That I, as her aunt, should be somewhat blindly partial to her, I can hardly believe; at least I can cite an experienced, well-informed person of the same mind in our common friend, Captain Rönnow, who last week came here with the royal family from Stockholm, and, in parenthesis be it said—it must be between us—is on the point of having an extraordinary career. He was thoroughly enthusiastic at seeing Inger-Johanna again, and declared that she was a perfect beauty and a born lady, who was sure to excite attention in circles which were even above the common, and much more which we ought not to let our dear child hear. I can only add that on leaving he warmly, and with a certain anxiety, recommended me to keep and still further develop her.
If not just in his first youth, he is at least perhaps the, or at any rate one of the, most elegant and most distinguished men in the army, and it would not be difficult for him to win even the most pretentious.
"No, I should say that, by George. Well, Ma," said he, winking, "what do you say now? Now, I think it is all going on well."
The captain took a swinging march over the floor, and then fell upon Inger-Johanna's letter.
Dear Parents,—Now I must tell you something. Captain Rönnow has been here. He came just as aunt had a reception. He looks twice as handsome and brave as he did when he was at our house at Gilje, and I saw plainly that he started a little when he got his eye on me, even while he stopped and paid his respects to aunt.
My heart beat rapidly, you must know, as soon as I saw him again; for I was really half afraid that he would have forgotten me.
But he came up and took both my hands and said very warmly, "The bud which I last saw at Gilje is now blossomed out."
I blushed a little, for I knew very well that it was he who from the first brought it about that I came here.
But I call that finished manners and an easy, straightforward way of conducting himself. Entertaining as he was, he never lost a particle of his grand manly dignity, and there was hardly a question of paying attention to any other person than to him in particular the whole evening. I must admit that hereafter I shall have another standard for a real gentleman whom I would call a man, and there are certainly many who do not come up to it.
Aunt has also expatiated on his manner; I believe she was flattered because he was so kind and cordial to me, she has ever since been in such excellent humor.