"And do you remember the big medallion you gave me once? It was a thick, heavy gold one and stood in a frame. You had written some kind of words on it."
"Yes, I remember."
"Last year while I was abroad I gave away that medallion, Camilla."
"Oh no, you didn't? Fancy your giving it away! Why did you?"
"It was a young friend of mine who had it as a souvenir. He was a Russian. He fell on his knees and thanked me for it."
"Was he so glad as that? Oh, I'm sure he must have been wildly glad if he fell on his knees! You shall have another medallion instead of it to keep for yourself."
They had come to the road that ran between the Mill and the Castle.
Johannes stopped and said:
"Here by these bushes something happened to me once. I was walking one evening as I so often did in my loneliness, and it was summer and fine weather. I lay down behind the bushes and was lost in thought. Then two people came quietly walking along the road. The lady stopped. Her companion asked: why do you stop? And as he got no answer he asked again: Is anything the matter? No, she answered; but you mustn't look at me like that. I only looked at you, he said. Yes, she answered, I know very well that you love me, but Papa won't allow it, you understand; it is impossible. He murmured: Yes, I suppose it's impossible. Then she said: You are so broad here, about the hand; you have such oddly broad wrists! And then she took hold of his wrist."
"Well, what happened?" asked Camilla.