oor was standing open. It opened inwards,
and there was a group of men, some inside and some outside, and amongst
them they were forcing into the street a drunken woman. The entry to the
place was beneath the level of the ground, and reached by a few uneven,
miry steps, and up these the unfortunate was blindly stumbling under a
rain of blows, pushes, and curses. She was old, and her hair streamed in
ragged streaks across her bloodshot eyes, her tawdry skirt was long, and
got under her unsteady feet. Just as she had managed to totter to the
topmost step, a young man in the group behind her struck her a heavy
blow between the shoulders. She tripped in the long skirt and trod on
it, tearing it with a ripping sound from the waist, and fell forward,
striking her face on the uneven frozen ground. Katrine sprang forward,
but before she could reach her the woman had staggered to her feet and
turned to face her tormentors, the blood streaming now from her cut
lips, her trembling hands vaguely grasping at her torn skirt and trying
to keep it to her waist. A roar of laughter burst from the men at the
pitiful sight, and then died suddenly as they recognised Katrine. She
stepped in front of the old woman, and faced them with a scorn in her
eyes beyond all words. Then she turned in silence, put her arm round the
helpless creature's waist, and supported her frail, tottering steps over
the slippery, uneven ground. For an instant the men stood abashed and
ashamed, then when the spell of those great fearless, scornful eyes was
removed, their natures reasserted themselves, and a general laugh went
round.

"Birds of a feather!" shouted one, mockingly, as the two retreating
figures disappeared in the gathering darkness. Katrine heard it, and
winced; but she did not relax the hold of her supporting arm, and by
gentle and repeated questioning managed to elicit from the helpless old
being where she lived. Katrine turned her steps in the given direction,
and drawing out her handkerchief wiped the blood from the old woman's
face, and smoothed her straggling grey hair back behind her ears. When
they reached her cabin at last, Katrine saw that the stove was black
and empty. There was no light of any sort in the place, and the freezing
darkness of the interior chilled her through. She would not leave the
old woman until she had lighted a fire and candle for her and got her to
bed; then, without waiting to listen to the mumbled and incoherent
thanks