But little by little it dawned upon him that she said precisely
what it pleased her to say, according to the humour that she was
in.
One day, as they were going to table--he had come in late and was
hungry--he was delighted to see that there were oysters.
"Oysters! at this time of the year," he cried. "They must be very
expensive."
"Pooh! that was the old woman, you know. She persuaded me to take
them for you. I got them for next to nothing."
"That was odd; you have been out, then, too?"
"Yes, and I saw YOU; you were walking with Emma Ravn."
He understood at once, by the tone of her voice, that this was not
permitted, but all the same he said, "Yes; how sweet she is! so
fresh and candid."
"She! Why, she had a child before she was married."
"Emma? Emma Ravn?"
"Yes! But I do not know who by."
"Do you know, Angelika, I do not believe that," he said solemnly.
"You can do as you please about that, but she was at the pension
at the time, so you can judge for yourself if I am right."
He could not believe that any human being could so belie
themselves. Emma's eyes, clear as water in a fountain where one
can count the pebbles at the bottom, rose to his mind, in all
their innocence.
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