the worst. And then one day we understood that we could manage to get something good out of it ourselves. Something happens, perhaps, that makes you think: if you can stand this, you can stand anything. Once you have got self-reliance in that way, there are no illusions that any one or anything can rob you of."
"But circumstances and opportunities may be such that one's self-reliance is not much use when they are stronger than oneself."
"True," she said. "When a ship sets sail, circumstances may cause it to be wrecked—a collision or a mistake in the construction of a wheel—but it does not start with that presumption. Besides, one must try and conquer circumstances; there is nearly always a way out of them."
"You are very optimistic, Miss Winge."
"I am," she said, and after a while: "I have become an optimist since I have seen how much people really can stand without losing courage to struggle on, and without being degraded."
"That is exactly what I think they are—reduced in value, anyway."
"Not all. And even to find one who does not allow life to abase or reduce him is enough to make you optimistic. We are going in here."
"This looks more like a Montmartre café, don't you think?" said Helge, looking around.
Along the walls of the small room were plush-covered forms; small iron tables with marble tops stood in front of them, and the steam rose from two nickel boilers on the counter.
"These places are the same everywhere. Do you know Paris?"
"No, but I thought.…" He felt suddenly irritated with this young girl artist who went about the world as she pleased
