“In the evening after the hunt I went to seek him in the garden, and I was afraid lest I should find him. I spoke his name softly to myself, and feared lest he should hear. Then he came out from the bushes and whispered: 'An hour after midnight!' And then he was gone.
“'An hour after midnight,' I said to myself--'what did he mean by that? I cannot understand. He must have meant he was going away to far lands again; an hour after midnight he was going away--but what was it to me?'
“We sat there on the sofa; I moved away. I looked down.
“'You are cold,' he said, and took my hand. A little after he said: 'How cold you are!' and put his arm round me.
“And I was warmed with his arm. So we sat a little while. Then a cock crew.
“'Did you hear,' he said, 'a cock crow? It is nearly dawn.'
“'Are you quite sure it was the cock crow?' I stammered.
“Then the day came--already it was morning. Something was thrilling all through me. What hour was it that struck just now?
“'Your flowers have not been watered,' she said.
“'Your cat has had no milk,' said the maid.
“But I had no thought for my flowers, or my cat; I asked:
“'Is that Dundas outside there? Ask him to come in here to me at once; I am expecting him; there was something...'
“'Iselin!' he cried, and kissed my lips a whole minute long.
“'I did not send for you,' I whispered to him.
“'Yes, I did--I sent for you. I was longing so unspeakably for you again. Stay here with me a little.'
“And I covered my eyes for love of him. He did not loose me; I sank forward and hid myself close to him.
“'Surely that was something crowing again,' he said, listening.
“But when I heard what he said, I cut off his words as swiftly as I could, and answered:
“'No, how can you imagine it? There was nothing crowing then.'
“Then it was evening again, and Dundas was gone. Something golden thrilling through me. I stood before the glass, and two eyes all alight with love looked out at me; I felt something moving in me at my own glance, and always that something thrilling and thrilling round my heart. Dear God! I had never seen myself with those eyes before, and I kissed my own lips, all love and desire, in the glass...
“And now I have told you. Another time I will tell you of Svend Herlufsen. I loved him too; he lived a league away, on the island you can see out there, and I rowed out to him myself on calm summer evenings, because I loved him. And I will tell you of Stamer. He was a priest, and I loved him. I love all...”