“I have had too much, by far. If only thou loved me!”
“Who else do I love? There is none but thee.”
“Then with some one thou ought to be angry.”
“Is it with Boris Ragnor I should be angry?”
“Yes! It is with Boris Ragnor. Not once did he ask me to dance. Watching him and me were all the girls. They saw how he slighted me, and made little nods and laughs about it.”
“It was thy own fault. When Boris came into the room, he looked for thee. With McLeod thou wert dancing. With that Scot thou wert dancing! The black look on his face, I saw it, thou should have seen it and have given him a smile––Pshaw! Women know so much––and do so little. By storm thou ought to have taken the whole affair for thy own. I am disappointed in thee––yes, I am disappointed.”
“Why, Grandfather?”
“An emergency thou had to face, and thou shirked it. When Boris entered the room, straight up to him thou should have gone; with an outstretched hand and a glad smile thou should have said: ‘I am waiting for thee, Boris!’ Then thou had put all straight that was crooked, and carried the evening in thy own hands.”
“I will pay Boris for this insult. Yes, I will, and thou must help me.”