tchen-maid
Bertha, gave her a friendly slap on the back, the old lady clapped her
hands together, and exclaimed, "Well, I declare, he is the worst of the
whole lot!"

The Consul had several long interviews with Morten, who put on an air of
importance before the clerks and workpeople. But his feelings, when he
took his father's place in the old armchair in the office, are not
easily described.

Fanny saw little of her husband, and noticed him even less. Her
connection with Delphin had obtained a power over her, which she could
not previously have believed possible, and she strove by every means at
her command to keep him fast. But since the day on which Delphin had
discovered that Madeleine knew of his intimacy with Fanny, his position
became almost unbearable. He would gladly have done with it, but had not
the will, and he lacked the courage to leave the place, and be quit of
it all for ever. And so deeper and deeper he fell into the snare. He was
weary of lying and living a life of shame, but the effort required was
more than he could command. And often, when conversation flagged, he
felt instinctively that she knew what was passing in his mind; as if
their secret was determined to make its voice heard, although Fanny
kissed him, and went on talking and laughing incessantly in order to
deafen it.

One thing was a source of wonder to every one, and that was, how
lukewarm the authorities were in endeavouring to discover how the fire
had arisen; for that it was malicious no one doubted for a moment. It is
true there were a few inquiries made at long intervals, but nothing came
to light. This was not, however, much to be wondered at, considering
that it was only a pack of old women and children from the West End who
were questioned, while those to whom suspicion really attached were
allowed to go unexamined.

Anders Begmand had been brought up, but the magistrate stated that his
evidence could not be received, on the ground of his mental deficiency
and general infirmity. So there the matter ended.

Woodlouse's expectation was not fulfilled; neither he, nor the Swede,
nor Martin were examined, and after a few ill-natured remarks in the
papers, the affair died out and was forgotten. But in the West End, and
indeed also in the town amongst the lower orders, people would smile and
shake their heads mysteriously when the matter was mentioned. They might
say what they liked about Garman and Worse in other ways, but the fir