rdly have behaved thus on the eve of parting from him for
several months, and with such poor prospects as they had of being able
to marry.

They sat for a short time beside her father, and longer beside Mrs.
Dawes. Joergen was quiet--hardly spoke. But Mary was gay. Mrs. Dawes
watched them in surprise. Turning to Joergen, she said: "Poor boy, you
must come here at Christmas!" Mary answered for him: "Aunt Eva, it is
just at Christmas that Stockholm is pleasantest."

Suddenly Mary rose and very unexpectedly said good-night, first to
Joergen, then to Mrs. Dawes.

"I am tired after the walk, and I must be up early to-morrow to see
Joergen off."

Joergen felt that this sudden departure was a piece of deliberate
mischief. She wished to escape saying good-night to him in the passage.
He vowed to revenge himself. He was skilled in the art.

Mrs. Dawes asked if there were any misunderstanding between them. He
said there was none. She did not believe it; he had to assure her again
solemnly that he knew of none. But he could not conceal that he was out
of temper; he could not even bear to sit there any longer. When he left
he found the passage, contrary to custom, dark, and had to grope his way
to his own door. Not till he had lit his lamp and listened involuntarily
for any sound from Mary's room, did it occur to him that the door-handle
had been made noiseless. In the morning it had creaked--very little; but
it certainly had creaked. Never had he been in such a well-ordered house
as this, where the very slightest thing amiss was instantly put
right--even on a Sunday. He could not imagine greater happiness than to
return here when everything should be satisfactorily arranged, to rest,
and to live as long as he chose in the manner which his ardent desire
for the pleasures of the senses pictured.

Therefore patience! He would submit to Mary's caprices now, as he had
submitted to his uncle's before--until his time came!

He was undressing, when the door opened noiselessly, and Mary entered,
in her night-dress--dazzlingly beautiful. She closed the door behind her
and went forward to the lamp. "You shall not wait, Joergen," said she, as
she extinguished the light.

ALONE

Next morning she slept too long. She was awakened by singing and
playing. First as in a dream and then consciously, through a rushing
stream of memories, she heard Joergen Thiis. He was at the piano, singing
in the freshness of the early morning, the