It is only the strangeness of this place. I
shall be all right in a day or so."
"The new home--it is satisfactory? You have found
what you wanted? Your room is comfortable?"
"It's--it's a large room," I faltered. "And there's
a--a large view of the lake, too."
There was a smothered sound at the other end of the
wire. Then--"I want you to meet me down-town at seven
o'clock. We will have dinner together," Von Gerhard
said, "I cannot have you moping up there all alone all
evening."
"I can't come."
"Why? "
"Because I want to so very much. And anyway, I'm
much more cheerful now. I am going in to dinner. And
after dinner I shall get acquainted with my room.
There are six corners and all the space under the bed
that I haven't explored yet."
"Dawn!"
"Yes?"
"If you were free to-night, would you marry me? If
you knew that the next month would find you mistress of
yourself would you--"
"Ernst!"
"Yes?"
"If the gates of Heaven were opened wide to you, and
they had `Welcome!' done in diamonds over the door, and
all the loveliest angel ladies grouped about the doorway
to receive you, and just beyond you could see awaiting
you all that was beautiful, and most exquisite, and most
desirable, would you enter?"
And then I hung up the receiver and went in to
dinner.
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