Conscious of her own mental superiority over that of all
her female companions, a superiority which in such moments is even of more
account than bodily force, after a few minutes of silent endurance, she
checked her mule, and called upon Sigismund to examine the condition of
his sister and her maids, neither of whom had now spoken for some time.
This startling request was made at a moment when the storm appeared to
gather new force, and when it had become absolutely impossible to
distinguish even the whitened earth at twenty paces from the spot where
the party stood collected in a shivering group. The young soldier threw
open the cloaks and mantles in which Christine was enveloped, and the
half-unconscious girl sank on his shoulder, like a drowsy infant that was
willing to seek its slumbers in the arms of one it loved.
"Christine!--my sister!--my poor, my much-abused, angelic sister!"
murmured Sigismund, happily for his secret in a voice that only reached
the ears of Adelheid. "Awake! Christine; for the love of our excellent and
affectionate mother, exert thyself.
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