And then a woman will pass by who has no soul, but whose
artificial smile has a mysterious power to spur the best of men to
painful desire...."
One day I found these words underlined in a book left open on my table.
Who left it there, I cannot say; nor whether it was underlined with the
intention of hurting my feelings, or merely by chance.
* * * * *
I sit here waiting for my mortal enemy. Will he come gliding in
imperceptibly or stand suddenly before me? Will he overcome me, or
shall I prove the stronger? I am prepared--but is that sufficient?
Torp is really too romantic! To-day it pleased her to decorate the table
with Virginia creeper. Virginia creeper festooned the hanging lamp;
Virginia creeper crept over the cloth. Even the joint was decked out
with wine-red leaves, until it looked like a ship flying all her flags
on the King's birthday. Amid all this pomp and ceremony, I sat all
alone, without a human being for whom I might have made myself smart.
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