my duty to live
for you, little father, and that you could not get on without me."

"You have a duty to yourself, Helga," said her father, gravely, as he
saw that his daughter liked Hardy, and that her conduct towards him
had only been an effort to do what she thought her duty in life. He
saw also that in a short time Hardy would see it too. "There is no man
I like so much," added he; "but I do not wish to lead you to like any
one, yet there is no good in struggling against what is natural and
necessary. Now, Helga, answer me this--has he said anything to you?"

"No, no; not a word!" replied Helga, quickly.

"I was sure of it," said her father, "and he will not; he is under my
roof, and he will say nothing to me or you--he has too much delicacy
of feeling to do so."

"But, little father, he looks on me as an inferior," said Helga. "He
is so superior in everything, that I feel as if he said, 'You are a
simple country girl.'"

"Well," said her father, "what are you else? But I am sure he never
said or, by his manner, led you to infer that he thought you his
inferior."

"It is not that," said Helga. "If he but opens the door and enters a
room or leaves it, he does so in a manner I cannot describe. He is not
like other men. He does everything well and knows everything well. He
makes me feel I am so small."

"When he is with me," said the Pastor, "he makes me feel the better
Christian and more kindly towards every one. When he first came he
taught me one sentence I shall never forget, 'that kindliness is the
real gold of life.'"

"But you said that on the first Sunday he was here, little father, in
your sermon," interrupted Helga.

"But I learnt it from him," said the Pastor. "But there is something I
think I had better tell you, as there should be perfect confidence,
even in thought, between us, my child. When Karl came from the
Jensens' the other day, he repeated what Mathilde Jensen said about
Hardy buying Rosendal. I think myself it is probable--mind, I only say
probable. I see he observes everything you do, and that your unfair
speeches hurt him. He asked me if you were, as Fru Jensen said,
attached to Kapellan Holm, and his manner for the moment changed. He
is going to bring his mother over to Denmark, and, judging from his
character of simple kindly consideration for every one, it is clear he
wishes his mother to see you before he speaks."

"Oh, little father, it cannot be true," said Helga; "it cannot be