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SKETCHES. 269
At the same moment his face, until now so friendly and
calm, became troubled, looked disturbed, and he also drew
back, became shadowy and dim. ‘Then the fear seized me
that he would in this way leave me. I summoned up my
courage ; approached him again ; called him by endearing
names ; begged him to be heartily welcome, and expressed
my great delight at seeing himagain. He now grew brighter;
came closer up to me, and looked more and more friendly
and radiant, yet not in a supernatural manner. It seemed
to me that we were both playing a part with each other ;
that he wanted to make me believe that he was not dead ;
just as I did not wish him to observe that I looked upon
him as having come from the other world. Meanwhile I
felt an indescribable longing to ask him how it was there,
aud whether he was happy; but I was prevented by I do
not know what kind of fear. He looked heartily pleased
and friendly. I said: —
“You will stay with me this evening, my dear Reuter-
borg ?”
I said this, as if to try him.
“No,” he replied, “I must go to some place-and read the
newspapers.”
Half jocularly I then said : —
“Well, well, you read the newspapers beside God him-
self. ‘That is surely a good place, and there you can learn
much.”
He only smiled, and I could not help thinking that it was
rather cunning of him to want to make himself so living
and worldly.
“ But,’ I went on to say, “as you will not stay with me,
then tell me, Reuterborg, when shall I come to you in your
home? How old shall I be on earth?”
He looked upwards for a moment, and then said medi-
tatingly, but very decidedly : —
“ You shall be sixty-six years and two months old.”
“So old?” I said, “I must then live still a long time here
on earth; but God’s will be done.”
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