You won't recover
yourself while you are playing about with this handsome Norwegian. Yes,
I've seen her with you at the theater. She's very pretty, and perfectly
irresponsible, I should judge."
Cleric wrote my grandfather that he would like to take me East with him.
To my astonishment, grandfather replied that I might go if I wished. I was
both glad and sorry on the day when the letter came. I stayed in my room
all evening and thought things over; I even tried to persuade myself that
I was standing in Lena's way--it is so necessary to be a little noble!--and
that if she had not me to play with, she would probably marry and secure
her future.
The next evening I went to call on Lena. I found her propped up on the
couch in her bay window, with her foot in a big slipper. An awkward little
Russian girl whom she had taken into her work-room had dropped a flat-iron
on Lena's toe. On the table beside her there was a basket of early summer
flowers which the Pole had left after he heard of the accident. He always
managed to know what went on in Lena's apartment.
Lena was telling me some amusing piece of gossip about one of her clients,
when I interrupted her and picked up the flower basket.
"This old chap will be proposing to you some day, Lena."
"Oh, he has--often!" she murmured.
"What! After you've refused him?"
"He does n't mind that.
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