The moment she saw Svend and Elsie together, she said to herself: “That will be a match.” They mated each other so completely—that Madam saw at once, and she had a sure eye in such matters.
So when Svend presented himself one Saturday afternoon, awkward and embarrassed, Madam Speckbom treated him very kindly indeed, and bade him be seated on the sofa, while she went into the kitchen to call Elsie.
But Elsie was not there; she was nowhere, she was not to be found. She only came to light a good while after Svend had at last gone away. Madam scolded her, but nevertheless smiled shrewdly to herself; for that symptom she understood, too; girls act just so when they are the most seriously smitten.
During the first few days Elsie had not lifted her eyes. She took hold of the housework very actively, and never went out. But through the night she wept for shame and anguish; every morning she expected the whole world had learned of it.
But as day after day slipped by without anything happening whatsoever, and as everything went on as before, without the least attention to her, she began to think that perhaps it was not so dangerous after all. There was an anxiety over her which was new; neither could she laugh as of old; but her light disposition soon helped her over the worst of it and, little by little, she regained her good, sound sleep and her bright eyes.
But Svend she would not see. Every time she thought of him, she blushed red as fire; it was much harder to think of him than of the other.
She had seen the Consul walk by the house several times at dusk; but to her joy she knew that he did not dare to come in. But almost every evening that Madam Speckbom was out, a middle-aged woman came, who was so smiling and pleasant. She invited Elsie so persistently to call on her; she lived near by, down on Strand street. But at the same time she sedulously enjoined her not to mention a word to Madam Speckbom about her visits.
But one evening there was a terrible scene. Madam Speckbom had caught a strange man in the dark entry; and as he would not give his name, Madam resolutely threw open the door to the drawing-room, where Elsie was sitting with the lamp.
A single glance at the young girl’s distracted face, when it was seen that it was Consul With she had caught, was enough for Madam. She knew the Consul so thoroughly that she saw it all in an instant; and Madam Speckbom had no respect for him, at least. So he was hustled out of doors with a powerful thrust, and attended by a stream of abuse and curses which the elegant gentleman pocketed with exquisite grace—glad to get away.
But then Madam had a settlement with Elsie, which ended by driving her out of doors that self-same evening.