e
no better way of being trained in steadiness.

But it was just while Silla sat and sewed and darned and patched in the
evening by the low oil-lamp that the dancing and gaiety were best
carried on in her head, and that all Kristofa's and her friends'
word-pictures transformed themselves into actual experiences. Bubble
after bubble, the one more wonderful than the other, floated up or burst
right in front of Mrs. Holman's nose, while she sat knitting. She saw
nothing, only wondered a little sometimes what there could be to smile
and laugh at in the heel of a stocking.

CHAPTER VII

"THE WORLD IS RIGHT ENOUGH AFTER ALL"

Down in Haegberg's smithy it looked as if it were going to be not only
blue Monday,[2] but blank Tuesday too. With the exception of one
solitary figure, it was black and empty. Outside the door a row of iron
picks, spades and crowbars, were waiting to be sharpened for the navvies
on the new harbour works.

[Footnote 2: An extra day's holiday taken by workmen after the lawful
bank holiday is called "blue Monday"; if still another follows, it is
called "blank Tuesday."]

Haegberg was going about with his leather apron hanging down over one
shoulder, as furious as a Berserk. There were no respectable men and
apprentices to be had nowadays; but he would give them notice man by
man, as sure as his name was Haegberg!

One was standing there grinding. And he had stood there quite alone,
filing with all his might at his journeyman's probation work, the whole
of St. John's day yesterday. That's how it is: one goes on the spree,
and another pinches and is so stingy about his money, that he would
willingly lay his soul in the fire for it. The fellow was a good enough
workman, to be sure, and if he had not had that affair with the police,
then--yes, no--no, yes, to be sure, he was acquitted of that, so he was!

The person in question was Nikolai, who had entered Haegberg's smithy
again to complete his years of apprenticeship.

Ah, at last! There came two men sauntering over the yard to the smithy.

Haegberg turned round and pretended not to see them; on consideration, it
was not the time to part with one's men. He only went up himself and
took one of the crowbars out of the forge; and when the two culprits
arrived, he stood there, tall, lean, strong, and grey-haired, hammering
so that the sparks flew.

This piece of work, unworthy of the master, spoke louder than the
angriest reproaches, and wh