The girl drew up one side of her mouth in a smile, and her eyelids almost closed. “And what about me, then? After living here all these years crazy to get out into the world?”
“And I, who am crazy to stay at home!” said Peer with a laugh. “How delicious it will be to have a house and a family at last—and peace and quiet!”
“But what about me?”
“You’ll be there, too. I’ll let you live with me.”
“Oh! how stupid you are to-day. If you only knew what it means, to throw away the best years of one’s youth in a hole like this! And besides—I could have done something worth while in music—”
“Why, then, let’s go abroad, by all means,” said Peer, wrinkling up his forehead as if to laugh.
“Oh, nonsense! you know it’s quite impossible to go off and leave mother now. But you certainly came at a very critical time. For anyway I was longing and longing just then for someone to come and carry me off.”
“Aha! so I was only a sort of ticket for the tour.” He stepped over and pinched her nose.
“Oh! you’d better be careful. I haven’t really promised yet to have you, you know.”
“Haven’t promised? When you practically asked me yourself.”