perfect hero. He took all the blame upon himself and told the alarmed
father that he had asked the young lady to kiss him--poor fellow, he
never had the courage for such a thing!--and the blow had been her
answer. A stern man was the father; he treated the lad very harshly.
The hero was sent away from his family and his home, and the heroine
sat lonely in her donjon-tower and mourned her lost one.

IDA.

She ought to have told her father the truth.

ADELAIDE.

Oh, she did. But her confession made matters only worse. Years have
gone by since then, and the knight and his lady are now old people and
have become quite sensible.

IDA (_smiling_).

And, because they are sensible, do they not love each other any
longer?

ADELAIDE.

How the man feels about it, dear child, I cannot tell you exactly. He
wrote the lady a very beautiful letter after the death of her
father--that is all I know about it. But the lady has greater
confidence than you, for she still hopes. (_Earnestly_.) Yes, she
hopes; and even her father permitted that before he died--you see, she
still hopes.