Gurli was frightened at her violent outbreak. She must have done something awful, that Arla, who was always so quiet, should carry on so. She crept close up to her sister, half ashamed and half frightened, and whispered:--"He has only said it once. It was the day before yesterday, and I ran away from him at once--I thought it was so silly, and--" "Day before yesterday!" cried Arla and looked up with frightened, wondering eyes. "Day before yesterday he told you that he loved you?" "Yes; if only you will not be so awfully put out, I will tell you all about it. He used to come up to the coasting-hill a great deal lately, and then we walked up and down in the park and talked, and when I wanted to coast he helped me get a start, and drew my sleigh up-hill again. At first I did not notice him much, but then I saw he was very nice--he would look at me sometimes for a long, long time--and you can't imagine how he does look at one! And then day before yesterday he began by of Gurli but a pair of impatient dark eyes, under a wilderness of brown hair. Arla was sitting at the toilet-table, her back to her sister. "Oh yes," she said. "I see on your card that you danced two dances with Captain Lagerskioeld. I suppose he dances awfully well, eh?" "Do you know him?" asked Arla, and turned on the chair. "Oh yes, I do. Didn't he ask for me?" "Yes, now I remember. He said he had seen you with the children on the coasting-hill. You must have been a little rude to him?" The whole head came out above the cover now. "Rude! how?" "He said something about your being so pert." "Pert? Oh, _what_ a fib you do tell!" cried Gurli, and sat up in bed with a jump. "I don't usually tell stories," said Arla with wounded dignity, but blushed at the same time. "Oh yes, you do now, I am sure you do. I don't believe you, if you don't tell me word for word what he said. Who began talking of me? And what did he say? And what did you say?" "You had better tell me why you are so much interested in him," said Arla in the somewhat superior tone of the elder sister. "That is none of your business. I will tell you that I am no longer a little girl, as you seem to think. And even though I am treated like a child here at home, there are others who--who--" "Are you not a child?" said Arla. "You are not confirmed yet." "Oh, is that it? That 'confirmation' is only a ceremony, which I submit to for mamma's sake. And don't imagine that it is confirmation which makes women of us; no indeed, it is something else." "What then?" asked Arla, much surprised. "It is--it is--love," burst out Gurli, and hid her head under the covers. "Love! But Gurli, how you do talk! What do you know about that? You, a little schoolgirl!"