Page:Stories by Foreign Authors (Scandinavian).djvu/81

Rh you, that at the moment the clock struck twelve I thought that you, by two o'clock, must fly away in the form of a bird."

"As the clock struck twelve now, at noon?—not at midnight?"

"No, just a little since."

"That is remarkable. Can you satisfy my curiosity, and tell me why?"

"Because under ordinary circumstances it appears to me impossible for a lady to make her toilette and drive ten miles in less than two hours."

"That is quite true, Mr. Counsellor; but neither do I intend to drive ten miles to-day."

"It was for that reason that I said, fly."

"Neither fly. And to convince you and quite certainly rid you of the idea of witchcraft, you can stay here, if you please, until what time was it?"

"Two o'clock."

"That is two long hours; but the Counsellor can, if he please, lay that offering upon the altar of education."

"Oh! I know another altar, upon which I would rather offer the two only all too short hours"—

"Let it now be upon that of education. You promised my cousin and me that you would read to us about popular science of nature and interesting facts in the life of animals."