The poor women were not allowed to
acquire any knowledge. Her enthusiasm grew and we parted as the very
best of friends who had been kept apart through misunderstanding each
other for such a long, long time.
"On the next day more mathematics. We worked until supper time. Gurli
came in once or twice and gave us an encouraging nod. At supper we
talked of nothing but stars and mathematics, and Gurli sat there,
silently, listening to us. Again I took her home. On my way back I met
a friend. We went to the Grand Hotel and drank a glass of punch. It
was one o'clock when I came home. Gurli was still up waiting for me.
"'Where have you been all this time, William?' she asked.
"Then the devil entered into my soul and I replied:
"'We had such a lot to talk about that I forgot all about the time.'
"_That_ blow struck home.
"'I don't think it's nice to run about half the night with a young
woman,' she said.
"I pretended to be embarrassed and stammered:
"'If one has so much to say to one another, one forgets sometimes what
is nice and what is not.'
"'What on earth did you talk about?' asked Gurli, pouting. "'I really
can't remember.'
"You managed very well, my boy," said the old woman. "Go on!"
"On the third day," continued the captain, "Gurli came in with her
needlework and remained in the room until the lesson in mathematics
was over.
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