it so hurriedly; and as the old bookkeeper's
eye wandered from the smudge of ink, to the frightful confusion which
reigned in the office, and back again to the smudge, he repeated, slowly
and majestically, the magic words which were to awake him from this
horrible nightmare: "Tell my mother it has all come right." But matters
grew still worse when, a short time afterwards, he presented himself
before Mrs. Worse in the back room; for scarcely had he pronounced the
fatal words, "It has all come right!" than Mrs. Worse flew at him and
kissed him right on his lips.

This kiss, in connection with the smudge of ink, made this day a
memorable one for old Svendsen, and he used to reckon from it as an
epoch which he could never forget.

The same post brought, among other things, a note for Morten Garman. He
opened it, smiled in a singular manner, and sent it upstairs to his
wife. Fanny took the two enclosed cards, on one of which was written the
name of a lady, which she recognized as belonging to a wealthy family in
Christiania, and on the other was the name of George Delphin.

She stood before the looking-glass with his card in her hand, observing
narrowly the expression on her face, while the genuine sorrow she had
hitherto felt, now turned to mortification and bitterness. There was
scarce a shadow to be seen on her brow while these sensations passed
through her heart. She had accustomed herself to these exercises before
the glass; this was a grand rehearsal, and she bore it bravely. Only the
delicate wrinkles round her eyes quivered slightly; but when she smiled
again they made her as charming as ever. No emotion should spoil her
beauty; and while these six years of pain and sorrow seemed again to
burst forth, she stood as lovely and undisturbed as ever, without losing
anything of her self-command.

At this moment the doctor entered the room.

"Have you spoken to my husband, doctor?"

"No, Mrs. Garman. Is there anything the matter with him?"

"Has he anything the matter with him! I am really surprised that you
should ask such a question," replied Fanny, sharply. "Can you not see
that he is weary--overworked? He must go to Carlsbad this year, or his
health will suffer severely."

"Oh yes!" said the doctor, good-humouredly, "it might perhaps have a
good effect; but you know yourself that his answer always is that he has
no time, and so--"

"Bah!" answered Fanny; "as if a doctor ought to listen to rubbish of
that sor