The other girls at the school were full of spirits and enthusiastic
about the beauties of nature. I was a poor automaton. Neither lakes nor
mountains had any fascination for me. I simply lived in expectation of
the day when the bargain would be concluded.
When two years later I returned to Denmark, our engagement, which had
been concluded by letter, was made public. His first hesitating kiss
made me shudder; but I compelled myself to stand before the
looking-glass and receive his caresses in imagination without disturbing
my artificially radiant smile.
Sometimes I noticed that he looked at me in a puzzled kind of way, but
I did not pay much attention to it. The wedding-day was actually fixed
when I received a letter beginning:
"MY DEAR ELSIE,
"I give you back your promise. You do not love me.
"You do not realize what love is...."
This letter shattered all my hopes for the future. I could not, and
would not, relinquish my chances of wealth and position.
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