Long after, Jan told Christina the whole story, but it sounded very
improbable, and Christina--though, of course, she did not say so--did
not quite believe it, but thought Jan was trying to explain away that
strange month of his life during which he had wooed Dame Toelast. Yet
it certainly was strange that Nicholas, for the same short month, had
been so different from his usual self.

"Perhaps," thought Christina, "if I had not told him I loved Jan, he
would not have gone back to his old ways. Poor old gentleman! No
doubt it was despair."