if it was earnestness, if she had felt "somewhat" for Counsellor
Bagger, then let us take comfort in the fact that Miss Brandt was
a well-cultivated girl, and that her intellect held dominion over
her heart. She could with one eye see that the campaign had ended,
and further, that she, by receiving peace pure and simple, had
certainly not gained any conquest, but obtained the status quo
ante bellum, which often between antagonists has been considered
so respectable, that both parties officially have sung Te Deum,
although surely only one could sing it from the heart. Now it is
and may remain undecided what the real state of the case was: from
either point of view there was a plain and even line drawn for
her, and she followed it. Next day the letter came in an envelope
directed to the counsellor.

As Bagger in the presence of Ingeborg opened the letter and again
saw the long-lost epistle of his early days, he trembled like a
man before whom the spirit-world apparently passes. But as he
perceived the added words, he exclaimed in utter perplexity: "Am I
awake? Do I dream? How is this possible?"

"Why should it not be possible?" asked Ingeborg. "To whom else
should the letter originally have come, than to--geb--?"

"--Geb--?--geb--? Yes, who is--geb--?" asked Bagger with
bewildered look.

"Who other than Ingeborg? is it not the third fourth, and fifth
letters of my name?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Bagger, pressing his hand upon his forehead, and,