ed
his voice, and ran after him to order fresh fish for Friday, but he was
already far away. She gazed after him in amazement, and muttered, "I
declare, I think Per is wrong in his head."

Northward stretched the yellow sand-hills with their tussocks of bent
grass as far as the eye could reach. The coast-line curved in bights and
promontories, with here and there a cluster of boats, while the gulls
and wild geese were busy on the shore, and the waves rolled in in small
curling ripples which glistened in the' clear sunshine. Per soon caught
up Madeleine, for she went slowly that day. She had pulled a few young
stalks of the grass, which, as she went, she was endeavouring to arrange
in her hat.

The difference of the preceding day hung heavily over both of them. It
was really the first time that anything of the sort had occurred between
them. Perhaps it was that they felt instinctively that they stood on the
brink of a precipice. They therefore took the greatest pains to avoid
the subject which really occupied their thoughts. The conversation was
thus carried on in a careless and desultory tone, and in short and
broken sentences. At last she made an effort to bring him to the point,
and asked him if he had caught many lobsters that night.

"Twenty-seven," answered Per.

That was neither many nor few, so there was no more to be said about
that.

"You did row hard yesterday," said she, looking down, for now she felt
that they were nearing the point.

"It was because--because I was alone in the boat," returned he,
stammering. He saw at once that it was a stupid remark, but it was said
and could not be mended.

"Perhaps you prefer to be alone in the boat?" she asked hastily, fixing
her eyes upon him. But when she saw the long helpless creature standing
before her in such a miserable state of confusion, strong and handsome
as he was, she sprang up, threw her arms round his neck, and said, half
laughing, half crying, "Oh, Per! Per!"

Per had not the faintest idea how he ought to behave when a lady had her
arms round his neck, and so stood perfectly still. He looked down upon
her long dark hair and slender figure, and, trembling at his own
audacity, he put his heavy arm limply round her.

They were now out on the dunes, and she sat down behind one of the
largest tussocks, on the warm sand. He ventured to place himself by her
side, and looked vacantly around him. Every now and then he cast his eye
upon her, but still