that she sought for a
clever and experienced steward for her sorely decayed estate, I offered
myself as such, in all modesty, or rather without any; and when
accepted, I felt an almost childish joy, and set off immediately to her
estate, that I might make myself at home there, and have everything in
readiness to receive her."

Thus much for Harald, now for Susanna.

Barbara Susanna Bjoerk was not handsome, could not be even called pretty
(for that, she was too large and strong), but she was good-looking. The
blue eyes looked so honestly and openly into the world; the round and
full face testified health, kindness, and good spirits; and when Susanna
was merry, when the rosy lips opened themselves for a hearty laugh, it
made any one right glad only to look at her. But true is it, that she
was very often in an ill humour, and then she did not look at all
charming. She was a tall, well-made girl, too powerful in movement ever
to be called graceful, and her whole being betrayed a certain want of
refinement.

Poor child! how could she have obtained this in the home abounding in
disorder, poverty, and vanity, in which the greater part of her life had
been passed.

Her father was the Burgomaster of Uddevalla; her mother died in the
infancy of her daughter. Soon afterwards an aunt came into the house,
who troubled herself only about the housekeeping and her coffee-drinking
acquaintance, left her brother himself to seek for his pleasures at the
club, and the child to take care of herself. The education of the little
Susanna consisted in this, that she learned of necessity to read, and
that when she was naughty they said to her, "Is Barbra there again? Fie,
for shame, Barbra! Get out, Barbra!" and when she was good again, it
was, "See now, Sanna is here again! Welcome, sweet Sanna!" A method
which certainly was not without its good points, if it had only been
wisely applied. But often was the little girl talked to as "Barbra" when
there was no occasion for it, and this had often the effect of calling
forth the said personage. In the mean time, she was accustomed as a
child to go out as Barbra, and to come in again as Sanna, and this gave
her early an idea of the two natures which existed in her, as they exist
in every person. This idea attained to perfect clearness in Susanna's
religious instruction,--the only instruction which poor Susanna ever
had. But how infinitely rich is such instruction for an ingenuous mind,
when it i