n the decisive moment arrived, and the
length of the skirt was to be taken, the dressmaker who was measuring
said: "I suppose the young lady's dress is to be long?" Marit looked at
Mrs. Dawes, who turned red. What was worse, the dressmaker herself
blushed. Then she hastily took the length of the short dress which Marit
was wearing.

The ball was given on the 20th of June, a sultry day, without sun. The
guests were assembled in the garden in front of the large country-house,
when the sailing-boat came in which brought Marit and her father; they
were the last to arrive. Old Klaus--tall, thin, wearing remarkably wide
white trousers--stalked down to receive her. Standing hatless, with
shining bald head and perspiring face, he stopped her with a motion of
his hand whilst he looked down at Anders in the boat.

"Are you not coming?"

"No, no! Thanks all the same!"

Off went the boat. Not till now did Klaus look at Marit, whom Mrs. Dawes
in her long letters had described as the most beautiful girl she had
ever seen. He stared, he bowed, and approached her, reeking of tobacco,
his big, smiling, open mouth disclosing unclean teeth. He offered his
arm. But Marit, who was wearing a long sleeveless cloak which reached to
the ground, pretended not to see this. Klaus was offended, but escorted
her up to the others, saying as they arrived: "Here I come with the
queen of the ball." This displeased her, and every one else, so the
beginning was unfortunate. Joergen, whose place it was to do so, hastened
forward to take her cloak and hat; but she bowed slightly and passed on.
There was style in this! As soon as she was out of hearing, comment
began. Her bearing in passing them, her face, carriage, gait, the
dazzlingly white skin, the sparkling eyes, the arch above them, the
shape of the nose--everything was perfect, and made a perfect whole. It
was all over with Joergen Thiis. He himself was a tall, slender man of
the Krog type, but with eyes peculiar to himself. At present these were
fixed on the door through which Marit had disappeared. He was waiting on
the steps.

And when she came out again and stepped forward to take his arm and be
conducted down to the others, she was a sight to see--in a short dress
of light sea-blue silky material, with transparent silk stockings of the
same colour, and silvery shoes with antique buckles. The company were
unanimous in admiration, and were still expressing it as they trooped in
to take their