“Did you only come to Silesia for me?” She raised her voice. “You’ll love me till death us do part? You wish to unite with me to the end of your life? If I consent, will you abandon everything and we’ll run away somewhere to the far side of the world? Will you drop everything, this moment? Two years ago, having given myself to you, I was prepared to do that. But you were afraid. Now, in turn, no doubt an important mission that you must carry out will interfere. Admit it! Do you have a mission to carry out?”

“I do,” he said, unwittingly blushing. “A truly important mission, a truly sacred duty. What I’m doing, I’m doing for you. For us. My mission will change the nature of the world, improve the world, make it better and more beautiful. When it dawns, we will live, you and I, live and love to the end of our days in such a world, a truly Divine Kingdom. That is what I desire, Jutta. I dream of it.”

“I’m almost twenty years old,” she said after a long pause. “My sister is fifteen and will be wed at Epiphany. She looks down on me and would consider me insane if I confessed that I don’t in the least envy her wedding, much less her betrothed—an old soak and boor almost three times her age. Or perhaps I really am abnormal? Perhaps my father was right, taking from me and burning the books of Hildegard of Bingen and Christine of Pizan? Why, my darling Reinmar, complete your mission, then, battle for your ideals, search for the Holy Grail, change and improve the world. You are a man, and those are manly things, to fight for dreams, search for the Grail and improve the world. As for me, I return to the convent.”

“Jutta!”

“Don’t look horrified. Yes, I’m presently living at the Poor Clare convent in White Church. Of my own free will. When the time comes to decide, I shall also make a decision of my own free will. For the moment, I’m just a conversa… And not quite that. I’m wondering what to do next—”

“Jutta—”

“I haven’t finished. I declared my love for you, Reinmar, because I love you, I love you indeed. Meanwhile, you go and change the world and I’ll be waiting. For want of an alternative, frankly speaking—”

He interrupted her, leaning over in the saddle and seizing her around the waist. Taking her in his arms, he pulled her from the saddle, slipping her feet from the stirrups, and they both fell into a deep snowdrift. They blinked, shaking the dry snow from their eyelids and lashes, and looked into one another’s eyes. At paradise lost and paradise regained.