"Natural wisdom! There now, does it not prove I am right? Thank you, Christian. It comes to you to say exactly the right thing exactly at the right time. I shall begin to feel proud."
"And," continued Almer, "if you were only to talk to me like that in the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night----"
She interrupted him again:
"You have undone it all with your 'ifs.' What does it matter if it is in the middle of the day or the middle of the night? What is right, is right, is it not, without thinking of the time? Don't get disagreeable; but indeed I will not allow you to be anything but nice to me. You have made me forget everything I was going to say."
"Except one thing," he said gravely, "which you came to say, 'Good-night.'"
"The minute is not gone yet," she said with a silvery laugh.
"Many minutes, many minutes," he said helplessly, "and every minute is fraught with danger."
"I will protect you," she said with supreme assurance. "Do not fear. I see quite plainly that if there is a dragon to kill I shall have to be the St. George. Well, I am ready. Danger is sweet when you are with me."
He was powerless against her; he resigned himself to his fate.
"Who brought your letter to my room?" he asked. "Dionetta."