"
"Oh! I know another altar, upon which I would rather offer the two
only all too short hours"--.
"Let it now be upon that of education. You promised my cousin and
me that you would read to us about popular science of nature and
interesting facts in the life of animals."
"Yes, dear madam; but _I_ cannot fly: my carriage stands waiting
at the tavern."
"Oh, I beg pardon! an agreeable journey, Mr. Counsellor."
"Yes; but I don't understand why I shall drive the ten miles."
"Every one knows his own concerns best."
"Oh, yes! that is true. But I at least don't know mine."
Miss Hjelm made no answer to this, and there was a little pause.
"I would," continued the counsellor, somewhat puzzled, "take the
great liberty to propose that you should ride with me."
"I have already told the Counsellor that I did not intend to go to
town to-day," answered Miss Hjelm, coldly.
"Yes," continued Bagger, following his own ideas, "and so I
thought, also, that we could as well stay here."
At this moment Bagger was so earnest and impassioned, that
Ingeborg, in hearing words so very wide of what she regarded as
reasonable, began to suspect his mind of being a little
disordered, and with an inquiring anxiousness looked at him.
Meeting the look from these eyes, Bagger could no longer continue
the inquisition which he had carried on for the sake of involving
Miss Hjelm in self-contradiction and bringing her to confession.
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