clear the lake of pike and put in trout instead, I hope
they will use their best endeavours. My rods and tackle I will leave
to assist them."

"You are so good to us, Herr Hardy!" said Karl.

"Yes; but I am afraid I have a proposition to make with regard to you,
Karl, which may interrupt the fishing."

"And what is that?" asked the Pastor.

"Your present view with regard to Karl is that he should go to
Copenhagen and be a legal student. Now, my proposition is that he
returns with me to England, that he resides at Hardy Place and learns
English, during the winter. I will get a tutor in the English curate
with the English rector of my parish. I will, meanwhile, inquire if I
can find him a place in an English house of business in London, and,
if I can, it will be a better future for him than that of a legal
student in Copenhagen. At any rate, the experiment can be tried; and
there is another reason--it will cost you, Herr Pastor, nothing."

"It is kind," said the Pastor. "I will think of it, and I thank you,
Hardy."

"I have much to thank you for, Herr Pastor. I have learnt much here,"
said Hardy, "and as you will take nothing from me for the cost I have
put you to during my stay here, it will give me the opportunity of
repaying in part my debts to you."

The Pastor rose up and extended his hand to Hardy, and said, "I cannot
say how much I thank you. I accept it, Hardy."

His daughter had knitted as usual, but her head was bent over her
work.

"Helga," said the Pastor, "why do you not speak?"

"Because, father," said Helga, "Herr Hardy is so good I do not know
what to say. He is better than other men."

When Hardy said "Good night" to her, before he went to his room, she
said, "Good night, sir!" in English, but would not take the hand Hardy
held out to her.

CHAPTER XV.

"_Piscator._--But come, sir, I see you have dined,
and therefore, if you please, we will walk down again to the
little house, and I will read you a lecture on angling."
--_The Complete Angler._

Froken Helga and Kirstin the next day were much occupied in preparing
Karl's outfit; old stockings had to have new feet, cloth had to be
bought and the tailor sent for, as well as a Syjomfru, or seamstress,
to assist about his shirts. An inquiry, however, directed to Hardy on
the subject, put a stop to all the bustle.

"How many stockings of a thick kind had Karl better take?" asked
Helga. "We are preparing his outfit