I stood with open mouth, disarmed and confused.
“You are pleased to be witty,” I said. “I never gave your boatman five _daler_ at all.”
“Oh, didn't you?” She opened the door to the kitchen, and called the boatmen in. “Jakob, you remember the day you rowed us out to Korholmerne, and you picked up my shoe when it fell into the water?”
“And you were given five _daler_ for saving it?”
Now what did she mean by that trick? I thought she was trying to shame me. She should not succeed; I was not going to have that to blush for. And I said loudly and distinctly:
“I must point out to all here that this is either a mistake or a lie. I have never so much as thought of giving the boatman five _daler_ for your shoe. I ought to have done so, perhaps, but up to now it has not been done.”
“Whereupon we shall continue the dance,” she said, frowning. “Why aren't we dancing?”
“She owes me an explanation of this,” I said to myself, and watched for an opportunity to speak with her. She went into a side room, and I followed her.
“_Skaal_,” I said, and lifted a glass to drink with her.
“I have nothing in my glass,” she answered shortly.
But her glass was standing in front of her, quite full.
“No, it is not mine,” she answered, and turned away, and was in deep conversation with someone else.
Several of the guests had noticed this little scene.
My heart was hissing within me. I said offendedly: “But at least you owe me an explanation...”
She rose, took both my hands, and said earnestly:
“But not to-day; not now. I am so miserable. Heavens, how you look at me. We were friends once...”
Overwhelmed, I turned right about, and went in to the dancers again.
A little after, Edwarda herself came in and took up her place by the piano, at which the travelling man was seated, playing a dance; her face at that moment was full of inward pain.
“I have never learned to play,” she said, looking at me with dark eyes. “If I only could!”
I could make no answer to this. But my heart flew out towards her once more, and I asked:
“Why are you so unhappy all at once, Edwarda? If you knew how it hurts me to see--”
“I don't know what it is,” she said. “Everything, perhaps. I wish all these people would go away at once, all of them. No, not you--remember, you must stay till the last.”