hestillstoodholdingherhand,andsaidatlast,"youarebecomequiteagrandlady,christina,andiamonlyaroughworkingman;butihaveoftenthoughtofyouandofoldtimes."thentheywanderedupthegreatridge,andlookedacrossthestreamtotheheath,wherethelittlehillswerecoveredwiththefloweringbsaidnothing;butbeforethetimecameforthemtopart,itbecamequitecleartohimthatchristinamustbehiswife:hadtheynoteveninchildhoodbeencalledthebetrothed?tohimitseemedasiftheywerereallyengagedtoeachother,althoughnotawordhadbeenspokenonthesubject.theyhadonlyafewmorehourstoremaintogether,forchristinawasobligedtoreturnthateveningtotheneighboringvillage,tobereadyforthecarriagewhichwastostartthenextmorningearlyforherning.ibandherfatheraccompaniedhertothevillage.itwasafinemoonlightevening;andwhentheyarrived,ibstoodholdingchristina'shandinhis,asifhecouldnotlethergo.hiseyesbrightened,andthewordsheutteredcamewithhesitationfromhislips,butfromthedeepestrecessesofhisheart:"christina,ifyouhavenotbecometoogrand,andifyoucanbecontentedtoliveinmymother'shouseasmywife,wewillbemarriedsomeday.butwecanwaitforawhile."

"ohyes,"shereplied;"letuswaitalittlelonger,ib.icantrustyou,foribelievethatidoloveyou.butletmethinkitover."thenhekissedherlips;andsotheyparted.

onthewayhome,ibtoldtheboatmanthatheandchristinawereasgoodasengagedtoeachother;andtheboatmanfoundoutthathehadalwaysexpecteditwouldbeso,andwenthomewithibthatevening,andremainedthenightinthefarmhouse;butnothingfurtherwassaidoftheengagement.duringthenextyear,twoletterspassedbetweenibandchristina.theyweresigned,"faithfultilldeath;"butattheendofthattime,onedaytheboatmancameovertoseeib,withakindgreetingfromchristina.hehadsomethingelsetosay,whichmadehimhesitateinastrangemanner.atlastitcameoutthatchristina,whohadgrownaveryprettygirl,wasmoreluckythanever.shewascourtedandadmiredbyeveryone;buthermaster'sson,whohadbeenhomeonavisit,wassomuchpleasedwithchristinathathewishedtomarryher.hehadaverygoodsituationinanofficeatcopenhagen,andasshehadalsotakenalikingforhim,hisparentswerenotunwillingtoconsent.butchristina,inherheart,oftenthoughtofib,andknewhowmuchhethoughtofher;soshefeltinclinedtorefusethisgoodfortune,addedtheboatman.atfirstibsaidnotaword,buthebecameaswhiteasthewall,andshookhisheadgently,andthenhespoke,-"christinamustnotrefusethisgoodfortune."

"thenwillyouwriteafewwordstoher?"saidtheboatman.

ibsatdowntowrite,buthecouldnotgetonatall.thewordswerenotwhathewishedtosay,sohetoreupthepage.thefollowingmorning,however,aletterlayreadytobesenttochristina,andthefollowingiswhathewrote:-

"theletterwrittenbyyoutoyourfatherihaveread,andseefromitthatyouareprosperousineverything,andthatstillbetterfortuneisinstoreforyou.askyourownheart,christina,andthinkovercarefullywhatawaitsyouifyoutakemeforyourhusband,foripossessverylittleintheworld.donotthinkofmeorofmyposition;thinkonlyofyourownwelfare.youareboundtomebynopromises;andifinyourheartyouhavegivenmeone,ireleaseyoufromit.mayeveryblessingandhappinessbepouredoutuponyou,christina.heavenwillgivemetheheart'sconsolation.

everyoursincerefriend,ib."

thisletterwassent,andchristinareceiveditinduetime.inthecourseofthefollowingnovember,herbannswerepublishedinthechurchontheheath,andalsoincopenhagen,wherethebridegroomlived.shewastakentocopenhagenundertheprotectionofherfuturemother-in-law,becausethebridegroomcouldnotsparetimefromhisnumerousoccupationsforajourneysofarintojutland.onthejourney,christinametherfatheratoneofthevillagesthroughwhichtheypassed,andherehetookleaveofher.verylittlewassaidaboutthemattertoib,andhedidnotrefertoit;hismother,however,noticedthathehadgrownverysilentandpensive.thinkingashedidofoldtimes,nowonderthethreenutscameintohismindwhichthegypsywomanhadgivenhimwhenachild,andofthetwowhichhehadgiventochristina.thesewishingnuts,afterall,hadprovedtruefortune-tellers.onehadcontainedagildedcarriageandnoblehorses,andtheotherbeautifulclothes;allofthesechristinawouldnowhaveinhernewhomeatcopenhagen.herparthadcometrue.andforhimthenuthadcontainedonlyblackearth.thegypsywomanhadsaiditwasthebestforhim.perhapsitwas,andthisalsowouldbefulfilled.heunderstoodthegypsywoman'smeaningnow.theblackearth-thedarkgrave-wasthebestthingforhimnow.

againyearspassedaway;notmany,buttheyseemedlongyearstoib.theoldinnkeeperandhiswifediedoneaftertheother;andthewholeoftheirproperty,manythousanddollars,wasinheritedbytheirson.christinacouldhavethegoldencarriagenow,andplentyoffineclothes.duringthetwolongyearswhichfollowed,nolettercamefromchristinatoherfather;andwhenatlastherfatherreceivedonefromher,itdidnotspeakofprosperityorhappiness.poorchristina!