that--ahem!--that peculiarity, Trofast
was enabled to reveal an abominable crime; to contribute to the just
punishment of evildoers, and thus benefit both us and society.'

'But, father,' exclaimed Miss Thyra, 'will you not promise me one
thing?'

'What is that, my child?'

'That you will never again require such a service of Trofast. Rather let
them steal a little.'

'That I promise you, Thyra; and you, too, my brave Trofast,' said the
merchant, rising with dignity.

'Trofast is hungry,' said Waldemar, with his knowing air.

'Goodness, Thyra! fetch his cutlets!'

Thyra was about to rush down into the kitchen, but at that moment Stine
came puffing upstairs with them.

* * * * *

Presumably, the professor did not find Mam Hansen worth repairing. At
any rate, she was never seen again, and the children 'flowed quite
over.' I do not know what became of them.

KAREN. [Footnote: The scene of this tale is laid in Denmark.]

There was once in Krarup Kro [Footnote: Kro, a country inn.] a girl
named Karen. She had to wait upon all the guests, for the innkeeper's
wife almost always went about looking for her keys. And there came
many to Krarup Kro--folk from the surrounding district, who gathered
in the autumn gloamings, and sat in the inn parlour drinking
coffee-punches, usually without any definite object; and also
travellers and wayfarers, who tramped in, blue and weather-beaten, to
get something hot to carry them on to the next inn.

But Karen could manage everything all the same, although she walked
about so quietly, and never seemed in a hurry.

She was small and slim, quite young, grave and silent, so that with her
there was no amusement for the commercial travellers. But decent folks
who went into the tavern in earnest, and who set store on their coffee
being served promptly and scalding hot, thought a great deal of Karen.
And when she slipped quietly forward among the guests with her tray, the
unwieldy frieze-clad figures fell back with unaccustomed celerity to
make way for her, and the conversation stopped for a moment. All had to
look after her, she was so charming.

Karen's eyes were of that large gray sort which seem at once to look at
one and to look far, far beyond, and her eyebrows were loftily arched,
as if in wonder.

Therefore strangers thought she did not rightly understand what they
asked for. But she understood very well, and made no mistakes. Ther