He was introduced to gentlemen and ladies, to the Chamberlain who was wearing his orders, to the Chamberlain's Lady, to a neighbouring Laird, to Otto, the Lieutenant. Victoria he did not see. Some time went by. Victoria came in, pale, hesitating indeed; she was leading a young girl by the hand. They made a round of the drawing-room, shaking hands and saying something to every one. They stopped at Johannes. Victoria smiled and said: "Look, here is Camilla, isn't this a surprise? You know one another." She stood looking at them both for a moment, then she went out of the room. For the first instant Johannes stood motionless, stiff and dazed. This was the surprise; Victoria had been kind enough to provide a substitute. Look here, you two people, go and take each other! Spring is in full bloom, the sun is shining; open the windows if you like, for the garden is full of the scent of flowers and the starlings are playing in the birch-tops. Why don't you talk to one another? Laugh, for goodness' sake! "Yes, we know each other," said Camilla frankly. "It was here you pulled me out of the water that time." She was young and fair, bright, dressed in a rose-coloured frock, and was in her seventeenth year. Johannes clenched his teeth and laughed and joked. Little by little her cheerful talk actually began to wake him up; they talked a long time, the beating of his heart subsided. She kept the charming habit she had had as a child of putting her head on one side and listening expectantly when he said anything. He recognized her, she was no surprise to him. Victoria came in again; she took the Lieutenant's arm, carried him off and said to Johannes: "Do you know Otto--my fiancé? You remember him, don't you?" The men remembered each other. They said the necessary words, made the necessary bows and separated. Johannes and Victoria were left alone. He said: "Was that the surprise?" "Yes," she answered, worried and impatient; "I did the best I could, I didn't know of anything else to do. Don't be unreasonable now, you ought rather to thank me; I could see you were glad." "Thank you. Yes, I was glad." An irreparable despair fell upon him, his face turned pale as a corpse. If she had once wronged him it was now so abundantly made good and healed. He was sincerely grateful to her. "And then I notice that you have your ring on today," he said dully. "Mind you don't take it off again." Pause. "No, now I am sure not to take it off any more," she answered. They looked into each other's eyes. His lips quivered, he indicated the Lieutenant with his head and said hoarsely and rudely: "You have taste, Miss Victoria. He's a handsome man. His epaulettes give him shoulders." She gave him his answer very calmly: "No, he is not handsome. But he is a well-bred man. And that means something." "That was one for me, thanks!" He laughed aloud and added with insolence: "And there's money in his pockets; that means more." She left him at once.