"I should hate a man with no spirit, there would be no satisfaction in managing him." The old Swedish lady raised her head. "My dear, it is most unseemly for a young woman to talk of 'managing' her husband. Young people nowadays have lost the virtue of obedience." "Obedience is for children and the feeble-minded," said Astrid. The old lady gasped and raised her mittened hand. "My dear, my dear, a wife should always obey her husband!" "Well, I shan't when I'm married." Fröken Hagerup interposed: "You'll find that you'll have to, to keep the peace." "Keep the peace indeed! That will be Edvard's business. Ragna, why don't you say something?" Ragna had been sitting silent; on being addressed she started and dropped her fork. "I--I have a headache." Her cheeks flamed at the lie. Fru Bjork looked at her anxiously. "I do hope you are not going to be ill, child! I am sure you have been tiring yourself out with all this going about alone, I don't half like it!" "Stuff and nonsense," said Estelle, "she never looked better in her life! A night's rest and she will be all right again. You should not walk in the sun," she said to Ragna; "it is dangerous at this season of the year. It is probably that that gave you your headache." "I believe Ragna's in love with somebody," said Astrid, "all this mooning about alone is a symptom, and she's losing her appetite, too." "Nonsense!" said Ragna angrily. "I am a bit tired, but as Estelle says, a night's rest will set me right. I think I shall go to bed now." "I think you are right, Ragna," said Fru Bjork. "Take some quinine and cover yourself well. I shall come a little later to see if you are comfortable." "Oh, please don't," said Ragna. "I feel quite sleepy already. I assure you there is nothing to worry about, I had rather no one came, it might wake me up." Fru Bjork looked hurt. "As you like," she said, and Ragna hated herself for her ungraciousness. "Oh, why wasn't I born diplomatic?" she thought. Astrid was looking at her rather maliciously through her lashes. The headache had not deceived her, but she had no suspicion of the truth; she thought that absence might have played advocate for some despised Christiania swain; she wondered who it might be, and promised herself that she would find out at the first opportunity.