Page:Fairy tales and other stories (Andersen, Craigie).djvu/370

 358 hours could they remain together, for Christine was obliged to go back into the next village, from whence the carriage was to start early next morning for Herning. Her father and Ib escorted her as far as the village. It was a fair moonlight evening, and when they reached their destination, and Ib still held Christine's hand in his own, he could not let it go. His eyes brightened, but still the words came halting over his lips. Yet they came from the depths of his heart, when he said,

'If you have not become too grand, Christine, and if you can make up your mind to live with me in my mother's house as my wife, we must become a wedded pair some day; but we can wait a while yet.'

'Yes, let us wait for a time, Ib,' she replied; and she pressed his hand, and he kissed her lips. 'I trust in you, Ib,' said Christine; 'and I think that I love you—but I will sleep upon it.'

And with that they parted. And on the way home Ib told the boatman that he and Christine were as good as betrothed; and the boatman declared he had always expected it would turn out so; and he went home with Ib, and remained that night in the young man's house; but nothing further was said of the betrothal.

A year passed by, in the course of which two letters were exchanged between Ib and Christine. The signature was prefaced by the words, 'Faithful till death!' One day the boatman came in to Ib, and brought him a greeting from Christine. What he had further to say was brought out in somewhat hesitating fashion, but it was to the effect that Christine was almost more than prosperous, for she was a pretty girl, courted and loved. The son of the host had been home on a visit; he was employed in the office of some great institution in Copenhagen; and he was very much pleased with Christine, and she had taken a fancy to him: his parents were not unwilling, but it lay very much on Christine's mind that Ib had such a fancy for her; 'and so she had thought of refusing this great piece of good fortune,' said the boatman.

At first Ib said not a word, but he became as white as the wall, and slightly shook his head. Then he said slowly,

'Christine must not thrust her good fortune away.'