CHAPTER II
Cordt sat in one of the armchairs by the chimney, reading.
He was in evening clothes and held his crush-hat and his gloves on his knees. He turned the pages quickly. Every moment, he swept his thick hair from his forehead; every moment, he looked at Fru Adelheid, who was walking up and down the floor with her hands behind her back.
She was very tall and slender. Her face was as white as her white gown. Her mouth was very red, her eyes looked large and strange. She wore flowers in her hair and at her waist.
“You are not reading, Cordt,” she said; but she passed with her back to him.
He closed the book and laid it aside. Then he moved the chair so as to turn his face towards her. His eyes were larger than hers and steadier, his mouth firmer.
“How beautiful you are!” he said.
She laughed softly and took his hand and kissed it:
“How charming of you!” she said.