lmbo a little doubtfully; the bouquet was a very
expensive one.

"Yes, I must have it;" Ella's little green purse was ready. The
bouquet had been ordered for the best house in the town, and Fru
Holmbo said so.

"That does not matter," answered Ella. Such genuine admiration of a
bouquet had never been seen--and Ella got it.

From there she went to "Andresen's at the corner." One of the shopmen
took lessons in book-keeping from her. She wished to put him off, and
asked him to tell the whole of the large class. She asked him this
with kindling eyes, and he gladly promised to do so. The daintiest red
shawl was hanging just before her. She must have it to wear over her
head to-day when she drove out; for that she would drive to-day there
was no doubt. Andresen himself came up, just as she was asking about
the shawl. He caught a glimpse of her bouquet, under the paper. "Those
are lovely roses," he said. She took one out at once, and gave it to
him. From the rose he looked at her; she laughed and asked if he would
take a little off the price of the shawl; she had not quite enough
money left.

"How much have you?" he asked.

"Just half a krone too little," she replied.

He himself wrapped up the shawl for her. In the street she met
Cecilie Monrad, whose sister studied music with Ella; she was thus
saved a walk to the other end of the town to put her off. "Everything
favours me to-day," she thought.

"Did you see about those two who committed suicide together at
Copenhagen?" asked Cecilie.

"Yes, she had." Froeken Monrad thought that it was horrible.

"Why?"

"Why the man was married!"

"True enough," answered Ella, "but they loved each other." Her eyes
glowed; Cecilie lowered hers and blushed. Ella took her hand and
pressed it. "I tumbled into a love-story there," she thought, and
flew, rather than walked, up to the villas, where most of her pupils
lived. On a roof she saw two starlings; the first that year. The thaw
of a few days back had deceived them. Not that the starlings were
dispirited. No, they loved! "Mamma, mamma," she seemed to hear at the
same moment. It was certainly her boys; she had thought of them when
she saw the starlings. She was so occupied with this that she walked
right across to the side of the road and trod on a piece of board,
which tilted up and nearly threw her down; but under the board Spring
reigned. They had come with the thaw, they were certainly dandelions!
However ugly they may b