Adrian cleared his throat, reflecting that she was keeping the workings of the love potion under wonderful control; indeed to look at her no one could have guessed that she had recently absorbed this magic Eastern medicine. However, something must be done; he had gone too far to draw back.
“Elsa,” he said boldly, though no hare could have been more frightened, “Elsa,” and he clasped his hands and looked at the ceiling, “I love you and the time has come to say so.”
“If I remember right it came some time ago, Heer Adrian,” she replied with sarcasm. “I thought that by now you had forgotten all about it.”
“Forgotten!” he sighed, “forgotten! With you ever before my eyes how can I forget?”
“I am sure I cannot say,” she answered, “but I know that I wish to forget this folly.”
“Folly! She calls it folly!” he mused aloud. “Oh, Heaven, folly is the name she gives to the life-long adoration of my bleeding heart!”
“You have known me exactly five weeks, Heer Adrian——”
“Which, sweet lady, makes me desire to know you for fifty years.”
Elsa sighed, for she found the prospect dreary.
“Come,” he went on with a gush, “forego this virgin coyness, you have done enough and more than enough for honour, now throw aside pretence, lay down your arms and yield. No hour, I swear, of this long fight will be so happy to you as that of your sweet surrender, for remember, dear one, that I, your conqueror, am in truth the conquered. I, abandoning——”