you may well look at me, for it is certainly not often I do this.
But all the same you are dearer to me than I can tell." And she kissed
him again.

"My dear child!" he said, and smiled at her assault. He was happy, that
she saw. Into his eyes there gradually crept that curious brightness
which none ever forgot. She thought to herself: I'll do this every day
now, every day!

Joergen and she had planned a cycling excursion back into the country.
They set off next day. The relation at whose house they stopped that
evening, a military man, was delighted to have a visit from them.
They were persuaded to stay for several days. The young people of
the neighbourhood were summoned; an excursion to a saeter was
arranged--again something quite new to Mary. "I know every country
except my own," said she. She was determined to travel the next year
in Norway; there not much chaperonage would be necessary. With this
prospect in view Joergen and she rode home, enjoying themselves royally.

As they were propping their bicycles against the house, little Nanna
came rushing out at the door and down the steps. She was crying and did
not see them, as she was looking in the other direction. When Mary
called: "What is the matter?" she stopped and burst out: "Oh, come,
come! I was to go and call people." Up she rushed again to tell that
they were coming, Joergen after her, Mary behind him--across the hall, up
the stairs, along the passage to the last door on the right. Within, on
the floor, lay Anders Krog, Mrs. Dawes on her knees beside him, weeping
loudly. He was in an apoplectic fit. Joergen lifted him up, carried him
to his bed, and laid him carefully down. Mary had rushed to telephone
for the doctor.

The doctor was not at home; she tried place after place to find him, a
voice within her all the time crying despairingly: Why had she not been
beside her father when this happened? Immediately after vowing to
herself that she would show him every day how much she loved him, she
had left him! And this very day she had looked forward with pleasure to
being able to travel without him! How had she come to be like this? What
was the matter with her?

As soon as she had found the doctor, she hurried back to her father. He
was now undressed and Joergen had gone. But Mrs. Dawes sat on a chair
beside the pillow, with a letter in her hand, in the deepest distress.
The moment she saw Mary, she handed her the letter without taking her
eyes from th