ecting that the ladies from the town could not jump
from tuft to tuft as she could. Miss Frederica, in her tight skirt,
jumped short, and stumbled into a muddy hole. She shrieked and cried
piteously for help, with her eyes fixed upon Lintzow.

"Look alive, Henrik!" cried Max to Hartvig junior, who was nearer at
hand; "why don't you help your sister?"

Miss Frederica extricated herself without help, and the party proceeded.

The table was laid in the garden, along the wall of the house; and
although the spring was so young, it was warm enough in the sunshine.
When they had all found seats, Mrs. Hartvig cast a searching glance over
the table.

"Why--why--surely there's something wanting! I'm convinced I saw the
house-keeper wrapping up a black grouse this morning. Frederica, my
dear, don't you remember it?"

"Excuse me, mother, you know that housekeeping is not at all in my
department."

Rebecca looked at her father, and so did Lintzow; the worthy Pastor
pulled a face upon which even Ansgarius could read a confession of
crime.

"I can't possibly believe," began Mrs. Hartvig, "that you, Pastor, have
been conspiring with--" And then he could not help laughing and making
a clean breast of it, amid great merriment, while the boys in triumph
produced the parcel with the game. Every one was in the best possible
humor. Consul Hartvig was delighted to find that their clerical host
could join in a joke, and the Pastor himself was in higher spirits than
he had been in for many a year.

In the course of the conversation some one happened to remark that
although the arrangements might be countrified enough, the viands were
too town-like; "No country meal is complete without thick milk." [Note:
Milk allowed to stand until it has thickened to the consistency of
curds, and then eaten, commonly with sugar.]

Rebecca at once rose and demanded leave to bring a basin of milk; and,
paying no attention to Mrs. Hartvig's protests, she left the table.

"Let me help you, Miss Rebecca," cried Max, and ran after her.

"That is a lively young man," said the Pastor.

"Yes, isn't he?" answered the Consul, "and a deuced good business man
into the bargain. He has spent several years abroad, and now his father
has taken him into partnership."

"He's perhaps a little unstable," said Mrs. Hartvig, doubtfully.

"Yes, he is indeed," sighed Miss Frederica.

The young man followed Rebecca through the suite of rooms that led to
the dairy. At