me, and you must excuse
me if I look rather untidy."

No, I assured her, she didn't look in the least untidy. But she was
awfully funny, I can tell you. She told me the whole story of her life.
Her husband was a skipper; twice she had been with him to the Black Sea,
"and once across the equator as far as a place they call Buenos Ayres,
and it was so elegant, my dear, with riding policemen in the streets."

And the whole time we were talking she chewed and munched. For there had
been some one in Grimstad named Gonnersen, who was so polite that he had
bought a whole basket of cakes for her on the journey. "Will you
condescend to help yourself to a cake?" she said suddenly.

"Gonnersen was so polite"--was the last I heard as she crossed the
gangway at Fredriksvern. That was where she lived. Then she stood on
the wharf and waved to me, still eating.

Now there was only Larvik and Valloe before we got to Horten; there I was
to meet Mina;--hurrah, hurrah, how glad I was!

But it is certainly a good thing that you don't know what is going to
happen; for it was at Horten I got left behind, all because the steamer
rang only once at the Horten wharf; and that, I must say, is a shame,
when people have bought their tickets to go on farther.

Yes, it was disgusting;--but now you shall hear exactly how it happened.
When we got to Horten, Mina stood on the wharf with a new red parasol.
Mother and Karsten were still in the cabin lying down. I ran ashore at
once, you may be sure. Mina and I thought it was great fun to talk
together; for we had not seen each other for more than two weeks.

[Illustration: She told me the whole story of her life.--_Page 79._]

"Grandmother lives up there," said Mina, "up there, see--come here, only
two or three steps farther, and you'll see better; see, there is the
garden, and the doll-house with red curtains. Do you see the
doll-house?--only a few steps more,--and there is the bowling-alley in
Grandmother's garden----"

We ran up and up; then the steamer bell rang. "It will be sure to ring
three times," I said.

"Oh, surely," said Mina, and went on explaining: "Do you see that white
boat with a flag----"

I heard a suspicious sound from the steamer, and turned round as quick
as lightning. Yes, really, it was putting off from the wharf; first it
backed a little, and then started forward full speed. I dashed with
great leaps down the road and across the wharf.

"Stop--stop--stop, I am going w