e arms that clove it the sun
played; the land in front lay in the repleteness of a rich aftermath;
sea-birds rocked on the waves, others screamed in the air above Mary's
head. "Imagine that I was afraid of being alone--!" thought she.

When she approached the shore she did not leave the water, but lay on
her back and rested; then took a few strokes and rested again. The beach
looked inviting; she lay down on it in the blazing sun, her head
supported on a stone, her hair floating. Oh, how delicious! But
something suddenly warned her to look up. She could not be troubled.
Yes, she ought to look up to where Nanna was sitting. No, she would not;
Nanna was on the look-out. Yet the suggestion had put an end to her
enjoyment. When she rose to walk along to the bathing-house steps, she
saw behind the big stone--Joergen Thiis with his gun over his shoulder!
The little girl was standing on the top of the stone motionless, staring
at him as if she were spell-bound.

The blood rushed through Mary's veins in hot waves of fury and loathing.
Is he utterly shameless? Or has he gone out of his mind? To outward
appearance she behaved as if she saw nothing; she plunged into the sea
and swam to the steps, walked calmly up them, and disappeared.

But her breath was coming hard and short, and she was so hot that she
forgot to dry herself, forgot to dress. Hotter and hotter she grew,
until she was positively boiling with rage and desire for vengeance. The
polite Joergen Thiis had dared to insult her as she had never in her life
been insulted!

Her mind wrestled with the thought of this senseless, dishonourable
surprisal until she became involved in a train of ideas which carried
her away. She was standing again in front of the acrobat's powerful
body; Alice's knowing eyes were upon her. She trembled--then screams
from the child reached her ear. In her excitement she almost screamed
back. What could it mean? There was no window on that side. She dared
not look out at the door, for she was naked. Never had she dressed in
such haste, but for this very reason everything went wrong, and time
passed. She would not appear before Joergen Thiis half dressed.

Just as she was ready to open, she heard the pitapat of little Nanna's
steps on the bridge from the bank. Mary tore the door open; the child
came rushing in, hid her head in her mistress's dress, and cried and
sobbed so that she could not utter a word.

Mary managed to soothe her, principal