Ulrika gazed at her with as much wonder as her
plain, heavy face was capable of expressing. Lovisa saw the look and
smiled darkly.
"One would think _you_ had never known what love is!" she said, with a
sort of grim satire in her tone. "Yet even your dull soul was on fire
once! But I--when I was young, I had beauty such as you never had, and I
loved--Olaf Gueldmar."
Ulrika uttered an exclamation of astonishment. "You! and yet you hate
him now?"
Lovisa raised her hand with an imperious gesture.
"I have grown hate like a flower in my breast," she said, with a sort of
stern impressiveness. "I have fostered it year after year, and now,--it
has grown too strong for me! When Olaf Gueldmar was young he told me I
was fair; once he kissed my cheek at parting! For those words,--for that
kiss,--I loved him then--for the same things I hate him now! When I know
he had married, I cursed him; on the day of my own marriage with a man I
despised, I cursed him! I have followed him and all his surroundings
with more curses than there are hours in the day! I have had some little
revenge--yes!"--and she laughed grimly--"but I want more! For Britta has
been caught by his daughter's evil spell.
Pages:
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214