I would steal away and sit in hiding under an
over-hanging rock, hugging the thought of how I was old, and forsaken by
all; in the evenings I wrote many letters to people I knew, just to have
some one to talk to; but I did not send the letters.
Joyless days were these. My chief pleasure was to go about noticing every
little trifle in the town, wherever it might be, and thinking a little
upon each.
But was my engineer so free from care? I began to doubt it.
Why was he no longer to be seen out early and late with this new cousin of
his? He would even stop another young lady on the bridge and pass the time
of day--a thing he had not done this fortnight gone. I had seen him with
Fru Falkenberg once or twice; she looked so young and prettily dressed,
and happy--a little reckless, laughing out loud. That's what it's like
when a woman first steps aside, I thought to myself; but to-morrow or the
day after it may be different! And when I saw her again later on I was
annoyed with her; there was something overbold about her dress and manner,
the old charm and sweetness were gone.
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