abouring to get up. It lay already half melted on the
green bottom, on which the sun drew wavy lines.

Silla might try all she could to get him into the smithy. Since they had
tacked the word thief on to him, he had got soaked through with salt
water, just like the sugar-loaf. And besides, to stand there and slave,
when he could be his own----

"Hi, you boys! I'll show you how to get the sugar-loaf up, but you will
have to eat it yourselves."

* * * * *

The public-house--the one at Mrs. Selvig's, with the green door and
white window frames, farthest down the street--had seen Holman's quiet,
subdued, stooping figure come and go for many years. His grasp on the
door-handle was just as precise, his walk up to the brown counter after
having laid down his tools, exactly the same, though his face had a
little more colour in it. He had a certain reputation there, which had
allowed of his "chalking up" for several years past, and there was a
regular proportion of his account, about which his inexorably correct
wife had not the faintest idea--"for Holman had his weekly
pocket-money."

And as usual on Saturday evenings, Silla was walking about outside with
the basket, waiting for him.

She was really quite nicely dressed in her cotton gown with a little
white handkerchief tied round her neck; but clothes did not seem to set
her off. The slight, overgrown figure seemed to show through everywhere.

She made a quick turn, when she thought she caught a glimpse of Nikolai
at the bottom of the street. She had fancied the same thing last
Saturday evening. She had not really spoken to him since early in the
summer, when he got so angry because she wanted him to go into the
smithy again.

She went quickly down the street--she was quite certain that it was he!

She hurried on farther, down to the bridge; but it was the same as last
time--he was not to be seen. So she turned back again, disappointed,
keeping constant watch on Mrs. Selvig's green door. She knew her father
would appear as the clock struck eight.

She went up towards it and down again: she began to grow impatient. It
must be past the time. They were beginning to shut the shops here and
there, and if she was to get anything bought this evening, it would be
impossible to wait any longer.

She must really go up and see whether her father were sitting there
still--whether he had not perhaps gone when she was down at the bridge:
he neve