erwards.

The affair, however, made no progress. Worse hardly knew whether it
moved backwards or forwards. In the meantime he was completely
infatuated, and trotted about after Sarah like an old turkey cock.

What Sarah's own feelings might be was not much discussed by her
mother and her admirer. Madame Torvestad "knew her daughter;" and
Jacob Worse, the elderly gallant, fancied that when Sarah blushed,
was constrained when she was alone with him, and refused his
presents, it was only girlish prudishness, of which he had seen
instances, both in the Baltic and in the Mediterranean.

Although Consul Garman seemed to keep up such slight intercourse with
the town, he had his feelers out, and all that happened there, both
small and great, was pretty well known at Sandsgaard. The two
sisters, Birgitte and Mette, especially interested themselves in
everything without exception.

It came, therefore, to the Consul's ears that Jacob Worse was
courting, and it both displeased and made him anxious.

That his partner should enter upon any new matrimonial alliance was
very distasteful to him, as it would tend to complicate matters; and
his especial fear was that these good people--he knew the family
well--would be the ruin of his excellent captain.

Consul Garman almost hated the sectaries, although he knew but little
about them. It revolted him to think that religion, which was given
to man for enlightenment and instruction in virtue and rational
conduct, should be so misused by ignorant fanatics and enthusiasts as
to pervert and distract the lower classes, who were rather in need of
sound and practical guidance.

He therefore sent a boat for Captain Worse, as soon as he learnt from
his sisters-in-law that he was likely to marry Madame Torvestad's
daughter.

When Worse arrived, the Consul began to talk with much eagerness
about a certain vessel which was for sale at Bremen. They got hold of
the register, looked into dimensions, discussed age and value, and
finally came to the conclusion that it might prove fit for the
business of the firm.

The one became infected with the eagerness of the other. It was not
often that the Consul plunged so deeply into a novel scheme; but
before Worse knew what he was about, it was proposed that he should
leave either to-morrow or the day after, in a Bremen schooner, which
lay in the roads waiting for a fair wind, in order to purchase the
vessel, if it answered the description given, and