"
A thought came suddenly, like a meteor in the dark: advertise.
What family in Copenhagen did not the Address Paper reach? He
would put in an advertisement,--but how? "Fritz Bagger is not
married."--No: that was too plain.--"F. B. is not married."--No:
that was not plain enough. As he could find no successful use for
his own name, it flashed into his mind to use hers,--geb--; and
although it was painful to him to publish this, to him, almost
sacred syllable for profane eyes to gaze upon, yet it comforted
him, that only one, she herself, would understand it. Yet he
hesitated. But one cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs;
and although the heart's finest fibres ache at the thought of
sending a message to a fairy through the Address Paper, yet one
yields to this rather than lose the fairy.
At last, after numerous efforts he stopped at this: "--geb--! It
is a mistake: he waits only for--geb--." It appeared to him to
contain the approach to a happy result, and tired out by emotion
he fell asleep on his sofa.
Some days after came a new letter with the dear handwriting: its
contents were:
"Well! appear eight days from to-day at Mrs. Canuteson's, to
congratulate her upon her birthday."
This was sunshine after thunder; this was hope's rainbow which
arched itself up to heaven from the earth, yet wet with tears.
"And so she belongs to good society," said the Counsellor of
Justice, without noticing how by these words he discovered to
himself that a doubt or suspicion had lain until now behind his
ecstasy.
Pages:
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52