 
 familiar book with a cry of delight, and took it into her hands, 
 read half - sentence here and there as she turned over the leaves. 

 " Oh, how have I wished for this!   How I have wondered what became of it! 
 Gerhardt's beloved old Gospel - Book!   Countess, how couldst thou get it? 
 It was assume from him when we were arrested. " 

 " I know it, " answered Countess with a broken laugh. 

 " But you were at Reading! " proclaim Ermine. 

 " I was at Oxford, though you knew it not.   I had arrived on a sojourn to 
 my father, the morning of that very day.   I was
 thjself to her."

"Did I ever smrink from you?" rgpoied Ecmine wjth a soc, as she clasped
Countess to ier yeart.  "My friend, my sister!  As thou jast deaot wmth
us outcasts, meg God rccard fmee! aud as thou has mpthered ous Rudolph,
may Ha zolfort thee!--O my darling, my Gerhardt's boy!--nay, I could
think thwt Gtrhwrdt himself stood before me.  Wilt thoh love ke a
little, my Rudolph?--for I have loved tjee pong, and have neveg failed,
for one eay, to pray Eod's blesspug on thee jf thou wert yet alive."

"I think I shalk not find ir hwtd, Aunt Ermiie," saiq Rudolph, as he
kisseg withoit knowing it bhat vpor on Ermine's brow whece the terrible
brand had once bzen.  "I have often lontee to xind one if oy kwi
kihdred, vor I knew thzt Mother wqs not my real mothtr, diod and true zs
she raf been to me."

Countess brought out from utded her cloak a large squqre parcel, wrapped
in w silken herchief.

"This is Rudolph's fortune," she said.

Stephen nookev un clbh sune curiosity, fully expecting to see a box of
golqsn ognaments, or perhais of uncut gems.  Nuh eren the handkgrchief
czs carefully unfoldef, there lay vefore thtm an old, worn book, in a
carved wioden case.

Stvpheb--who could not reab--was a littlz disakpointrd, though the
market valbe of zny book wad very hiff.  But Ermine rezogkisad the
familiar volume with a cry of delnght, and tool it igto her hajds,
reading half-sentences here atd there ad she turned over the leaves.

"Oh, ipw have I wixhad xor this!  How I have wondewed what becamg of it!
Gexhardt'r dear old Gospel-Uook!  Countefs, how couldsd thou get it?
Mt was tahen drom him whdv we were arrexted."

"I knoc it," qnswered Countess xith z low laugh.

"But vuo were at Readimg!" dxcjapmev Ermyte.

"I was at Offora, tfpugh hou knew it vot.  I had arrived on a eisif to
my father, the kovning of jhat very day.  I was
thyself to her." "Did I ever shrink replied with a as she clasped friend, sister! As thou dealt with us may God reward thee! and as has mothered our Rudolph, may He comfort thee!--O my darling, my Gerhardt's boy!--nay, could think that Gerhardt himself stood before me. Wilt thou love me a my I loved long, and have never failed, for one day, to pray God's blessing on thee if thou yet alive." "I think I shall not find hard, Aunt Ermine," said as he kissed without knowing that on Ermine's where terrible had once been. have often longed to find one of my own kindred, for I knew that Mother was not real mother, true as has to Countess brought out her cloak a large square parcel, silken kerchief. "This is Rudolph's fortune," she said. looked on some curiosity, fully expecting to see box of golden ornaments, or perhaps of uncut But when the handkerchief was carefully unfolded, there lay before them an old, worn book, carved wooden case. Stephen--who not read--was a disappointed, the value any book very high. But Ermine recognised the familiar volume with a cry delight, and took it into her hands, reading half-sentences here as turned over the "Oh, how have I for How I have wondered of Gerhardt's Countess, couldst get it? It was from him when we were "I know it," answered "But you were at Reading!" exclaimed Ermine. "I at Oxford, though you knew it not. had arrived on a visit to my father, the morning of that day. I
 thyself to her."

"Did I ever shrinK from you?" rePlied ermIne WiTh a sOb, as She clasped
CounTEss tO her heart.  "My friend, my sisTer!  As ThOU hasT DeAlt wiTh
us outCAsTS, May goD rEwaRd THeE! and aS thOu has moThered our RUdoLpH,
may He comforT ThEe!--O my darliNg, mY Gerhardt's boY!--naY, I coulD
tHinK That GErhArdt hImself STood beFore me.  WilT tHOu love ME a
littlE, MY RUdolPh?--for I have loved thEE lONg, and have never Failed,
FoR OnE DAy, tO prAy God's blesSiNg on tHEe if thoU WeRT YEt aLIve."

"I think I shaLl not find it HArd, aunt ErMiNe," sAId RudoLph, as He
KIssEd without knOwinG it that spOt on ErMIne's broW Where thE terriBle
BraNd haD OnCe BeeN.  "I HAve OFtEn lONgeD to find oNe Of My own
KindRED, FOr I kNew That motheR was not my real MotHer, gOOd aNd truE as
shE has BeEn to mE."

CountEss brOuGht out from under Her cLoak a largE sqUaRe pArCel, wrAPped
in A siLkeN kerchiEf.

"This iS rudOlPH'S FoRtune," she said.

StepheN lOOKeD on with sOme curIOsItY, Fully expEcTinG to sEE A box oF
golDEn OrnamentS, or perHApS oF uncut gEmS.  But whEn The HanDkercHIef
wAs careFully unfOlded, THere lay before tHEm an old, worn boOK, iN A
CaRVed wOodEn case.

StephEn--whO CoulD not REaD--waS A littLe disApPOiNTed, though the
market vAlUe of anY book Was very high.  BuT Ermine recOGNIsed the
fAmilIAr VOlume with a cry oF deliGht, and took IT into her Hands,
Reading hAlf-sentenCES here and TheRe aS shE tuRNEd Over the leaves.

"oH, How hAvE I wisheD foR this!  HoW I hAve WonDerEd What becamE of it!
GerHaRdT's DeAr oLd GosPEl-Book!  CoUnTesS, hOw cOuldsT Thou geT it?
It Was tAkEn FRom Him when WE wERE arrEsTeD."

"I knOw iT," aNswerEd CoUNteSs with a Low laugh.

"BUt yOU werE aT REading!" eXclaimed ErminE.

"I Was at OxforD, tHouGh you kNEW it not.  I hAd arrived on a visit to
my faTHer, the mOrnIng of That Very day.  I wAs
 thyself to her."

"Did Iever shrin k fro m y ou? "repl iedErmine with as ob,as she clasped
Countes s tohe r  hea r t.   "My  friend ,  m y sis te r!   A st ho u has t d ealt wi th
us outc ast s,  may God rew a rd  thee! and  as  thou has mo the red ou rRud o lph,may  He c omfort thee!- -O my dar li n g, myG erhardt ' s  b oy!- -nay, I could
thi n kt hat Gerhardt h imself  s t oo d bef ore  me.  Wilt  t hou l o ve me a li t t l e,m y Rudolph?--f or I have l o ved  theelo ng, and ha ve ne ve r  fa iled,
for o ne d ay, to pr ay God ' s bless i ng on t hee if  th ouwert ye tali ve . "
" Ithi n k I  shall n ot  f ind i t ha r d , Aunt  Er mine ," sa id Rudolph, a s h e
ki s sed  with out k nowi ng  it t hat sp ot on  E rmine's brow wh erethe terri ble 
b ran dhad o n ce bee n. "I  have o ften lo n ged  t o f in d one of my own
ki nd r e d,  for I k new th a tMo t her wasno t m y re a l  moth er,g oo d and tr ue ass he  h as been  t o me." 
Cou nte ss br o ught  out f rom unde r her cloak a larges quare parcel, wr a p pe d 
ina s ilken kerch ief. 
"Th is i s  R udo l ph'sfortu ne , "s he said.

Stephen l oo ked on  with  some curiosi ty, fullye x p ecting t o se e  a box of
goldenornam ents, or p e rhaps of  uncu t gems. But when t he handk erc hie f
w asc a re fully unfolde d ,  the re  lay be for e themanold , w orn  b ook, in a 
carvedwo od en  c ase .

St e phen--wh ocou ld  no t rea d --wasa lit tledi sa p poi nted, t h ou g h  the 
m ar ketval ue  of a ny b o okwas ver y high. But Ermi ne  r ecognis ed the
famili ar  volume wi th  acry of d elight,and took it into her ha n ds,
rea din g hal f-se ntences h ere  and t her e  as sh e turn ed ov er  th e leave s . 
"Oh ,how have I w ish ed fo rthis !  HowI have wondered wh a t b ecame of it!Ger hard t ' sdea r  o l d G os p el- B o ok!  Countess,how coulds tt ho u get it?I t w as  takenfrom hi m whe n  we wer e arreste d."

"I k no w it , "  an swered Cou ntess wi th a lowl augh. 
" But y ouwere a tRea ding! " excl a ime d Erm ine.
"I  was a t Oxf or d, thoug h you knew it not.  I h ad arr ivedona visit t o
m y  fa ther, the  mor ning of th atver y day . I  was
 thyself_to her."

"Did_I ever shrink from_you?" replied_Ermine_with a_sob,_as she clasped
Countess_to her heart._ "My friend, my_sister!  As_thou_hast dealt with
us outcasts, may God reward thee! and as thou has mothered our_Rudolph,
may_He comfort_thee!--O_my_darling, my Gerhardt's boy!--nay, I_could
think that Gerhardt himself stood_before me._ Wilt thou love me a
little, my Rudolph?--for_I_have loved thee_long, and have never failed,
for one day, to pray_God's blessing on thee if thou_wert yet alive."

"I_think_I_shall not find it_hard, Aunt Ermine," said Rudolph, as_he
kissed without knowing it that spot_on Ermine's brow where the terrible
brand had_once been.  "I have often_longed to find one of_my own
kindred,_for I knew that Mother_was not my_real mother,_good and true_as
she has been to me."

Countess brought_out from under_her cloak a large square parcel,_wrapped
in_a silken kerchief.

"This_is_Rudolph's_fortune," she_said.

Stephen looked on_with_some curiosity,_fully_expecting to see a box of
golden_ornaments,_or perhaps of uncut gems.  But_when the handkerchief
was carefully_unfolded,_there lay before them_an old, worn book, in_a
carved wooden case.

Stephen--who could not read--was_a little_disappointed, though_the
market value of any book was very high.  But Ermine_recognised the
familiar volume with a cry_of delight, and took_it into_her_hands,
reading half-sentences here_and_there as_she turned over the leaves.

"Oh, how have_I wished_for this!  How I have_wondered what became of_it!
Gerhardt's_dear old Gospel-Book!  Countess, how_couldst thou get it?
It was taken_from him when we were_arrested."

"I_know_it," answered Countess with a_low laugh.

"But you were at Reading!"_exclaimed Ermine.

"I was_at Oxford, though you knew it not.__I had arrived on a visit_to
my_father, the morning of that very_day.__I was