sat upon a sailor's chest with his hands folded
before him, though the nets were to be examined and a score of things
to get for the fishers.

"Can thou find nothing for thy lazy hands to do?" he asked scornfully,
"or are they weary of the work thou hast been doing at night?"

"My mind is not to lift a finger for thee again, Peter Fae; and as for
what I do at night, that is my own affair. I robbed thee not, neither
of time nor gear."

"From whence came the glass, and the nails, and the wood, and the
hinges?"

"I bought them with my own money. If thou pays me the outlay it will
be only just. The work I gave freely to the wife of Jan Vedder."

"Then since thou hast mended the house, thou may carry back the
furniture into it."

"I will do that freely also. Thou never ought to have counseled its
removal; for that reason, I blame thee for all that followed it."
Snorro then hailed a passing fisherman, and they lifted his chest in
order to go away.

"What art thou taking?"

"My own clothes, and my own books, and whatever is my own. Nothing of
thine."

"But why?"

"For that I will come no more here."

"Yes, thou wilt."

"I will come no more."

Peter was much troubled. Angry as he was, grief at Snorro's defection
was deeper than any other feeling. For nearly twenty years he had
relied on him. Besides the inconvenience to the business, the loss of
faith was bitter. But he said no more at that time. When Margaret was
in her home, Snorro would be easier to manage. More as a conciliatory
measure with him, than as kindness to his offending daughter, he said,
"First of all, however, take a load of tea, and sugar and flour, and
such things as will be needed; thou knowest them. Take what thou
wishes, and all thou wishes; then, thou canst not say evil of me."

"When did I say evil of thee, only to thy face? Michael Snorro hath
but one tongue. It knows not how to slander or to lie. Pay me my
wages, and I will go, and speak to thee no more."

"Do what I said and come back to me in three days; then we will settle
this trouble between us;" saying which, Peter went into his counting
house, and Snorro went to work with all his will and strength to get
Margaret's house ready for her.

But though he hired three men to help him, it was the evening of the
second day before she could remove to it. It was a different
homecoming from her previous one in that dwelling. Then all had been
in exquisitely spotless order, and Jan had