o closed the instrument. Now when Magnhild was
alone and heard the rattling of the knives, she began to cry; for she
had not yet eaten a morsel that day. During the meal the priest came out
from the dining-room; for it had been decided that he had not bought
enough fish. He opened the window and called out to the man to wait
until dinner was over. As he turned to go back into the dining-room he
espied the little one on the wood-box.

"Are you hungry?" asked he.

The child made no reply. He had lived long enough among the peasants to
know that her silence meant "yes," and so taking her by the hand he led
her to the table, where room was silently made for her.

In the afternoon she went coasting with the little girls, and then
joined them in their studies and had a lesson in Bible history with
them; after this she partook of the afternoon lunch with them, and then
played with them until they were called to supper, which they all ate at
the same table. She slept that night on a lounge in the dining-room and
took part the next day in the duties of the priest's daughters.

She had no clothes except those she had on; but the governess made over
an old dress for her; some articles of old linen belonging to one of the
little girls were given to her, and a pair of their mother's boots. The
lounge she had slept on was removed from the dining-room, because it
occupied the space needed for some shoemakers who were to "see the
household well shod." It was placed in the kitchen, but was in the way
there; then in the bed-room of the maid-servants, but there the door
continually struck against it; finally it was carried up to the nursery.
Thus it was that Magnhild came to eat, work, and sleep with the priest's
daughters; and as new clothes were never made for her she naturally fell
to wearing theirs.

Quite as much by chance she began to play the piano. It was discovered
that she had more talent for music than the daughters of the house, so
it was thought best that she should learn, in order to help them.
Moreover, she grew tall, and developed a fine voice for singing. The
governess took great pains in teaching her to sing by note; she did so
at first merely in the mechanical way she did everything, later because
the remarkable skill in reading at sight which her pupil developed under
her guidance proved a diversion to them all in their mountain solitude.
The priest could lie on the sofa (the place he most frequently occupied)
and