“And after that, the end.”
“Unless there is a life after death.”
“We cannot be sure of that! Who knows? I believe it, but my faith is no proof.”
“But it is good to believe it. Let us have faith! Let us believe that spring will come again! Let us believe it!”
“Yes, let us believe it,” he said, gathering her to his breast.
COMPULSORY MARRIAGE
His father died early and from that time forth he was in the hands of a mother, two sisters and several aunts. He had no brother. They lived on an estate in the Swedish province, Soedermanland, and had no neighbours with whom they could be on friendly terms. When he was seven years old, a governess was engaged to teach him and his sisters, and about the same time a girl cousin came to live with them.
He shared his sisters’ bedroom, played their games and went bathing with them; nobody looked upon him as a member of the other sex. Before long his sisters took him in hand and became his schoolmasters and tyrants.