Mrs. Riis. Decisions as hasty as yours, Svava, are not really decisions at all. There is always a great deal more to be taken into consideration than one realises at first. Take time to think it over! I believe he is a fine fellow. Give him time to show it; don't break it off immediately!
Svava. Why do you keep on saying that to me?
Mrs. Riis. Well, dear, you know I have never had the chance of saying anything to you till to-day.
Svava. But you keep harping on that one string.
Mrs. Riis. What note do you want me to strike, then?
Svava. The note your dear good mother would have struck—quite a different one altogether.
Mrs. Riis. It is one thing to teach your child how to make a proper choice in life, but—
Svava. But quite another thing to put into practice what you teach?
Mrs. Riis. No; I was going to say that life itself is quite another thing. In daily life, and especially in married life, it is sometimes advisable to make allowances.
Svava. Yes, on points that do not really matter.