ight be as well if you drove out to
Smorvigen to-day. Our carriage shall meet you in the town, and you
will thus be ready to sail directly the wind is fair.

"Yes; thanks, Herr Consul; but--I'm----"

"Is there anything the matter?"

"Yes, unfortunately there is something the matter."

"Anything gone wrong?"

"No; rather gone right," said Worse, simpering. It seemed as if he
was a little emboldened. "I am going to be married."

"Good Heavens!" exclaimed the Consul, forgetting himself. "H'm! going
to marry. I never expected this. With whom, if I may venture to
inquire?"

"With Madame Torvestad's daughter; the Consul knows that she lives in
a portion of my house."

"Yes; but I did not know--I should hardly have thought that Madame
Torvestad had a daughter of a suitable age."

"She is rather young--rather younger than I am," answered Worse, who
was growing red in the face, "but otherwise a very sedate and serious
girl."

"Her family belongs to the Brethren. Does Captain Worse propose to
join the Haugians?"

"No, indeed," answered the other; and he would have smiled, but that
the Consul's manner did not give him any encouragement.

"Well, that is your own affair, my dear Jacob Worse," said the
Consul, rising up in order to give him his hand. "Accept my
congratulations, and I hope you may never repent of the step you are
taking. When is the wedding to take place?"

"On Sunday!"

"Well, that is rather sharp work. I trust you may never have to
repent of it."

When he left, the Consul thought for a moment of running after him,
and of enlightening him thoroughly about the Haugians and all their
hypocrisies--from his point of view. But on consideration he
desisted.

Morten W. Garman was a prudent man, who never wasted words. He had
seen enough of Jacob Worse in their brief conversation, and he was
well versed in the various symptoms of persons who were enamoured.

Jacob Worse did not regain his equanimity until he got back to his
own rooms, where there was a detestable turmoil of charwomen and all
sorts of workpeople.

But he went about happy and contented, now and then visiting the back
building, in order to get a glimpse of his Sarah. It was not much
that he was able to see of her; for there, also, every one was busy
with needles and thread and with marking-ink, and she sat bending
over her work.

In this way he spent his time, restless from very happiness. He was
quite unconscious of the fact that hi