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"If he were the enemy of the Church of God," said Jael, in a voice as hard as it was sincere. Then the talk drifted back to the singing school and Brother Friedsam's severity. "But why doesn't the Hofcavalier speak?" again persisted Thecla. "When the Hofcavalier speaks, it will be to Brother Friedsam himself," answered Tabea.
With the audacity of youth he had conceived a great passion for Tabea, and now that his apprenticeship was about to expire he amused her with surreptitious notes. To-day, for the first time, Tabea began to think of the possibility of marrying Scheible, chiefly, perhaps, from a vague desire to escape from the convent, which could not but be irksome to one of her spirit.
"When I have perceived your strength of character, when I have heard your exquisite voice uttering the melodies with which I am inspired, I have thought my work was sweeter because Tabea shared it, and I have hoped that you would yet more and more share it as years and discipline should ripen your spirit."
He had sent such letters before, and Tabea, though she had not answered them, had kept them, partly because she did not wish to inform those in authority of this breach of rule, partly because so much defiance of the law of the place gave a little zest to a monotonous life, and partly because she was a young woman, and therefore not displeased with affection, even from a youth in whom she had no more than a friendly interest.
But when the second strophe had been sung, and the sisters began their second response, a thrill of excitement went through all as the long-silent voice of Sister Tabea rose above the rest with even more than its old fervor and expression.
I am going to lay aside these garments and marry Daniel Scheible." She held out her hand, but Friedsam was too much stunned to see it. "You have broken your vow! You have denied the Lord!" There was no severity in his despondent rebuke; it had the vibration of an involuntary cry of surprise and pain. Tabea was not prepared for this.
Only Sister Jael, who for lack of voice was not included in either of the three choruses of the sisterhood, stoutly defended Brother Friedsam, thinking, perhaps, that it was not a bad thing to have the conceit of the singers reduced; indeed, she was especially pleased that Tabea, the unsurpassed singer of the sisters' gallery, should have suffered rebuke.
Plain of Taeeta Fezzan Boundary Fossils Tuarick Behaviour Valley of Tabea Observations Fasting Tuarick Habits Scorpions and Locusts Visitors Heat Roads Hot Wind Pass of Abulaghlagh The Palace of Demons Wheat hid in the Desert Land of Demons Kasar Janoon A dear Camel Visit to the Kasar Perilous Adventure of Dr. Barth.
"You always scare me so, Sister Tabea; I wouldn't dare hold up my head as you do." But when Persida had gone out the high head of the Hofcavalier went down a little. She felt that the man whom she in some sort worshiped had put upon her a public slight. He did not account it worth his while to invite her to return. She had missed her chance to refuse.
Sister Tabea had persistently omitted the rehearsals, and so the grand chorals were now given on the Sabbaths without her voice, and Jael felt no little exultation at this state of things. At length, after much wavering, Tabea made a final resolution to leave the convent, and to accept the love of the adventurous youth who had shown so persistent an affection for her.
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