answered the Consul, severely.
"In those days we were contented to move with caution and foresight,
without ruining our credit by mixing with a lot of speculators in all
kinds of doubtful undertakings."

Morten felt the rebuke, and answered, "I did not think Garman and Worse
set such store by its credit in those days."

"The house is no longer what it has been," said the young Consul dryly,
closing the thick ledger. He then held out his hand to Morten over the
table, and said, "Best wishes for the new year."

"The same to you, father," said Morten, as their eyes met for a moment.

The young Consul thought upon the time when he himself stood where
Morten was now standing, and when the old Consul sat in the armchair.
How utterly different everything was in the old days! However, the
year's account was over, and Morten was glad of it.

After Christmas there was a succession of balls and parties in the town.
At Sandsgaard only one large ball was given every year, and that was on
the old Consul's birthday, which fell on the 15th of May.

Madeleine did not go out that winter, neither did she pay any more
visits to Fanny. Rachel was, as usual, quite incomprehensible. Sometimes
she would answer her well-known "No, thanks," and sometimes she would
take it into her head to make herself smart, go to a dance, and be
either pleasant or the contrary, just as the fit took her.

The disappointment she had experienced at the hands of Mr. Johnsen made
her more bitter than ever; but she never gave him another thought. She
had done her best for him, as she said to herself, and now that it was
over, she heard with the greatest indifference that his Bible
explanations at the prayer-meeting were so wonderfully successful; but
in her innermost heart Rachel often felt a void, which sometimes made
her uneasy. It seemed as if she was indifferent to everything. She felt
no pleasure in anything; and it was generally when she was in this mood
that she felt most inclined to go to a ball.

In February there was a dance given at the Club, at which both Rachel
and Fanny were present. Fanny was dressed entirely in blue, even to her
shoes, fan, and blue flowers in her hair; but her eyes were bluer than
all.

"Ein meer von blauen Gedanken
Ergiesst sich ueber mein Herz,"

as Delphin said when he came into the room. The pleasure caused her by
this compliment had to suffice her for the whole evening. She could no
longer hide from hersel