He himself came to confession, and exclaimed:
"Miss Ingeborg, I ask you for Heaven's sake have pity on me, and
tell me if you expect me at two o'clock to-day at Mrs. Lund's!"
"I expect you at Mrs. Lund's!" exclaimed Miss Hjelm.
"Is it not you, then, who have written me that--"
"I have never written to you!" cried Ingeborg, and almost tore
away the hand which Bagger tried to hold.
"For God's sake, don't go, Miss--! My dear madam, you must forgive
me: you shall know all!"
And now he began to tell his tale, not according to rules of
rhetoric and logic, but on the contrary in a way which certainly
showed how little even our abler lawyers are educated to
extemporize.
But, however, there was in his words a certain almost wild
eloquence; and, beside, Miss Hjelm had some foreknowledge, that
helped her to understand and fill up what was wanting under the
counsellor's restless eloquence. At last he came to the point;
while his words were of whirlwind and letters, his tone and eye
spoke, unconsciously to him, a true, honest, though fanciful
language of passion; and however comical a disinterested spectator
might have found it, it sounded very earnest to her who was the
object and sympathetic listener.
"Yes; but what then?" at last asked Ingeborg, with a soft smile
and not withdrawing the hand that Bagger had seized. "The proper
meaning of what you have told me is that your troth is plighted to
another, unknown lady.
Pages:
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59