“I admire your penetration, doctor. Yes, we are happy. Shall we remain so? That, unfortunately, depends not on ourselves but on Fate.... Over every happiness there hangs a danger, and the more heartfelt is the former so much the more terrible the latter.”
“What have you to fear?”
“Death.”
“Ah, yes! That did not occur to me. As a physician, it is true, I have frequent opportunities of meeting the gentleman, but I do not think of him. And, indeed, for young and healthy people, like the happy pair we are speaking of, he lies so far in the distance——”
“What is a soldier better for youth and health?”
“Chase away such ideas, dear baroness. There is really no war in prospect. Is it not true, your excellency,” he said, turning to the Minister, “that at present the dark point so often spoken of is not visible?”
“ ‘Point’ is far too little to say,” he replied. “It is rather a black, heavy cloud.”
I trembled to my heart’s core.
“What,” I cried out sharply, “what do you mean?”
“Denmark is going altogether too far——”