Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part III - III
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
Ill
Marie’s friend was an old maid of about forty years,
mysterious, full of ideals with which I had lost all
sympathy long ago.
She was my wife’s consoler. In her arms she wept
over my dislike of her dog. She Avas a ready listener to
Marie’s abuse of matrimony, the slavery of women.
She was rather reserved and careful not to interfere ;
anyhow I noticed nothing, for I was completely pre-
occupied with my work. But I had an idea that she was
in the habit of borrowing small sums from my wife. I
said nothing until one day I saw her carrying off some
of the table silver with the intention of pawning it for
her own benefit.
I said a word or two about it to Marie, and gave her
to understand that even under the dotal system this sort
of comradeship was very unwise. She never dreamed of
helping me, her husband and best friend, in this way,
although I was in difficulties and worried by debts.
"Since you listen to such proposals from strangers,"
I said to her, "why not lend me your shares? I could
raise money on them."
She objected, arguing that the shares had fallen so
low as to be practically valueless and consequently unsale-
able. Moreover it was against her principles to transact
business with her husband.
"But you don’t object to a stranger, who can give
you no security whatever, who lives on a pension of
seventy-five crowns per annum ! Don’t you think it
wrong to refuse to help your husband who is trying to
188
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
