“See! you can stay here as long as you like,” said the woman and fondled her; “I have expected you to come ever so long.”
Elsie was even then not much astonished.
In the dreams she had been wont to dream to Schirrmeister’s music, it had been quite like this and yet more wonderful. And the last few weeks, with all their mighty upheavals and emotions, had so shattered reality for her that she neither doubted nor questioned, but let herself float with the current—happy and content at being freed from that horrible desolation which she had felt for a time.
It was only when the pleasant woman, quite en passant, mentioned Consul With while she was changing her stockings—there were stockings, too, ready in the bureau—that Elsie realized it with a pang; she arose from the sofa and tried to flee.
But the woman clung to her and talked away so feelingly about the kind Consul, told so many generous and gentle things of him; and besides—where would she fly to?
Loppen lay down on the sofa again; and when the pleasant woman shortly after brought in coffee, eggs and wheat-bread on a salver with a white napkin, she fell to eating and amusing herself at watching the boats row by out on the bay.
During the fall and winter, Elsie lived there and had a pleasant time. Little by little she accustomed herself to the Consul, who was kind and good-humored. She went out very seldom, and there were some of her acquaintances whom she was dreadfully afraid to meet. On the contrary, others stopped and talked with her, looked at and felt of all she wore; and their envy was a sort of compensation to her. But before Miss Falbe she was so afraid that she ran whenever she saw her out on the street.
And then, she was still more afraid of Svend. She knew that he had come to town after the work at the brick-yards had stopped in the fall; and one evening she noticed that he was following her along Strand street.
She hurried on and locked herself in. Soon she heard him shake the latch and call to her half aloud. But she kept very still and so he went away again.
But a day or so afterwards he was standing in the center of her room before she dreamed of such a thing. Elsie ran to the chamber door to fasten herself in. Meanwhile, Svend stood very quietly and looked about himself. He was changed. His face was no longer handsome and brown as in the summer, and Elsie could plainly see that he had been carousing of late.