“Better send it to the new house,” replied he.
“I can hardly realize that you are a man and going to have a wife. It seems only the other day that you were a little boy, learning to cook in the kitchen. Do you remember? And now I suppose you’ll have late dinner. It is queer. I used to be able to think of you as a boy at school, but I can never imagine you as a teacher, in a gown, too. And it’s even harder to think of you——”
“You shall come and stay with us.”
“Oh, I couldn’t!” She looked toward the door.
“You could come without father.”
“Don’t be hard on your father, René.”
“No. That’s all over.”
“I’m so glad.”
She stooped over him and kissed him. Then she took his head in her hands and pressed her cheek against his, and on his forehead he felt her warm tears. She murmured: