mother, because she had brought him into
the world without being able to give him a father, and then let him go.

But now it seemed to be just the other way. His mother, with her
all-consuming business, was the great, lawful gulf for all his
happiness.

He began to be weary of it all.

Amid all this there sometimes dawned and smouldered a faint glow of
rebellion within him, although, in his honest endeavour to come to the
bottom of the truth, it was some time before it blazed up.

Should he let Silla go, too, into this same gulf?

The answer blazed up clearly, so that the flames shone and flickered:

"Not while there was a rag left of what was called Nikolai!"

And with reference to his mother, and his having perhaps brought
misfortune upon her, should he not have hit out, but just let himself be
insulted and trampled upon, as he was going to be again now? His mother,
tall and big, would just squeeze them to death with that shop, both he
and Silla. They were not even to have leave or the right to sigh.

But he would not have that.

He had thrashed Veyergang, and only repented that he had not hit harder.
As he had come into the world, he would be a human being, even if he
were to have his head cut off for it afterwards.

The shop up there should not be fattened with another penny out of the
tin box. If his mother ever came to want for food, she would always find
a place in his room; but that she should put a stop to his ever getting
a room of his own--no, thank you!

He was like another man when he had at last made this clear to himself.
Yes, his name was Nikolai, and he was foreman at Mrs. Ellingsen's.

CHAPTER XII

THE FAIR AND THE CONVICT

The winter was passing.

It was at the time of the fair in the beginning of February. The streets
swarmed with people and the snow in the thaw had turned to powdered
sugar with the traffic.

A motley row of stalls stretched from market-place to market-place.
Trumpets brayed, buffoons shouted, the lottery-wheel went round, the
cryers howled. Music filled the air in volleys of blustering flourishes,
and amidst it all, over the whole town, pleasure-seeking, dancing and
merriment, until far on into the night.

Dull noise and the sound of music penetrated up to the manufacturing
part of the town. In the evenings the town lay beneath it in increased
illumination.

There was a kind of intoxication in the air, and there was many an
impatient, longing soul up