. . the fact simply is, that he has given himself to all
sorts of excesses. He has lived in the most disreputable manner with
the lowest dregs, people without honor, without conscience, without
position, religion, or anything else, with loafers, mountebanks,
drunkards, and--and to tell the truth with women of easy virtue."
"And this after having been engaged to Camilla, good heavens, and
after having been down with brain-fever for three months!"
"Yes--and what tendencies doesn't this let us suspect, and who knows
what his past may have been, what do you think?"
"Yes, and heaven knows how things really were with him during the time
of their engagement? There always was something suspicious about him.
That is my opinion.
"Pardon me, and you, too, Mr. Carlsen, pardon me, but you look at the
whole affair in rather an abstract way, very abstractedly. By chance I
have in my possession a very concrete report from a friend in Jutland,
and can present the whole affair in all its details."
"Mr. Ronholt, you don't mean to . . .?"
"To give details? Yes, that is what I intend. Mr. Carlsen, with the
lady's permission. Thank you! He certainly did not live as one should
live after a brain-fever. He knocked about from fair to fair with a
couple of boon-companions, and, it is said, was somewhat mixed up with
troupes of mountebanks, and especially with the women of the company.
Perhaps it would be wisest if I ran upstairs, and got my friend's
letter.
Pages:
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48