“No. I hope not. But I should be very happy indeed if you would get a little stronger under my influence.”
“I shall do my best.”
“And I shall keep you to your word. It is nearly eleven.”
She was silent. The word “already” was on her lips, but she restrained herself in time.
“And tell me frankly, don’t you think now that you will act much more sensibly by going to bed early this evening, and trying to get a little sleep, than you would have done if you had gone and danced [[290]]till six o’clock in the morning with very queer partners, and in the company of still queerer ladies?”
“You are perfectly right. I am sincerely grateful to you.”
“And I, too, am grateful for the coin which you have given me.”
She felt that it was not only for the coin that he was grateful.
“And now good-night. Good-night, Eline.”
She looked at him, and her eyes softened when she thus heard him pronounce her name, without her permission.