THE TWO CAPTAINS.
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this same love that had thus become the means for the attainment of
her highest spiritual good. She still well remembered the handsome
and terrible captain who had stormed the height that he might clasp
her in his arms; and she related to her friend how the same hero had
afterward saved her in the burning library. Heimbert too had many
pleasant things to tell of Fadrique--of his high knightly courage, of
his grave and noble manners, and of his love to Zelinda, which in the
night after the battle of Tunis was no longer concealed within his
passionate breast, but was betrayed to the young German in a thousand
unconscious expressions between sleeping and waking. Divine truth
and the image of her loving hero both at once sank deep within
Zelinda's heart, and struck root there with tender but indestructible
power. Heimbert's presence and the almost adoring admiration with
which his pupil regarded him did not disturb these feelings, for from
the first moment his appearance had something in it so pure and
heavenly that no thoughts of earthly love intruded. When Heimbert
was alone he would often smile happily within himself, saying in his
own beloved German tongue, "It is indeed delightful that I am now
able consciously to do the same service for Fadrique as he did for
me, unconsciously, with his angelic sister." And then he would sing
some German song of Clara's grace and beauty, the sound of which rang
with strange sweetness through the desert, while it happily beguiled
his solitary hours.

Once when Zelinda came in the evening twilight, gracefully bearing on
her beautiful head a basket of provisions for Heimbert, he smiled at
her and shook his head, saying, "It is inconceivable to me, sweet
maiden, why you ever give yourself the trouble of coming to me out
here in the desert. You can indeed no longer find pleasure in magic
arts, since the spirit of truth and love dwells within you. If you
would only transform the oasis into the natural form in which the
good God created it, I would go there with you, and we should have
far more time for holy converse." "Sir," replied Zelinda, "you speak
truly. I too have thought for some days of doing so and the matter