"Why--a week ago, perhaps, or a fortnight. Yes, perhaps a fortnight.
But why do you ask? Well, I will tell you the truth--it was yesterday."

Yesterday! No longer ago than yesterday she had thought of me. All was
well again now.



XV


The two boats lay ready, and we stepped on board. Talking and singing.
The place, Korholmerne, lay out beyond the islands; it took a good while
to row across, and on the way we talked, one party with another, from
boat to boat. The Doctor wore light things, as the ladies did; I had
never seen him so pleased before; he talked with the rest, instead of
listening in silence. I had an idea he had been drinking a little, and
so was in good humor to-day. When we landed, he craved the attention of
the party for a moment, and bade us welcome. I thought to myself: This
means that Edwarda has asked him to act as host.

He fell to entertaining the ladies in the most amiable manner. To
Edwarda he was polite and kind, often fatherly, and pedantically
instructive, as he had been so many times before. She spoke of some date
or other, saying: "I was born in '38," and he asked, "Eighteen hundred
and thirty-eight, I suppose you mean?" And if she had answered, "No, in
nineteen hundred and thirty-eight," he would have shown no
embarrassment, but only corrected her again, and said, "I think you must
be mistaken." When I said anything myself, he listened politely and
attentively, and did not ignore me.