"Bah! You can manage it quite well. You must! you must!"
He talked, coaxed, caressed, until she gave in and promised.
Whatever the reason, her attempt was a failure.
"If I asked my father to receive a young man who has not been introduced to him, he would misunderstand me," said Mary. Alice admitted this at once. She was angry with herself for not having thought of it. Instead of consulting with Mary as to whether the thing might not be managed in another way, she gave up the project altogether. She was still annoyed when she communicated the result to Frans Röy; she had the feeling, she said, that Mary objected to the interference of any third person. She impressed on him again that he must be careful. Frans was miserable. Alice made no attempt to comfort him.
He came back next day. "I cannot give it up," said he. "And I cannot think of anything else."
So long did he sit there, so often did he repeat exactly the same thing in different words, and so unhappy was he, that good-natured Alice became sorry for him.
"Listen!" she said. "I'll invite you and the Krogs here together. Then perhaps the invitation to their house will come of itself."
He jumped up. "That is a splendid idea! Please do, dear Alice!"
"I can't do it immediately. Mr. Krog is ill. We must wait."
He stood looking at her, much disappointed. "But can you not arrange a meeting between us two again?"