“O God!” cried Louise; “you have still some papers on this subject? Do you not know your brother? It is impossible that it should be otherwise! You are Otto’s sister!”
“O Heavens!” exclaimed Eva; her hands trembled, and she became as pale as a corpse.
“You are fainting!” cried Louise, throwing her arm around her waist and kissing her eyes and her cheeks. “Eva! he is your brother! the dear, good Otto! O, he will be so happy with you! Yes, your eyes are like his! Eva, you beloved girl!”
Louise related to her all that Otto had confided to her. She told her about German Heinrich, and how Otto had assisted Sidsel away, and how they had met.
Eva burst into tears. “My brother! O Father in heaven, that I may but live! live and see him! Life is so beautiful! I must not die!”
“Happiness will make you strong! There is no doubt but that he is your brother! We must tell it to mamma. O Heavens! how delighted she will be! and Otto will no longer suffer and be unhappy! He may be proud of you, and happy in you! O, come, come!”
She led Eva out with her to her mother, who was already in bed; but how could Louise wait till next morning?
“May the Lord bless thee, my good child!” said the lady, and pressed a kiss upon her forehead.
Eva related now how the Colonel had, given a considerable sum to her foster-mother; but that was all she was to receive, he had said. Afterward, when the foster-mother died, Eva had still two hundred rix-dollars; and on consideration of this the sister of the deceased had taken Eva to live with her. With her she came to Copenhagen and to Nyboder, and at that time she was ten years old. There she had to nurse a little child—her brother she called it—and that was the little Jonas. As she grew older, people told her that she was handsome. It was now four years since she was followed one evening by two young men, one of whom we know—our moral Hans Peter. One morning her foster-mother came to her with a proposal which drove her to despair. The merchant had seen her, and wished to purchase the beautiful flower. Upon this Eva left her home, and came to the excellent people at Roeskelde; and from that day God had been very good to her.
She sank down upon her knees before the elderly lady’s bed. She was not among strangers: a mother and a sister wept with the happy one.