Part 124

any more, +mehr+, before the verb; ‘with’, here +bei+.

+erfrieren+, insep. comp. str. v., to freeze to death.

Liter. ‘of which nearly a whole box was burnt up’.

+Traumbild+, n.

Section 155.

PROVIDENCE VINDICATING THE INNOCENT.

It is (S. 2, N. 1) recorded in history that a beautiful maiden named Blanche, the serf of an ancient nobleman, was wooed by her master’s son. Not admiring his character, she scorned his suit. Upon this his course of love turned to bitter hatred. Just then a precious string of pearls confided (S. 7, N. 3, B) to the maiden’s care was lost. Her pseudo-lover charged her with the theft, and, in accordance with the customs of that rude age, she was doomed to die. On the day of the execution, as the innocent girl knelt to offer her dying prayer, a flash of lightning struck a statue of Justice, which adorned the market-place, to the dust. From a destroyed bird’s nest, built (S. 7, N. 3, A, and S. 48, N. 6) in a crevice of the image, dropped the lost pearls, thus declaring the maiden’s innocence. In a moment the exultant crowd rushed to the scaffold, demanding her release. There she knelt beside the block, pale and beautiful, and with a smile of peace upon her lips. They (S. 134, N. 4) spoke—she answered not. They touched her—she was dead! To preserve her memory they raised a statue there; and to this day, when men gaze upon her image, they condemn her oppressor; they praise her for the purity of her character; they recognise the justice of Him whose lightning testified her innocence.—W. SMITH.

Say, ‘Providence (S. 3, N. 2) protects innocence.’

of — nobleman = of a nobleman of an old family (+Geschlecht+, n.).

+umwer´ben+, insep. comp. str. v.

= As his character displeased (+mißfallen+, insep. comp. str. v., governing the dat.) her.

+verschmähen+, insep. comp. w. v. tr.

+sich verwan´deln in.+

Just then = Just at this time.

was lost = one missed; care, +Obhut+, f.

= false lover.

in — customs = according to the law.

= to speak.

a — Justice ... to the dust = +fuhr ein Blitzstrahl in die Statue der Gerechtigkeit ... und zerschmetterte sie.+

+Aus.+

+Bildsäule+, f.

= missed.

Say ‘and testified (+bezeugen+, w. v. tr.) thus the maiden’s innocence’.

Supply ‘to her’.

+daselbst+.

+bis auf den heutigen Tag.+

Construe thus: ‘those who look at her image (+Bildnis+, n.) condemn her oppressor’, and consider App. § 14.

In order to avoid a repetition of the same form of pronoun, turn the last clause into: ‘who with his lightning testified her innocence’.