nd. The yard, thanks to Mr. Robson, had been so well cleared,
that the watchmen had but little difficulty in keeping the fire
isolated. After midnight the wind lulled, and the thick clouds of smoke
soared up into the air, and were driven slowly over the fjord.

As the ship took the water, she drove across the wind a little way from
the shore, and fouled an old brig belonging to the firm; and for the
rest of the night was heard the shouting and singing of the numerous
volunteers, who were hard at work clearing the vessels, and mooring the
newly launched one.

The shipwrights sat comfortably in the yard, just near enough to the
fire to feel its warmth. They had got far more than they could fairly
take on board, and, every now and then, they treated one of the watchmen
to something as he passed.

The only flaw in their pleasure was that Gabriel could not be with them.
He had been obliged to tell them that the Consul was ill, and that he
must, therefore, remain in the house. No one thought of accusing Gabriel
of pride, and they all drank his health, and as many other healths as
they could find an excuse for, in bumpers of the wine to which they were
so little accustomed. Of the food which had been given to them, they ate
as much as they could, and when they could eat no more, they divided the
remainder by lot, just as they shared the shavings for their fires,
laughing the whole time heartily at the sport. Then away they all
wandered homewards to the West End, carrying sausages, chickens, bottles
of wine, and other delicacies. The sun was just rising over the corner
of the mountain to the east of the town, and lit up the window-panes of
the cottages, till it looked as if the whole West End was illuminated.

That morning there was not a wife who had the heart to find fault with
her husband because he had had a little drop too much. Eating and
drinking went on merrily, combined with gossiping and running from house
to house. The children sat up in bed, blinking at the sunlight, and
stuffing themselves with sausages, still half in doubt whether it was
real tangible sausage they were eating, or whether it was not one of
those lovely dreams which sometimes visit the hungry.

The sun was shining over the bay of Sandsgaard, where the new ship now
lay securely moored with hawsers both ahead and astern. The sounds of
activity from West End could be heard far out into the fjord.

In Begmand's cottage Marianne lay raving in deliri